4-4-2

The 4-3-3 worked better on Saturday than it has previously this summer because we had Rose in that front 3 who could stretch teams.   It was that simple.  He had their full-back on toast a few times, meaning others had to come across and cover.  

Ogbu in that role behind the front two hasn't had anywhere near that level of impact so the front two are relatively easily occupied.

In an ideal world we would have both width and someone pushing on from the midfield.  Unless Jolley is brave enough to play wingers and an attacking midfielder/withdrawn striker, I can't see us having both.  

The biggest thing for me is to have more than one way of playing just to give the opposition something to think about. If you play the same way every week it makes the opposition's job a lot easier. Likewise making similar substitutions and switching things around the same time. Mix it up. Get the opposition bench trying to figure out what you are doing.

Yes, players win games and not systems but we don't have the best squad of players by any stretch of the imagination so we need to get every edge we can.

Quoted from diehardmariner

The 4-3-3 worked better on Saturday than it has previously this summer because we had Rose in that front 3 who could stretch teams.   It was that simple.  He had their full-back on toast a few times, meaning others had to come across and cover.  

Ogbu in that role behind the front two hasn't had anywhere near that level of impact so the front two are relatively easily occupied.

In an ideal world we would have both width and someone pushing on from the midfield.  Unless Jolley is brave enough to play wingers and an attacking midfielder/withdrawn striker, I can't see us having both.  

Could not agree more. I was at Boston and the Peterborough game. Ogbu wasn't sharp at all. Rose was superb, as was Wright. If we deploy Ogbu out wide he might be more effective

Quoted from rancido

Players win games not systems.

I mean this in the nicest way possible without trying to be rude but you've clearly not coached before have you?

Yes you need the players but the system etcc is just as important.

I can give an amateur example of it with my team we started 433 lost 1 drew 1 won 13 in 15, I changed it half way through the season (stupidly) to 352 (same players)  we lost 4 and drew 3 winning just 8 of the remaining 15 games.
New season, a few fresh faces and 352 so far has been working very well and I'm excited for the season ahead.

Quoted from GrimRob

The biggest thing for me is to have more than one way of playing just to give the opposition something to think about. If you play the same way every week it makes the opposition's job a lot easier. Likewise making similar substitutions and switching things around the same time. Mix it up. Get the opposition bench trying to figure out what you are doing.

Yes, players win games and not systems but we don't have the best squad of players by any stretch of the imagination so we need to get every edge we can.

Problem is without better players, changing systems mid-game, or even from game to game, is even harder.

Quoted from chaos33

Can’t really see how we can play 4-4-2 when we (still) haven’t got any wide midfielders/wingers apart from Wright who’s very young and who doesn’t seem a likely starter. We haven’t got the strength in depth we need, or the cover yet to be tactically flexible - something which surprises and disappoints me given Jolley’s profile/pedigree, but, benefit of the doubt.....there’s time for us to bring in more players. 3 we need in my book.

Wright is 21. It's not that young to be a professional footballer. I think someone even pointed out he's older than Clifton.

As Wright is a proper winger in that he hugs the touchline and goes down the flank, we could probably afford a more inverted type winger on the other flank.  That could allow someone like Vernam to play in that role I guess.  As another option Rose could operate on one of the wings, would require a dominant full-back behind him though.

Neither are really ideal I guess.  Vernam showed at times last season he has a very good delivery from wide so with Hanson in the middle he wouldn't be the worst person to have in a wide role.   If we're going to shoehorn anyone into playing out wide, I think he's probably our best option.  Of course, as Nutsy says, Ogbu could be more effective out there.  

Good point actually KM, I had in my mind he was 19/20 so yeah, even more of a case for him playing. I’d like to see him start certain games or to be used more than he has from the bench as I think his asserts, particularly late in games against tiring or booked defenders will cause problems.

Quoted from chaos33

Can’t really see how we can play 4-4-2 when we (still) haven’t got any wide midfielders/wingers apart from Wright who’s very young and who doesn’t seem a likely starter. We haven’t got the strength in depth we need, or the cover yet to be tactically flexible - something which surprises and disappoints me given Jolley’s profile/pedigree, but, benefit of the doubt.....there’s time for us to bring in more players. 3 we need in my book.

That’s a pretty fair assessment in my book. My worry is that all the talk seems to be of ‘trying’ (and not necessarily succeeding) to bring in two more players, one of which will be a centre half. That’s obviously needed but it’s not achieving much in the way of tactical flexibility.

The pattern of last season was that we struggled to find a team and system that worked in the early stages, eventually found our feet in the run up to Christmas but after a brief period of success got found out and struggled through the lack of any plan b.

I hope and expect us to start better this season, but I can easily see a situation where we get worked out by sides and begin to struggle once again.

If we were in the market for a new winger I see Ben Pringle is still without a club?

Could be a decent option. Certainly he can take a good set piece and our form with him in the side was pretty decent.

I know some people would say he left us, but I think it was more Jolley wanting to play 3-5-2 and Pringle was never going to fit in that system.