[Albion] 352 what did you think?

[Kalimantan Gull]

Didn't like it. We've worked do hard this season at keeping it tight at the back, but suddenly we decide we have a free hit and change everything for Chelsea. Bang, we ship four. I thought we had a real chance on Saturday, not like that

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I think Goldson might well be challenging Duffy for the slot next to Dunk as and when we revert to 4-4-2.

Agree. Duffy looks a busted flush.

 

[B-right-on]

MOTD did make it look disastrous, but they only showed a couple of moments in the game .

Most defences get run ragged with Hazard and Willian running at them , not sure two in the middle would have faired any better .

What MOTD also pointed out was how much better going forward we were in this system and we created a lot more chances .

People want Hughton to take a few risks and go for it a bit more and this looks like the way to do it .

4-4-2 has looked a grind for most games this season , and we’re getting g to the sharp end of the season where we need wins . That formation against a lesser team will bring goals imo .

Just the intent looked better yesterday and if we’re going down I’d rather go down like that than with a whimper creating nothing in the process


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This. Ok so we got pasted but I left my seat more times in that game than any of the last dozen. Thought we had a right go. I thought it was a perfect game to try it out, one where we would have no chance to win.

Look at how we rolled over at WBA, that's a whimper.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

This. Ok so we got pasted but I left my seat more times in that game than any of the last dozen. Thought we had a right go. I thought it was a perfect game to try it out, one where we would have no chance to win.

Look at how we rolled over at WBA, that's a whimper.

I'm sorry but I just don't like this attitude 'we got hammered but at least we had a go'. That's a one way ticket to relegation. We need points, not kudos from 'having a go'. Any team can have a go at 2-0 down

Anyway I think we'd have been attacking them in our normal formation, they had a long hard game 3 days earlier and were missing several key players through injury and suspension. But we could have done it at 0-0 rather than 2-0 down if our defence wasn't all at sea because of a strange formation

 

[Lower West Stander]

I'm sorry but I just don't like this attitude 'we got hammered but at least we had a go'. That's a one way ticket to relegation. We need points, not kudos from 'having a go'. Any team can have a go at 2-0 down

Anyway I think we'd have been attacking them in our normal formation, they had a long hard game 3 days earlier and were missing several key players through injury and suspension. But we could have done it at 0-0 rather than 2-0 down if our defence wasn't all at sea because of a strange formation

Tend to agree with this.

Not sure it would have been quite so positive if we had been 0-0. And the space the system allowed Hazard was ridiculous.

What’s the point in having 3 centre backs if Hazard has half the pitch to himself?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Is it PotG?]

Personally speaking, I think it's the best chance to stay up generally.

We created a lot more, and teams like Stains, Stoke et al don't have the quality of the likes of Hazard.

Keep it up.

If we play such as we did at The Hawthorns and create sod all, then there shall be only one outcome.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Didn't like it. We've worked do hard this season at keeping it tight at the back, but suddenly we decide we have a free hit and change everything for Chelsea. Bang, we ship four. I thought we had a real chance on Saturday, not like that

...and with it went any chance of a competitive GD for the rest of the season. That is gone now, as there are definitely some hammerings still to come ( City, Tottenham, Utd, Liverpool ). So its wins now not narrow defeats.

 

[Hamilton]

I’m a fan of 352 against the right opponents. I thought we demonstrated that the system can work on Saturday. We just chose the wrong opponents.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mo Gosfield]

I'm sorry but I just don't like this attitude 'we got hammered but at least we had a go'. That's a one way ticket to relegation. We need points, not kudos from 'having a go'. Any team can have a go at 2-0 down

Anyway I think we'd have been attacking them in our normal formation, they had a long hard game 3 days earlier and were missing several key players through injury and suspension. But we could have done it at 0-0 rather than 2-0 down if our defence wasn't all at sea because of a strange formation

We lost that game from the k.o. We sat back from the start and let them dominate possession for the first 3 minutes. That gave them the confidence to push down the flanks and sure enough, before we could blink, along came an error ( Stephens ) and the door was unlocked. You cannot give a team like Chelsea a headstart and expect anything out of the game. Same thing at WBA, against a team devoid of all confidence. Started poorly, they were up for it and we cannot defend a simple corner. A goal down in the first five minutes in each of the last two games sends a message out to the rest of the division. You can get at Brighton early. Huddersfield and West Brom both got the crowd whipped up and their teams started at a higher tempo than us. Before we knew it, we were struggling in both games and Saints and Stoke ( in particular ) will use similar tactics.

 

[Marshy]

I would actually persevere with it a bit longer, to write it off after 90 mins against a Hazzard inspired Chelsea would not be giving it a chance

With a few personnel changes and 2 more weeks training until the next league game it could work

We certainly looked far more likely to score goals.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I'm sorry but I just don't like this attitude 'we got hammered but at least we had a go'. That's a one way ticket to relegation. We need points, not kudos from 'having a go'. Any team can have a go at 2-0 down

Anyway I think we'd have been attacking them in our normal formation, they had a long hard game 3 days earlier and were missing several key players through injury and suspension. But we could have done it at 0-0 rather than 2-0 down if our defence wasn't all at sea because of a strange formation

Quite. We haven’t lost recent games, because teams have broken us down, we’ve lost because of sloppiness at set pieces.

