Formation - What's in a number?

[Saxondale]

I think often people get a bit carried away with formations and how important they are. Yes, obviously, they have a bearing on how the team plays but, on the other hand, the attackers will move where there is space and the defenders will position as appropriate.

The Forest and Soton games were superb performances both as a team and as individual players. Most importantly, Pearson appears to have found a system and style of play that works in both attack and defence.

He's playing a 4-4-2 - nothing radical there. But it's different. We've played plenty of 4-4-2 systems this season and have been losing out in attack and defence.

Firstly, I think a lot of the success is down to way the players have been pressing the opposition all over the pitch - both preventing them creating attacks and also winning possession.

But there's more to it than that. The 4-4-2 was being played with a lot more fluidity and adaptability. In defence, the wide midfielders were tracking back an acting as fullbacks while the fullbacks were pulling inside and to make a central back four - a 6-2-2 if you like. In attack, the wide midfielders were pushing right forward and the fullback pushing forward to act as wingers while the centre-halfs stayed back. - a 2-4-4. In addition, the players have been very quick when possession is lost or gained to get backward or forwards as necessary.

There's nothing radical about any of this, in fact this is how many teams have played against us this season. You only need to think back to the Barnsley game to remember how the piled everybody behind the ball whenever we moved forward. But it's nice to see that we've finally cottoned on to how to use something like the 4-4-2 in an effective way because, quite frankly, we hadn't been making the system work (or many of the other systems we used).

[Jace]

I remember Fabio making a point about this is the press not long ago too sometimes fans look into formation and tactics in too much detail I agree with this thats why its important for me to play players who are more adaptable

[Saxondale]

I remember Fabio making a point about this is the press not long ago too sometimes fans look into formation and tactics in too much detail I agree with this thats why its important for me to play players who are more adaptable

And very fit, so they can switch positions quickly.

[Fox92]

I remember Fabio making a point about this is the press not long ago too sometimes fans look into formation and tactics in too much detail I agree with this thats why its important for me to play players who are more adaptable

As in Cappello? I wouldn't take any notice of what he says

[DanTheMan]

I agree there is nothing radical - and that it's mainly the workrate/tactics that have been modified to get the recent good performances, but one change I would single out is that Danns is actually being played in his preferred position of CM. I'd argue this improves the fluidity and performance of the midfield, and by extension seems to be one of the things making the entire system work better!

[Saxondale]

I agree there is nothing radical - and that it's mainly the workrate/tactics that have been modified to get the recent good performances, but one change I would single out is that Danns is actually being played in his preferred position of CM. I'd argue this improves the fluidity and performance of the midfield, and by extension seems to be one of the things making the entire system work better!

Yeah he's really benefit from that and flourished. I read on the Saints forum after the game one of their posters said that he was the best CM they'd seen in the Championship this seaon! Maybe a bit far but proves a point.

[yorkie1999]

I think often people get a bit carried away with formations and how important they are. Yes, obviously, they have a bearing on how the team plays but, on the other hand, the attackers will move where there is space and the defenders will position as appropriate.

The Forest and Soton games were superb performances both as a team and as individual players. Most importantly, Pearson appears to have found a system and style of play that works in both attack and defence.

He's playing a 4-4-2 - nothing radical there. But it's different. We've played plenty of 4-4-2 systems this season and have been losing out in attack and defence.

Firstly, I think a lot of the success is down to way the players have been pressing the opposition all over the pitch - both preventing them creating attacks and also winning possession.

But there's more to it than that. The 4-4-2 was being played with a lot more fluidity and adaptability. In defence, the wide midfielders were tracking back an acting as fullbacks while the fullbacks were pulling inside and to make a central back four - a 6-2-2 if you like. In attack, the wide midfielders were pushing right forward and the fullback pushing forward to act as wingers while the centre-halfs stayed back. - a 2-4-4. In addition, the players have been very quick when possession is lost or gained to get backward or forwards as necessary.

There's nothing radical about any of this, in fact this is how many teams have played against us this season. You only need to think back to the Barnsley game to remember how the piled everybody behind the ball whenever we moved forward. But it's nice to see that we've finally cottoned on to how to use something like the 4-4-2 in an effective way because, quite frankly, we hadn't been making the system work (or many of the other systems we used).

And this is why we need a proper right winger and not a midfielder playing on the wing. Gallagher playing on the wing gets sucked into the midfield chasing the the ball, because thats where his natural position is. A proper winger in a 4-4-2, stays patiently on the wing waiting for the ball to come to him and also covering his defender, thats why we got cut to peices on peltier's side against barnsley.

[Saxondale]

And this is why we need a proper right winger and not a midfielder playing on the wing. Gallagher playing on the wing gets sucked into the midfield chasing the the ball, because thats where his natural position is. A proper winger in a 4-4-2, stays patiently on the wing waiting for the ball to come to him and also covering his defender, thats why we got cut to peices on peltier's side against barnsley.

Correct. Wing is a specialist position. For a few years now, we've been shoving any old centre mids out wide and it's not great.