04/03/2003

The players just aren't clever enough to take control of a game using 4-3-3. It is well documented that it takes a great deal of organisation and discipline in the transition from defence to attack and back to defence again if you are going to play the 4-3-3 effectively. I just don't think that lower league clubs have the personnel to do this properly.

It has to be either 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 for me every time.

Sorry S&H but I think we will get found out very quickly if you persist with 4-3-3 and that we will drop a lot of points trying to learn it and will probably never get the hang of it

We clearly play better with the 4-4-2, but i think if we can get the players to play 4-3-3 comfortably it could work, but do we really have the time to keep trying? For me its 4-4-2 all the way.

Have one more go at 4-3-3 if it doesnt work 4-4-2. I dont see why HandS want to play 4-3-3 so badly..
Our 4-4-2 team of:
................McKeown
Hatton..Pearson..Miller..Aswad
Colbeck..Niven..Artus....Soares/Artus
...........Cook..Hearn/Pearson
Is IMO a top quality team and more than capable of doing very well this season.

Seems odd that other non league teams are capable of doing it, at least three of the top five last year for example.
I'm in no way fixated on 4-3-3 but i do think we're capable of it, all players are. Its just whether S & H are capable of coaching it correctly.

Obviously the higher up the pyramid you go the better/more intelligent players are. Taking spain as an example, they were successful for four years
with 4-3-3 and in the euros they created a system designed to nullify 4-4-2 and 4-3-3, making the best use of their players and exploiting opposing teams attempts to nullify them.

Everyone's comfortable with 4-4-2 and with good players its a great system, very balanced and simple to understand. Often though, its very easy to undo and exploit, especially with a 4-3-3/4-5-1.

I do agree that "forcing" any particular formation will no doubt be detrimental and we should play the best way we can.

The team above could easily include Wood, Thanoj and 2 more strikers.  We have  stronger team and squad than last season.

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

The team above could easily include Wood, Thanoj and 2 more strikers.  We have  stronger team and squad than last season.

Very hard to pick a team. Shows our strenght in depth (in the majority of positions)

As shown 4-3-3 is very possible at conference level as the top sides for the last few seasons have all been using it, and as said it exploits 4-4-2, hence why S&H probably want to use it, if the top teams are using it, playing 4-4-2 against them is not so easy.

As for the debate about whether its going to work, well I'd rather we try and get it to work in friendlies rather that occasionally trying it in the league like last year.

4-4-2 is easy to play, hence why we don't need to practice it in pre-season, let them play 4-3-3 in friendlies and if come August we still havn't learnt it then so be it.

I think if we play 433 we have to many good strikers on the bench that come January will get transferred as they will not get a game at all

I think most of the better teams last year were playing the modified version of 4-3-3 by playing a deeper 4-5-1. They had the players capable of dropping into the midfield from being further forwards quickly and well drilled in doing so. We ain't yet and judging by all the reports from last night, the drills the managers have put them through ain't worked yet!!! Stick to what you know best I reckon. We've talented enough players to play anyone at 4-4-2. The issue comes when the midfield are being over run by a trio. The managers and players then have the responsibility to identify it and adapt accordingly.

The 2 teams who got promoted last year played a version of 433. Not many teams play 442 now.