Method and formation | Vital Football

Method and formation

elkimp

elkimp

Vital Reserves Team
So far this season we have played these formations: 3-5-2; 4-2-3-1; 3-4-1-2; 4-3-3; and 4-4-2.

From most of the posts re formations and line ups it seems we would like to see a more settled set up. How can the players get 'on-method' with all the changes, particularly to the formation. Just seems confusing.

Either DC is trying to be too clever and we will get found out soon OR as our points total shows, he has real tactical nous, and the changes he makes are to suit the opposition.

It is hard to complain as we keep winning, but can we continue to be poor and pick up points? Probably not.

Is Danny the new Tinkerman?

I would like to see us find an identity and method, and soon. Find what suits our squad and stick with it. In the league play the best 11.

Thoughts?
 
Already being discussed in the match thread. My recent post:

There is a limit to what can be achieved with League Two players regardless of how good we think they are - they are still League Two players. Perhaps those players as a group are having problems implementing the tactical strategies, resulting in mediocre individual performances? Familiarity will breed consistency in due course, but expect more errors until they get fully on method; and it will take longer to get on method than in previous seasons because of the obvious complexities of what they are trying to do.
 
elkimp said:
So far this season we have played these formations: 3-5-2; 4-2-3-1; 3-4-1-2; 4-3-3; and 4-4-2.

From most of the posts re formations and line ups it seems we would like to see a more settled set up. How can the players get 'on-method' with all the changes, particularly to the formation. Just seems confusing.

Either DC is trying to be too clever and we will get found out soon OR as our points total shows, he has real tactical nous, and the changes he makes are to suit the opposition.

It is hard to complain as we keep winning, but can we continue to be poor and pick up points? Probably not.

Is Danny the new Tinkerman?

I would like to see us find an identity and method, and soon. Find what suits our squad and stick with it. In the league play the best 11.

Thoughts?
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Results. End. Of...
 
I don't think you should change formations too much (although it's good to have some options at least) but if short term poor performances result in a better longer term team then maybe it's worth it. Most managers at our level would revert to a 4-4-2 at the first hint of difficulty because they're familiar with it and it won't draw any criticism, and I'm glad they aren't doing that.

And if the poor performances get you 10 points in 4 games then even better.
 
I think Danny is looking for the right formation that will compliment his best players. I don't think our formation and tactics suited our team last season, so I don't think we should go back to that. I agree it's looking a bit EA Sports/Championship Manager at the moment with the formation tinkering, but you can't Lab-Test how the team plays, you've got to try it out in a match and if it clearly isn't working, you've got to change it. Just hope it clicks soon. Like against Notts County on Saturday.
 
I think squad depth is important if we are to mount a title challenge, but finding our best team and sticking with it is equally so. This is another learning curve for the Cowleys, who have never had such a strong squad throughout their managerial careers.

We forget that the Cowleys, for all they have achieved, have still only been full time managers for two years. They've still got lessons to learn, but they've never failed to implement them so far. I trust them to do so again.
 
I think that is way too complex Scot. We have players who have played at much higher levels than League 2.

The problem yesterday was that not enough of them were on their game and some of them quickly realised they were considerably slower than their counterparts. As a result they protected themselves, saved energy early on, defended deep and allowed Bury to come at them.

If Bossie plays poorly and gets shown up, then the team suffers exponentially. Having the pedestrian Shackell next to him was no help at all. With Eardley also off his game, we were in trouble.

As at Northampton, we were saved by the opposition not possessing clinical finishers, and then contriving to make a costly defensive blunder.
 
After five games most fans are drawing some conclusions about pairings. They are probably as diverse as preferred formations. At home I would prefer width so would play Anderson and Andrade. I have concluded that Wharton is one of my first names on the team sheet and gives pace alongside Bostwick at he back. I defo prefer Green alongside McCartan up top although I am sure Akinde is going to get the nod. Central midfield is the most difficult.
 
One aspect to all this, which has been mentioned before, and about which I'm not offering an opinion myself, is that as the team and formation keeps changing match by match it must make it difficult for the opposition to make any plans on how to play against us.
 
Merthyr Imp said:
One aspect to all this, which has been mentioned before, and about which I'm not offering an opinion myself, is that as the team and formation keeps changing match by match it must make it difficult for the opposition to make any plans on how to play against us.
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Might also help us towards the end of the season, i.e. with the strong squad (in quality if not quantity) we should be better placed to avoid the kind of fatigue we suffered with towards the end of the last two campaigns.
 
we might do well to tinker with it again on saturday. toffolo is going to have massive problems with boldewyn. i hope wharton is back fully fit - i would play him at left back purely to deal with boldewyn just for this one game.
 
