Diamond formation - why haven't we tested it yet?

We don't have versatile players in the squad. LVG totally torched these players off as he didn't like them.

We've got one real winger in Sanchez.
We've got one real fullback in Shaw.
We've got one 8 come 10 come 6 who has to start no matter (because of his status) in Pogba.

The only answer is 4-3-3 with Lukaku up front, Pogba running the attack with no defensive duties, Matic anchoring the defense and proper wide players who can operate in those areas.
 
You can't win the league playing a diamond, its a containing formation. You won't score enough goals over the season.
 
Scholsey2004 said:
Didn't see much of them but don't they play with wingers? No wingers in a diamond.
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Bale was crocked for most of the season so they played 442 with Ronaldo, Benzema and Isco behind them afaik.
 
pocco said:
We tried this under Fergie during the 'zombie football' period on the caf. It didn't work too well.

The problem at the moment is that we often don't have enough width.
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Agree, but the width should come from FBs and their overlapping runs, when you have both hanging around the half line most of the time, it doesn’t do any favours to our attacking shape.
 
Statman Dave on why we should play Pogba in a 3 man midfield:

 
Rajma said:
Looking how inept we're away from home against better teams - why don't we just shore up the midfield and make it a real exercise for opposition to get past us? Could it work?


---------------DDG----------------
---------Bailly----Jones----------
Valencia------Matic------Shaw-
------Herrera-------Fellaini----
--------------Pogba--------------
-----Lukaku/Martial---Sanchez---
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Not enough quality in midfield.Herrera and Fellaini aren't good enough to play week in,week out...If we sign a couple of quality central midfielders in the summer,then yes,we can easily play a diamond.But we can't do it effectively with Fellaini and Herrera...
 
Mourinho isn't really known for playing a diamond. And I wonder how many games has he started with 2 strikers in forward positions.

Inter had Eto'o, Pandev and Milito, but they were part of the front 3.
 
Martial - Lukaku
Sanchez
Pogba - Matic - Herrera
Shaw - Rojo - Bailly Valencia
De Gea​
 
Pretty sure Mourinho is using a diamond right now. Sanchez looks deeper than Martial and Lukaku and isn't out wide from what I can see.
 
Wouldn’t quite say a diamond more of a box. McTominay and Matic deep with Sanchez and Pogba ahead of them.

If we had good full backs this formation would be good.
 
Yeah looks more like a cube at the moment. Pogba and Sanchez seem like a 2 infront of a 2 of McTominay and Matic.
 
With Lingard on we looked like a different team in the 442 diamond.

De Gea
Valencia Bailly Lindelof Shaw
Matic
Mctominay Pogba
Lingard
Sanchez Lukaku

I think this could work very well if we continue with it.
 
Honestly, most of the time it look more like a 4-2-2-2, really, with a very advanced Pogba being covered by Matić.

I agree, though, that Lingard would excel in this formation, as he does in 3-4-1-2.
 
What if we switch to a diamond next year?

Sanchez - Lukaku
SMS
Pogba - Matic - Fred
New LB - CB - CB - New RB
De Gea

Would make sense with Jose saying we are not looking for another attacker, the fullbacks would provide the width, and would explain the links to multiple CM's? It would also allow Martial to play more central, SMS to rotate with Pogba if needs be, Sanchez to drop in behind the strikers etc? Finances may prevent this, although it could depend on who we sell as well. Mata looks like he would not fit into this team, with Lingard being first choice number 10.
 
haram said:
What if we switch to a diamond next year?

Sanchez - Lukaku
SMS
Pogba - Matic - Fred
New LB - CB - CB - New RB
De Gea

Would make sense with Jose saying we are not looking for another attacker, the fullbacks would provide the width, and would explain the links to multiple CM's? It would also allow Martial to play more central, SMS to rotate with Pogba if needs be, Sanchez to drop in behind the strikers etc? Finances may prevent this, although it could depend on who we sell as well. Mata looks like he would not fit into this team, with Lingard being first choice number 10.
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I am a big fan of this formation since seeing Milan play it successfully over a decade ago. It's the nostalgia that makes it so appealing to me.

That and the fact that if we get proper fullbacks, we could go with a number of formations. We don't have any sort of consistent width. It would transform this side to be able to have Lukaku stay Central and not be the one providing so many crosses in
 
A midfield diamond should be the perfect system for next season. A 2 striker system up front will be more deadly for us next season and we can also play Martial and Rashford as strike partners to Lukaku who can both drop wide and also cut in on the counter attack or provide penetration by running in behind and getting one on one with cb's. Sanchez behind them as a no 10 cum second striker on top of the diamond as a point of contact or even false 9 , when both Lukaku and Martial/Rashford drops wide and deep.

Pogba as a Lcm who loves to dovetail on the wings or even cut inside from a left side of midfield 3, A Rcm can be any one depending on the opposition we play. If we are playing a defensive side we should get a attacking midfielder cum playmaker in that position. Against attacking teams we should get a b2b midfielder who can create as well as keep midfield control with defensive skills. On the base of the diamond a Deep lying playmaker in competition with Matic as he is loosing his legs and we need a much better passer than mastic to open teams up who defend well and deep.And a new Lb.

