The correct formation

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

The most pleasing thing for me of the last few weeks is that we''re finally getting close to our strongest 11 and are able to play our most successful formation.

By far our best looking football and the formation that was starting to get results back in October was the 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 when defending (whichever way you want to argue it).

Having Tettey protecting the back 4 (and playing two DM against the top teams) allows Fer (and/or Howson) to push forward. It allows the wingers to support the lone striker more often, playing slightly more central at times which then also encourages and allows the full backs to get into good crossing positions.

I think we can''t underestimate the difference Tettey makes to the team. Without him we''ve tried all sorts of formations with very mixed results. This current setup is looking very fluid and isn''t going to be easily found out. Opposition will have a difficult time working out how to setup against us with the options of Snodgrass, Redmond, Fer, hoolahan, Pilks all as attacking options supporting the striker. Getting past Johnson, Tettey and then Yobo and Bassong is already proving very difficult. Ruddy having a club record amount of clean sheets is testament to our defensive form.

Yes we need to create and score more, and that is finally starting to happen. I''m encouraged as it seems thus was the intended formation a long time ago and is great to finally see us try this again. Forget the 4-4-2 Hughton seemed to employ just to please the fans, this is the way forward.

We controlled a game against a team aiming for top 4 and kept a clean sheet against the highest scoring team in the league (until yesterday).

OTBC

[Kangaroo Court 0]

I hope Hughton didn''t adopt 4-4-2 just to please the fans. I think he was forced into it due to injuries. We need another CM if our season is going to collapse every time one gets injured.

[KeelansGlove 0]

Firstly we do not have the players to play 4-3-3

Only Pilkington could be considered a wide forward in our squad the remainder are wingers however you want to dress it up.

I guess Fer is the nearest thing we have to an attacking midfielder and playing against any top 8 team home or away I couldn''t fault the 4-5-1 formation.

Thankfully with Yobos arrival we have got back to the kind of defensive form we had during the 10 game unbeaten run last season but I see no real signs that our attacking frailty has been addressed in the slightest.

My biggest disappointment was that we didn''t look to solve this obvious problem in January. It doesn''t matter what formation you play if you don''t have the players to make it work.

For me if we stay up we need to break the bank on one influential attacking midfielder to turn this squad into a decent team.

We continue to sacrifice any attacking intent in the name of solid defence, again I can understand this against a top 8 team but we need to find a way to take a game to teams around us (who may play as we do)

Ideally for me this will have to include Pilkington in any 4-5-1 and perhaps 4-4-2 with Tettey and Fer Central allowing the wide players to be more than additional full backs.

Much has been made of the variation of the tactics the truth is most of this season (and last) it has just been a matter of either 1 or 2 strikers being completely isolated and the rest of the team defending and no midfield players prepared to link up with attack.

Don''t kid yourself we have solved tis problem , we scored a goal.

[Move Klose 303]

Our best football at start of the season was 4231, Fer & Tettey holding and Howson pushing on. We went quite a large spell missing Tettey & Howson. So was hard to play a 4231.

It will be hard to drop Johnson, Tettey & Fer for Howson after yesterday. But its nice to have Johnson, Tettey, Fer, Howson & Hoolahan to fit into a 4231 because thats our best formation.

[KeelansGlove 0]

I would argue on a couple of fronts.

Firstly, I think it would be clutching at straws to suggest a team that cannot average scoring a goal a game have had a "Succesful Period"

Secondly Howson has shown little aptitude for "pushing on" unlike Fer who has had a decent spell of passes in and around the box. I would argue Howson is much more of a box to box player with an eye for a long range strike.

[Salopian 1]

Two or three months ago, and before his injury, most of us would have said that whoever else is on our best side, Howson would have to be there.

Now, especially with Johnson playing well, assisting in goals, etc, perhaps Howson will get back only if one of the present midfield is injured. (To a lesser extent, we could say the same about Gutierrez, and in defence about Turner and Bennett.)

I was fearful that our season could implode with one or two injuries, but we now have good back-up!

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

[quote user="KeelansGlove"]Firstly we do not have the players to play 4-3-3

Only Pilkington could be considered a wide forward in our squad the remainder are wingers however you want to dress it up.

I guess Fer is the nearest thing we have to an attacking midfielder and playing against any top 8 team home or away I couldn''t fault the 4-5-1 formation.

Thankfully with Yobos arrival we have got back to the kind of defensive form we had during the 10 game unbeaten run last season but I see no real signs that our attacking frailty has been addressed in the slightest.

My biggest disappointment was that we didn''t look to solve this obvious problem in January. It doesn''t matter what formation you play if you don''t have the players to make it work.

For me if we stay up we need to break the bank on one influential attacking midfielder to turn this squad into a decent team.

We continue to sacrifice any attacking intent in the name of solid defence, again I can understand this against a top 8 team but we need to find a way to take a game to teams around us (who may play as we do)

Ideally for me this will have to include Pilkington in any 4-5-1 and perhaps 4-4-2 with Tettey and Fer Central allowing the wide players to be more than additional full backs.

Much has been made of the variation of the tactics the truth is most of this season (and last) it has just been a matter of either 1 or 2 strikers being completely isolated and the rest of the team defending and no midfield players prepared to link up with attack.

Don''t kid yourself we have solved tis problem , we scored a goal.[/quote]

What was secondly....?

Relax, nowhere have I said all problems are solved, and I''ve been very critical of Hughton in the last few weeks. However, I believe we''re back to the formation (4-5-1 if you must insist) that was starting to work earlier in the season. Watching any of the games when that was how we setup will show you that. It was a 3 in midfield of Fer, Tetteya no Howson where one of Fer or Howson would hold with Tettey while the other pushed forwards. The reason I called this a 4-3-3 is simply that the midfield was very much based around what and where those 3 players were. The wingers were further forward and we''re making more of an effort to support the attack (pilks being the best example of this).

I don''t particularly care what you call the formation (which I did point out in the OP), it''s just encouraging to see us play to our earlier strengths and to now be getting a result as well as a performance at the end of it.

[tom cavendish 0]

Neither Fer or Howson have created enough chances or got forward enough into the box to support a lone striker.I would select Snodgrass as the forward-midfielder (as he has played for Scotland & Leeds), Pilks left, Redmond right.

[Joanna Grey 0]

tom cavendish wrote the following post at 25/02/2014 11:27 AM:

"Neither Fer or Howson have created enough chances or got forward enough into the box to support a lone striker.

I would select Snodgrass as the forward-midfielder (as he has played for Scotland & Leeds), Pilks left, Redmond right."

I wonder whether it might be worth considering starting those three in front of a Johnson-Fer-Tettey midfield? We know that Pilks, Snoddy and Redderz all have goals in them, would anybody be brave enough to leave both our multi-million pound strikers on the bench?

[tom cavendish 0]

I think Hooper & Snodgrass have shown some good signs of linking up well.  I would have Pilks and Redmond in their best positions with Snodgrass given more freedom. That would give us a much better chance of scoring more goals.              Hooper             Snodgrass Pilkington Fer Tettey RedmondOlsson Bassong Yobo Whittaker                  Ruddy