Last Season Tactics

[marki61422 0]

Could someone please explain to me why we only played with Pukki up front all season.

Even when we were relegated we were still only playing with one up front and using the same formation we'd used all year. Truly can't understand why Dean Smith didn't experiment with different formations once we knew we were relegated.

[Grant Holts Moustache 105]

4 minutes ago, marki61422 said:

Could someone please explain to me why we only played with Pukki up front all season.

Even when we were relegated we were still only playing with one up front and using the same formation we'd used all year. Truly can't understand why Dean Smith didn't experiment with different formations once we knew we were relegated.

He did play two up front for a spell. Then Idah got injured followed by Sergeant and we had no options to play two up front.

[chicken 2,710]

In addition to what GHM just posted, I think you'll find that Smith did experiment a bit with what he could during the season. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think we have seen:

4-4-2
4-3-3
3-4-3
3-5-2
4-2-3-1

Some not for whole games and perhaps only towards the end of games but we certainly saw three at the back, 4-2-3-1 as well as 4-3-3 from the kick off I believe.

[Mr Angry 1,582]

5 minutes ago, Grant Holts Moustache said:

He did play two up front for a spell. Then Idah got injured followed by Sergeant and we had no options to play two up front.

Everton at home, Watford away and Palace at home-Pukki and Idah up front-2 wins and a draw, although the Watford win and the Palace draw were far from convincing performances. Then Idah got injured and that was that.

[marki61422 0]

Yes I know he occasionally played two up front with Idah and Sergeant, but they were usually used as substitues when we were already losing the game. I know  Idah and Sergeant were both injured during the latter part of the season, but why couldn't Smith have played Tzolis, Springett, Plachetta and Rowe more often. Surely at that stage of the season Smith had nothing to lose and alot to gain at looking at some younger players.

 

[Terminally Yellow 2,556]

1 hour ago, marki61422 said:

Could someone please explain to me why we only played with Pukki up front all season.

 

1 hour ago, marki61422 said:

Yes I know he occasionally played two up front with Idah and Sergeant

 

[Pugin 601]

5 hours ago, marki61422 said:

Could someone please explain to me why we only played with Pukki up front all season.

Is this a serious question?

Teams go with one up front because you are only allowed 11 players.

If you were to hang two or three players up front, EPL opposition would pack their midfield with an overload of extra players and totally dominate the game in all meaningful ways.

God knows we struggled badly enough in midfield with the extra man, so can you imagine how we would have been with one man less in that area? The supply of good balls to the final third would have gone from woefully inadequate to totally non-existent.

Does that go some way towards answering the question? If positioning 2, 3 or 4 players up front was the way to win games do you not think that better tacticians than you or I would have seen the light???

 

[Canario 227]

Last seasons tactics....there weren't any. 

Shift the ball from side to side in non threatening areas,lump it, lose it, concede. 

Repeat

[Canario 227]

And the alternative don't stick your foot in as we don't want any suspensions. 

Back off and they are bound to cough it up eventually.