Your formation + starting 11 V Leicester?

First topic message reminder :

I'm now of the opinion that our current playstyle either isn't working or has been figured out by the opposition causing it to become completely ineffective. So I looked into fixing this problem by addressing the two main problems -

1) players too keen to play the long ball

2) Too much emphasis on bypassing the midfield straight for the striker

My solution to a weak, overwhelmed midfield is to add more players to that midfield and design it using players less prone to a long ball.

The formation, potentially unsurprising to many, is a 4-5-1/ sneaky 3-3-3.

Marshall
Connolly, Hudson, Turner, Taylor*
Campbell*, Kim, Cowie, Whitts, Noone
Gestede*

The players with asterisks indicate where I'm slightly unsure about that specific decision. Campbell in midfield might raise some people's blood pressure but he's not really. In my mind my striker and two wingers are effectively three strikers in disguise. Campbell and Noone are safe enough with the ball and not afraid of getting stuck in so when we're on our heels they add weight to our midfield numbers and can allow us to overturn the ball and keep it. Once the ball is in Leicester's half however both of them are going to go forward to join Gestede. Both of them are fast too, and can give their full backs a real headache and maybe open some gaps for the other two.

He is asterisked however asking with Gestede because while Rudy suits this tactic on paper I'm not entirely convinced he's up for it against the best team in the league. If he isn't, Campbell would take the centre forward position, Noone would go right wing and Bellamy takes the left wing.

The second problem is Taylor. I want numbers in our midfield, when our two wingers become strikers I want our full backs to become midfielders. That requires attacking talent, that Taylor is still shaky on. My alternative is give Lappin a go who is a natural left midfielder with a great left foot. My hesitation is I'm not even sure if he's match fit.

Whitts inclusion is heavily dependant on form. I can't being myself to drop him, but if I was Malky he would be warned just before coming out that if he doesn't deliver he won't play the second half.

So, what are your ideas and opinions on my own?

Red614 wrote:

The Tonker wrote:

Jackanackanory! wrote:

Marshall

Hudson

Gunnarsson Cowie

Whittingham

Noone Campbell Helguson Gestede Bellamy Conway

Pressure's on Hudson, then....

Oh Tonker. Tonker, Tonker, Tonker.

You forget - the pressure is always on Norwich.

Tell that to Hudson if we go with that formation!

The Tonker wrote:

Red614 wrote:

The Tonker wrote:

Jackanackanory! wrote:

Marshall

Hudson

Gunnarsson Cowie

Whittingham

Noone Campbell Helguson Gestede Bellamy Conway

Pressure's on Hudson, then....

Oh Tonker. Tonker, Tonker, Tonker.

You forget - the pressure is always on Norwich.

Tell that to Hudson if we go with that formation!

Hudson is all we need.

A. He can stop anything.
B. The opposition will be too busy shatting themselves about our 6 attackers.

I think you are on to something Partridge (I don't want to call you Jack for short)

Hudson is what will stop North Korea bombing the west. #watchthisspace

Completely agree with Gloves about the 4-2-3-1 formation. I would go with:

Marshall

Connolly Hudson Turner Taylor

Mutch Whitts

Noone Kim Bellamy

Campbell

I'd love to see a 451/433 hybrid or a 4231 but I think we have to maintain some consistency and stick with the tedious 442, but change players.

Marshall - picks himself
Connolly - by default, Super Kev is no option right now
Taylor - as above but Lappin
Hudson
Turner - Nugent not quite ready

Bellamy - He's a 433 forward, a 442 wide man
Gunns - He kept going against Derby and Kiss and Mutch aren't ready
Kimbo - Keeps the ball alive
Whitts - Midfield would be a bit lopsided but solid and Whitts gets space out left to rediscover his magic

Campbell
Gestede - I thought he was good in his first start (Millwall) and then awful in his second (Ipswich). Campbell would thrive up front with Rudy.

Unlucky
Noone - Deserves a game.

*** G L O V E S *** wrote:All the best teams these days play with a 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 formation - something which would suit us.

--------------------------Marshall------------------------

Connolly--------Turner--------Hudson---------Taylor

----------------Gunnarsson----------Cowie---------------


Conway/Noone/Kimbo-------Whittingham-------Noone/Kimbo/Conway


--------------------------------------Campbell-------------------------------------


Cowie will provide cover for Gunnarsson to move forward, acting as a 'double-pivot' to alternate runs.

Germany, Spain, Barcelona, Madrid all use it (just to name four sides)

I quite like this idea.
Noone on the left, with Bellamy on the right of the '3'.

G-ster wrote:

*** G L O V E S *** wrote:All the best teams these days play with a 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 formation - something which would suit us.

