Plan B. 4-3-3/4-2-3-1

[psychonaut]

An alternative formation and tactics required to our beloved 4-4-2. We all know Kante has left a huge hole in the centre of the park and I think most of us can agree it was like having an extra man in that position. 

 

After losing a player so integral to our success with this formation and the way we play I thought we'd be scrambling to find the next best thing. Its looking increasingly likely that we are not going to plug the hole with a direct replacement or anything even slightly resembling a replacement (cdm). 

 

To me its clear Ranieri wants to adapt rather than directly replace. Perhaps he realises Kante was a one off and is irreplaceable so there is no point in trying to. With Walsh signing Gueye the next best thing (based on stats) as soon as he arrived at Everton I think its quite telling and only serves to underline the above.

 

With this in mind (and regardless) perhaps its time we looked at other formations especially formations that fit our current squad well.

 

4-3-3

     Same gk and back 4.

Mendy Drinkwater Kapustka

     Mahrez Vardy Musa

 

4-2-3-1

     Same gk and back 4.

        Drinkwater Mendy

     Mahrez Okazaki Musa

                 Vardy

 

Missing a number 10 ideally for 4-2-3-1 

 

Thoughts? How would you line up in the above formations?  We've been gash in the past with one striker up front granted. But this is a different squad, different management and its only a plan B!

[themightyfin]

I'm sure CR knows best

[Guest CityFan 06]

4-3-3 Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Amartey, Drinkwater, King, Mahrez, Vardy, Musa. 

 

4-2-3-1 Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Amartey, Mendy, Mahrez, Kaspustka, Musa, Vardy.

 

That's just two exemplar combinations, but we've got many other options in these formations. I'd say our squad is strong, we just need a few signings here and there.

[AKCJ]

I think we'll go in that direction if the 4-4-2 appears impossible without Kante.

 

Mendy, Drinkwater and Amartey with Musa, Mahrez and Vardy infront of them sounds orgasmic to me.

[norwichfox]

I think we have to give Mendy a chance to "bridge that gap" and keep on with 4-4-2

[Gazza M]

I have been racking my brain on this for a while. I wish we could move away from the 4-4-2 but we should stick with it apart from champions league/top six opponents away etc.

 

4-2-3-1

 

Back four same

Mendy Drinkwater

Marhez King Musa

Vards

 

I hope we haven't stopped our recruitment for the summer as would like the add quality to above list, but starting to feel like this is it for now.

[Fox92]

Don't like the idea of getting rid of width. First of all, it served us so well last season - Mahrez and Albrighton provided so many goals and assists from wide positions. And another thing is when central midfielders have the ball they are always looking to spread the ball wide, Drinkwater is a big example of this.

 

And we've got to play Okazaki too because he creates to much space and makes 5 in midfield when we're defending. He is a top player. In fact I don't know how people can't include him in the side they want to see play.

[psychonaut]

37 minutes ago, norwichfox said:

I think we have to give Mendy a chance to "bridge that gap" and keep on with 4-4-2

Yeah without a doubt - we've barely seen him. But based on his stats/what i've read and along with the little I have seen he isnt a defensive midfielder. Maybe that will change and he'll work on that side of his game. 

23 minutes ago, Gazza M said:

I have been racking my brain on this for a while. I wish we could move away from the 4-4-2 but we should stick with it apart from champions league/top six opponents away etc.

 

4-2-3-1

 

Back four same

Mendy Drinkwater

Marhez King Musa

Vards

 

I hope we haven't stopped our recruitment for the summer as would like the add quality to above list, but starting to feel like this is it for now.

We were champions with 4-4-2 its going to be difficult to see anything else as our primary formation but I guess we'll have to adapt or change for certain games depending on the opposition. Would be good to fluidly change into a different formation if for example we're being totally over run in the middle of the park. 

 

King in his natural position would be interesting but its been too long surely?..

 

I have a feeing we've shut up shop and already closed our window. 

[Vlad the Fox]

2-1-7 hoof.

[baronfox]

It took Ranieri a few games to get the formula right last season. 

The inclusion of Simpson and Fuchs as full backs worked brilliantly and when Claudio is happy with a starting 11 then we can start to have continuity and start to become difficult to beat.

 

[tsintskaro]

Dont really know what is Ranieri's plan B,suppose we will see it against Arsenal

but 4-2-3-1 would be ideal for me if leicester had Sigurdsson(or someone solid 10 number),but he doesnt,so it would not work so far

 

 

[Sionnach gorm]

I believe that the strongest formation is still the 442.  The others require a top notch midfield or a top class midfielder.

 

The 442 thought defensive in nature, is meant to stop the opponents attack by midfield allowing the smaller striker force to do damage...as we did last year.

Sacchi applied the 442 to, albeit to say, the meanest attacking team to play; AC Milan of the 90's.  

 

The reason for its effectiveness is the four man midfield, coupled with constant pressing and powerful strikers (though it was later countered by the dutchmans total football at Madrid).  All systems have their Achilles heal.  But I think it is hard to conceive a system more suited for us right now.  Personally I'd hate to drop that in our weaker midfield position.  Not so objectionable is the 433.

[Nick]

After watching the past few games I think many of us overlook the role Albrighton has played - we seem quick to leave him out in our posted team sheets for players with individual skill that can score goals and perhaps forget how they get the ball in space in the first place. Seemed like that in the Charity Shield game too.

[lgfualol]

433 with Kapustka/Drinkwater/Mendy/Amartey, with Kapustka going forward when we break. I want it. I want it sooo bad. 

[Guest Col city fan]

10 hours ago, Fox92 said:

Don't like the idea of getting rid of width. First of all, it served us so well last season - Mahrez and Albrighton provided so many goals and assists from wide positions. And another thing is when central midfielders have the ball they are always looking to spread the ball wide, Drinkwater is a big example of this.

 

And we've got to play Okazaki too because he creates to much space and makes 5 in midfield when we're defending. He is a top player. In fact I don't know how people can't include him in the side they want to see play.

Very well observed. Spot on.

One of the reasons I wouldn't sell Schlupp is because we thrive on our width in the team. 

I'm with you too on Shinji.

I'd stick with the same team as last season personally and see what Mendy can do.

 

[Nick]

12 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

Very well observed. Spot on.

One of the reasons I wouldn't sell Schlupp is because we thrive on our width in the team. 

I'm with you too on Shinji.

I'd stick with the same team as last season personally and see what Mendy can do.

 

Me too though I'd like Mendy to be 2nd choice in that position and spend a £25 million on a first choice starter there.

 

I'd like to know what role the club see Amartey playing moving forward as I'm not certain he's quite got it as a City player yet. 

 

I want a couple of styles of play and round pegs in round holes in set positions - not trying to accommodate a bunch of names and stars in one weird Roy Hodgson style wet dream team.

[shailen]

I don't think formation will be our problem this season, but more our mentality and desire to play for each other. We have a far better squad then last year, but to recreate the energy, the willingness to work is not something that can be done by going 4-3-3 rather than 4-4-2. Think the problem for us this season is trying to get past the surprise element. Teams last season played so high against us, leaving space for the likes of Vardy and Mahrez to run riot. Almost all teams will now sit deep and counter on us. Secondly, with the Champions League we cannot perform to the same level in every game like last season. Squad rotation is going to be more important then formations this season imo.

[Nick]

8 minutes ago, shailen said:

I don't think formation will be our problem this season, but more our mentality and desire to play for each other. We have a far better squad then last year, but to recreate the energy, the willingness to work is not something that can be done by going 4-3-3 rather than 4-4-2. Think the problem for us this season is trying to get past the surprise element. Teams last season played so high against us, leaving space for the likes of Vardy and Mahrez to run riot. Almost all teams will now sit deep and counter on us. Secondly, with the Champions League we cannot perform to the same level in every game like last season. Squad rotation is going to be more important then formations this season imo.

 

I'd like that to be true but show me when this group of players has been successful playing anything but 442.

 

 

[psychonaut]

43 minutes ago, Swan Lesta said:

Me too though I'd like Mendy to be 2nd choice in that position and spend a £25 million on a first choice starter there.

 

I'd like to know what role the club see Amartey playing moving forward as I'm not certain he's quite got it as a City player yet. 

 

I want a couple of styles of play and round pegs in round holes in set positions - not trying to accommodate a bunch of names and stars in one weird Roy Hodgson style wet dream team.

I dont think we've seen enough of Mendy but I get what you're saying. Its ok letting the other team have the lion share of possession if you're able to steal possession enough times to make an impact and break forward.

 

It definitely isnt just about formations as other posters have mentioned but the way the formation is played. Our 4-4-2 was played in a very specific way - pressing, breaking up possession and flying forward at break neck speed. So what concearns me slightly is that we've lost a defensive demi god that was so conducive to the above and replaced with a drinkwater clone. 

[zealot]

13 hours ago, psychonaut said:

An alternative formation and tactics required to our beloved 4-4-2.

[...]

 

4-3-3

     Same gk and back 4.

Mendy Drinkwater Kapustka

     Mahrez Vardy Musa

 

4-2-3-1

     Same gk and back 4.

        Drinkwater Mendy

     Mahrez Okazaki Musa

                 Vardy

 

Thoughts? How would you line up in the above formations?  We've been gash in the past with one striker up front granted. But this is a different squad, different management and its only a plan B!

Thanks for starting this psychonaut - great thread.

I have certainly and I think we've all been thinking that we need alternative strategies for this season.

I'd like to see one of these strategies (whatever the formation) to be simply keeping the ball a little better. We are never going to be a Pep Guardiola team in this way but we did play some lovely -in fact in some instances beautiful- one-touch quick passing football last year. Admittedly, this was usually when we were 1 or 2 goals up but it just shows the team has the potential to do this. Honestly, those moments were some of the best football I've seen Leicester play. Okazaki, Vardy, Mahrez, Drinkwater and Fuchs were usually the players involved in those quick passing moments. So...

Plan A should still be like last season exciting quick counter-attacking long-pass if necessary football.

Plan B should be solid-defence first then build from the back slowly slowly Italian style. Ranieri will know how to do this can he find a formation maybe including Mendy and Amartey that could do this. This is the more passing option I'm talking about. I don't think Albrighton (for all his crossing skills he can't pass), Simpson nor King are good enough passers of the ball for this and all three would need to drop out for this formation.

Plan C I think should be old-school wingers of Martin O'Neill era. Albrighton, Kaputska or Mahrez on the wings (Gray has looked pacey and skillful but doesn't seem to have the brain yet). But we'd need an Ulloa-type forward for this to work rather a Vardy or Musa. This formation would require some kind of Ian Marshall or Iwan Roberts...

 

[zealot]

17 minutes ago, psychonaut said:

I dont think we've seen enough of Mendy but I get what you're saying. Its ok letting the other team have the lion share of possession if you're able to steal possession enough times to make an impact and break forward.

 

It definitely isnt just about formations as other posters have mentioned but the way the formation is played. Our 4-4-2 was played in a very specific way - pressing, breaking up possession and flying forward at break neck speed. So what concearns me slightly is that we've lost a defensive demi god that was so conducive to the above and replaced with a drinkwater clone. 

Also Kante is a loss but far from the end of the world. We created some great chances against Hull and could easily have won the game. Kasper at fault for one goal. Terrible defensive tackling from defenders for some of the other goals in pre-season and last week.

Drinky's interception and tackling stats were phenomenal last year too and in top 5 or top 10 of the whole league if I remember correctly. Point being key to all of this is finding a new partnership there. I'd be interested to see Amartey, Mendy and Drinkwater all play together at some point in centre of midfield..

[zealot]

20 hours ago, Gerbold said:

Most teams had ample opportunity to work out the "surprise element" once the charge had started. I suspect that no-one could really deal with Vardy's pace and accuracy - two factors when combined are deadly. Neither could they counter Mahrez - except by mass marking.It's amusing how a certain proportion of us are ignoring the Kanté aspect - but it's a fvcking huge elephant in one corner of the pitch.

The attack capability is still there - did anyone really manage to counter Rush or van Basten over a long period?

Neither is it a far better squad - it's an unproven squad. The proof is in the effectiveness of the team play - not in the play of individual's. What Claudio has is a greater number of players with which to assess permutations.

As I stated earlier - this is a squad still coming to terms with a mind-wobbling success. Claudio & Co. have the job of focusing the players' minds back to the job-in-hand rather than the fame they've attracted.

This is such a good point Gerbold. Lots of permutations to work through and you have to play proper competitive games to test them out properly...

The next level for us is also countering how they counter us. For example, having two or three people around Mahrez means there's space elsewhere on the pitch and we'll need to use that.

All of this takes longer than a couple of pre-season games to sort out. 

To be honest I'd be ecstatic with a clean sheet against Arsenal this weekend (even if it's 0-0) just to get us back to the solidity defensively that contributed so much to us winning the league last season. 

[sdb]

3-4-1-2?

 

Mendy and Drinky sit in behind Riyad, Albrighton/Gray/Simpson and Schlupp/Fuchs/Chilwell as rotating wing backs. Worked well before we had Kante and could play just 2 CM's.

 

 

[weller54]

On 17/08/2016 at 21:09, norwichfox said:

I think we have to give Mendy a chance to "bridge that gap" and keep on with 4-4-2

Mendy isn't a direct replacement for Kante that's the problem! 

[norwichfox]

5 hours ago, weller54 said:

Mendy isn't a direct replacement for Kante that's the problem! 

So we have to adapt to what players we have available....there isn't another Kante out there,  I have confidence in Mendy, not sure why though