Best formation/team selection with the players we have

[jayfox26]

Interested to see what people's thoughts are on this and apologies if it already has a thread, mods move if needed. 

 

It seems most of us are in agreement that we shouldn't be playing Maddison or Perez and we should be looking at giving more game time to Iheancho and Lookman, but how do we fit all these players into the starting 11?

 

3-5-2 : many people not a fan but would mean we could start Nacho up top with Vardy but means we'd lose Barnes and Lookman out of the team so would give us even less attacking threat. 

 

4-3-3 : possibly our best option, putting Soumare in the middle with Tielemans and Ndidi and then Barnes and Lookman either side of Vardy. Possibly KDH over Soumare. Does mean no place for Iheancho.

 

4-2-3-1 : same as above but Iheancho playing behind Vardy and dropping Soumare/KDH out. Looks good attack wise but my concern would be Tielemans and Ndidi could struggle in a midfield 2 against better sides, but certainly against someone like Burnley this weekend, this could be an option. 

 

Any other thoughts or formations? 

[urban.spaceman]

Yes. 

[Izzy]

4-4-2

 

It's the future

[Finnegan]

At the end of last season, I'd have said 433.

 

I've said so often that I think the best football we played was the first half of 19/20 that I should probably make that my signature. Maddison is a much better 8 than 10 and we've always looked better having two play makers sitting deeper to take the burden off YT. Madders worst form has always been when he's played at 10 for long periods.

 

With Soumaré signing I'd perhaps be more inclined to support that. 

 

But Iheanacho has done so well over the last year and with Daka coming in too I think we need to be getting best use out of a second forward. 

 

Ndidi and Tielemans have done very well as a deeper lying 2 together without Madders. 

 

So probably a 4411 with Nacho sat behind Vardy is what I'd play at the moment really, swapping up to 433 with Soumaré stepping in for the games we don't expect to dominate. 

[yorkie1999]

     Daka     Vardy      Nacho

barnes    Tielemans     Lookman

                    Nidi

Thomas     Evans      Ricardo  

                Castagne (rushing)

 

That should cause a few problems.

Edited 23 September 2021 by yorkie1999

[davieG]

13 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

     Daka     Vardy      Nacho

barnes    Tielemans     Lookman

                    Nidi

Thomas     Evans      Ricardo  

                Castagne (rushing)

 

That should cause a few problems.

Not sure what 'rushing' means but if Castagne is starting I don't think the opposition would struggle if we have no goalkeeper.

[KrefelderFox666]

29 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

Yes. 

That would be an ecumenical matter

[barock]

4-1-4-1

                           Vardy

Barnes Tieleman KDH/Soumare Lookman

                             Ndidi

Castagne  Soyuncu Evans Ricardo

Edited 23 September 2021 by barock

[Big Dave]

36 minutes ago, Izzy said:

4-4-2

 

It's the future

We’ll never win anything with a 4-4-2.

[The Horse's Mouth]

25 minutes ago, davieG said:

Not sure what 'rushing' means but if Castagne is starting I don't think the opposition would struggle if we have no goalkeeper.

You don't know what rush goalkeeper means Davie? 

[TJB-fox]

51 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

At the end of last season, I'd have said 433.

 

I've said so often that I think the best football we played was the first half of 19/20 that I should probably make that my signature. Maddison is a much better 8 than 10 and we've always looked better having two play makers sitting deeper to take the burden off YT. Madders worst form has always been when he's played at 10 for long periods.

 

With Soumaré signing I'd perhaps be more inclined to support that. 

 

But Iheanacho has done so well over the last year and with Daka coming in too I think we need to be getting best use out of a second forward. 

 

Ndidi and Tielemans have done very well as a deeper lying 2 together without Madders. 

 

So probably a 4411 with Nacho sat behind Vardy is what I'd play at the moment really, swapping up to 433 with Soumaré stepping in for the games we don't expect to dominate. 

 

I’d probably agree with that, although not sure it’s the long term future. 
 

Maybe it would see us through to the end of the season where Vardy may have slipped to second choice. 
 

At the moment we have to fit Iheanacho and Lookman in, even if it’s at the expense of our formation.

