Can we play 3-5-2 in every game yet?

[MikeH72]

Not when we play against teams who play 433. We saw that in the first half against Stoke.

Think that might be due to us playing an utter dog of a side that are intent only on kicking their opponents off the park every game. We'd have struggled with any formation up against that, just as we will when West Brom come to town. You just have to grit your teeth and get through those games. I'm disappointed Koeman seems to have thrown the 3-5-2 in the bin off the back of one bad half against Neanderthals.

 

[Dirty Dutch]

Think that might be due to us playing an utter dog of a side that are intent only on kicking their opponents off the park every game. We'd have struggled with any formation up against that, just as we will when West Brom come to town. You just have to grit your teeth and get through those games. I'm disappointed Koeman seems to have thrown the 3-5-2 in the bin off the back of one bad half against Neanderthals.

Koeman only plays 3-5-2 when the opposition plays with 2 strikers.

 

[ant1878]

I've seen enough of him to know he's an absolute embarrassment on the ball, probably worse with the ball at his feet than Jagielka.

i love people who go on about Williams being incapable of hitting 25 yard diagonals, but then ignore that Funes Mori struggles to pass 5 yards to the left.
Plus Mori's unusual habit of trying to carry the ball out from the back, and 9 times out of 10 holding onto the ball far too long and giving possesion away. Williams is struggling because he's covering for Funes Mori's weaknesses IMO!

 

[MikeH72]

Koeman only plays 3-5-2 when the opposition plays with 2 strikers.

He played it against City when Aguero was a lone striker, also at Chelsea when Costa was

 

[beachy]

Why have we abandoned this?

Played our best football with 3-5-2 and its the only realistic formation that gives Rom support.

One dodgy half against Stoke when they were launching long balls to Crouch and never to be seen again? Strange.

 

[Zezti]

BRING BACK THE 3-5-2 GLORY DAYS

 

[Sennott Street]

Why have we abandoned this?

Played our best football with 3-5-2 and its the only realistic formation that gives Rom support.

One dodgy half against Stoke when they were launching long balls to Crouch and never to be seen again? Strange.

Can only speculate, but it appears that 4-3-3 is Koeman's go to formation, and he is using this time to find out if which of the current squad has the ability to perform in this system. Maybe he knows that 3-5-2 best suits our players, and he played this system when we needed wins to consolidate our league position. But at this stage, he wants to identify which players can play in his system rather than adapting a system to get the best out of the current squad. That way, he knows which positions need to be strengthened in the summer.

That's all well and good. My only concern is, will Rom be able to adapt his game to perform well in a 4-3-3? We all know that having another forward around him can raise his performance level. However, playing 4-3-3 tends to leave him isolated more often than not. I'm not a football guru, so I don't know the pluses and minuses of playing 4-3-3 vs 3-5-2. All I can say is Koeman must rate this system above others, and he will have to keep working with the squad and improving the squad to get the most out of our performances.

 

[Hickson9]

It means we have a secondary forward supporting Lukaku (like how Alli played yesterday) and gets the best out of Barkley in more of a free role.

Also allows our full backs to get forward and gives us a bit more footballing ability at the back in Holgate.

The downside is that we have to drop one of Morgan, Gana or Davies when we are at full strength, as we are just playing a central 2.

 

[Papa Shango]

I much prefer it to playing with actual wingers who seem a bit of a luxury (certainly Bolassie and Deulofeu are) for the modern game.

That said I voted only in some games as the Koemann Brothers know best how to counter the opposition and I like the way Koemann changes it back or forth mid match when things aren't working.

Bolasie puts a shift in, I wouldn't have him as a luxury.

Not that it matters seeing as his leg has fell off.