HoundURZZZZHound
Not the same but similar. That ‘3’ would certainly give no more protection than the current set up unless the whole philosophy changed and they played deeper making a 4-5-1
I’m a bit baffled by the constant 4-2-2-2 noise. See the comment above that it was definitely 4-2-2-2 and not 4-4-2….just can’t agree
If no one had ever mentioned the bloody 4-2-2-2 not one single person would say we were playing anything other than a 4-4-2 last night. Esp when Azeez came on (dunno what or where Camara was meant to be tbh)
Edit: final word on this from me because I’m boring myself. Go to whoscored and check the touch maps for Camara, Azeez, Knibbs and compare to Savage and Wing
The huge majority of touches for the first 3 are wide, very few central (ie width of centre circle). Esp Azeez who has nearly all his touched right out on the flank
Sav is centre left and wing is predominantly centre right with a few on the right wing
Ours and Fleetwoods heat maps are much the same
What we might be doing and if this is what people say when talk 4-2-2-2 then fair enough
—— Gk ——
Rb cb cb lb
— cm cm —
Rm — — Lm
— Cf Cf —
Well it’s exactly that. 4-4-2 implies a flat four. No-one can argue that’s what we play as the “attacking” two are quite clearly a fair distance ahead of the “defensive” two. A 4-4-2 is generally consistent with your two wide players tracking their respective FB’s and it simply doesn’t happen
Noticed a pattern even after the Peterborough game where we effectively maintained a press of four players and no-one else. It leaves our FB’s and two holding midfielders constantly exposed. We actually had a fairly decent record defensively after 4/5 games but teams have easily adapted against it.
It’s a variation of a 4-4-2 but it’s a fairly big difference IMO. Pedantic, perhaps, but it’s like calling a 4-2-3-1 the same as a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1 etc etc. Broadly speaking, they’re similar but when you break it down, there’s a vast difference
Glad we cleared that up then!
Yes that’s pretty much how I see it. My reading of what’s happening is we’re pressing too aggressively with the strikers and wingers too often. Occasionally it works and we make a chance (and fail to score it) but often its played around and it’s leaving the centre mids too exposed - and they aren’t dominant enough and get beaten too easily and pulled out of position
Then the back 4 are often 1 vs 1. Other than Abbey they just aren’t good enough in that situation. Dean too slow, and Binden NGW/Carson beaten far too often by the winger
We need to pull the wide midfielders back, press with only the front 2 (this could be the AM in a midfield 5) and keep the shape better imo
It sounds like you have more tactical knowledge than Selles.