Different formations

[SG90]

I like the idea of a 4-1-3-1-1

----------------------Silvestri------------------------
Berardi------Bellusci---Cooper/Pearce---Warnock
----------------------Bianchi/DM---------------------
Byram-----------------Cook--------------Montenegro
-----------------------Adryan--------------------------
------------------------Mirco---------------------------

Very attack minded, with a DM helping protect the back 4. Obviously the players would be mixed around a lot, rather than the same names every game. Also Warnock wouldn't injure himself every game constantly bombarding forward and having to cover too much ground.

[ben87]

I like the idea of a 4-1-3-1-1

----------------------Silvestri------------------------
Berardi------Bellusci---Cooper/Pearce---Warnock
----------------------Bianchi/DM---------------------
Byram-----------------Cook--------------Montenegro
-----------------------Adryan--------------------------
------------------------Mirco---------------------------

Very attack minded, with a DM helping protect the back 4. Obviously the players would be mixed around a lot, rather than the same names every game. Also Warnock wouldn't injure himself every game constantly bombarding forward and having to cover too much ground.

I like it, though I'd replace Bianchi with Austin, or cook,

[ben87]

Funnily enough, there is a bit of science behind the formation I picked.

The other day I read an article about tactical trends in world football over the last year and it detailed the death of "tika-taka".
Guardiola himself said that he never wanted to pass for passing's sake and that there should always be an end product to any kind of tactical framework.
He went on to say that he tries to get his teams to make the opposition unbalance themselves defensively.
What he meant is that he deliberately "loads" one side of the pitch, ostensibly attacking down the right flank, say, with an aggressive wing-back, a wide midfielder in front of him, an advanced attacking midfielder playing the channel like an old-fashioned inside forward and a general emphasis on making it look like that's the focus of his team's attack.
When the other team shuffles across to counter the threat, that's when the ball's released to the left flank (to Messi in his early years at Barca) where all of a sudden, the team's best player is one-on-one with an isolated full-back.

I've been trying it out in FM15 and have had some excellent results.
This should probably go in the thread on the game itself, but if you "load right to play left" (and I've done it on both flanks with two different versions) by placing more players on one side but leaving an Inside Forward on Attack on the opposite wing with team instructions to exploit that lesser-manned wing, then you really can throw the AI and get results.
I won the first match 4-0, and followed it up with a 5-1, a 4-2 and another 4-0. There's been a couple of draws and a couple of defeats too but it's definitely effective, especially when looking at the number of shots the team's generating: 20+ in most matches and over 30 in those four heavy defeats.

Anyway ... back to reality

Interesting, you think Morrison could be effective given the chance?

[Deleted User 728]

Well, the easy answer is "Why not ?"
We're paying his wages.
He's still at the club.
Yet, along with half a dozen others, he's never on the pitch, is he ?
We never, ever use our squad properly - that's why so many players are knackered.

When he did make a few sub appearances earlier in the season, he looked quite sharp and really got about the oppo's defence.
I would stick him in as a target man with some others buzzing off him, looking for lay-offs and knockdowns. Make him the fulcrum of the attack as a plan "B" ... we could still play with the diamond, even, but with Sharp as a poacher and Adryan making runs into the box. If we can't play with width, we can at least play with our heads, can't we ?

[ben87]

Well, the easy answer is "Why not ?"
We're paying his wages.
He's still at the club.
Yet, along with half a dozen others, he's never on the pitch, is he ?
We never, ever use our squad properly - that's why so many players are knackered.

When he did make a few sub appearances earlier in the season, he looked quite sharp and really got about the oppo's defence.
I would stick him in as a target man with some others buzzing off him, looking for lay-offs and knockdowns. Make him the fulcrum of the attack as a plan "B" ... we could still play with the diamond, even, but with Sharp as a poacher and Adryan making runs into the box. If we can't play with width, we can at least play with our heads, can't we ?

Totally agree re squad rotation. For what it's worth I'm not against giving Morrison a run, out attack options are pretty decent really, it's just our service is non existent most of the time

[NikosAGr1985]

I am deeply sorry mates, but sadly I cannot see us dropping our crap signings no matter what. Most likely it has something to do with agents or players contracts involved. I don't think Redders has any say whatsoever to this.

If we was sticking to his own boys from the academy it would make sense. Not dropping Bianchi, Silvestri, Doukara, Bellusci though has nowt to do with him, I am afraid.

As for the diamond or formations, I think it's Cellino's choice and it is supposedly the one that fits the so called "team" of ours.

We can keep debating for as much as we like, but our only real winger is currently on loan.

As for the Montenegros,Del Fabros etc, what makes any of you think they 're better than what we've already had? Most likely they're useless, too tbf.

[SG90]

I like the idea of a 4-1-3-1-1

----------------------Silvestri------------------------
Berardi------Bellusci---Cooper/Pearce---Warnock
----------------------Bianchi/DM---------------------
Byram-----------------Cook--------------Montenegro
-----------------------Adryan--------------------------
------------------------Mirco---------------------------

Very attack minded, with a DM helping protect the back 4. Obviously the players would be mixed around a lot, rather than the same names every game. Also Warnock wouldn't injure himself every game constantly bombarding forward and having to cover too much ground.

I like it, though I'd replace Bianchi with Austin, or cook,

Cook isn't a defensive midfielder though, he likes to get forward and run with the ball. Atm Bianchi is all we have that can sit back and protect the back 4, but we do need another one. Hopefully this Krhin is the business.

It would also be great if we played players in their correct positions. Austin/Bianchi = DM, Mowatt and Cook = box to box midfielders. We can't play Mowatt and Cook together, they should be interchanged.

[NikosAGr1985]

------------------Taylor (or signing)
Byram - Bellusci - Signing - Warnock
--------------Cook -- Signing
------------------Adryan
Signing --------------------Signing (Ajose)
------------------Antenucci (although he would have to stop coming so deep, otherwise signing, too I am afraid)...

[SiMamu]

------------------Taylor (or signing)
Byram - Bellusci - Signing - Warnock
--------------Cook -- Signing
------------------Adryan
Signing --------------------Signing (Ajose)
------------------Antenucci (although he would have to stop coming so deep, otherwise signing, too I am afraid)...

Like McCormack, I don't think Antenucci will have much joy leading the line. He'd have to start on the wing and play off the a taller striker, such as Pavoletti.

[SMorientes]

We are playing a very different style of football now though, one of the reasons McCormack couldn't play on his own upfront is because he wasn't big enough to compete against two centre backs whenever we inevitably hoofed it up.