FWIW, I don’t like the formation, if your best CB is pulled out to the extent he’s practically a LB, something is wrong. There should never be that much space between CB’s. You can call it teething issues or anything you like, but I don’t think currently we have the personnel to play it.

I think GD will be key, so would rather have lost 0-2 and created less - see Chelsea away, where we did relatively well and still created some chances.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I would actually persevere with it a bit longer, to write it off after 90 mins against a Hazzard inspired Chelsea would not be giving it a chance

With a few personnel changes and 2 more weeks training until the next league game it could work

We certainly looked far more likely to score goals.

OK, but just to flog my horse a bit more, I want my team to look likely to score goals at 0-0, not 0-2, so the jury is still out on that. No doubt that Chelsea sat back with the game won, conserving energy after that long game in midweek

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Personally speaking, I think it's the best chance to stay up generally.

We created a lot more, and teams like Stains, Stoke et al don't have the quality of the likes of Hazard.

Keep it up.

If we play such as we did at The Hawthorns and create sod all, then there shall be only one outcome.

We were pretty good in our four previous home games, against Burnley, Watford, Bournemouth, Palace. I'd like to have seen those performances go toe to toe with Chelsea.

 

[Wozza]

OK, but just to flog my horse a bit more, I want my team to look likely to score goals at 0-0, not 0-2, so the jury is still out on that. No doubt that Chelsea sat back with the game won, conserving energy after that long game in midweek

It was a different Chelsea team mid-week.

We were 2-0 down the week before with a 4-4-1-1 and offered NOTHING. We are (were) way too predictable.

 

[Marshy]

OK, but just to flog my horse a bit more, I want my team to look likely to score goals at 0-0, not 0-2, so the jury is still out on that. No doubt that Chelsea sat back with the game won, conserving energy after that long game in midweek

Still to write it off without giving it a real go, no harm in trying it at Boro.

 

[Bladders]

OK, but just to flog my horse a bit more, I want my team to look likely to score goals at 0-0, not 0-2, so the jury is still out on that. No doubt that Chelsea sat back with the game won, conserving energy after that long game in midweek

We had our usual formation and had less of a go against Liverpool and lost 1-5.

We've also only managed to draw against lesser teams too without really creating a great deal in 4-4-2/4-4-1-1. You just want to carry on like that?

 

[Bladders]

We were pretty good in our four previous home games, against Burnley, Watford, Bournemouth, Palace. I'd like to have seen those performances go toe to toe with Chelsea.

The Burnley and Palace games, we could have played all night and wouldn't look like scoring. Watford are currently the worst team in the league on form.

BMuff I agree we should have won, but we didn't. we are with Swansea the lowest scoring team in the league.

Something has to change or we'll just sleepwalk into relegation.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

It was a different Chelsea team mid-week.

We were 2-0 down the week before with a 4-4-1-1 and offered NOTHING. We are (were) way too predictable.

Willian, Azpilicueta, Bakayoko, Batshuayi, Caballero, Luiz, Christensen, Kante, Hazard, all played a part in the midweek game, five of them the full 120.

I didn't see the WBA game so I believe you (I've only missed Watford A, Leicester, Hudds and both WBA games this season, so West Brom at home aside I've chosen the right ones to miss!). But a poor away game is just that.

Still to write it off without giving it a real go, no harm in trying it at Boro.

At least two of Dunk, Duffy and Goldson won't play against Boro

We had our usual formation and had less of a go against Liverpool and lost 1-5.

We've also only managed to draw against lesser teams too without really creating a great deal in 4-4-2/4-4-1-1. You just want to carry on like that?

Look up our stats for chances created against Burnley, Watford, Bournemouth, Palace. We were good in those games. I'd like to have seen those teams take on Chelsea. I don't mind trying something different away from home. And if CH wants to continue with this, I'll back him to the hilt

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

The Burnley and Palace games, we could have played all night and wouldn't look like scoring. Watford are currently the worst team in the league on form.

BMuff I agree we should have won, but we didn't. we are with Swansea the lowest scoring team in the league.

Something has to change or we'll just sleepwalk into relegation.

We scored twice against Palace. I know I was cheering in the stands

The change is getting our new striker

As for not scoring all night against Burnley, you're being facetious. Smashed the post, couple of great saves by their keeper, we very good that day against a team hoping to go fourth in the table

 

[GreersElbow]

Loved the idea of it.

I had been thinking for a while if Goldson wants game time and we can't find a replacement, 3-4-3/3-5-2 would be perfect. If Schelotto plays like he did week in, week out, then we've got a brilliant wing back. We'd also be able to rotate players like March, Izquiredo and knockaert much more and perhaps give them more freedom. Knockaert needs a new lease, this could be it.