Playing two up front

[Brian Fantana]

We've now had three managers on the trot who favour playing one up front. What will it take for the mould to be broken and us to try two up front instead?

If you look at Burnley and Leicester last season, they both flourished off the back of striking partnerships. I could understand our system being retained if it was delivering a lot of goals, but that just isn't the case. There were a couple of occasions on Saturday where COG either knocked the ball down or played the ball through into an area where a second striker would have been.

 

[Bob!]

we were leaving Macca & Cog up front at the end of the second half on saturday

 

[Brian Fantana]

we were leaving Macca & Cog up front at the end of the second half on saturday

Exactly. At the end. Why is it seen as a last resort rather than the status quo?

 

[Albumen]

Is Fenelon not a striker? He was level with COG a fair bit.

 

[Brian Fantana]

Is Fenelon not a striker? He was level with COG a fair bit.

I saw it that he was deployed more as a winger.

Opinions, opinions though I suppose!

 

[seagully]

Given Hypia's seeming desire to play attacking full backs, I'd rather see us playing a 3-5-2 with wingbacks than a traditional 4-4-2. Something like the below perhaps.

----------------------Stockdale----------

-------------Greer-----Hughes-----Dunk------------------

Bruno----------------------------------------------New LB

------------------Ince------Crofts------------------------

---------------Buckley/Lualua/March----------------------

---------------------CMS----COG------------------------

 

[Gordon the Gopher]

Funnily enough I was thinking about this when watching the Arsenal game. One up front it works for them as they have Aaron Ramsey who gets up to support the striker and we need that kind of championship version which was lacking all last year. Maybe Clayton fills this criteria, don't know. Then again you look at Leicester and Burnley who romped the league partly because they played with two up front. On the Arsenal theme for a sec too, down in Hove this morning and saw about 3 Arsenal shirts on people. Makes me laugh!!

 

[MattBackHome]

Given Hypia's seeming desire to play attacking full backs, I'd rather see us playing a 3-5-2 with wingbacks than a traditional 4-4-2. Something like the below perhaps.

----------------------Stockdale----------

-------------Greer-----Hughes-----Dunk------------------

Bruno----------------------------------------------New LB

------------------Ince------Crofts------------------------

---------------Buckley/Lualua/March----------------------

---------------------CMS----COG------------------------

I sort of agree, but reckon that Crofts isn't the right player for that second defensive slot. Would rather try Toko & Ince then let Crofts play where he's a bit more comfortable. Also if yyou're playing two DMCs then you've got one to drop back in to make up for the third defender.

So I'd play more of a 4-2-1-3.

 

[WhingForPresident]

Watford, for example, had Vydra and Deeney up top with Fernando Forestieri coming off the bench on Saturday.

We had Chris O'Grady with the option of CMS off the bench...

We need to sign a bloody decent striker or two before we start thinking about playing two of them! CMS clearly isn't good enough and should be moved on if we get an offer. But we would need at least two quality strikers if he did leave. We were told that O'Grady wasn't Ulloa's replacement, but it's looking increasingly like he is, and that really isn't going to be enough for us.

 

[seagully]

I sort of agree, but reckon that Crofts isn't the right player for that second defensive slot. Would rather try Toko & Ince then let Crofts play where he's a bit more comfortable. Also if yyou're playing two DMCs then you've got one to drop back in to make up for the third defender.

So I'd play more of a 4-2-1-3.

Good point.

Especially if the wingbacks are going to spend most of their time in the opposition's half.

My only worry would be a lack of creativity in midfield- plenty of trickery with Buckley/LuaLua/March but would prefer a Vicente type player in there to play some quality through balls to the strikers.

 

[perseus]

Strike Force

I would go for one up front O'Grady, a second striker, Lualua, that comes deep and a wide man in Will Buckley.
On the opposite flank I would have an overlapping full back. Trouble is the 4-3-3 shape really needs someone in the centre of the park (box2box) that can choose his passes carefully and not just make the first feasible pass (like Ince). A delay and the opposition closes the central midfielder down.

