Pickford
Kenny
Zouma
Holgate
Digne
Schnederlin
Gana
Walcott
Siggy
Bernard
Ricarlison
In a dreaded 4/2/3/1 away from home
With either or both of Gana / Schnederlin told to cover the upfield runs of the full backs as a matter of importance.
Walcott and Bernard won’t do it so that job needs to be delegated to 2 players and make sure they do it
Siggy covers enough ground to allow him to get back into Gana/Schnederlin position if they go wide to cover
Only one full back allowed over the half way line at any one time with the non attacking FB tucked into the centre to allow CB’s slide across to cover attacking full backs
It’s basic coaching but it’s up to the players and concentrate on their basic jobs
Fair Play, it seems the most reasonable, its what I would go for too, if not for:
- 4-2-3-1 is a poor system these days, its too easily manipulated by half decent teams, unless you have the right players for it, which we don't
and your half way to explaining why this is.
If the wingers don't track, put pressure on and and press the opposition play down their wing, and you rely on your defensive mid and full alone back then your at nothing.
If you can't win possession back, you at least want to restrict and put pressure on the options they have.
Its much easier for the CBs and other DM to put pressure on and force mistakes, if you've got three men pressuring the play.
If you have only 2 its too easy for them.
The way around this is for the whole team to move across the pitch, compressing the space laterally, including the 10 and the other winger.
It often means that the CB needs to come out and press the play earlier.
Unless you have the right players, with the ability to maintain a complexed, disciplined defensive structure you end up with:
- frailties in the central defence
- exposed space on the other wing, as the oppostion full back is generally allowed to ghost in as a goal threat unmarked (should of had at least 4 goals scored against us this way if the teams had been anyway decent)
- difficulty in maintaining the lateral organisation and compression if the oppostion is able to move quickly from side to side and/or use dynamic movement while maintaining position.
The two defensive mids look logical on paper, but illogical in practice.
It means the DMs will not be able to maintain their role of cancelling out the full backs without creating massive holes
with little pressure put on the 10 when receiving the ball in hole.
Viewed like this you could argue that the criticism on Scneiderlin, Davies and Gana has been harsh and its the wingers and the 10 that aren't doing their job.
Why Scneiderlin and Gana deserve criticism is for other posts, but briefly, Richarlison has been doing his job and Sig at times as well.
The point is they are not up to playing this as a team. And even if they were they aren't the right set of players to execute it in both attack and defense.
Give Simone 4-5 years and he'd have it rocking, but imo there are better systems to play, and a better journey to be had playing differently on the road to getting our hands back on a trophy.
I agree, right now we need KISS.
The 4-4-2 diamond midfield allows for an easier version of compression, squeezing the lines while allowing for the press, which any modern footballer should be able to do.
It suits a counter against Arsenal, which plays to our strengths, Richarlison, Walcott and especially Sig in more space.
Bernard and Davies getting things moving during transition, rather than Schneiderlin and Gana
And using Digne (from Bernard) or Kenny (from Davies) on the overlap on the counter; rather using both during the build up and getting caught out
I'd use it just for this game atm, its a place to build from and revert back to if needed.
The weakness in my system/team is Gana at 6. On second thoughts I'd probably play Scneiderlin there and in a flight of fancy drop Sig in there and Dowell at 10. Sig has more height tan Gana, would probably defend as well as Shneiderlin, and may do him so good experiencing how the other half lives (ok maybe one for the training pitch)
1 last thing, Bernard's not a winger, certainly not in a 4-2-3-1; unless you use Digne to overlap a lot, which brings you right back to some of the problems during the West Ham match.
Def last, the argument that the team is not defending that badly (apart from West Ham) based on only having conceded 1 goal from open play is rubbish. If we keep playing the way we are, good teams will dance right over the top of us. The system has to change.
