Christoph Stiepermann 1,120 Posted January 15, 2022 Two strikers offering a threat, balance on the wings with one pace option and one hard worker, no Gilmour or McLean ghosting around in CM.. Has Smith finally cracked it? We looked better on wednesday against a very big, fast West Ham who were always going to give us problems and we look very decent today. I like this formation and line up for us, it suits our pressing game and gives us a threat upfront unlike the 3 man midfield which I hasn't worked for us all season. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cambridgeshire canary 6,509 Posted January 15, 2022 I think I would refrain from making these threads until the 90 minute least it comes back around 😉 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Raumdeuter III 77 Posted January 15, 2022 Both teams are playing 4-4-2. I know it feels like 10 years ago since we last won but this is a genuine throwback. The 4-4-2 has its positives and weaknesses, but having Idah on-it with his hold up play up top has been as asset. Also, the intensity I’m which we’ve won the ball back and carried it forwards has been the difference maker. That’s the “Dean Smith way” when it works. The crowd loves the tempo of a fighting turnover, we always have done at Carrow Road. I hope we can keep this up! More goals in this game for sure. Let’s see how the second half goes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fredherring 136 Posted January 15, 2022 Except its not. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Petriix 2,820 Posted January 15, 2022 It's a 4-2-3-1 with Idah at number 10. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icecream Snow 761 Posted January 15, 2022 Credit to Dean Smith for starting with three strikers and a winger, would have been easy for him to have caved in and tried to park the bus and nick one, but no one can say he isn't trying to win games. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unhinged Canary 375 Posted January 15, 2022 Whatever it is, we looked slightly less useless on Wednesday and a lot less useless today. Dean's found something that seems to be working. Let's hope we stick with it and continue to make it work better. Huge game on Friday. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
canarydan23 4,060 Posted January 15, 2022 31 minutes ago, Petriix said: It's a 4-2-3-1 with Idah at number 10. It was definitely this. Pukki and Idah occasionally swapped roles, but it was definitely 4-2-3-1. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keelansgrandad 6,679 Posted January 15, 2022 9 minutes ago, Unhinged Canary said: Whatever it is, we looked slightly less useless on Wednesday and a lot less useless today. Dean's found something that seems to be working. Let's hope we stick with it and continue to make it work better. Huge game on Friday. If we are inferior in our playing ability, then we have to try and gain an advantage. Keeping the ball away from our goal is the first step and it spent a lot of time in their half today even if it wasn't Farkeball. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Branston Pickle 3,598 Posted January 15, 2022 (edited) I think it was fairly fluid - I thought it was a 4231 c-um 433, but felt like 9-0-1 or 10-0-0 at times! Edited January 15, 2022 by Branston Pickle Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Helsinki canary 222 Posted January 15, 2022 Actually it was not very clear what the formation was at times, Sargent was all over the park and players swapping positions constantly, I actually wonder if the zonal marking was dumped? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carra Rud 17 Posted January 15, 2022 Is the game vs Watford on Prime Video? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canario 187 Posted January 15, 2022 Players popping up all over the place. Puking and idah switching it up, sideshow and milot. Perhaps we are channelling Ragnick and the 4-2-2-2. Either way the flower pot man will tell us we had ten outfield players in no particular structure and somehow won. Long may it continue. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dylanisabaddog 4,728 Posted January 15, 2022 4-4-2. Really? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Banjoman 38 Posted January 15, 2022 37 minutes ago, Carra Rud said: Is the game vs Watford on Prime Video? Sky Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deptford Yellow 256 Posted January 16, 2022 It’s an interesting one this isn’t it… ‘wingers’ have always pushed up, and usually one of two strikers in the old system would withdraw a bit and find the space in the hole … I would guess that having Sorensen sit and Lees-Melou get forward more would suggest it wasn’t a two in the way you’d usually see in a 4231, but I wasn’t at the game so don’t really know lol … I was just reflecting whilst making my cup of tea after watching the match of the day highlights (and yes clumsy ‘joke’ about Idah’s name but otherwise better reportage than we usually get I thought)… I