3-4-3

[Chief123]

It is another formation thread. But lets talk about why we should or shouldn't play with this formation. The reason why I think we need to play with this formation is that our LB and RB are either good/acceptable defensively or attacking wise. No one of them is good both defensively and in attack. The other reason I chose 3-4-3 is because we have many wingers and this style would suit them more. Ralf talked yesterday about playing 3 at the back and I hope he tries this formation from the first minute instead of changing to it in the middle of the game.

We struggle to put out 2 worthy centre backs most game never mind 3. Anyway with our shocking ability to control the game in midfield, this 343 would quickly end up becoming a 523 formation with us dropping deep.

 

[justsomebloke]

So, as far as I can see we're pretty much here:

We can't really play 3 at the back (whether it's 343, 352 or 3412) as anything other than a defensive formation because we can't press, and the positions that demand the most quality (wing backs and central midfield) are the ones where we have least of it.

We can't really play 4222 because we can't press, and because the full backs don't provide the needed width so the two AMs have to do that instead. Which collapses the formation to a 424 when we have the ball, which is a) a shit formation to begin with and b) leaves our two CMs with way too much on their hands.

We can't really play 4231 because we can't press or stay compact, and our CM gets dominated defensively and can't provide functional link-up play, and playing as a lone striker doesn't suit Ronaldo.

We can't really play 442 diamond, because we can't press and our full backs and CMs don't provide enough attacking input.

We probably shouldn't really play 433, because we can't press, the full backs don't provide enough attacking input and we'd have to either drop or use suboptimally our key offensive player. Plus, it leaves Ronaldo a lone striker again.

In other words, until we get better CMs, we look like we're screwed. And why are we allowing Kieran Trippier to sign for Newcastle, for a transfer sum no bigger than we were prepared to pay this summer? No indications at all so far that the club is willing to support Rangnick in the transfer market.

 

[NoLogo]

You can talk formations all you want but it's not what is holding us back. It's our lazy players who refuse to work off the ball that is the problem. It prevents us from pressing and building up effectively and that problem won't go away, no matter the formation.

 

[Cnaiür urs Skiötha]

We surely need better players and it really hurts that we seem to be constantly changing formation and starting line-ups. Whatever way we choose there will be weakness in the team.

Given the current form of our players and the fact that we get permanently dominated in the midfield and there is 0 creativity from the wings I would prefer a 4-3-3.
I would use 3 out of McTominay, Fred, Donny, Matic and maybe Pogba and think about putting Bruno and Sancho on the wings with the order to drift into the middle and let Shaw and Dalot do the overlaps to get a bit of width.

 

[justsomebloke]

We surely need better players and it really hurts that we seem to be constantly changing formation and starting line-ups. Whatever way we choose there will be weakness in the team.

Given the current form of our players and the fact that we get permanently dominated in the midfield and there is 0 creativity from the wings I would prefer a 4-3-3.
I would use 3 out of McTominay, Fred, Donny, Matic and maybe Pogba and think about putting Bruno and Sancho on the wings with the order to drift into the middle and let Shaw and Dalot do the overlaps to get a bit of width.

Something like this is what I would think too, although not really with any better foundation than it's the only thing we haven't tried and failed with yet. The advantage would be that it might correct for the most glaring weakness of all the others, which is we can't get it done with just two players at CM. RR is on record saying exactly that after the Villa game. Also, playing Bruno in the front three seems the obvious way to escape the biggest downside. But if we do that, I wonder if it would make more sense to think in terms of verticality than sides - Bruno operating in the space between the oppo defensive line and midfield and freely from left to right, with the other threatening the space behind the defensive line, also across the whole width. And then a central striker. Again, getting consistent offensive input from full-backs would be nice.

Still, what do I know. As NoLogo points out, finding the right formation is not exactly our only problem, and won't solve things on its own. Main takeaway for me right now is what can't seem to make any formation work. And that there are clear plausible reasons why, even before you start considering work rate, discipline etc.

You can talk formations all you want but it's not what is holding us back. It's our lazy players who refuse to work off the ball that is the problem. It prevents us from pressing and building up effectively and that problem won't go away, no matter the formation.

I agree with that, but you also have to find a working formation to carry that out.

 

[Smores]

It's as much tactical as formations. If you allow space between the lines to form then most of these formations become problematic with the midfield unable to play balls through to the attack and they also get outnumbered.

Sadly that's what happens as our defence isn't yet confident in a high line and our lazy players don't track back.

 

[devilish]

In my opinion United's main problem is not being able to control the middle. Even the most average of teams can carve us in half like a sword cutting into cake. Thus that should be our first priority.

Thus I would play Bruno as a false 9, a CM made up of VDB (AM), McT (B2B) and Matic (DM), Telles would play as LW were he would provide some work rate just as Park used to do but with better width with Sancho on the Right. In defence I would go with Dalot, Varane, Jones (all our CBs are shit, we might as well play someone who gives a feck) and Shaw. Finally we'd have DDG as GK.