4-4-2ers: This is for you

[Albumen]

Gus out of choice played with CMS isolated.

Bridcutt, Hammond, and even Dicker together isn't going to attack anyone.
Crofts was restrained.
Barnes was a 'holding' left winger.

That got us to fourth in the league, and everybody was happy.
But our season changed from the moment Gus said 'we now have to risk losing to make sure we win'.
Bingo, up the table we shot.

That's clearly not Oscar's style, but it has been forced on him.
Nobody was happy v Derby.
But v Burnley we were a different team, so much sharper and quicker going forward.

Defensively resolute v Reading & QPR, then the wheels fell off.

The only judgement that can be made on Oscar from then to now is that he's fookin brilliant.
To get us to where we are with the players he's had available is nothing short of miraculous.

Bizarrely enough OG's season starts here, he has the players to play whatever formation he feels we need to win (or not lose).

We'll never see a 'rigid' 4-4-2, from OG, but when all the players are fit we may well see some great attacking formations.

Pick any 3 from Ulloa, CMS, March, Buckley, KLL, Orlandi, Spanish Rodney.

That's without mentioning Bruno, Calde, Ward, Spanish Dave.

Amen.

 

[Blue and White Tiger]

I'd play a 3-2-3-1-1 formation. I'm not sure we have the players to suit it though...

Kuszczak
Greer Upson Dunk
Ince Stephens
Buckley Orlandi Rodriguez
March
Ulloa​

 

[Machiavelli]

I've just come out of a really boring five hour meeting, followed by a one hour course. This thread hasn't exactly been inundated with strident defences for 4-4-2. Is that because they're none too confident about seeking to make an argument?

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

I've just come out of a really boring five hour meeting, followed by a one hour course. This thread hasn't exactly been inundated with strident defences for 4-4-2. Is that because they're none too confident about seeking to make an argument?

Probably more to do with :
1) A lot of people are still at work
2) It's quite boring and has been done to death on here
3) As post #13 by drop dead fred says, had City's best player (Aguero) been available Pellegrini probably would have picked his favoured 4-4-2 formation.

 

[5mins-from-amex]

I've just come out of a really boring five hour meeting, followed by a one hour course. This thread hasn't exactly been inundated with strident defences for 4-4-2. Is that because they're none too confident about seeking to make an argument?

UEFA Pro Licence?

 

[kevtherev]

Football is not about systems and never has been. It's about finding the right players to play a system. All systems can win games, if you execute your system. better than the opposition. That is the long and short of it and if 4-4-2 is so old fashioned. How come a lot of top clubs across Europe are going back to it...Players win games, not systems, always have and always will do.

 

[JBizzle]

This is what I love about football...

I can look at the following team:

Kuszczak, Calderon, Greer, Upson, Ward, Ince, Stephens, Orlandi, March, Rodriguez and Ulloa.

And see 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-1-2-3, 4-5-1, 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1! I don't think there is such a thing as a solid formation anymore. Teams move through loads of formations over 90-odd minutes and as long as the team knows what they're doing, it's all good!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Football is not about systems and never has been. It's about finding the right players to play a system. All systems can win games, if you execute your system. better than the opposition. That is the long and short of it and if 4-4-2 is so old fashioned. How come a lot of top clubs across Europe are going back to it...Players win games, not systems, always have and always will do.

Except when Greece won the Euros. Obviously.

 

[kevtherev]

Except when Greece won the Euros. Obviously.

Why They executed their game plan better than anyone else. Bit like us really, the amount of goals we score and conside, you might call us the Greece of the Championship. If we don't start scoring more than one goal a game, everyone can forget any thoughts of promotion. We simply won't win enough games.

 

[Machiavelli]

Probably more to do with :
1) A lot of people are still at work
2) It's quite boring and has been done to death on here
3) As post #13 by drop dead fred says, had City's best player (Aguero) been available Pellegrini probably would have picked his favoured 4-4-2 formation.