Merthyr Imp said:
One aspect to all this, which has been mentioned before, and about which I'm not offering an opinion myself, is that as the team and formation keeps changing match by match it must make it difficult for the opposition to make any plans on how to play against us.
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Maybe so but apart from Swindon and Port Vale we have been second best imo so id rather a settle formation and i would back our players man to man against all teams in our league.
 
All of this discussion, in this thread and others, does rather beg the question of just how would we feel if we were playing marvelously but had achieved only, let's say, three points from the first four games?
 
At the beginning of the season I don't think any of us had Tom Pett as the first name on the teamsheet but his early season form now places him there. The 'tinkering' of formations and players has allowed for this and the team is in a better place for it. Would we have recovered from poor first half performances in the last two games to get four points 3/4 seasons ago. No. Plan B's abound and this is only a good thing
 
Happy to take the 3 points last night.
As against Grimsby we were 2nd to every ball for 70 mins of the game.
Eardley and Toffolo struggled they had no outlet available to play the ball to.
As soon as Anderson came on it changed the game players started to gain in confidence attacking in the final 3rd putting the Bury defence on the back foot.
Lets hope we get in N/Countys face from the off on Saturday.
We have class players,and management team.
I,ll take 3 points every game whatever the formation.
So smile folks 10 points 2nd in the league:clap:
 
Yes i agree. Really good thread. I believe Danny has the best group of players in League 2 but constantly tinkering with the formation will work against Lincoln in the long run. Teams that get promotion and win leagues always have a settled formation. I watched Chelsea alot when Ranieri was manager in 2003/04 and he should have won the league with the squad he had but he tinkered too much and blew it! Footballers are creatures of habit and like simplicity. I think 3 at the back has worked in the 3 away games he played it. (Scunthorpe, Port Vale and Northampton) I would like to see Danny pursue 3 at the back in a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 formation so the team are always playing with advanced full backs and are familiar with the formation. My other point is that Bostwick is such a colossus in midfield I believe he is wasted as a centre back.
 
elkimp said:
It is hard to complain as we keep winning, but can we continue to be poor and pick up points? Probably not.
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Well done ELK for setting an interesting line of enquiry
Relating to this extract alone
a)do you think DC is happy how we are currently playing tactically,probably not?...see post match interviews
b)did the team intend to perform the way they did at Noton,Grimsby and last night,bury..........i doubt it very much!(play well below par and still pick up points)see Berkimps points earlier in this thread

If you tactically set out to win or draw a game with a tactical plan in advance and then achieve that objective then that can be perceived as a planned tactical success(see targeting Swindon`s Taylor..left side) but when you gain points by a series of get out of jail scenarios then count your self lucky.(it won`t last over 46)

Promotions are not achieved over 46 games by luck and i am not confident that despite the points collection to date there is some serious work still to be done on the training and in the post match analysis.
For example when are we to get a left sided midfielder to protect our left full back(both noton and grimsby initiated most of their attacking play down our left)...same last season,but hands tied when transfer window closed.

The old engine room(midfield) needs sorting out and we are very early in the season but if by 10 games it`s not rectified i will worry then.

Luckily DC is a great man motivator(check out his Concord fc dressing room speeches) and he has brought in some good new signings(too early to evaluate them all over the short term) and still wants a midfielder and winger,so we are still work in progress and a long way off a promotion side.

I for one am not assuming that Saturday will be easy despite Notts being bottom of the table,they have quality players but if it`s going tits up on Saturday we always have 12 men at the Bank whatever formation we line up in from the off.

Whilst we blend these new skins into the side patience is required,(SOME OF THEM NOT ON METHOD)..we are fortunate to know that our management are busting their nuts to deliver success on the pitch.(thanks Natesy)

PS WINNING nearly every week is a bit boring.. it`s..a bit like supporting Man city?
 
I prefer to be positive. Not only are we looking for different formations we are implementing a new style of play with far more passing whilst simultaneously bedding in quite a few new players. Those are lofty aspirations which are bound to have teething problems but shows the confidence and vision at the club. I have thoroughly enjoyed some of the passages of play in the early games and feel I have seen exciting glimpses of where we are heading. Logically this will only get better and more effective with the passage of time. I think in the short term once the pacier Wharton returns to centre half and Bossie's combative force is restored to midfield a lot of our suspect defensive fragility will be eased, allowing us to operate more confidently and effectively higher up the pitch.
 
Give Danny some slack so he can find the best the team and system. At least he is not going with one system and same players. How many teams are doing that? The managers who we are playing must be spending time thinking what team system and players are we doing. Why are people complaining when we are second in the table against what was suppose to be a challenging fixture list.
 
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