[Danno]

Schmeichel 

Ricardo 

Evans 

Vestergaard (Fofana when fit)

Bertrand 

 

Ndidi 

Tielemans

 

Lookman 

Iheanacho

Barnes 

 

Vardy

[davieG]

4 minutes ago, The Horse's Mouth said:

You don't know what rush goalkeeper means Davie? 

Phrased like Rush Goalkeeper I do, just didn't get the connection with 'rushing'. 

 

It was always Drop back goalkeeper in my circle.

[Big Dave]

6 minutes ago, DanNDH88 said:

Schmeichel 

Ricardo 

Evans 

Vestergaard (Fofana when fit)

Bertrand 

 

Ndidi 

Tielemans

 

Lookman 

Iheanacho

Barnes 

 

Vardy

Can’t argue too much with that.

[yorkie1999]

1 minute ago, davieG said:

Phrased like Rush Goalkeeper I do, just didn't get the connection with 'rushing'. 

 

It was always Drop back goalkeeper in my circle.

It was always a rushing goalie in mine, but let's not be pendandtic. I want a formation that will get us goals and remove our area of weakness, i.e. defending.

[FoxFossil]

6 minutes ago, davieG said:

Phrased like Rush Goalkeeper I do, just didn't get the connection with 'rushing'. 

 

It was always Drop back goalkeeper in my circle.

Deffo the way to go.

Also get rid of those annoying goal posts and just use jumpers on the ground, so anything vaguely near counts as  a goal. Score loads against a very young Shilton like this, most of which he disputed.

[Koke]

4-3-3. Provided everybody is fit. 

 

            Ricardo  Fofana Soyuncu Justin

 

                 Tielemans Ndidi Maddison 

    

                    Lookman Vardy Barnes 

 

Maddison and Perez are clearly a problem that need to best addressed but atm they are the best we have, if Lookman only stays for this season. To play Kel we need formation change and that requires shuffling a few players around. Maddison gotta play because we need creativity, Soumare is not that guy. We need to buy a new CAM but atm we can only play who we got, and that's Maddison. We played our best football (19/20) with this formation. 

 

Edited 23 September 2021 by Koke

[FoxesWalk]

4141…

 

Kasper

Ricardo, Evans, 2nd CB, Bertrand

Ndidi

Perez, Youri, Soumare, Barnes

Striker 

 

We have good competition now for all of those spots except for RW and CDM.
 

Ndidi drops back if we are high up the pitch on the ball. Perez is well suited to the role on the right with Ricardo as an advanced full back going beyond him, Perez drifts in like a 10. Barnes/Lookman are more aggressive, cut in from the left and get to the bye line with a more reserved full back who just offers support to their outside. 
 

Unless we want to try to convert Barnes/Lookman to play LWB, I don’t really like 352, it would be lopsided. Gosens and Ricardo would make it work nicely…

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, Finnegan said:

At the end of last season, I'd have said 433.

 

I've said so often that I think the best football we played was the first half of 19/20 that I should probably make that my signature. Maddison is a much better 8 than 10 and we've always looked better having two play makers sitting deeper to take the burden off YT. Madders worst form has always been when he's played at 10 for long periods.

 

With Soumaré signing I'd perhaps be more inclined to support that. 

 

But Iheanacho has done so well over the last year and with Daka coming in too I think we need to be getting best use out of a second forward. 

 

Ndidi and Tielemans have done very well as a deeper lying 2 together without Madders. 

 

So probably a 4411 with Nacho sat behind Vardy is what I'd play at the moment really, swapping up to 433 with Soumaré stepping in for the games we don't expect to dominate. 

 

I've had this debate already today, Maddison's best spell for us was Dec 2020 to Feb 2021 where he played as the most advanced midfielder behind a striker. Whenever he drops deep he is a liability. He's never once had a good game in a 3-4-1-2 where for whatever reason him being the " 1 " is way deeper than he plays in the central 3 behind Vardy in a 4-2-3-1. 

 

I did like it when we played 4-1-4-1 under Rodgers when he first came here but the notion that him and Tielemans were playing the same role couldn't be further from the truth and the positions Maddison took up were often the same as he took up during his good spell last season which is essentially where a modern day 10 plays. Tielemans also pushed on more than he does now but I don't recall Maddison sitting deeper, he sometimes comes looking for the ball near our half way line (see the end of last season) and he's the pits.