--------------------------Marshall------------------------

Connolly--------Turner--------Hudson---------Taylor

----------------Gunnarsson----------Cowie---------------


Conway/Noone/Kimbo-------Whittingham-------Noone/Kimbo/Conway


--------------------------------------Campbell-------------------------------------


Cowie will provide cover for Gunnarsson to move forward, acting as a 'double-pivot' to alternate runs.

Germany, Spain, Barcelona, Madrid all use it (just to name four sides)

I quite like this idea.
Noone on the left, with Bellamy on the right of the '3'.

I think room has to be found for Kimbo.....

TDA wrote:

G-ster wrote:

*** G L O V E S *** wrote:All the best teams these days play with a 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 formation - something which would suit us.

--------------------------Marshall------------------------

Connolly--------Turner--------Hudson---------Taylor

----------------Gunnarsson----------Cowie---------------


Conway/Noone/Kimbo-------Whittingham-------Noone/Kimbo/Conway


--------------------------------------Campbell-------------------------------------


Cowie will provide cover for Gunnarsson to move forward, acting as a 'double-pivot' to alternate runs.

Germany, Spain, Barcelona, Madrid all use it (just to name four sides)

I quite like this idea.
Noone on the left, with Bellamy on the right of the '3'.

I think room has to be found for Kimbo.....

Yeah, I know what you mean, but where?
Maybe swap Whittingham for Cowie, and have Kimbo in the more advanced central role.
This football manager lark isn't easy.

G-ster wrote:

*** G L O V E S *** wrote:All the best teams these days play with a 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 formation - something which would suit us.

--------------------------Marshall------------------------

Connolly--------Turner--------Hudson---------Taylor

----------------Gunnarsson----------Cowie---------------


Conway/Noone/Kimbo-------Whittingham-------Noone/Kimbo/Conway


--------------------------------------Campbell-------------------------------------


Cowie will provide cover for Gunnarsson to move forward, acting as a 'double-pivot' to alternate runs.

Germany, Spain, Barcelona, Madrid all use it (just to name four sides)

I quite like this idea.
Noone on the left, with Bellamy on the right of the '3'.

Cowie can be used in the above formation as he is a work horse. I dread seeing the line-up and realising it's 4-4-2 with Cowie in a central or right midfield role.

G-ster wrote:

TDA wrote:

G-ster wrote:

*** G L O V E S *** wrote:All the best teams these days play with a 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 formation - something which would suit us.

--------------------------Marshall------------------------

Connolly--------Turner--------Hudson---------Taylor

----------------Gunnarsson----------Cowie---------------


Conway/Noone/Kimbo-------Whittingham-------Noone/Kimbo/Conway


--------------------------------------Campbell-------------------------------------


Cowie will provide cover for Gunnarsson to move forward, acting as a 'double-pivot' to alternate runs.

Germany, Spain, Barcelona, Madrid all use it (just to name four sides)

I quite like this idea.
Noone on the left, with Bellamy on the right of the '3'.

I think room has to be found for Kimbo.....

Yeah, I know what you mean, but where?
Maybe swap Whittingham for Cowie, and have Kimbo in the more advanced central role.
This football manager lark isn't easy.

Noone can play either side, so Kimbo left, Noone right for the first half at least, with Bellamy to come on for either, depending on the state of play. Between the three of them, they could pull the Leicester defence all over the place......

Noone can play either side but is weakened significantly on the right, Id rather see a natural right sided player like Smith there personally.

If nothing else this thread has showed just how many options our squad possesses. Its a reiteration of the frustration Malky sometimes gives, why we see dozens of options sometimes he sees only one.

Malky will never pick my side which would be:

----------------------Marshall------------------------
---------Conolly------ Hudson-- ---Turner
----------------Cowie---------KimBo--------
Noone-----------------Whitts------------Bells
---------Fraser-----------------Mason--------

If he cuts loose we could murder the opposition whoever they are!

Caer y Glyn wrote:Malky will never pick my side which would be:

----------------------Marshall------------------------
---------Conolly------ Hudson-- ---Turner
----------------Cowie---------KimBo--------
Noone-----------------Whitts------------Bells
---------Fraser-----------------Mason--------

If he cuts loose we could murder the opposition whoever they are!

Now that would be something......but perhaps Malky is holding this team back for the last home game when the title is already in the bag........

------------------------------marshall----------------------------

-------connolly------- hudson-------turner-------taylor---------

-----------noone--------------mutch---------------cowie--------

------------------bellamy-------------------kimbo---------------

------------------------------campbell----------------------------

Caer y Glyn wrote:Malky will never pick my side which would be:

----------------------Marshall------------------------
---------Conolly------ Hudson-- ---Turner
----------------Cowie---------KimBo--------
Noone-----------------Whitts------------Bells
---------Fraser-----------------Mason--------

If he cuts loose we could murder the opposition whoever they are!

I've always quite liked the idea of 3 at the back, but I can't see Malky going for it.
Maybe worth trying when promotion is clinched.