Without buying players what would you do with this squad?

[Josep Dowling]

I think it’s obvious that we need to sign some better quality players but I do feel there are things we could try in this team with our current squad.

What would you with this squad without buying new players?

For me I’d stick with 4-3-3. Attacking wise we have no one on the right wing. If Mata plays there he lacks pace and always drift into central midfield. This also causes Lukaku to drift out into the open right channel. I have lost count of the amount of times he gets the ball on the right wing then we have no target man in the box.

I would try Ashley Young on RW. This was his actual position most of his career. He still has some pace. Being right footed he can hit in an early cross without needing to cut in side. This plays to Lukaku’s strength as a big target man.

If Lukaku’s form doesn’t improve I would try Martial on the left with Sanchez as the CF. Sanchez is obsessed with being involved with the play. Part of Sanchez’s issue is playing with Lukaku. They’re like chalk and cheese football wise.

My midfield three is Pogba-Matic-Herrera. This seemed like a certainty last year. Two defensively minded player which allowed Pogba to push up the pitch. I think we played them as a midfield 3 for only a handful of games. What has happened to Herrera anyway? He’s gone from being voted the fans player of the season to not even starting ahead of McTominay.

My back 4 would be Shaw-Smalling-Bailly-Valencia. I think this centre back pairing hasn’t been terrible over the last couple of years. Bailly can be rash and is poor with his positioning but paired with Smalling he has looked better . I see nothing in Lindelöf, he just looks like a very bad signing that isn’t suited to the Premier League.

 

[Vidyoyo]

I like this thread the most can we keep this one.

 

[Ban]

I like this thread the most can we keep this one.

I'd say we keep all of them. One is better than the other.

 

[Josep Dowling]

I like this thread the most can we keep this one.

Haha, I tried to edit the title then it came up as a second thread.

 

[el3mel]

4-3-3 is a shite formation for us. I think we need to play something that has zero width at all and congest the midfield as all our forwards are strikers and number 10s.

Some thing like this :

DDG
Dalot - Bailly - Smalling - Shaw
Matic
Fred - Pogba
Lingard
Sanchez - Martial​

 

[Slevs]

DDG

Dalot Smalling Lindeloff/Bailly Shaw

Fred Matic Andreas/Fellaini (depending on the opposition)

Sanchez (RW) Lukaku Martial

Get dablord and his unprofessionalism out of the side, harmonize the squad once again.

Allow Dalot to overlap with Sanchez, same with Shaw and Martial

Against good opposition, put Fellaini instead of Andreas. Have Matic and Fellaini cover the defense when the full backs push up.

Emphasis on width, there's too much congestion in the middle as it is.

 

[LeftyBlaster]

Drill the feckers endlessly in moving off the ball which would enable us to move the ball way quicker. Emphasis on overlapping runs and attacking space behind defenders. Would slap Martial in the face everytime he asks for the ball at his feet instead of running in behind into space.

Oh and make Valencia water boy.

 

[USREDEVIL]

I won't act like I'm a better manager than Jose Mourinho. But at the very least we need someone who is going to motivate the squad and not make them pissed off and sulk. We also need to eliminate or not play the players who are either past it or not good enough. Lindelof, Jones, McTominey (not ready), Valencia, and unfortunately Matic (on current form). We also should be pressing and playing four at the back unless we get some better center backs.

 

[Josep Dowling]

4-3-3 is a shite formation for us. I think we need to play something that has zero width at all and congest the midfield as all our forwards are strikers and number 10s.

Some thing like this :

DDG
Dalot - Bailly - Smalling - Shaw
Matic
Fred - Pogba
Lingard
Sanchez - Martial​

Don’t you think it would be quite conguested in the central areas? It’s not that common to see teams this narrow anymore, is that because it doesn’t work?

I’m trying to think of a successful side that plays this narrow.

 

[Vidyoyo]

4-3-3 is a shite formation for us. I think we need to play something that has zero width at all and congest the midfield as all our forwards are strikers and number 10s.

Some thing like this :

DDG
Dalot - Bailly - Smalling - Shaw
Matic
Fred - Pogba
Lingard
Sanchez - Martial​

This would be nice. Our players are more than good enough to play inside the channels even in a narrow formation. Shaw and Young (I'd play him, not Dalot) could still whip in crosses from deep.

