[Football] 4-4-2 - name your team.

[blue-shifted]

Trouble with 4-4-2 is that we don't have a left back and that two out of our best three players (March and Lamptey) are out of position in it.

We also waste a lot of the class we have at centre back, either dropped or played out of position.

3-4-3 makes the best use of our resources

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

So, firstly, I don't think our football is always that good. It can be. See Newcastle and Man U at home, but we still only got three points from those two games. Of course the woodwork was mainly to blame but we still conceded three goals because we had big gaps on our wings that were exploited on the break and because, despite having three CBs on the pitch we managed to pair up Maguire with Maupay defending a last minute corner.

But often it is ponderous and boring. Knocking it around nicely at the back and side to side in midfield before slowing it down so much that the oppo have got back in shape behind the ball. The tippy tappy is only good when played at pace.

March has done very well at LWB but can also be part of the problem due to his decision making. How many times has he burst forwards down the left only to take an age to beat his man (or not) before turning and knocking it 10 - 15 yards back, slowing the whole move down? Lamptey is obviously good but he's almost a one man team when playing. Stop him and you stop us. FAIL to stop him, as Newcastle did, and he runs the whole game and we look brilliant. But he has no replacement so persisting with five at the back when he's unfit is madness. Again, over the last couple of games, how many times did our midfield expect a quick run from RWB that neither Veltman or White could provide?

I do concede that your team at the end of your post is probably our best starting line up when everyone is fit but it still has plenty of goals against in it. The problem is that line up is rarely available at the same time and not always picked by the gaffer when they are. Does the below suit five / three at the back?

Sanchez
White Dunk Webster
Veltman Propper Bissouma Burn
Gross
Trossard Connolly

I agree and I’m sure there is direct correlation between the team playing ponderous football and the absence of Lamptey. I freely admit that we are seemingly overly reliant on a 20 year old to give us that zip and when he’s injured we’ve looked well below par.

Which leads me on to the team sheet you put at the end. You are of course, correct that the team wouldn’t fit a 3-4-1-2 formation and alterations would be needed to formation. However, I’m sure in this scenario it would undoubtedly lead to fans criticising Potter for tinkering with the team when in reality all he would be doing is making the necessary changes.

I think many of the concerns fans raise re a settled team are justified but it can’t always happen as we’ve seen in recent weeks. So, the main issue for me then is squad depth. We lack adequate back up in the wing back positions as neither Veltman or Burn can play that role. As for Bernardo, well he is a bit of an enigma tbh That is where I’d like us to strengthen in January, perhaps even more so than a striker mad as they are, perhaps, the two most crucial positions on the pitch in the way Potter wants to set up.

 

[Yoda]

Sanchez
Webster - White - Dunk
Lamptey - Bissouma - Alzate - March
Lallana
Maupay - Welbeck​

That is almost like for like what I said was our strongest team in another thread a week or so ago.

Sanchez
Webster - Dunk - White
Lamptey - Bissouma - Alzate/Gross - March
Lallana - Welbeck - Trossard/Maupay​

With the likes of Veltman, Gross, Trossard, Lallana, Burn and to an extent White, Alzate, Ali J & Bernardo, we a a good set of players that can cover multiple positions.

 

[GoingUp]

Our left back options are weak (our left wing options aren't exactly top 10 either) and its frustrating we cant fit Veltman in.

Also, I want to see Trossard used more as a CAM/central and Lallana used more attacking too, so maybe swap those two around.

Sanchez/Ryan (im still not sure who is better)
Lamptey - White - Dunk - Bernardo
Ali J - Biss - Trossard - March
Lallana
Welbeck​