Your still going with 433? Martial scored today because he wasn't stuck doing the job of what a wingback should be doing ie crossing.
Rashford & Martial will be better as strikers not wingers.
Is it time to settle to a 352?
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Your still going with 433? Martial scored today because he wasn't stuck doing the job of what a wingback should be doing ie crossing.
Rashford & Martial will be better as strikers not wingers.
352 suits the squad much more.
Pogba for Herrera when he's fit, and Fellaini/Lingard for Mkhi.
Pogba for Herrera when he's fit, and Fellaini/Lingard for Mkhi.
I think this 352 stuff is the way forward. Switch Herrera for Pogba today and Mkhi for a competent playmaker and we would look good.
What we need is a support striker that drops back to Am or makes run past the forwards; that's why lingard looks better than mkhitarayan sometimes.
That is Griezman's position. I think Jose planned for a 352 with Perisic and Griezman and his plans got fecked when he couldn't get either.
We would have looked good with those two in a 352.
Wasn't a fan of it today but yeah,Pogba is a must alongside Matic the 2 of them with their composure is a much better pairing with a playmaker who is capable of dropping in to help out if we get outnumbered in the middle and a proper left back to offer attacking threat down the wing.
Would like to see it with Pogba and Fellaini in for Mkhi & Herrera.
3-5-2 is perhaps the best formation for us....Put Pogba in place of Herrera and we"ll look much,much better....Jose will definitely play the same formation next week at Stamford bridge,so if we get a good result at the bridge,then I think we should just stick with it until the end of the season....
We don't have wingbacks good enough to really play that formation on a consistent basis.
Young & valencia were better today than any other day this season - consistently in the right positions; they will do fine until January.
Ghoulam on a free in January and Young to rotate with Valencia for RWB.
Ghoulam is brilliant as the most attacking FB in Serri's Napoli.
Ghoulam is brilliant as the most attacking FB in Serri's Napoli.
Like I said last week. Martial-Lukaku-Rashford up top in a 3-4-3 and Pogba in midfield for Herrera and it'll be brilliant.
I really think today showed that 3-5-2 aint going to do it for us until we get a high quality number 10. We perked up in the second half and played with some energy & commitment, but don't mistake that for an effective attacking performance. The midfield pair and striking pair were totally separate from each other for most of this match. If Mkhi or Mata can come into form, or maybe if Lingard can step up, it might be doable. But if Mkhi & Mata play like they have been doing, I dont think its going to lead to much in the way of goals tbh.
If we were to play it 352 I think it’d be better in midfield with a 3 with Herrera and Pogba ahead of DM Matic. Kinda like how City play it when they do it. Or if it’s 343 then Pogba and Matic.
Pereira + Pogba
That's one theory mate and you could be right but Rashford forced his way onto the scene due to injuries and his performances. I doubt he was part of Van Gaal's long term strategy in 2014-15.
Personally i think the unbalanced nature of the squad Mourinho inherited was more down to Van Gaal's poor squad management.
We don't have the wingbacks or the #10 to make the system really work as an attacking threat, we won today but we didn't create much.
Perisic & Ozil, IN!
Would really like to see us explore the 3-5-2 and 3-4-1-2 more. We haven't been able to get wingplay right for years so might as well try something different.
Would demand a better #10 \ playmaker and some fullbacks though.
Would demand a better #10 \ playmaker and some fullbacks though.
0zil is a great player but the wrong player for 352.
What we need is a a AM/CF hybrid. Having a player who becomes an extra striker or drops off to AM when in defence is needed. It's the same reason we need a CB/CDM hybrid; one who can join the midfield to initiate attacks and can also drop to provide extra defensive protection.
This basically means only 4 players have to move to initiate attacks and to fall back & defend; the central CDM/CB, the central CF/Cam & the two wing backs.
De gea
Bailey blind rojo
Valencia young
Matic pogba
Martial
Lukaku rashford
See- by moving blind, martial, valencia or young up and down - we have the ability to go up to 5 players up top or 5 players in defence; depending on what we need. All the whilst there is 2 CB's, 2 midfielders, 2 strikers that hardly have to move during attack or defence.
Perisic is perfect.
What about Griezmann? I think Ozil can still work in a 352 personally. I also think Lindelof was bought in to play as one of the 3 CB's.
I wish we had played this formation against Liverpool. Lukaku was comically isolated in that game, today giving him support won us the points.
Griezmann can definitely do it - dybala may be even more natural at doing it. Martial could be just as good because he is one hell of a flexible player & I believe he is yet to fully find his right position.
The wingbacks first though before anything else ideally on both sides. Perisic is great but I have a feeling he isn't interested; would really like him though - the old type of wingers are today's wingbacks.
Ps. Not as a starter but I believe we should also get CBJ back; the guy is a wingback over a fullback everyday of the week and can do a job at least as back up.
