Is it time to settle to a 352?

Adam-Utd said:
Yep, in this formation you HAVE to have defenders who are good on the ball, they need to carry the ball forward into space and draw a player away from midfield.

If we have Smalling/Jones +1 just sitting there on the half way line ( like we did in that spell we played it ) then it means 1 less attacker and is actually more defensive.

Bailly/Rojo/Lindelof would be better but I don't trust them 3 as a back line.
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Me either mate, in my opinion for a back 3 to work you need really solid adaptable defenders i don't think we have any.
 
If i were the manager, i would play a 4-3-1-2 formation with Sanchez just behind Martial and Lukaku. The 3 in midfield would be Matic Herrera/Mc Tominay and Pogba
 
stevoc said:
Me either mate, in my opinion for a back 3 to work you need really solid adaptable defenders i don't think we have any.
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Also they should be good on the ball to push higher up and make numbers in midfield, our CBs don't or can't do that.

For example, when Spurs used it Sanchez stayed back but Vertonghen and Toby pushed higher up, especially Vertonghen.
 
suhaylah said:
If i were the manager, i would play a 4-3-1-2 formation with Sanchez just behind Martial and Lukaku. The 3 in midfield would be Matic Herrera/Mc Tominay and Pogba
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I would play that too. In that formation, Martial/Sanchez can drift to the left & Lukaku can drift to the right. However, our issues have more to do with our ball movement and intent than any formation.
 
DdeGoat said:
I would play that too. In that formation, Martial/Sanchez can drift to the left & Lukaku can drift to the right. However, our issues have more to do with our ball movement and intent than any formation.
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Herrera Pogba Matic are all good passers of the ball. They just need to play with tempo. They should practice in training though. With the way the team is playing, it seems as though the players don't train at all.
 
Matic never played with tempo at Chelsea, in fact for his last year there he was much slower than he is for us. Herrera usually does play with tempo.

We clearly do need to practice it though. Whenever we try to up the pace in a game it seems to backfire as our own players are the ones who look like they can't cope.

The three at the back idea still falls down on us not even being able to find two central defenders who can stay fit and actually looked organised next to each other. Put three in there and there is no game where this isn't important. At least when you have two they are sometimes not very relevant against weaker sides.
 
Our primary problem is not formation.

4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 4-3-3, 4-4-2, it matters little.

We need to improve the quality of our playing personnel, the boys' attitude on the pitch (they need to run for 90 minutes not 45 and they need to show spirit and fight especially in the big games) and Jose needs to get them to change the way they handle the ball when they have it. We hardly keep the ball for 30 seconds especially when playing against teams that press us hard.
 
VorZakone said:
Several reasons I guess but it goes without saying that the switch to 343 massively improved Chelsea last season.
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In my humble opinion, 352 or 343 is good against top clubs with dual strikers, but doesn't work in EPL against bottom clubs who play 451. With 3 defenders it would be wasteful against single striker. It worked with Chelsea most of last season, was because of Luiz. Luiz can push forward when there is plenty of space and practically make it a 443 when attacking. So I suppose it might work with Mascherano as well. The problem with Luiz is of course, his discipline when needed which explains Chelsea downfall this season. You need a highly discipline and tactical CB who can distribute the ball as well as tactical awareness in closing any holes, another 80m target in today's market.
 
noodlehair said:
Why are they so rubbish this season then?
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Because they didn't recruit adequately enough and sign the players needed to fit the system. Not much wrong with the system if you have the players for it.
 
3-5-2 would require better players at both wings. Valencia, Young or Rojo aren't able to cover their whole side by themselves.

I like the 4-3-1-2 though. It gets the most out of the current team and keeps a player (Sánchez/Lingard or maybe Mata) in a free role mantaining some flexibility. Herrera-Matic/McTom-Pogba fits and all of Lukaku/Sanchez, Martial/Rashford get enough game time.

However, WB and midfield would still need new players.
 
abdo99 said:
Because they didn't recruit adequately enough and sign the players needed to fit the system. Not much wrong with the system if you have the players for it.
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You can say that about any system. City don't playe 3-5-2 and they are better than Chelsea were last season.

Perhaps we should just copy their formation and suddenly we'll turn really good?

Have you considered that we don't really have the players to play a 3-5-2, and have in fact looked anything but convincing whenever we've used it?
 
No more 3-5-2 for United. Its work wonder for Chelsea last season but it doesn't mean United need to do the same. Chelsea with 3-5-2 last season only compete in local, not even worth to praise.
 
The problem with the 3-5-2, it suited Utd well, it made us more free flowing and dangerous, the horses could run freely more inter changing and the players were enjoying their football and that goes against everything Jose believes in.
It must be dire, defensive and murder on the eyes and the purpose is to grind out results so it looks good on the stats sheet. Well we are talking about a man that thinks his number one priority this summer is to sign Fellaini and degrade the younger players unless they are defensive players.
 
Didn't United beat Spurs at home 1-0, with 352? I remember Spurs being pretty much nullified the whole game.
 
We need defenders who can pass a ball, wing-backs who likes to attack and a playmaker in midfield before we can even entertain the idea of a 3-5-2.
Also a manager who knows how to get the best out of that system.
 
352 comes back into use and popular again every 10-20 years and some teams have success with it because no one is used to playing against it. Then all or most other teams adapt and it is less successful, and teams that were using it start to abandon it. Spurs and Juve come to mind over the course of this season they've both switched to a back 4 full time.

The time to start playing 352 was 2-3 years ago. But its basically been found out now.
 
4-4-2 diamond would suit us with proper full-backs.

DDG
Meunier Bailly Alderweireld Sandro
Matic
Fred Pogba
Sanchez
Lukaku Martial
​
Or the 3-5-2 with Martial possible exit.
DDG
Bailly Alderweireld Rojo
Matic
Meunier Fred Pogba Sandro
Lukaku Sanchez
​
Just trying hard to find one formation with as good players as possible, so that even without proper coaching they might play beautiful footy. Hard, but hopefully not impossible for next season.
 
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Seven Seas Sardines said:
4-4-2 diamond would suit us with proper full-backs.

DDG
Meunier Bailly Alderweireld Sandro
Matic
Fred Pogba
Sanchez
Lukaku Martial
​
Or the 3-5-2 with Martial possible exit.
DDG
Bailly Alderweireld Rojo
Matic
Meunier Fred Pogba Sandro
Lukaku Sanchez
​
Just trying hard to find one formation with as good players as possible, so that even without proper coaching they might play beautiful footy. Hard, but hopefully not impossible for next season.
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I like the second line-up. But if we buy 4 players only, i would prefer a Jorginho to replace Matic and Herrera instead of Fred. Jorginho would add that creativity in midfield that we lack.
 
YouOnlyLiveTwice said:
I like the second line-up. But if we buy 4 players only, i would prefer a Jorginho to replace Matic and Herrera instead of Fred. Jorginho would add that creativity in midfield that we lack.
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I'd prefer him too, but going after what Jorginho said about wanting to join an attacking team, we might as well forget about him.
 
Get some new players in first. Then we can play anyway.

It's not formation it is the players. Some are not fit to wear the Jersey.
 
Formations aren't really important. The team dynamic and organization is what counts. The formation is just a starting point.
 
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