 

[The Purley King]

Coach them properly
/thread

 

[Catt]

Drill the feckers endlessly in moving off the ball which would enable us to move the ball way quicker. Emphasis on overlapping runs and attacking space behind defenders. Would slap Martial in the face everytime he asks for the ball at his feet instead of running in behind into space.

Oh and make Valencia water boy.

This, pluss a good old spanking should do it.

 

[el3mel]

Don’t you think it would be quite conguested in the central areas? It’s not that common to see teams this narrow anymore, is that because it doesn’t work?

I’m trying to think of a successful side that plays this narrow.

It's very congested but I don't think we have a way. 4-3-3 is a terrible formation for us. The striker becomes useless when isolated and we don't have real wingers.

Madrid used to play something similar with Casemiro-Modric-Kroos, Isco-Ronaldo-Benzema. They depended on Marcelo and Carvajal to play the winger roles during attacking. Dalot and Shaw should be able to do that to some extent.

The strength of this formation is that every player is in his best position, and they all can play well with this feet (That's why I axed Lukaku).

 

[L1nk]

We need to stop paying ridiculous wages to players that do not deserve it, Ashley Young, Jesse Lingard etc are on far higher wages than they should be on, it makes it harder for us to let go of the players we should be letting go of because they won't be getting the same amount of pay elsewhere.

 

[klsv]

I'd try to emulate our FA Cup success from 1909 and go with the jolly old 2-3-5 formation.

 

[Jersey Heel]

I’d have the team moms bring orange slices to snack on at halftime.

 

[Josep Dowling]

We need to stop paying ridiculous wages to players that do not deserve it, Ashley Young, Jesse Lingard etc are on far higher wages than they should be on, it makes it harder for us to let go of the players we should be letting go of because they won't be getting the same amount of pay elsewhere.

I get where you’re coming from but a manager can’t just walk into the dressing room and dock pay. I’m not sure they can legally do that and it’s hardly going to make the players work for the manager. And anyway a manager wouldn’t be in charge of this type of thing.

 

[ivaldo]

Loan some players.

 

[Njord]

DDG
Dalot Bailly Smalling Shaw
Fred Pogba Matic Martial
Lukaku Sanchez

Maybe Valencia, Lingard, Rashford for Dalot, Martial, Sanchez, depending on form.

 

[Ibrahimorich]

We need to stop paying ridiculous wages to players that do not deserve it, Ashley Young, Jesse Lingard etc are on far higher wages than they should be on, it makes it harder for us to let go of the players we should be letting go of because they won't be getting the same amount of pay elsewhere.

Top of that list should be Alexis Sanchez. £400k per week and he's no better than Lingard.

 

[friendlytramp]

—————de gea
——Lindelof—-Smalling
Dalot——-Matic——-Shaw
———Fred——Fellaini
————-Sanchez
——Rashford—Lukaku

 

[Canagel]

Play 4-4-2 atletico formation with 4CM across midfield two strikers upfront and two flying fullbacks. fast attacking football with high pressing. No more slow players.

DDG
Dalot Smalling Bailly Shaw
Fred Herrera Periera Pogba
Rashford Martial

No more Valencia, Young, Matic, Fellaini, Lingard and Lukaku. Let some other players have a go. I'd also like to see Sanchez tried upfront. I think he needs to play with a strike partner.​

 

[Aloysius's Back 3]

De gea
Dalpt - Smalling - Fellaini - Rojo - Shaw
Fred - Pogba
Martial
Rashford - Sanchez

 

[limerickcitykid]

Don’t you think it would be quite conguested in the central areas? It’s not that common to see teams this narrow anymore, is that because it doesn’t work?

I’m trying to think of a successful side that plays this narrow.

Toronto FC won the MLS Cup and only lost the Concacaf Champions League finals on penalties using the diamond and a 352. With Matic dropping deep the two formations would be pretty interchangeable anyway. The width comes from the fullbacks and from movement in the front line. The whole system would rely on movement and workrate. Fred and Pogba would have to get wide while also controlling the centre. Lingard would float all over, wide and central. The two up top would then also drift in and out. You don't need wingers standing on the touchline all game if everyone just has proper movement in their play. Maybe we could do with some congestion in the middle anyway as we constantly lose the midfield battle. The main weakness would still likely be the fullbacks. Even with Shaw in better form he isn't close to as productive going forward as Justin Morrow is for Toronto which is a vital part of making the system work because he is capable of owning the whole left side of the pitch himself which none of our fullbacks really can.

