Two up front

[Big Duncs Pigeons]

would be a way of shoehorning Besic in when Barry/McCarthy are the two DM's...?

Not convinced by Besic playing at CB - even in a 3.

I know it's not everything but doesn't look to have the frame/size to play there for me

 

[Zatara]

Depends on whether the system benefits the players available. So to not get hung up on player selection defeats the purpose...

Remember the good old days of two up front? The old 4-4-2? Does anyone think we'd have success with it?

The reason I bring this up is because we play with Baines and Coleman, who are essentially old fashioned "wing backs", who overlap with whichever relevant winger is in front of them. We should benefit from crosses in to the box a là Kanchelskis/Limpar/Ferguson for a recent example.

This style in my eyes lends itself well to having two strikers as there's an extra body to knock crosses in. Kone can hold the ball up, Lukaku is more than decent and together, coupled with mucho crosses, we'd be a real headache for sides.

Eg;

Robles

Baines
Jags
Stones
Coleman

Pienaar
Besic
McCarthy
Mirallas

Kone
Lukaku

Don't get hung up on my player selection, it's just an example of how I think this one up front lark may be holding us back now. I'm probably wrong.

 

[Arteta2391]

Why not 3?

 

[degsy]

I'm so sick of the one up top.

its anti-football all round these days. Sideways and backwards passing. Possession for possessions sake. I'm referring to football in general here. Sick of the diving, the theatrics, the primadonnas, coloured boots, that cretin Blatter, in play betting, Ray Winstones floating head, transfer deadline day, the stupid inane questions by Jeff Shreeves, corporate sponsors, players pointing to their name after scoring, wags, the egos, the wages, the ticket prices and just about every "expert"pundit on tv (usually ex rs).

Lets go back to black boots, pink echo, teletext, moustaches (proper ones), magic sponges, white footballs, number 1 to 11 and 4-4-2!

and perm 3.00pm KO's

 

[McBain]

Deffo.

Stretch teams at the back for a change instead of all this back to goal pap.

 

[bluegirl]

I think we should be playing two up front in a 4-4-2 - but a midfield diamond.

People say it's dated and too easy to play against but City play 4-4-2 at full strength and won the league doing so last season - not saying we're go to do that but just to prove the point.

I'd like to see:

Joel

Coleman Jagielka Stones Baines

Besic
McCarthy Barkley
Mirallas

Naismith Lukaku

 

[SpurtingLesbian]

The idea of Kone up front with Rom just behind him (running past, getting to knockdowns, using him a divertion) gets me reasonably excited. More so than Naismith and Rom.

 

[TippEverton]

Imagine Barry in centre mid in a 442, uh oh.

Is Pienaar still injured lads?

 

[Little Ralphy]

I think the best way for that to work would be with 3 at the back. If you then had 2 holding midfielders, preferably mobile ones, with perhaps someone like Barkley given almost a free role in there. You could push the full backs up for the width and have the 2 strikers.

Playing out from the back would potentially give you more options to pass to, and defensively you'd have plenty of cover. You'd need the right defenders though and I'm not sure we have them currently.

 

[polish]

I would put Lukaku on right wing as an inside forward and play him off Kone. Arouna has a great movement off the ball and can create space for both Lukaku and Mirallas. We would be very narrow though so we would need Coleman and Baines to be very offensive.

It should work against weaker teams IMO when they're stepping back into their own half - full backs have much more freedom, can burst forward and add some width.

 

[Hangleton]

how about
4-3-3
Robles
Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines
Besic McCarthy Oviedo
Deulofeu Lukaku Mirallas


or

Robles
Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines
Besic McCarthy Oviedo
Barkley Mirallas
Lukaku

and play on the break a bit more.

 

[catcherintherye]

In many games we have played the equivalent of 2 up top. I think the days where you have two out and out strikers are gone though, as you become a bit too predictable and easy to pick up.

I have been a long advocate of wanting to push Baines and Coleman into midfield positions with the intentions of getting crosses into the box though. I think with Mirallas playing off Lukaku that could really work quite effectively.

 

[Lmc92coyb]

how about
4-3-3
Robles
Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines
Besic McCarthy Oviedo
Deulofeu Lukaku Mirallas


or

Robles
Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines
Besic McCarthy Oviedo
Barkley Mirallas
Lukaku

and play on the break a bit more.

I know ive just had my dinner, but have we signed Del Boy in the space of the last hour!?

 

[Hangleton]

I know ive just had my dinner, but have we signed Del Boy in the space of the last hour!?

it just didn’t look the same with McGeady in his place

 

[streeky]

Mirallas was basically up top with Lukaku last night and it looked pretty decent to me.

I have been crying out for ages on here for mirallas to play behind rom up front. it allows us to put more workers in our midfield as well. They looked great together on Tuesday you're right.