4-4-2 or 4-3-3

[peterroyal76]

Brendan Rodgers has decided to go with a 4-3-3 formation and I don't know about you but I would prefer a return to 4-4-2. I know its early days and I hope I'm proved wrong, I just don't think we have a enough goals in the team. Incidentally why did we have no one in the six yard box when we were taking corners?

[Deathy]

I've always been a favourite of 4-4-2 and a balanced side with two out and out wingers and two strikers, or one playing behind the other (Matejovski would be ideal behind a striker). But new systems take time. Rodgers didn't get instant results at Watford, but it all came together and they were the form team by the seasons end.

[winchester_royal]

It'll take time for the new formation to bed in, but to suggest completely changing the formation the players have used throughout pre-season just because we lost at Newcastle is ridiculous.

[Archies Volley II]

433 for me as that will hopefully get the best out of Marek, Harper and Davies - not all at the same! - I just think they are all players who will look better in a 3 rather than a 2 in central midfield

[peterroyal76]

I've always prefered 4-4-2 with two forwards and two wide men. Its not just yesterday, we hardly looked like scoring against forest either. And as I said I hope I'm wrong. Its just an opinion.

[North Somerset Royal]

4-3-3 is OK if you have someone like Drogba up front but we have not got anyone with a good enough first touch and the strength on the ball to play this system so play to your strengths = 4-4-2

[Platypuss]

4-4-2 works best with a midfield who can win and distribute the ball, two skilful wingers who can cross, and two strikers who can thrive on the cross.

[SteveRoyal]

I'm willing to let 4-3-3 have more time. We got a few more bodies in the box against Newcastle, but left out the wingers. Each game the team will learn something new and we'll eventually be fine (I hope...)

[Ian Royal]

4-3-3 suits our central midfielders more and gives us (in theory) more defensive power. Neither Marek nor Harper is really suited to playing with only one partner. Unless that partner is bloody excellent and very flexible.

4-4-2 suits our strikers and wingers more.

The problem is, I'm not sure we've really got the attackers to pull off 1 up front and two wide forwards.

Davies could be very good, but he's still quite raw and we desperately need Long or NHunt to make that striker's role their own. AND for the wingers/wide forwards to consistently get into the box and help out. They both simply have to score goals if the formation is to work. I don't have a lot of faith in Kebe to do that. But he is also clearly the biggest threat for actually producing something deadly.

Even if it is just because sooner or later he has to stop fecking up absolutely everything he creates

[prostak]

I like what we seem to be aiming for, a sort of 4-5-1 in defence but 4-3-3 in attack. It just needs, as has been repeated many times on this board, to have a very talented attacker with the intelligence to know whether he should act as fulcrum or goalscorer in any attack. And wingers who can score with some sort of regularity. So... we're what, 1/3 of the way there?

[roberto_11]

4-3-3 is currently looking toothless with our attacking players.

I like having 3 in central mid as we are strong there as a squad. Our weakness is we havnt really got a striker who is capable of leading the line on his own.

3-5-2 is the way forward as we have 3 good centre backs, Bertrand can get forward like he did against Newcastle without as much responsibility. Rosenior wont be so much of a liability. We still have 3 in midfield to dominate, with hopefully Marek in a free role. It seems Davies likes to get forward aswell. And up top we can start to look like scoring.

[roberto_11]

Plus Kebe doesnt fit into the system which is the biggest benefit of all

[Ian Royal]

I like what we seem to be aiming for, a sort of 4-5-1 in defence but 4-3-3 in attack.

So you are saying we should play like the Norway national side? Because that is pretty much exactly how Norway play.
Except Norway have the gigantic Jon Carew, and we have the not so enourmous Shane Long..

Was how Czech Replublic played with Koller in the Euros as well.

I think 3-5-2 as described above is one of the better suggestions so far tbh. Just seems a waste with Kebe, HRK and Henry.

[prostak]

I like what we seem to be aiming for, a sort of 4-5-1 in defence but 4-3-3 in attack.

So you are saying we should play like the Norway national side?

I'll admit to not having watched Norway with much of an analytical eye since about 1994, but I was thinking more like Mourinho's Chelsea which makes sense given Rodgers' connection there. Agreed, it doesn't make Long's position any more tenable really... There's also a case for arguing the Oranje total football shape was thus, though obviously it's a very different style of football to Mourinho's.

[rg6royal]

4-5-1

[PREMIERSHIP_ROYAL]

Always been a fan of 3-4-3. Having watched the last two games it just dont look like we're going to score going forward, we need a proven striker that can hold the ball up and play it to the wingers (assuming thay can put a decent cross in), that doesnt seem to be happening.

[Royalee]

We'll be fine playing 4-3-3 when we've signed the players we're after, Marek's included and we've sent Kebe back to the circus where he belongs.

[PREMIERSHIP_ROYAL]

We'll be fine playing 4-3-3 when we've signed the players we're after, Marek's included and we've sent Kebe back to the circus where he belongs.

That a fact? if thats the case why hasnt marek been included already, and why would any circus want kebe.

[leon]

We'll be fine playing 4-3-3 when we've signed the players we're after, Marek's included and we've sent Kebe back to the circus where he belongs.

So we need to sign more players to fit the new system that our current players can't? Is that why we're selling all our experienced players?

[Royalee]

We'll be fine playing 4-3-3 when we've signed the players we're after, Marek's included and we've sent Kebe back to the circus where he belongs.

So we need to sign more players to fit the new system that our current players can't? Is that why we're selling all our experienced players?

If anything our most experienced players were the worst on there yesterday in Kebe and Rosenior.

We need a striker and to bring Matejovsky in for Kebe and put Davies out wide.