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

Play two up top with a diamond in midfield. Something like...

---------------Stockdale---------------
-------Greer-------------Hughes------
Bruno-------------------------Chicksen
------------------Ince------------------
---------Crofts----------Stephens------
------------------March-----------------
-------------CMS-------O'Grady--------

The crofts/ Stephens positions could the made wider for Buckley and Kaz for a more attacking option.

 

[martin tyler]

May just be me but there was no real focus point up front saturday.
They just seemed to wander wherever.
Almost a little like liverpool last year
Except the had Suarez, sturridge, sterling and coutinho. We had COG, Fenlon and Lualua with no real attacking midfielder.
It could work for us but you must have some pace and players who can pick passes from deep as well keep the ball in the middle of the park.
I watched a few Leverkusen games early last year. Hyypia played this formation to great success and at times was almost like a front 3. Yes the wheels came off when players got injured as they had a real lack of depth.

 

[martin tyler]

Something like
Stockdale
Bruno greer hughes LB
Toko
Stephens CM (clayton hopefully)
March Lualua (i think a new player though will fill this slot
CF (one blessed with pace)

Have attacking full backs covered by Toko when fit
Cm (clayton?) picking up ball deep like JFC dis at the weekend and controlling the game
Stephens as the Attacking midfielder
If that were the 3 in the middle of the park come september i doubt there would be much better in the championship

I also feel that Lingaard would suit the new inside forward position to great affect were he to return here

 

[seagullwedgee]

Given Hypia's seeming desire to play attacking full backs, I'd rather see us playing a 3-5-2 with wingbacks than a traditional 4-4-2. Something like the below perhaps.

----------------------Stockdale----------

-------------Greer-----Hughes-----Dunk------------------

Bruno----------------------------------------------New LB

------------------Ince------Crofts------------------------

---------------Buckley/Lualua/March----------------------

---------------------CMS----COG------------------------

Yep I think we could do some damage with that. And the ref on Saturday was so shit he wouldn't have noticed we had 13 players on the pitch either.....

 

[seagully]

Yep I think we could do some damage with that. And the ref on Saturday was so shit he wouldn't have noticed we had 13 players on the pitch either.....

Haha obviously I meant one from Buckley/LuaLua/March but if we can get away with all three, even better!

 

[Withdean11]

One up front can work if you have attackin players around him. An attacking midfielfer like Clayton would help.

---------Stockdale----------
-----Greer-----Hughes-----
Bruno-----Ince--------LB
------Crofts/Stephens-----
Buckley---Clayton---LuaLua
------------ST-------------

Wingers to have freedom to tuck in when needed and allow full backs to push up. Ince provided the defensive cover when this happens. With up to 4 players supporting the Striker, and two full backs providing width, there is no way the striker can be isolated. I feel that we was missing that Clayton type player last season.

 

[TonyW]

Exactly. At the end. Why is it seen as a last resort rather than the status quo?

Not sure it is a last resort.

Sammi has been saying that CMS isn't fit yet, so maybe he is aiming at getting him ready to play up front with COG?

 

[TonyW]

One up front can work if you have attackin players around him. An attacking midfielfer like Clayton would help.

---------Stockdale----------
-----Greer-----Hughes-----
Bruno-----Ince--------LB
------Crofts/Stephens-----
Buckley---Clayton---LuaLua
------------ST-------------

Wingers to have freedom to tuck in when needed and allow full backs to push up. Ince provided the defensive cover when this happens. With up to 4 players supporting the Striker, and two full backs providing width, there is no way the striker can be isolated. I feel that we was missing that Clayton type player last season.

Swap Clayton for March, put CMS up front and Toko in for Crofts and I'll take that.

 

[TonyW]

Swap Clayton for March, put CMS up front and Toko in for Crofts and I'll take that.

COG can then interchange with any of the forward players too.