In previous seasons the manager(s) have been slated for trying any other formation than 442, we are playing that at the moment and Slade is getting slated for being stuck in the dark ages (and quite rightly so if you ask me)

My question is - with the current squad of players (and Christ knows we've got enough to choose from) what formation would you play as the preferred 442 is clearly not working

442 but play it as 442 not 7 2 1

442. Pace upfront next to Jones. Pace out on BOTH wings. Keep the ball on the deck unless under pressure at the back then hit the flanks over the full backs head, gives the defence a breather and with 2 upfront and 2 pacey wingers it can easily turn into a counter attack. Attacking corners leave 2 small pacey players on the half way line, when defending corners leave at least 1 player up on the half way line ready to attack

Quoted from lukeo

442. Pace upfront next to Jones. Pace out on BOTH wings. Keep the ball on the deck unless under pressure at the back then hit the flanks over the full backs head, gives the defence a breather and with 2 upfront and 2 pacey wingers it can easily turn into a counter attack. Attacking corners leave 2 small pacey players on the half way line, when defending corners leave at least 1 player up on the half way line ready to attack

The only real pace we had has now been loaned back to Sutton, try 4-3-3 no Jamey is nearing fitness, he could probably play in either one of the 3's.  

Quoted from lukeo

442. Pace upfront next to Jones. Pace out on BOTH wings. Keep the ball on the deck unless under pressure at the back then hit the flanks over the full backs head, gives the defence a breather and with 2 upfront and 2 pacey wingers it can easily turn into a counter attack. Attacking corners leave 2 small pacey players on the half way line, when defending corners leave at least 1 player up on the half way line ready to attack

Right ok. I'm an opposing manager and I've scouted your squad and you play 4-4-2 in the way you say. I'm going to play 5-3-2 /3-5-2. I know your danger men are the wingers but I'm happy enough because I've got two pacy wing backs who are good defenders. The primary object for them is to mark DJ and Dembele out of the game and I've got one extra centre half to cover either the front two or if my wing back gets beaten. I've also got an extra man in centre midfield to cover if the wingers come inside and you only play two in there, so I know I'm going to dominate that area. I'm also going to deploy two quick forwards because your centre halves are slow. When you've got the ball these two forwards are going to mark your full backs and so we'll let you have the ball all day long at centre half. What are you going to do Lukeo?

My point is, unless you have one of the best squads in the league, you cannot set out a standard playing formation and style. You have to be adaptable. We haven't got the standard of players to take every game by the scruff of the neck and dictate, Apart from one or two, man for man we are no better than the opposition and in most cases worse, that is why Slade is so negative. He hasn't got confidence in his players and mainly the ones he has signed himself. We're in a mess due to the standard of player we've got and hamstrung by the mindset of our manager.

To build a squad you have to have in mind what is the playing style identity you want for your whole squad and sign the appropriate players. Guardiola has gone down the pacy footballing route, Mourinho has gone for strength and power, both as effective as one another. Then you look at Burnley and Watford both overachieving in the Premier League. Dyche has gone for the dogged defending nick a goal style of play, Silva has gone for a more expansive system based on power and pace, both equally effective in picking up points with a lesser budget and both dependent on astute player acquisition..

I looked at the signings in the summer and couldn't for the life of me work out what Slade was trying to do. It was like selecting pieces from different jigsaws and trying to piece them together. We are in a pickle and don't really have too much ammunition to sort it out because we've ended up with no better than wasting money on four ineffective forwards instead of signing two, a very mediocre less than powerful central midfield and a slow geriatric defence. Are we a strong and powerful team, are we a pacy team, are we a footballing team? We are none of those and not even a good blend of all three.

What disturbed me in the RS post match interview yesterday was his excuse that we had to make enforced changes. He was making out that he was hard done by with losing Woolford, Dixon and Berrett. Ok, by all accounts Rose wasn't at his best yesterday, it was his first game back for a while, but a manager bemoaning missing those three?

Part of me would like to have a crystal ball and fast forward to the end of the season and sack Slade then after staying up by the skin of his teeth using the players he's got already. I don't want him to spend any more of the club's money as much as I don't want JF to select a new manager. The methodology of the whole club needs sorting out from the very top to the very bottom. Can we put up with another half season of this if we know that by the end of the season a new owner is in place and a new manager? The problem is that I'm not 100% confident that RS can keep us up. My gut feeling, which hasn't changed from the start of the season, is about 19th/20th/21st. By getting rid of him it also begs the question, by going through three managers in a calendar year, what sort of message does that send out to prospective managers and players?

In a fantasy world, I'd like a new owner, a new manager and a fighting fund to make radical wholesale changes to the squad sometime today but in reality it takes a lot longer than that and in our case it may even be, if at all..