 

[L1nk]

I get where you’re coming from but a manager can’t just walk into the dressing room and dock pay. I’m not sure they can legally do that and it’s hardly going to make the players work for the manager. And anyway a manager wouldn’t be in charge of this type of thing.

I mean when we are offering new contracts and stuff, not suggesting we should dock pay, but more we shouldn't be offering it in the first place. Nobody that calls them self a top team in their league would be offering Ashley Young the amount we offered him, no top team would offer Jesse Lingard over 100k a week, no top team would of bent over to the demands of Marouane Fellaini and so on and so forth. No top team would of done this and everyone here knows this, it just wouldn't happen.

 

[Member 113277]

I'd try to emulate our FA Cup success from 1909 and go with the jolly old 2-3-5 formation.

Innovative ...... need to get the fullbacks some proper steel toecap boots to assist with depositing opposition forwards into the 15th row of the stands :-)

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Screw defense balance, the players won't get defensive tactic right anyway.

Put more emphasize on attacking training drills.
Extra 2 hours of practice every day. Can't handle it? sucks to be you overpaid losers. We are losing football now right?

Move those lazy legs, run run run! Press hard. Lose the ball and you're the first one who press and get the feckin ball back.

Return back the SAF's players 1-2 pass move training drills.

Lindelof, you're now at the reserve. Climb back to the team or cry to your agent.
Anyone who can't handle it are free to cry to their agents leaving.
Tell RoJones to leave. Sorry guys, but the club doesn't need to carry excess bagg-.. okay, probably too harsh here.

Get Tuanzebe/TFM back as a CB cover if their loan spell is not good. Our CB situation, injury wise is.. like a glass heated up by the sun, don't know when it'll break. Either that or promote youth CB. Mitchell as well if something happen to our LB.

---

Strict one Formation: 4-3-3.
So it'll ingrained deeply inside the players head on how to function in it. Consistency.

Front three given license to roam the final third, interchange their positions. ST doesn't need to play the target man role that often.

Starting
GK: De Gea. CAPTAIN!
RB: Dalot if he's ready. If not yet, then depending on who we're facing, Young for attacking and Tony V defensive assurance.
CB: Bailly. Don't care if he'll make costly mistakes, and oh he will. Make up for it with your next awesome play.
CB: Smalling. Just do your thing.
LB: Shaw. Keep yourself fit away from injury. You're the first choice now, unless I have to change.

Against strong team,
2 CDM: Herrera and Matic
1 CM: Pogba

Against the rest,
CDM: Herrera
2 CMs: Pereira and Pogba. I want to see how that works first. Fred is next on the list.

LW: Martial. Okay, show your real class. First choice now, unless your agent start to cry again.
RW: Rashford. Go make it yours.
ST: Lukaku. We need a goal getter. If still off form, throw Sanchez here.

Subs: Sanchez, Mata, Fred, Super sub Fellaini, Pereira/Matic, Tony V, Grant.
Reserve: Lingard, McT, the rest.

 

[stevoc]

Mourinho has to decide on 4231 or 433 and stick to it, play players in the same positions regularly and let them develop relationships with each other. The last few games some of these players looked like they've never played together before. And some look like they've never played football at all. Right wing is a major problem as Mourinho has for some reason chosen to ignore it for 5 transfer windows straight. So picking one of Sanchez or Rashford and play them there regularly is probably our best bet, anyone but Mata out there even Ashley Young is a better winger than Mata.

Finally no more of this 352 bollocks with midfielders playing back there out of position. We don't have the defenders to play 352, we look a shambles when ever we try it.

My pick would be this.

Dalot--Smalling--Whoever--Shaw

Herrera-------Matic-------Pogba

Sanchez-----Lukaku-----Martial

 

[R'hllor]

Said few times but water in our pool is ice cold at the moment and it has been for few years now. Each transfer window we added buckets filled with boiling water but effect lasted few seconds and thats just around drop area, maybe we should install some underwater heaters first, before wasting more buckets.

