Three CBs

We've got a lot of centre backs on the books, but does anyone really believe that our squad is suited to playing five at the back?

As an emergency measure last season to try and stop us shipping goals long enough to lurch over the line, sure, but it's not as if the ones we've got are so good compared to the rest of the squad that we need to build the team around getting as many of them on the pitch at once as we can.

Not at all

We have the players for a 4231/433

It brought Hughes downfall at Stoke, thats for sure.

Another problem is we have no RWBs available. Easier to hide someone like Stephens at RB than it is to find an attacking weapon to play as the main creative force on that side.

But then again, our CBs struggle badly in any system because most aren't good enough. Perhaps Vestergaard & Yoshida might work as a two?

Quick. We are terrible with this 352 system

Hughes is a top top manager. He will fix this

It doesn't work because we have players like Stephens, Hoedt and Bednarek who are Championship standard.

Best to convert back to a back four an ensure none of the names above are near the starting 11.

Thick

Quick. We are terrible with this 352 system

We were terrible with 4 at the back last season under Pellegrino until Hughes changed to a 3 centre back system.

Not at all

We have the players for a 4231/433

+1, agree

Its gonna be a long slow start to the season.

The problem is with our CBS is that we’ve got no genuine leader. Yoshida is a bit, but not a colossus ass kicker we’ve been fortunate to have in recent years. We’ve got a lot of CBs who are the types who look at each other after conceding a goal, desperately hoping a leader or organiser materialises amongst them.

But they never do, and so the farce continues.

We were terrible with 4 at the back last season under Pellegrino until Hughes changed to a 3 centre back system.

 

 

The improvement might have had nothing to do with the system. Playing with greater intensity certainly helped.

I don't think we have the right CB or midfield options to play 4 at the back.

Hoj + Lemina is not a good midfield base, neither are naturally defensive enough. That's the main reason why we were comfortably beaten today.

Romeu has to be in there to sit, probably with Armstrong and one of the one of the other two playing as box to box central midfielders.

I'd prefer that we played one of Gabbi and Austin from the start of a match, then go for either Redmond or Elyounoussi off the main striker in a similar fashion to the way England employed Sterling at the world cup.

We need to be able to control the midfield much better than we have managed up until now.

The improvement might have had nothing to do with the system. Playing with greater intensity certainly helped.

I'm guessing Hughes disagrees he has clearly decided its the way to go. Which leaves my hoping Yoshida and Cedric are the missing pieces of the puzzle and are going to have amazing seasons...which is pretty ****ed up.

I don't think we have the right CB or midfield options to play 4 at the back.

 

Hoj + Lemina is not a good midfield base, neither are naturally defensive enough. That's the main reason why we were comfortably beaten today.

 

Romeu has to be in there to sit, probably with Armstrong and one of the one of the other two playing as box to box central midfielders.

 

I'd prefer that we played one of Gabbi and Austin from the start of a match, then go for either Redmond or Elyounoussi off the main striker in a similar fashion to the way England employed Sterling at the world cup.

 

We need to be able to control the midfield much better than we have managed up until now.

Thats not Armstrong’s best position and he’d probably give less protection than Lemina and Hoj there.

Thats not Armstrong’s best position and he’d probably give less protection than Lemina and Hoj there.

I probably worded that wrong.

What i meant was this:

--------CB----CB----CB-------

WB---------Romeu-----------WB

-----Hoj/Lem-----Armstrong-----

---------Redmond/Moi----------

--------Austin/Gabbi-----------

I always thought "3 at the back" referred to the number of centre-backs, not the number of goals you concede with the system.

Just heard Hughes on Solent and he admitted had it been a competitive game he would have changed the formation much much sooner

Just heard Hughes on Solent and he admitted had it been a competitive game he would have changed the formation much much sooner

Very good to hear

Have we done that at all this summer?

Just heard Hughes on Solent and he admitted had it been a competitive game he would have changed the formation much much sooner

Begs the question why not change it in a friendly to see how 'Plan B' works in practice ? Or just realisation that the players on the bench would make little impact?

Wonder if MH will be beating a path to Les & wilson's door for a change in personnel before next week. Shouldn't bank on that one.

Likely he didn't change it because he wanted to see how the players adapted, including the subs. In preseason sometimes its more important to give a formation a full run, and with different players, than to just win. Now he knows that formation sucks.

We play five at the back because individually the players are not good enough. We are trying to hide our inadequacies. In the end though you get found out as you either lack goals or you leave gaps are you attempt to get them. Midfield is a major weakness. Not sure we have top class strikers, much threat out wide...we are short everywhere really.

Just heard Hughes on Solent and he admitted had it been a competitive game he would have changed the formation much much sooner

Wonderful. Hopefully it means he doesn't even bother with this utter turd formation.

You have to have very good CBs to play with a back 3 as the two wider ones are going to get isolated in wide areas 1v1 and for the likes of Hoedt/Bednarek it's just a disaster waiting to happen and they'll be exposed time and time again. A flat back 4 with Yoshida and Vestergaard is the only way forward IMO

You have to have very good CBs to play with a back 3 as the two wider ones are going to get isolated in wide areas 1v1 and for the likes of Hoedt/Bednarek it's just a disaster waiting to happen and they'll be exposed time and time again. A flat back 4 with Yoshida and Vestergaard is the only way forward IMO

It’s so bleeding obvious isn’t it.

My team... which I think suits our players a lot more.......

McCarthy

Cedric

Yoshida

Vestergaard

Bertrand

Romeu

Hoibjerg

Armstrong/Lemina

Mo/Gabbi

Redmond

Austin