Worrying times to be a Mariner..

Would just like to see us try something different. Vernon up top has no goal threat, same with Matt, Hooper doesn't work hard enough without the ball. DJ & Dembele wide with Jones central seems the best option to me, back 4 stays the same and Berrett back in if fit in a 433 maybe??

Formations don't win games, footballers do, and we haven't got enough good ones at the moment.

We will stumble and bumble through the season, finish mid table at best, bottom end at worst, and that will be another boring nothing season gone with nothing much happening. Rinse and repeat.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Would just like to see us try something different. Vernon up top has no goal threat, same with Matt, Hooper doesn't work hard enough without the ball. DJ & Dembele wide with Jones central seems the best option to me, back 4 stays the same and Berrett back in if fit in a 433 maybe??

I think we need to get Jones, DJ, Dembele and Osborne in the starting XI and ditch the three big men OC..

Don't think it will matter on Tuesday what players or formation we choose. Can only see another defeat as Swindon have a mightily impressive away record, so may as well try something different.

Quoted from Bigdog

Right ok. I'm an opposing manager and I've scouted your squad and you play 4-4-2 in the way you say. I'm going to play 5-3-2 /3-5-2. I know your danger men are the wingers but I'm happy enough because I've got two pacy wing backs who are good defenders. The primary object for them is to mark DJ and Dembele out of the game and I've got one extra centre half to cover either the front two or if my wing back gets beaten. I've also got an extra man in centre midfield to cover if the wingers come inside and you only play two in there, so I know I'm going to dominate that area. I'm also going to deploy two quick forwards because your centre halves are slow. When you've got the ball these two forwards are going to mark your full backs and so we'll let you have the ball all day long at centre half. What are you going to do Lukeo?

My point is, unless you have one of the best squads in the league, you cannot set out a standard playing formation and style. You have to be adaptable. We haven't got the standard of players to take every game by the scruff of the neck and dictate, Apart from one or two, man for man we are no better than the opposition and in most cases worse, that is why Slade is so negative. He hasn't got confidence in his players and mainly the ones he has signed himself. We're in a mess due to the standard of player we've got and hamstrung by the mindset of our manager.

To build a squad you have to have in mind what is the playing style identity you want for your whole squad. Guardiola has gone down the pacy footballing route, Mourinho has gone for strength and power, both as effective as one another. Then you look at Burnley and Watford both overachieving in the Premier League. Dyche has gone for the dogged defending nick a goal style of play, Silva has gone for a more expansive system based on power and pace, both equally effective in picking up points with a lesser budget and both dependent on astute player acquisition..

I looked at the signings in the summer and couldn't for the life of me work out what Slade was trying to do. It was like selecting pieces from different jigsaws and trying to piece them together. We are in a pickle and don't really have too much ammunition to sort it out because we've ended up with no better than wasting money on four ineffective forwards instead of signing two, a very mediocre less than powerful central midfield and a slow geriatric defence. Are we a strong and powerful team, are we a pacy team, are we a footballing team? We are none of those and not even a good blend of all three.

What disturbed me in the RS post match interview yesterday was his excuse that we had to make enforced changes. He was making out that he was hard done by with losing Woolford, Dixon and Berrett. Ok, by all accounts Rose wasn't at his best yesterday, it was his first game back for a while, but a manager bemoaning missing those three?

Part of me would like to have a crystal ball and fast forward to the end of the season and sack Slade then after staying up by the skin of his teeth using the players he's got already. I don't want him to spend any more of the club's money as much as I don't want JF to select a new manager. The methodology of the whole club needs sorting out from the very top to the very bottom. Can we put up with another half season of this if we know that by the end of the season a new owner is in place and a new manager? The problem is that I'm not 100% confident that RS can keep us up. My gut feeling is about 19th/20th/21st. By getting rid of him it also begs the question, by going through three managers in a calendar year, what sort of message does that send out to prospective managers and players?

In a fantasy world, I'd like a new owner, a new manager and a fighting fund to make radical wholesale changes to the squad sometime today but in reality it takes a lot longer than that and in our case it may even be, if at all..

Worrying times to be a Mariner..

Very good, but sad post. It got me questioning how many of our team / squad would start in a top 6 team?, Macca on a good day?, Siriki with more support around him?, and maybe Jones?

How about,

                   Macca

Mills     Clarke   Collins  Davies

       Summerfield   Berret

Dembelle     Osborne       DJ    
                     Jones

Need to be a bit creative I reckon.

Worth a try Herts, though I would like Osbourne to have a run at CB to add a bit of pace and see if we can then push the whole game 20 yards further forward

Quoted from HertsGTFC

How about,

                   Macca

Mills     Clarke   Collins  Davies

       Summerfield   Berret

Dembelle     Osborne       DJ    
                     Jones

Need to be a bit creative I reckon.