 

[Borden]

I'd have them running suicides after every game until they started moving in the actual games themselves.

 

[WensleyMU]

Ask them nicely and dont criticise them incase you do it to the wrong one and they give up?

Maybe take them back to basics on how to make a 4 yard pass? Because a few of them of struggling with this.

What can you do with them really that hasn't been tried at some point in the last few years? We've seen what they can do, good and bad. We see them take Arsenal, City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and others apart one week playing one formation, then the next they lose to a Huddersfield, a Brighton or a Newcastle. What's the answer to that?

 

[Aloysius's Back 3]

@FootyGirl88

Check this out - imagine Pogba in the positions gnabry is. Imagine our wingback playing like that with Martial & Rashford playing as strikers that drift wide in to channels

So much could be done with our players.

 

[FootyGirl88]

@FootyGirl88

Check this out - imagine Pogba in the positions gnabry is. Imagine our wingback playing like that with Martial & Rashford playing as strikers that drift wide in to channels

So much could be done with our players.

Thanks! That was a great watch

You're right so much can be done with our players we just need a good coach that will play our best players in a suitable formation. Do you have any videos like this on Tuchel etc I love watching videos like this I find them so interesting

 

[Marcelinho87]

We need a manager who can adapt to different personalities.

Not everybody responds well to getting chucked under the bus.

 

[FootyGirl88]

4-3-3 is a shite formation for us. I think we need to play something that has zero width at all and congest the midfield as all our forwards are strikers and number 10s.

Some thing like this :

DDG
Dalot - Bailly - Smalling - Shaw
Matic
Fred - Pogba
Lingard
Sanchez - Martial​

I like this - I wonder if Pereira could play the #10 role

 

[StretfordEnd95]

Based on talent/potential alone:

DDG

Dalot Bailly Lindlelof Shaw

Chong Matic

Fred Pogba

Sanchez Lukaku

Based on performances :

DDG

Dalot Bailly Smalling Shaw

Fred Matic

Young Fellaini Martial

Lukaku/Rashford

 

[SqueakyWeasel]

Firstly:
Forget the players I might have had if all my dreams came true and instil some belief in the ones I've got
After that:
Coach them, not just train them
Motivate them
Treat them like a family to help build team spirit
Reward them when they are outstanding (good is expected)
Talk to them privately when they do not live up to expectations
Stop calling them out publicly to take the press spotlight off my own inadequacies
Let promising young players spend time with the main squad and convince them they will get a chance if they earn it

It's all just simple modern business management / team-building skills really.
None of this should need saying!
I'd add it would be stupid to include "do not be sexist" to that list but the ship has already sailed for Jose

 

[Devils11]

Don’t you think it would be quite conguested in the central areas? It’s not that common to see teams this narrow anymore, is that because it doesn’t work?

I’m trying to think of a successful side that plays this narrow.

Teams playing with 433 or 4231 are going to kill your fullbacks with such a narrow formation. Give that Leceister City recently won the League with 442, why not give it a go?

 

[Camilo]

I don't think it's obvious we need to sign anyone at all. We're not coming up short against Barcelona and Madrid, we're being beaten by West Ham and Derby, and playing shit football 90% of the time even when we win.

If I had a boss who's faith in me (and the squad) was so small I don't think I'd be able to give my best either. When some of the best players in the league are being sent out to nullify West Ham... Well feck that for a laugh - quite right Pogba and co. New manager or a massive change in character is the only way out I can see. The team is plenty good enough - I don't see any point in throwing more money at it before we have a clue what we're doing. We might not win the league with our best 11, but that's not really the issue right now is it.

 

[lysglimt]

Defensively - Shaw, Bailly, Smalling and Valencia - use 2 DM - Herrera and Matic - let Pogba be the attacking midfielder with less defensive duties. Let Martial and Sanchez roam free - with Lukaku up front.

Much higher pressure against weaker opposition. To start the pressure inside our own half is simply stupid. Instruct Matic to act more or less as a defender when Shaw and Valencia move forward - and tell them to play almost as wingers at O.T

Thats how we should play with our current team