What was the formation today?

[Robert N. LiM 4,667]

And did it work?

[birchfest 397]

4-2-3-1

I assume it worked as we won!

[CDMullins 459]

Seemed to be 4-5-1

Mcnamee on right, Martin on Left

Wes playing just off Holt

Did it work? Not really, Chrissy didnt do much, though he didnt really get much ball. We didnt get many crosses in to say we played with ''wingers''

[O.T.B.C 0]

Chrissy is not a left winger though.

[Shyster 0]

[quote user="birchfest"]4-2-3-1

I assume it worked as we won![/quote]

It was 4-2-3-1 for the first half, with C. Martin fielded in the left berth and McNamee on the right. Why Lambert chooses to play natural left-winger McNamee on the right and C. Martin on any f*cking flank at all is a strange decision that only Lambert himself has the answer to. And why a 4-2-3-1?The 1st half was fruitless.Lambert came to his senses slightly by starting the 2nd half 4-4-2 - I say slightly because he put Hoolahan left and stuck with McNamee on the right [:P] Once again, a weird decision.Thankfully, during the course of this afternoons 2nd half, McNamee found himself running with the ball down his preferred left-hand side - he then whipped in a cross where Holt was at last present in the box to score from the resulting cross.The 2nd half bore fruit - we won and albeit a couple of indecisive 4-4-2 systems, have now garnered maximum points from our last two games by ridding of the ''cracked diamond''. A ''cracked diamond'' that saw us lose the same amount of points in the three fixtures prior to Southend.Happy days [:D]

[O.T.B.C 0]

A cracked diamond that got us to the top of the league though......[:P]

Were you there today?

[Shyster 0]

[quote user="Canaries in Bed"]

A cracked diamond that got us to the top of the league though......[:P]

Were you there today?

[/quote]And no doubt Lambert might field the diamond formation again before the season''s out - but at least it''ll be refreshed. No one can deny it was faltering and we needed a Plan B to come into play.No, I wasn''t there today.

[O.T.B.C 0]

I agree with changing it, I like the inter changing of formation through out the game too. I do prefer the diamond for its attacking nature, but I like the 4-4-2 as it is the way we have all grown up with.

Where did you read about what formations it was today?

[Robert N. LiM 4,667]

So it looks as though the last two games have proved that Lambert doesn''t think we have the players for 4-4-2...

[Christov 3]

Shyster is spot on with how lined up although at times in the first half it did almost look like a 4-4-2 with Chris Martin on the left and Wes upfront with Holt.

I have to agree with the comment of playing McNamee on the right when he''s a left footer. The one time him and Wes swapped wings it bore fruit so I was surprised when they changed it back.

One thing is clear though and that is that 4-4-2 does not suit us when McNamme and Wes are in the same team as there is no natural balance. A better class of opposition would have exploited this today.

[Morisons Prozac 0]

There isn''t an effective formation that can acommodate both McNameee and Wes without sacrificing Holt or Martin so Lambert is going to have to make some difficult choices to which he will play.

ATM I would drop Martin but his form will return sooner or later so...

I think that another winger is necessary and I would possibly bring in Adomah and play a 4-4-1-1 formation with Hoolahan behind Holt.

[York Yellow 0]

[quote user="birchfest"]4-2-3-1


I assume it worked as we won!
[/quote]

I went ot the game and it didnt work that well 

Martin played on the left for most of the first half and didnt look comfortable

It was better when Martin switched into the middle and hoolahan went on the left

[a1canary 0]

switching wings is all the rage these days. left footed crosses from the right can be effective - macca stuck one straight on to holt''s head in the first half that he nearly buried.

it gives the full backs something different to think about when they switch too. we occasionally used to see hucks on the right to quite good effect. forgotten who it was that used to do it. was it roeder?

[PurpleCanary 5,607]

[quote user="Robert N. LiM"]So it looks as though the last two games have proved that Lambert doesn''t think we have the players for 4-4-2...[/quote]

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With respect, Robert, I don’t think that is right. We have the players for 4-4-2, especially when Russell is available again. It is just that to pick the right players (which Lambert has so far not done) involves some very tough choices.

There is an obvious midfield of McNamee on the left, two from Russell/Smith/Hughes/Gill/Tudur-Jones/Spillane/Adeyemi in the middle and one from Hughes/Spillane/Chris Martin on the right.

That means playing someone slightly out of position on the right, although I think Hughes could do it, and either leaving Hoolahan out altogether, or playing him sort of up front with Holt.

What Lambert has done so far is to try to compromise by getting all the star players in and in so doing creating a weak midfield quartet. If Gunn had picked a midfield of McNamee, Hughes, Lappin and Hoolahan, as Lambert did against Southend, he would rightly have been criticised. And by all accounts yesterday’s formation was another compromise, albeit slightly less of one.