Do you need a midfield?!

[The Great Mass Debater 1,202]

OK, Im not in the remotest bit serious here, but do you really need a midfield? Thinking outside the box - what would happen if you played a flat back 5 and a flat attacking line of forwards? Knee jerk reaction is ''you would get killed as the opposition midfield would be unchallenged''. Thats the initial thought. But think about it. 5 players hugging the central line at all times so as not to be offside. An obvious outlet for defenders to play to. Imagine you''re Turner, youve just won the ball. You immediately have 5 players as your outlet. Opposition defenders and midfielders would be terrified to go forward for fear fo being horribly outnumbered on the counter should the lose possession. If I were a fullback I wouldnt want to go marauding forward knowing there were 5 attackers behind me if we lost the ball. It would mean a team has plenty of support in attack, and if this dynamic occurs (opposition fearing being outnumbered on the counter) it might not automatically mean the back 5 get swamped.

 

I know this is tosh but would it really be that bad?!

[Redders Right Foot 22]

Why have a flat 5 back?

place the 5 on the goal line, ruddy just in front. Ruddy can grab whatever would go over their heads the rest can block. then ruddy can hoof it up to our front 5 of Redmond Pilkington Snodgrass RVW and Hooper (our 5 best shots IMO)

[Juggy 0]

"Pilkington Snodgrass RVW and Hooper (our 5 best shots IMO)"

Highly debatable - Howson has 4 goals in 12, making him currently our most prolific goalscorer.

Snodgrass hasn''t scored in 11 games and has had 15 shots this season.

[Mr Brownstone 0]

Yes. That''s definitely the flaw in that plan.

[JF 694]

I''d like to see us deploy the tactics from the Charlie, Charlie Charles sketch from the Harry Enfield show. One man dribbling the ball forwards to their goal and the other nine players surrounding him blocking any challenges that come in until he walks the ball over the goal line.

[JF 694]

Well worth a watch.

http://youtu.be/y4CXY6TVBMc

[| wolfswinkel | 0]

^^^^ haha! We should try this Saturday! Might actually work for us

[morty 0]

[quote user="JF"]Well worth a watch.

http://youtu.be/y4CXY6TVBMc[/quote][:D]

[GenerationA47 864]

It would be fun to watch GMD (in somebody else''s team), if only to see the opponents playing ten men in the final 3rd, and what we now call the midfield action all occurring within a small distance of the goal. I wonder if the offside trap has ever been played within the penalty area before in pro football.

[im spartacus canary 0]

i often wonder what would happen if somebody did this and how would the other team react,

[Chesney Hawkes 0]

Under Ossie Ardiles (?), Spurs played what was called the 5-0-5 formation. It didn''t work out.