Back to basics - 3.5.2 - play two strikers

[Shauntaylor85]

Stop this nonsense of shoe-horning this irritable modern foolery of a number 10! Play 3.5.2, Twine in an attacking midfield role behind Mayulu and Armstrong with positive wing backs, apparently Yu played at wing back on occasion but he or Sykes on the right (I think Sykes played well as a RWB under Nige) and Pring high on the left with the support from Roberts at LCB. Knight and Bird as the two deeper lying CM’s. Needs to get this sorted as this current way of playing ain’t working Manning. 

[Major Isewater]

As Clough said, football is a simple game and footballers are mostly simple guys . I adhere to the KISS principle.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Right Wingback is an issue. You could have Pring on the Left but..

Okay Tanner at Wingback, I think not.

Sykes at Wingback, I think not.

McCrorie at Wingback? If fit and in form, perhaps.

Problem is how fit is he, when will he be available and how long will it take for him to hit form.

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

As Clough said, football is a simple game and footballers are mostly simple guys . I adhere to the KISS principle.

Was simple, now not so much- there are all manner of complex shapes, triggers, 2 v 1 in key areas at key times etc.

[Major Isewater]

34 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Right Wingback is an issue. You could have Pring on the Left but..

Okay Tanner at Wingback, I think not.

Sykes at Wingback, I think not.

McCrorie at Wingback? If fit and in form, perhaps.

Problem is how fit is he, when will he be available and how long will it take for him to hit form.

Was simple, now not so much- there are all manner of complex shapes, triggers, 2 v 1 in key areas at key times etc.

Agreed . They have complicated the game and taken a big part of the excitement out of it. 
There was an excellent article on the BBC website about the ‘ Death of the Screamer ‘ which noted that there are less and less goals scored outside of the box because the boffins have worked out that statistically you have more chance of scoring from inside the penalty area. Well strap my vitals and call me ‘ Susan’ who’d a thunk it ? 
Which is more likely to get you out of your seat , an intricately worked tap in or a thunder bastard from thirty yards out ? 
Football is meant to be entertaining but the modern game is more about risk avoidance than courage and daring do. 
 

[Mr Popodopolous]

2 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Agreed . They have complicated the game and taken a big part of the excitement out of it. 
There was an excellent article on the BBC website about the ‘ Death of the Screamer ‘ which noted that there are less and less goals scored outside of the box because the boffins have worked out that statistically you have more chance of scoring from inside the penalty area. Well strap my vitals and call me ‘ Susan’ who’d a thunk it ? 
Which is more likely to get you out of your seat , an intricately worked tap in or a thunder bastard from thirty yards out ? 
Football is meant to be entertaining but the modern game is more about risk avoidance than courage and daring do. 
 

Definitely a big increase in risk averse football. Managerial tenures play a role, or lack of tenures- average Championship one isn't far over 12 months I read on here.

Manning is already midtable for length of tenure in this division.

[BeggyBlaggers]

The fanbase spent weeks and weeks yelling from the stands telling cotts to stop playing 352.....and now people want it?

 

How many teams play 352 in the championship?

[Robbored]

2 hours ago, Shauntaylor85 said:

Stop this nonsense of shoe-horning this irritable modern foolery of a number 10! Play 3.5.2, Twine in an attacking midfield role behind Mayulu and Armstrong with positive wing backs, apparently Yu played at wing back on occasion but he or Sykes on the right (I think Sykes played well as a RWB under Nige) and Pring high on the left with the support from Roberts at LCB. Knight and Bird as the two deeper lying CM’s. Needs to get this sorted as this current way of playing ain’t working Manning. 

I can’t remember Manning ever playing with two up top and the question is why not?

One of the students of the game reckoned it was because Manning must think that having two strikers means one less in midfield……..

Looking at our goal return since he took over its not that special and City just aren’t scoring enough goals. In my view playing two up top would surely improve that?

[Mr Popodopolous]

2 minutes ago, Robbored said:

I can’t remember Manning ever playing with two up top and the question is why not?

One of the students of the game reckoned it was because Manning must think that having two strikers means one less in midfield……..

Looking at our goal return since he took over its not that special and City just aren’t scoring enough goals. In my view playing two up top would surely improve that?

It would also risk creating new tactical issues albeit we are on track to concede 100 League Goals if we continue like this!

*If we think Pring has issues now, how about overloading him on the left...

*...let alone Sykes or Tanner who would be a total fish out of water in that position.

Opposition wide player drifts inside, you suddenly have the possibility of 4 v 3. This disrupts the supply line centrally and yet opposofion Left Back vs Sykes or Tanner at Wingback..do they win that duel.

What would you go, a 3-4-1-2? A 3-5-2?

Maybe Armstrong could assist Pring out of position on the left.

2 v 1 or 4 v 3..it's one thing having 2 strikers on the pitch, but the supply line can really be disrupted and choked off which can render them useless in a lot of cases.

[frenchred]

2 hours ago, Major Isewater said:

As Clough said, football is a simple game and footballers are mostly simple guys . I adhere to the KISS principle.

He also said this!

[Spike]

5 minutes ago, frenchred said:

He also said this!

I've always thought this sounded wise, then I look at the best managers in football history and think actually it's a pretty mixed bag. 

The most obvious one is Fergie, only ever played in the Scottish League but managed one of the dominant teams in the world. 

I get the logic of Clough, I do agree in some ways but I also feel that his views were of his time, times have changed and there are plenty of great managers who never played, Sacchi, Houllier, Villas-Boas etc I could write a longer list with research but ultimately it just comes down to the people these managers are and what they focus on. Manning has been involved at Man City, a club that has taken on Peps very defined style of play and tactics and I do wonder what he learned there as he seems like a very methodical coach, but that's the thing, as a coach he's not bad at all, but that's not where he's falling. I don't feel like Manning can take a player, identify their strengths and create a tactic that plays each of his 11 players to their best abilities whilst using that same 11 to nullify those same players shortcomings. Manning is too focused on trying to coach players out of their comfort zone to be able to play his tactics and when you do that you start to see why they don't play that specific role in other people's teams. 

When I look at Man Utd at their best you'd never see Giggs being used as an inside forward or Andy Cole being used as a dummy runner because it would be wasting their natural talents like getting in behind players or ripping past a player and delivering a dangerous cross. Imagine us buying a natural finisher like Mayulu and then playing a build up style that doesn't create for him, it's almost like he'll never get to show his best qualities and therefore look substandard...