---------Martial/Rashford--------Lukaku--------------

----------------------------Sanchez-------------------------------

-----------Pogba--------------------SMS/Fekir/Fred------

--------------------Jorginho/Matic----------------------------

-------------------Back5 with new Left back.----------


It can also be converted to 3412 if the opposition plays 3 at the back system or fluid 433 during the game.


With new full backs this is would be a great system to get the best out of all the players in their preferred position with more attack minded mentality to score more goals and create more chances specially against lower rank teams who we could not penetrate this season to catch Man city on all fronts.
 
People are putting Savic in their squad, as if it's a done deal.
Much like last season, when they were putting Griezmann in our squad.
Is Savic a done deal?
 
Rajma said:
Looking how inept we're away from home against better teams - why don't we just shore up the midfield and make it a real exercise for opposition to get past us? Could it work?


---------------DDG----------------
---------Bailly----Jones----------
Valencia------Matic------Shaw-
------Herrera-------Fellaini----
--------------Pogba--------------
-----Lukaku/Martial---Sanchez---
Click to expand...
Our fullback options are not close too good enough going forward
 
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We could use it but we’d be sat with similar problems we currently have, until we change/upgrade the personnel, imo.

Fullbacks not good enough to provide width, another quality CM for that RCM position, Pogba and a couple other players’ consistency/effort lacking....
 
We can't play a diamond, or this great expansive football everybody craves for with our current set of FBs. Mourinho has had other areas to prioritize in his first 2 years here, but he absolutely must upgrade at both spots to show further progress next season and to demonstrate he's not blind to the struggles Valencia and Young have had.
 
The biggest problem with any two striker formation for me is: who is going to take care of their fullbacks when they are on the offense? Lukaku isn't going to track back with his 94 kilograms. He's meant to be the only striker.
 
If.....IF, we signed Toby, Sandro, Sidibie and Fred, does the Diamond become a realistic formation?
De Gea
Sidibie - Toby - Bailly - Sandro
Matic
Fred - Pogba
Sanchez
Martial - Lukaku
​
It gets rid of needing that RW we've needed for the last 5 or so years. If Martial does go, adding a Fekir type playing and pushign Sanchez alongside Lukaku does seem a very good options.
Would need Fred and Pogba to put in shifts helping out the fullbacks at times though
 
You can't play a narrow formation on a pitch like OT consistently. We'll have to have super fullbacks to even consider it.
 
Igor Drefljak said:
If.....IF, we signed Toby, Sandro, Sidibie and Fred, does the Diamond become a realistic formation?
De Gea
Sidibie - Toby - Bailly - Sandro
Matic
Fred - Pogba
Sanchez
Martial - Lukaku
​
It gets rid of needing that RW we've needed for the last 5 or so years. If Martial does go, adding a Fekir type playing and pushign Sanchez alongside Lukaku does seem a very good options.
Would need Fred and Pogba to put in shifts helping out the fullbacks at times though
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I look at that side and genuinely see it as a title contender. Not 30 wins without some luck but definitely closer than this year.
 
Igor Drefljak said:
If.....IF, we signed Toby, Sandro, Sidibie and Fred, does the Diamond become a realistic formation?
De Gea
Sidibie - Toby - Bailly - Sandro
Matic
Fred - Pogba
Sanchez
Martial - Lukaku
​
It gets rid of needing that RW we've needed for the last 5 or so years. If Martial does go, adding a Fekir type playing and pushign Sanchez alongside Lukaku does seem a very good options.
Would need Fred and Pogba to put in shifts helping out the fullbacks at times though
Click to expand...

As long as the 2 fullbacks keep bombing forward and play like wingers, I'll all for it, especially against parked buses, but Sanchez will be terrible as a number 10 with him losing the ball non stop. Put him as a striker beside Lukaku and bring a real number 10, or put Herrera beside Fred and move Pogba to the number 10 position.
 
Igor Drefljak said:
If.....IF, we signed Toby, Sandro, Sidibie and Fred, does the Diamond become a realistic formation?
De Gea
Sidibie - Toby - Bailly - Sandro
Matic
Fred - Pogba
Sanchez
Martial - Lukaku
​
It gets rid of needing that RW we've needed for the last 5 or so years. If Martial does go, adding a Fekir type playing and pushign Sanchez alongside Lukaku does seem a very good options.
Would need Fred and Pogba to put in shifts helping out the fullbacks at times though
Click to expand...

You'd need another left back and right back as Sandro/Sidibe would have to be rotated a lot to keep fit.
 
Ah, the diamond.
We lost 4-0 to MK Dons iirc when Van Gaal tried it
 
@Trophy Room Sandro's probably the closest to that available.

el3mel said:
As long as the 2 fullbacks keep bombing forward and play like wingers, I'll all for it, especially against parked buses, but Sanchez will be terrible as a number 10 with him losing the ball non stop. Put him as a striker beside Lukaku and bring a real number 10, or put Herrera beside Fred and move Pogba to the number 10 position.
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Sanchez isn't really a number 10 in that formation. He's just a floating forward. Basically what he does anyway when he drifts centrally. It's still a midfield three, so Pogba's the one who would have the #8/#10 responsibilities.
 
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