I'd love that front four on a regular basis for this division Herts, but there's not enough quality behind them if we aspire to greater things. I'd also have Osbourne in at CH. If I was building a squad from scratch I'd have Mills and McKeown out of that defence and midfield, I'd have a younger quicker centre half pairing, a left footed left back and a central midfield that didn't get York relegated. Sounds a bit harsh because I know some like one or two of the players I'd ditch, but I'm a bit ruthless.

That line up emphasises we're not good enough even though that front four is pretty decent..

Once Osborne is back and fit I'd go with a 4-3-3 with Osborne given a bit more licence to roam and create and having Summerfield and either Berrett/Rose shoring up the middle of the pitch so we don't lose that battle. (Ideally I'd have McAllister in there with Summerfield but who knows if he'll ever play again). Up front I'd have Jones in the middle with Dembele and DJ either side. We could still play in a Slade style i.e solid and defensive but in DJ, Dembele and Osborne we could actually hit them on the counter (Osborne has shown he can cover the ground pretty quickly such as his goal against Yeovil). No more hoofs forward to our strikers as not one of them has the ability to hold it up or win it in the air. Purposeful balls into space for DJ, Dembele or Osborne to run on to or run at the opposition when they're stretched. We might concede a few more goals playing that way but the important bit is we'd actually score a few and give ourselves a chance of winning.

And I'd have Davies at left back full time and I'd have Collins and K. Osborne in centre back because we're so damned slow there.

Quoted from Bigdog

I'd love that front four on a regular basis for this division Herts, but there's not enough quality behind them if we aspire to greater things. I'd also have Osbourne in at CH. If I was building a squad from scratch I'd have Mills and McKeown out of your defence and midfield, I'd have a younger quicker centre half pairing, a left footed left back and a central midfield that didn't get York relegated. Sounds a bit harsh because I know some like one or two of the players I'd ditch, but I'm a bit ruthless.

That line up emphasises we're not good enough even though that front four is pretty decent..

If only we had that luxury at the moment, I was trying to illustrate that we might be able to do better with what we have. Think your being a tad harsh on Summerfield who has been decent since he came back in.  

Quoted from HertsGTFC

If only we had that luxury at the moment, I was trying to illustrate that we might be able to do better with what we have. Think your being a tad harsh on Summerfield who has been decent since he came back in.  

I know you were only illustrating mate, sorry if it came across any different.

My point with Summerfield is.. he may have been decent, but is he dominant? Could you see him dominating games at the top end of this league? Will Luton, Coventry, Exeter etc be knocking on Slade's (?) door in January for him?

Has our playing squad been dumbed down that far so he's perceived to be a shining light?

Deckchairs,Titanic come to mind.

Quoted from Bigdog

I think we need to get Jones, DJ, Dembele and Osborne in the starting XI and ditch the three big men OC..

So do I but Jamey looked far from ready for a starting place.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

How about,

                   Macca

Mills     Clarke   Collins  Davies

       Summerfield   Berret

Dembelle     Osborne       DJ    
                     Jones

Need to be a bit creative I reckon.

Need a decent left back I reckon.

Not sure if we man mark at corners but the cross came in from their right wing from their No.5 who was completely unmarked and had all the time in the world to cross the ball in.

Every scenario and situation is different. I prefer to be a manager that concentrates on my team rather than the opposition. So If you're  going to play 352 at My home game I'm going to double up on the wings and push my full backs forward, who the  in turn will push my wingers forward to either drag 2 of the 3 central defenders out or push your wing backs right back to give my full backs space..

Quoted from friskneymariner

Deckchairs,Titanic come to mind.

Not to worry, it's a benign iceberg bearing down on us..

Quoted from HertsGTFC

How about,

                   Macca

Mills     Clarke   Collins  Davies

       Summerfield   Berret

Dembelle     Osborne       DJ    
                     Jones

Need to be a bit creative I reckon.

I've been saying we should play that system for weeks. I seem to think we played something like it on opening day and we didn't do too badly with it. Only personnel changes I'd make would be Rose for Berrett and Hooper up top with Jones back into the 10 role (at least until Osborne is fully fit). Not sure Jones offers quite enough physically as the main striker.

Will get slated but my middle two would be McAllister. I know that he’s played 2.5 games in 18 months but in those two games he was one of the best players on the park. He’s tenacious, can pass the ball to a man and is probably our only midfielder who can put a decent tackle in. And yes, I know he’ll probably never be fit enough to have a serious run of games, but we should use him when we can.

And I don’t really have to say anything about Osborne, the guy is different gravy.