is 4-4-2 the way forward?

[TheBaldOne]

So Adkins clearly favours 4-4-2, a formation he had used a lot with previous teams Scunthorpe and Southampton. But, is it the right formation for us to progress? You see most teams in the premiership these days playing with more complex formations to ensure good possession based attacking football. The best example of this is Southampton and Swansea, who play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. The players we have are more than capable playing a 4-3-3 a formation, a formation I believe would be the most successful. Sticking that extra man in midfield provides solidarity and greater creative freedom. As long as you more defensive player in the midfield trio , you allow the other two more "attacking" players to boom forward and support the lone striker, who should come deep to receive the ball. Considering we have Guthrie and Williams two very capable midfielders that can burst forward and provide a creative spark, and Leigertwood who can do a good job defensively, surely it is a good option.. so why do we never see it? It's also a tactic implemented heavily in the academy as well so surely it would work well for the youngsters coming up to adapt easily to the first team. We also have two wing backs who like to get forward in Obita and Gunter, if a 4-3-3 is in place the defensive midfielder can drop deeper to help out the defence when these players get forward.

I'd hoped when we sacked McDermott that we'd play much better football and less hoofball, which we have done to an extent but still I think we rely to much on a 4-4-2 counter style with long balls and the 2 up front working the channels.

The problem isnt that we dont have the creative spark to play good football I think we do with Guthrie, Williams, Drenthe, HRK, McAnuff, McCleary etc. its just we aren't using the players to maximum effect.

[chilipepper91]

Different formations suit different teams and players.

Liverpool use a 4-4-2 generally, either diamond or flat, and have played variants on 3-5-2. And we had Rodgers down as a 4-2-3-1-trick pony when he was here.

Man City have played 4-4-2 a lot when Aguero was fit.

I don't think there is a "way forward" or a flat formation that everyone will be playing. When 4-4-2 was in vogue, teams still played 3-5-2 and 4-5-1.

You just fit your best players into their positions, ensure they work as a team, and (the key point) make tactical nuances per game to fit the opposition, whether attacking or defensively. Don't want to make it all about Rodgers, but he learnt that from his experience here in trying the same thing every match without success.

And Adkins learnt it too, briefly, when we started to be more direct and grabbed a few good results. You adapt in every game, you don't just try the same thing every week and hope eventually it comes good.

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

The Baldone wrote: So Adkins clearly favours 4-4-2,

Where have you been all season Adkins picks his team and formation by placing pawns on the chess board.

We have had no system at all this season it has been all change week by week.

[West Stand Flash]

Adkins doesn't favour 4-4-2, he just knows the players he has at his disposal can't play any other way.
The same reason we've reverted back to McDonut long ball nonsense. He tried playing out from the back, end of last season & beginning of this season. Unfortunately they tosh he was left with aren't capable of passing the ball.
How thoroughly depressing.

[loyalroyal4life]

Should have gone 4-5-1 last night, he should set up so players are adaptable from differing formations.

[KC Royal]

Should have gone 4-5-1 last night, he should set up so players are adaptable from differing formations.

I thought the same but I guess he felt he didn't have enough central midfielders available to do it.
It was a bit soon for Leigertwood to start, i'm not sure he would have been on the bench if other players had been fit.