Mandeville

[The Red Baron]

The reason we have no width in midfield is because we play this wretched diamond formation. I thought we'd seen the last of it but it was back today and guess what- we were second best in midfield again.

Ferguson's dogged determination in playing the diamond will probably be what costs him his job here.

[dickos1]

When he plays 3 at the back people say why can he not see that everyone else can see that it doesn't work, then when we play the diamond people say exactly the same.

[Chris Black come back]

Perhaps both are true?

[The Red Baron]

Personally I don't know what's wrong with 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. You never know, it might actually suit the players we've got.

[ravenrover]

When he plays 3 at the back people say why can he not see that everyone else can see that it doesn't work, then when we play the diamond people say exactly the same.

what formation would you play?

[idler]

All decent managers sort the defence out as a first priority. Keep a clean sheet and you get at least a point plus however poor a team you are you always get a chance or two of a goal.
We need to be busy in January.

[RedJ]

Personally I don't know what's wrong with 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. You never know, it might actually suit the players we've got.

God forbid he actually plays players in positions they're actually suited for.

[steve@dcfd]

Personally I don't know what's wrong with 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. You never know, it might actually suit the players we've got.

God forbid he actually plays players in positions they're actually suited for.

We need a left sided player who can play wide or left midfield. We only have Tommy but I believe he is wasted there.


At the moment Blair can play right. Houghton and one of Whiteman or Kongolo. Tommy Would have to play left but would prefer him behind the striker.

Choices to be made in transfer window do we keep Kongolo no if we can bring in a better 24/27 midfield player.
Left sided player who can play left back or left midfield.
Striker that is better than what we have. I don’t see Williams playing again for us and as yet Kiwomya will be fit enough and even good enough, we all hope so.

For me that’s minimum

[RoversAlias]

When he plays 3 at the back people say why can he not see that everyone else can see that it doesn't work, then when we play the diamond people say exactly the same.

Who are these specific people? I don't recall Baron saying this, and he brought it up in this thread. I am one of the most vocal dissidents of the diamond and I actually like the 3-5-2, when the right players are in the right positions for it. In fact I'd play it fairly often if I were the manager.

The 4-4-1-1 is proving good for us. It helped us at Arsenal, it certainly benefitted our performance against Scunthorpe recently, so why does he not do it more often? Possibly due to not having Blair available, but either way he changes the set-up too often. During matches and from game-to-game, we never have a settled way of playing.

[Alan Southstand]

If we had 2 full backs, yes - but we haven't, so a 4 at the back is at best makeshift!

[dickos1]

When he plays 3 at the back people say why can he not see that everyone else can see that it doesn't work, then when we play the diamond people say exactly the same.

what formation would you play?

Against who?

You need to be able to play different ways and even adapt into different formations during the game.

You wouldn't just say this is how we're playing for the season now regardless of who we're playing

[ravenrover]

OK let me re-phrase it what would be your preferred starting formation based on all our "1st 11" being fit and I appreciate that during a game we would move from a back 4 to a back 3 a diamond to a straight 4 etc

[dickos1]

Blair right wing back
Butler wright baudry centre halves
Andrew left wing back

[BillyStubbsTears]

Blair right wing back
Butler wright baudry centre halves
Andrew left wing back

Agreed

In front of them

Coppinger and Rowe just behind Marquis. Then Brian Stock and Alan Little sat between them and the defence.

[GazLaz]

People always use formations as an excuse, formations only look bad if you don’t keep possession of the football when in possession and when not in possession you don’t do your job picking up men and tracking runners.

[ravenrover]

Blair right wing back
Butler wright baudry centre halves
Andrew left wing back

thats left us a bit short in midfield and up front😁

[Donnybax]

When he plays 3 at the back people say why can he not see that everyone else can see that it doesn't work, then when we play the diamond people say exactly the same.

so basically Fergie has a blind faith to just two formations and refuses to play anything else?