[Scotch]

                           Kasper

 

Ricardo       Vesty        Evans       Thomas

 

               Tielemans         Ndidi

 

Lookman                                        Barnes

 

                 Nacho             Vardy

 

Basing on form and the players we have available. This is it for me. 

             

[jmono84]

For me it’s our attacking options which are lacking. I know our defence has been poor but I feel it’s more to do with us losing the ball which cause us the most problems.

 

I like the defence and midfield options in a 433 but then selecting the front 3 is difficult because you need Nacho and Vardy in the lineup but they wouldn’t work in a front 3.

 

Nacho needs to be in our lineup but he needs runners so I like the idea of him playing centrally deeper role in a front 3 with players like Barnes and Lookman making the runs in behind. Thing is they need the flexibility to come deep to get the ball and I think Lookman is a lot more natural than Barnes is in that aspect. Barnes is more of your out and out wide guy but I think he’ll develop this side of his game as time goes on.

 

Vardy in no way would be suited to playing this role I’ve given Nacho and with Vardy playing central of the three it’ll mean he will be higher up the pitch and will require the wide men to come more central closing our space and we’ll lack width.

 

I also like the idea of a 4231 with Vards up top and Nacho in behind but I wouldn’t want him coming back too much to defend and would rather the wingers do their defensive but making it more of a 4411.

 

I think my main point is we have to get Nacho in the team and he has to be the main man. Not only does he score and assist a lot he gets on the ball a lot and does a good job of linking in with the midfield/fullbacks.

[Ric Flair]

1 minute ago, jmono84 said:

For me it’s our attacking options which are lacking. I know our defence has been poor but I feel it’s more to do with us losing the ball which cause us the most problems.

 

I like the defence and midfield options in a 433 but then selecting the front 3 is difficult because you need Nacho and Vardy in the lineup but they wouldn’t work in a front 3.

 

Nacho needs to be in our lineup but he needs runners so I like the idea of him playing centrally deeper role in a front 3 with players like Barnes and Lookman making the runs in behind. Thing is they need the flexibility to come deep to get the ball and I think Lookman is a lot more natural than Barnes is in that aspect. Barnes is more of your out and out wide guy but I think he’ll develop this side of his game as time goes on.

 

Vardy in no way would be suited to playing this role I’ve given Nacho and with Vardy playing central of the three it’ll mean he will be higher up the pitch and will require the wide men to come more central closing our space and we’ll lack width.

 

I also like the idea of a 4231 with Vards up top and Nacho in behind but I wouldn’t want him coming back too much to defend and would rather the wingers do their defensive but making it more of a 4411.

 

I think my main point is we have to get Nacho in the team and he has to be the main man. Not only does he score and assist a lot he gets on the ball a lot and does a good job of linking in with the midfield/fullbacks.

It's the supply line, we aren't getting the ball in to our attackers and midfielders. Although in the last week alone Barnes, Vardy, Perez, Daka, Lookman and Iheanacho have numerous goals and assists (a couple harshly ruled out)

 

But we still aren't getting the ball from defence and on the attack quick enough, our passing is poor too.

[Dahnsouff]

Based on personnel, its 3 5 2, no question, a much hated formation, but 

[Carl the Llama]

                      Kasper

Ricardo Soyuncu Evans Bertrand

                        Ndidi

Perez    Tielemans   Maddison  Barnes

                        Vardy

 

Ward, Vestergaard, Thomas, Soumare, Albrighton, Iheanacho, Daka

 

Sub Maddison and Barnes for Soumare and Albrighton after 65-75 minutes.  Vestergaard for Evans/Soyuncu at some indeterminate other time.

[jmono84]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

It's the supply line, we aren't getting the ball in to our attackers and midfielders. Although in the last week alone Barnes, Vardy, Perez, Daka, Lookman and Iheanacho have numerous goals and assists (a couple harshly ruled out)

 

But we still aren't getting the ball from defence and on the attack quick enough, our passing is poor too.

That have to have better movement to be found tho. I find Barnes and Vardy play high so to find them it’ll have to be a long risky through ball or long ball over the top which we rarely do because of a deep line. I think we need Nacho to be that guy who gets the ball in that final third area. Also with the three CM’s I like how advanced Soumare gets and the runs he makes.