Definitely. We're short on quantity and quality. Blind's lack of pace makes him only suited to certain matches and both Young and Valencia are at an age where they need to be managed carefully.
To me they looked much less out of breath today than playing FB - a fullback that has to make runs up and down is harder than a wingback that runs in to spaces only. Young had an amazing game & valencia also managed to find himself by the opposition corner flag quicker by starting by the midfielders instead of defence.
Bet Mourinho would love to play this XI at some point:
Lukaku Ibrahimovic
Young Pogba Matic Fellaini Valencia
Rojo Smalling Bailly
De Gea
Ofc every corner would hit the first man.
Lukaku Ibrahimovic
Young Pogba Matic Fellaini Valencia
Rojo Smalling Bailly
De Gea
Ofc every corner would hit the first man.
Our team IMO is not suited to this. And though we won today, it showed issues we have with this system
Our center backs aren't comfortable carrying the ball out from the back nor at they the best at distribution.
We don't have creative full-backs for this AND we don't have a great #10.
Though this system does suit Martial/Rashford to a tee.
Our center backs aren't comfortable carrying the ball out from the back nor at they the best at distribution.
We don't have creative full-backs for this AND we don't have a great #10.
Though this system does suit Martial/Rashford to a tee.
Could very well be on to something here. He set us up in a 352 during pre-season when Perisic was still a possibility and often reverted to it during he stints at Real and Juve. He clearly likes the idea of a 352.
A few weak links in that team (Young, Fellaini and maybe Valencia) but on the whole that is just about as solid a team as we could possibly put out all things considered.
One thing that did stand out during the game was the gap between midfield and attack, Lukaku and Rashford are not exactly natural 10's and it showed today. Ibra could very well be the missing link that makes this formation a success, as he is probably the best number 10 in world football.
I have a feeling Zlatan will be eased in over a couple of weeks then be a regular starter behind Lukaku. Mkhitaryan is not making a good case for himself.
Even Griezmann would make sense in that.
Let's see if Mourinho sticks to 3-4-1-2 with Benfica, who don't play three at the back, specially since we're certainly going back to it with Chelsea. Then we can see if it still is a reactive formation or one to be used in other occasions.
Have to say not a fan of the 352, as in not thinking we'd use it!
BUT
I might have to change my mind if they can get the front 2 to click a little better. Of course if it works im all for it.
BUT
I might have to change my mind if they can get the front 2 to click a little better. Of course if it works im all for it.
Not in smaller games where we need to defend with less defenders and need more bodies up front. Also our wing back can't cross well, which mean heavily depending on central players again.
It's good tactic in big game as it helps the min forward having somebody to support him than what happened vs L'pool, where Mkhi being useless meant Lukaku couldn't even get into game.
It's good tactic in big game as it helps the min forward having somebody to support him than what happened vs L'pool, where Mkhi being useless meant Lukaku couldn't even get into game.
More important for me was playing with 2 strikers up front. With how little the team uses width outside of the fullbacks I'd like to see Mou set up with two strikers more often. Use a diamond in midfield with Matic the deepest, Pogba on the left, Fellani/Herrera on the right and then Mata/Mkhitaryan at the tip, in most matches I don't believe the extra CB is necessary.
It solves our width problem
Seems to me like Jose wants us to be able to play multiple formations depending on our opponent.
I’m going to guess he will play 4-2-3-1 against Benfica and 3-5-2 against Chelsea
I’m going to guess he will play 4-2-3-1 against Benfica and 3-5-2 against Chelsea
If our CBs could pass and move the ball like Alderwiereld and Vertoghen, then this formation will be perfect. But beggars can't be choosy so-
Degea; Bailly, Jones, CB; Valencia, Pogba, Matic, LBW; DLF; Lukaku, CF.
Degea; Bailly, Jones, CB; Valencia, Pogba, Matic, LBW; DLF; Lukaku, CF.
- The CB will be either Smalling or Rojo. I prefer Rojo because he's left footed and better on the ball.
- Young will battle Valencia for a place on the right and the LWB for a place on the left.
- The DLF or Advanced midfielder will serve as the link man and the main playmaker akin to a trequartista. Thats the player we are currently lacking and the reason we can't play 3-4-1-2 fulltime.
- Rashford and Martial will be rotated for a spot alongside Lukaku.
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Rojo would be important in making this work, as it gives another defender capable of carrying the ball forward other than Bailly. Jones would sweep everything up from the center in this scenario.
But I'd put Rojo at CB and not CF...
Rojo would be important in making this work, as it gives another defender capable of carrying the ball forward other than Bailly. Jones would sweep everything up from the center in this scenario.
But I'd put Rojo at CB and not CF...
Rojo playing as CF? That's ridiculous. And I suppose Jose's going to play Smalling as an emergency striker next?