How about a 5-3-2 system?

[I am a Banana 0]

This is more for games we are expected to get nothing and can play on the counter attack.

 

Ruddy in goal.

Back 5 of Naughton, Martin, De Laet, Barnett, Tierney - Both Tierney and Naughton playing as Wing Backs.

Midfield 3 of Johnson, Fox, Crofts - 2 battlers 1 ball player.

Duo up top of Morision/Holt or Holt/Jackson or Morision/Jackson

 

 

Bench

Rudd, Drury, Hoolahan, Bennett, Pilks, Surman, 1 of Holt/Morision/Jackson.

 

[Baldyboy 0]

so you would have no creativity in there without Hoolahan, Bennett AND Pilkington? How bizarre!!!

[Legend Iwan 30]

Nana, didn''t we try this at the beginning of the Chelsea game?

I do think we need to debate the idea of trying other formations though.

[Mahogany 0]

Not sure about 5-3-2 but I think a system with a sweeper might work. Martin seems ideal to play as a sweeper. We saw today how fantastic his positional sense is and freed from the duties of a standard CB he could focus on cutting out plays with the option to bomb forward, as he is obviously keen to do, without leaving us massively exposed at the back. How about something like a 5-2-3/5-4-1.

Ruddy

Martin

Naughton Barnett De Laet Tierney

Fox Johnson

Bennett Pilkington

Morison

[Largey 0]

Baldyboy beat me to it. There is no creativity there whatsoever! Morison and Holt would be overrun with ease.

[ZLF 271]

Crofts today showed he is third choice midfielder and I would not have him in my 5-3-2.

have the three of johnson fox and hoolahan. Hoolahan wins as many tackles and covers as much ground as crofts but keep possession far better, moving it on faster with fewer touches and can create - crofts in comparison is too slow and one dimensional. If not wes, then put pilkington in the middle with BJ Fox

Up front - take your pick of a partner for morison, perhaps pilkington is the one as he does have a touch of class