was just thinking about what always seemed to me to be the key difference between Farke and Lambert -the two most successful managers in my time as a fan.. Farke had a system and the players had to fit to it… it took a while to work until he got and trained up the players to be able to work his system… When Lambert came he worked out what system his players could deliver and took it from there … is this what Smith has done / is doing? Round legs in round holes etc eg Lees Melou looking like a proper midfielder as the advanced one of a central pair … if so I might start to feel ‘hope’ again - something which felt pretty much extinguished after my trip to the Valley last weekend … Feels like there’s an awful lot riding on that Watford game eh ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yellow Wal 314 Posted January 16, 2022 17 hours ago, Petriix said: It's a 4-2-3-1 with Idah at number 10. What on earth were you looking at? Idah was far from number 10. That was the small tweak that was so massive. In previous games when Idah and Pukki have played up front, Idah has tried to support Pukki. The change was that Idah took the main striker role and he was excellently supported by Pukki. Teemu looked absolutely knackered at the end of the game because of all the extra work he was doing helping to support the midfield and link up with Adam. Teemu is a very intelligent footballer whose main weakness is his aerial power. He is much better suited to this role in an SAS team We've been crying out for a number 10 for years, we had one all along and now we have a forceful striker who he can work with. Well done Smith and Shakespeare, this small change has made all the difference. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carra Rud 17 Posted January 19, 2022 On 15/01/2022 at 18:42, Banjoman said: Sky Thanks mate Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yelloow Since 72 53 Posted January 19, 2022 On 16/01/2022 at 11:01, Yellow Wal said: What on earth were you looking at? Idah was far from number 10. That was the small tweak that was so massive. In previous games when Idah and Pukki have played up front, Idah has tried to support Pukki. The change was that Idah took the main striker role and he was excellently supported by Pukki. Teemu looked absolutely knackered at the end of the game because of all the extra work he was doing helping to support the midfield and link up with Adam. Teemu is a very intelligent footballer whose main weakness is his aerial power. He is much better suited to this role in an SAS team We've been crying out for a number 10 for years, we had one all along and now we have a forceful striker who he can work with. Well done Smith and Shakespeare, this small change has made all the difference. That was the original plan when Pukki arrived, playing off Rhodes in a flexible role, pulling defenders out of position. He started scoring goals though and evolved into the lone striker role which worked well in the Championship, but less well in the PL. With Idah, the roles are more flexible but effective all the same. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Worthy Nigelton 1,015 Posted January 20, 2022 (edited) On 16/01/2022 at 11:01, Yellow Wal said: What on earth were you looking at? Idah was far from number 10. That was the small tweak that was so massive. In previous games when Idah and Pukki have played up front, Idah has tried to support Pukki. The change was that Idah took the main striker role and he was excellently supported by Pukki. Teemu looked absolutely knackered at the end of the game because of all the extra work he was doing helping to support the midfield and link up with Adam. Teemu is a very intelligent footballer whose main weakness is his aerial power. He is much better suited to this role in an SAS team We've been crying out for a number 10 for years, we had one all along and now we have a forceful striker who he can work with. Well done Smith and Shakespeare, this small change has made all the difference. Agreed re. Pukki but he this was as 442 as you'll get in the modern game. Teemu wasn't in a Stiepermann type role but Idah wasn't anything other than an out and out no. 9. Edited January 20, 2022 by Worthy Nigelton Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheGunnShow 5,799 Posted January 20, 2022 Was going to say, Stiepermann was very much the number 10 in that first Champs-winning season under Farke, he just played it rather differently. Usually your number 10 looks to be up with the striker or nearby, but Stieps dropped ten yards, would pick a ball up on the half-turn and start rumbling forward, looking for a pass to hit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
corbs 147 Posted January 20, 2022 It’s a good feeling knowing a keeper is strong. I’m very tense about this game now. Comest the hour? Oh for the days when one looked down and saw Chrissie Woods, or a Greeno, Ruddy. Old Big head was right, you built from the back. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites