Five at the back

[baldeagle]

1 minute ago, Collymore said:

It would be nice to see what the other evil looks like too. 

True but we won and we are now 2nd in the league so I won’t dwell on it too much . 

[baldeagle]

3 minutes ago, Facecloth said:

It's not though and I would have thought there enough previous evidence to prove otherwise.

Jury is still out isn’t it.  playing devil’s  advocate we beat Man City and a few others with 5 at the back  haven’t we . Like I said I don’t like 5 at the back but it’s worked a few times and others we’ve looked dreadful I just see it as a case of needs must . 

[Ric Flair]

In a very perverse way, we seem to be able to grind out results with a back 5. 

 

Until Barnes is back I sadly think this will be the formation, we've 1 available winger in Albrighton. I don't see Rodgers going 4-4-2 either and certainly not when Maddison is back.

 

If it is to persist we need to work on the right back 3 and in which position as Soyuncu and Fofana go from the sublime to the ridiculous. Amartey is very limited on the ball but positional he is fine.

[Facecloth]

7 hours ago, baldeagle said:

Jury is still out isn’t it.  playing devil’s  advocate we beat Man City and a few others with 5 at the back  haven’t we . Like I said I don’t like 5 at the back but it’s worked a few times and others we’ve looked dreadful I just see it as a case of needs must . 

It worked against Man City, but failed against Fulham, West Ham, and Villa straight after. We started it in other games, like Brighton at home, Sheffield United and struggled until we switched formation. I think we might have played it away at Leeds, but lets be honest, they imploded early in that game.

[CosbehFox]

Back 3/5 works when there is the space to counter. The wing backs are better when they protect the centre backs more and then counter, the CMs can then cover for WBs. The departed space of the centre third is what we take advantage of in those scenarios 
 

To beat the press with this back 3/5 requires a lot of craft. Most teams can cover the build up with a four man press and we lose a passing option. It remains difficult for the wing backs to provide an option because of the angle. That is causing us lots of problems currently because we are hell bent on beating the first press on the edge of our box. 
 

One of the main factors we won last night was by playing higher with the ball in second half ensured Brighton’s press wasn’t as effective. Tactics aside, the basics of run harder and try harder were the order of the day. You win that ball further up the pitch (as the first goal), there’s less defensive cover for the opposition. 

Edited 7 March 2021 by Cardiff_Fox

[dbtcity]

For me it doesn’t work from an attacking perspective as most of our good attacking moves usually come from our wingers pulling the full backs about to leave space for our full backs and vice versa... from a defensive point of view it just looks a mess as the cbs cover the gap vacated by the full backs leaving massive pockets of space for the forwards to exploit! Alternatively when the oppo has the ball deep the cbs stay narrow leaving us constantly exposed to 1 long ball down either side! I honestly don’t see any positives to said formation other than us being able to have 2 up top

[RowlattsFox]

The back 5 has worked ok against the better sides, as the wing backs are deep and it really is a back 5. Against others we end up with a back 3 which gets consistently exposed by anyone brave enough to press. Wing backs generally in the middle of nowhere from a defensive and attacking point of view.

 

 

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

When we play with a back 4 we look so much more comfortable. People know their roles in a 4 and it looks so disjointed when there’s 3/5 at the back.

[Royston.]

6 hours ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

When we play with a back 4 we look so much more comfortable. People know their roles in a 4 and it looks so disjointed when there’s 3/5 at the back.

Agreed.

3 CB's encourages them to pass sideways to each other and Soyuncu in particular looks a totally different player and not in a good way.

[Col city fan]

On 07/03/2021 at 07:50, Ric Flair said:

In a very perverse way, we seem to be able to grind out results with a back 5. 

 

Until Barnes is back I sadly think this will be the formation, we've 1 available winger in Albrighton. I don't see Rodgers going 4-4-2 either and certainly not when Maddison is back.

 

If it is to persist we need to work on the right back 3 and in which position as Soyuncu and Fofana go from the sublime to the ridiculous. Amartey is very limited on the ball but positional he is fine.

I’m never too happy with Amartey’s positioning either tbh (no surprise there). 
Did you not see Chris Wood’s header in the first half against Burnley where he should have scored? Kasper made the worldy save...

Wood absolutely owned Amartey in that situation and if he’d have scored if would probably have been game over.

Just because Big Dan stooped to head in a winner, completely unmarked when the Brighton goalie absolutely flapped at the corner, does not make him a competent defender, although the bulk of the forum would have him as such. 
After Sheffield we have a tougher run of fixtures and whether we play 4 or 5 at the back, we need to field our best defenders. Which I think we will if they are fit 

[OLD norfox]

......or four at the back depend on the players who are availiable. If BR wants to play both Vardy and Iheanacho there is no way he will play 4 at the back. In these days with so many injuries BR has no other option than to use both and that means 3/5 at the back. 

 

 

Edited 8 March 2021 by OLD norfox
wrong spelling

[sacreblueits442]

On 06/03/2021 at 21:01, Shane said:

We need to scrap 3atb asap but if Brendan is going to persist with it, i’d like to see Fuchs instead of Amartey.
 

Fofana-Soyuncu-Fuchs. Fofana can go on his forward runs & Soyuncu won’t look like a lost puppy on the left!

...I  think Soyűncű problem is he is reluctant to come wide and engage the attacker!!!

He does this both on the right and left of a back three.

  Our problem is also pushing the fullbacks on so high up the pitch, it leaves us vulnerable out wide and leaves too much space where the Wing Backs should be.

[filbertway]

It's clear that it doesn't work when we have the majority of the ball. We insist on playing a dangerous game with the ball and there's massive gaps left because the 2 wider cbs almost hug the touchline. Teams shouldn't be able to pass right through the middle of 3 centre backs. Ricardo and Castagne were just stuck in no mans land and it was absolutely horrific. We know how to play with a back 4. I'd play 4 4 2 against Sheff United

 

Schmeichel

 

Ricardo

Soy

Fofana

Thomas

 

Albrighton

Tielemans

Ndidi

Castagne

 

Iheanacho

Vardy

[sacreblueits442]

1 hour ago, Col city fan said:

I’m never too happy with Amartey’s positioning either tbh (no surprise there). 
Did you not see Chris Wood’s header in the first half against Burnley where he should have scored? Kasper made the worldy save...

Wood absolutely owned Amartey in that situation and if he’d have scored if would probably have been game over.

Just because Big Dan stooped to head in a winner, completely unmarked when the Brighton goalie absolutely flapped at the corner, does not make him a competent defender, although the bulk of the forum would have him as such. 
After Sheffield we have a tougher run of fixtures and whether we play 4 or 5 at the back, we need to field our best defenders. Which I think we will if they are fit 

...I  don't think that is what they are saying!!!

  The sheer relief of scoring from a corner and winning the game is the overriding factor here.

  No one is looking for Amartey to be in the first eleven, he is a utility player who is somewhat down the list in respect of our defence.

[Facecloth]

6 minutes ago, sacreblueits442 said:

...I  don't think that is what they are saying!!!

  The sheer relief of scoring from a corner and winning the game is the overriding factor here.

  No one is looking for Amartey to be in the first eleven, he is a utility player who is somewhat down the list in respect of our defence.

Exactly, never really get why people get riled up when a player well down the pecking order isn't near the standard of the a regular first teamer. What are they expecting? 

[ParkerPen]

23 minutes ago, Facecloth said:

Exactly, never really get why people get riled up when a player well down the pecking order isn't near the standard of the a regular first teamer. What are they expecting? 

 

[Facecloth]

1 minute ago, ParkerPen said:

 

We should never have signed him, and its fine to criticise players for shortcomings, but there's no point in comparing players to the regular first team. Like it's OK to say Mendy or Choudhury have limitations or make a mistake, but its pointless comparing them to Ndidi, as they aren't Ndidi and there's a reason they play second fiddle to him.

[ParkerPen]

2 hours ago, Facecloth said:

We should never have signed him, and its fine to criticise players for shortcomings, but there's no point in comparing players to the regular first team. Like it's OK to say Mendy or Choudhury have limitations or make a mistake, but its pointless comparing them to Ndidi, as they aren't Ndidi and there's a reason they play second fiddle to him.

I agree mate, I was comparing Amartey to Ryan Bennett - I know who I'd want !

[Strokes]

32 minutes ago, ParkerPen said:

I agree mate, I was comparing Amartey to Ryan Bennett - I know who I'd want !

It’s Ryan Bennett isn’t it?

[ParkerPen]

2 hours ago, Strokes said:

It’s Ryan Bennett isn’t it?

rumbled 

[Detroit Blues]

Have we ever had Evans, Soyuncu, Fofana on the pitch at the same time? I'm not the biggest fan of the back 3/5 but at the same time it is a way to make sure our best players aren't languishing away on the bench.

 

                            Schmeichel

Ricardo, Fofana, Evans, Soyuncu, Castagne 

                      Ndidi - Tielemans 

                                ????

                        Ihenacho - Vardy

                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Foxxed]

We looked better when we changed formation last match.

 

Are we using 3atb to preserve energy this season?

[lcfc sheff]

Five at the back is way more interesting if it’s used in the same style as Atalanta play, but we are definitely coached to be more on the defensive rather than all out attack that they play. 

[HighPeakFox]

3 hours ago, Foxxed said:

We looked better when we changed formation last match.

 

Are we using 3atb to preserve energy this season?

I suspect so, plus right now we're struggling in the 'creative attacking mid' department.

[sacreblueits442]

5 hours ago, Detroit Blues said:

Have we ever had Evans, Soyuncu, Fofana on the pitch at the same time? I'm not the biggest fan of the back 3/5 but at the same time it is a way to make sure our best players aren't languishing away on the bench.

 

                            Schmeichel

Ricardo, Fofana, Evans, Soyuncu, Castagne 

                      Ndidi - Tielemans 

                                ????

                        Ihenacho - Vardy

                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...thought that happened when Soyűncű had come back earlier in the season!!!

  If Perez is fit,  then he goes into the hole behind the strikers but Tavares would be the next alternative,..... round peg in round holes.