Points 1 and 2 are fair enough, although as regards 2, people have just asserted that we should play two up front, rather than demonstrating it, which was the point of the thread. As regards 3, we should know the answer soon enough, as reports are that Aguero is not far away from playing, and you'd expect him to play for some of the game, if he can make it. Aguero is City's best player along with Toure and Kompany in my book.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Why They executed their game plan better than anyone else. Bit like us really, the amount of goals we score and conside, you might call us the Greece of the Championship. If we don't start scoring more than one goal a game, everyone can forget any thoughts of promotion. We simply won't win enough games.

And the difference between a game plan and a system is...................

*drums fingers*

 

[dangull]

I would like to see the Wimbledon ( crazy gang) or Rep of Ireland( Jack Charlton) style of play of play given ago. knock long balls from the half way line up to Ulloa around the penalty area, hoping he can nod a few on and his partner or the on rushing midfield can get on the end of those, we might score 2 goals in a game for a change. That should do it, problem solved.

 

[Grassman]

I would like to see the Wimbledon ( crazy gang) or Rep of Ireland( Jack Charlton) style of play of play given ago. knock long balls from the half way line up to Ulloa around the penalty area, hoping he can nod a few on and his partner or the on rushing midfield can get on the end of those, we might score 2 goals in a game for a change. That should do it, problem solved.

You are effing joking, yes? Maybe we can see if John Beck is around as well.

 

[kevtherev]

And the difference between a game plan and a system is...................

*drums fingers*

Well, nothing lol...They obviously set their system up in a very defensive fashion.

 

[dangull]

You are effing joking, yes? Maybe we can see if John Beck is around as well.

Yep, just joking

 

[Questions]

If you have 2 quality strikers then you'll see a lot more of 4-4-2.
I see Burnley and Leicester are struggling with 2 up front.
Maybe when we sign Xavi and Iniesta I'll welcome it.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Points 1 and 2 are fair enough, although as regards 2, people have just asserted that we should play two up front, rather than demonstrating it, which was the point of the thread. As regards 3, we should know the answer soon enough, as reports are that Aguero is not far away from playing, and you'd expect him to play for some of the game, if he can make it. Aguero is City's best player along with Toure and Kompany in my book.

I really hope Pellegrini plays 442 at Camp Nou. Not because of this thread, simply because when City play 2 strikers and go for it they are absolutely electric to watch, especially with Aguero zooming about. Toure and Kompany are class too, Kompany doesn't deserve to pay along side Lescott or DiMechalis(sp) as neither are fit to smell his poo.

 

[Machiavelli]

Yep, just joking

Twas well done.

 

[Machiavelli]

I really hope Pellegrini plays 442 at Camp Nou. Not because of this thread, simply because when City play 2 strikers and go for it they are absolutely electric to watch, especially with Aguero zooming about. Toure and Kompany are class too, Kompany doesn't deserve to pay along side Lescott or DiMechalis(sp) as neither are fit to smell his poo.

I agree. There are numerous reasons that makes me loathe City, which I won't bore you with, but they've been simply joyful this season. I like the look of Negredo, and think that he and Aguero make a great partnership. What's gone on this season is that they've spanked just about everyone at home (apart from Palace ), playing brilliant football with 4-4-2. That's easy when you've spent so much more than all others for eight years or so.
The point of this thread though was to indicate that as soon as City came up a team that has similar spending levels, they ditch the 4-4-2. I think KevtheRev seems to think that there's some enormous renaissance of it in Europe: how many of the Champions League last 16 are playing it?

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

There seems to be an increasing trend to intellectualise football, as seen in an obsession with formations and the naming of 'new' positions (inverse wingers, false 9's etc etc). It is, IMO, mostly bollocks. Formations are just a very simple representation of what goes on on the pitch.

As JBizzle states above you can name an Albion 11 and see half a dozen formations within it, all of which will be cycled through during the match. With such fluidity getting too bogged down in a nominal formation is pretty pointless. Particularly when, as kevtherev says, its not the formation that is most important rather the tactics(or setting up of the team) within it. This can be simply highlighted by using Greece and Man City as an example. Both teams play(ed) 4-4-2. One was used (very successfully) in a defensive sense while the other is used(pretty successfully so far...) in a very attacking sense producing some wonderful football and a hell of a lot of goals.

And then there is, of course, the players. If your team is full of magnificent players you're going to win most weeks regardless of formation. Likewise if you have a team of donkeys you're going to lose more often than not.