Changing the formation every week

We are not dropping points because we are changing the formation. We are changing the formation, subtly and occasionally, to try to stop us conceding stupid goals. And to compensate for the fact that we haven’t got Fernandinho clearing up in the midfield.
 
3 games....

Let’s do what your suggesting then and just play the same system, team, tactics for every game. It doesn’t matter if for most of the season it hasn’t really worked, let’s not even .take into account injuries. It’s normal for managers to try different formations and experiment with the line up....

Also other teams we play against get wise to our way of playing and change what they do to get results.

We also have one of the most innovative managers in the world, but no pep should just stick to the same tactics. Never be creative and never try new formations out.
He reverted to a flat back four which has been awful this year. It wasn’t innovative was it?
 
He reverted to a flat back four which has been awful this year. It wasn’t innovative was it?

I wasn’t able to watch the Villa game properly, but from what I saw, it looked like we had 4 at the back?
Either way, we played a back four against Utd, Leicester and Burnley, which were three excellent performances - better than anything we’ve produced with a back three, imo.
Don’t think the set-up was wrong yesterday, rather the personnel. And even then we’d have won but for some brain- and bollock-less defending at the death.
 
I'd usually say there's no right or wrong formation as it's dependant on how we think we can exploit the other teams weaknesses primarily, as well as allowing us to win the ball back quickly.

At this moment in time without Sane providing the width on the left and this constant use of left footed players on the right, we have to create the width with the fullbacks. Mendy isn't capable of getting up and down the pitch fitness wise, before the injury yes, but not now and Walker isn't technically good enough. Cancelo looks capable but yesterday had his hands full with Zaha. Playing 3 at the back with Mendy and Cancelo as wingbacks would give us the attacking width, as well as providing stability in the middle of the pitch if we lost possession (e.g. Fernandinho OG).
 
I'd usually say there's no right or wrong formation as it's dependant on how we think we can exploit the other teams weaknesses primarily, as well as allowing us to win the ball back quickly.

At this moment in time without Sane providing the width on the left and this constant use of left footed players on the right, we have to create the width with the fullbacks. Mendy isn't capable of getting up and down the pitch fitness wise, before the injury yes, but not now and Walker isn't technically good enough. Cancelo looks capable but yesterday had his hands full with Zaha. Playing 3 at the back with Mendy and Cancelo as wingbacks would give us the attacking width, as well as providing stability in the middle of the pitch if we lost possession (e.g. Fernandinho OG).

You are repeating the same thing about not having width again and again. We don't have problems with creating chances and scoring goals. Actually, we are the only team in Europe that have scored 60+ league goals. Soon we will be the first team to score 100 goals in all competitions. Not having width on the flanks is the least of our problems now. Of course, Sane can give us other options, I love him. But having a partnership like Kompany and Laporte from the 2nd half of last season is what would help us going places. Fernandinho plus Stones/Otamendi works in some games but is not reliable.Hope Laporte hits form soon, we need him.
 
You are repeating the same thing about not having width again and again. We don't have problems with creating chances and scoring goals. Actually, we are the only team in Europe that have scored 60+ league goals. Soon we will be the first team to score 100 goals in all competitions. Not having width on the flanks is the least of our problems now. Of course, Sane can give us other options, I love him. But having a partnership like Kompany and Laporte from the 2nd half of last season is what would help us going places. Fernandinho plus Stones/Otamendi works in some games but is not reliable.Hope Laporte hits form soon, we need him.
The lack of width (in combination with the lack of intensity of Aguero, Silva, Gundogan and Mahrez) is the reason our defence is so exposed to 1 on 1's. Pushing the fullbacks forward to provide the width, means the defence becomes less stable.

You continue to look at things (attack and defence) in isolation, without considering the impact on the team as a whole.
 
The lack of width (in combination with the lack of intensity of Aguero, Silva, Gundogan and Mahrez) is the reason our defence is so exposed to 1 on 1's. Pushing the fullbacks forward to provide the width, means the defence becomes less stable.

You continue to look at things (attack and defence) in isolation, without considering the impact on the team as a whole.

Our problems yesterday had nothing to with Mendy pushing forward, they didn't create anything on that side.

We don't need to push FBs forward, it's not like they are playing like wingers.

Who provided the width during our run of 14 consecutive wins when Sane was effectively replaced by Sterling on the left.

We are easily better at creating chances than the other teams and that's only natural given we have superb creative players and system. It's not like we are uncreative and need to take big risks to concede chances in order to create chances.
 
Our problems yesterday had nothing to with Mendy pushing forward, they didn't create anything on that side.

We don't need to push FBs forward, it's not like they are playing like wingers.

Who provided the width during our run of 14 consecutive wins when Sane was effectively replaced by Sterling on the left.

We are easily better at creating chances than the other teams and that's only natural given we have superb creative players and system. It's not like we are uncreative and need to take big risks to concede chances in order to create chances.
You're so fixated on isolated statistics, while happily ignoring the fact statistics don't and can't tell the story of the game. We create more chances than every opponent in every game without fail, however that sadly doesn't always correlate to us winning every game.

You quoted 'expected goals' last time we had this conversation as the defining statistic to prove your point that we're the bestest team ever in the world, so considering yesterday's xG and xGA were 2.46 and 0.59 respectively, how are you going to argue this now? By the way this has happened on multiple occasions this season.

We've also scored more than the 'expected goals' statistics tell us we should have, so our finishing overall isn't the issue but we have the best strikers so that's expected. However we've also conceded more than the 'expected goals' statistics tell us we should have, against consistently poorer strikers so that's not expected.

Hmmm... See my point. Statistics only tell half the story.
 
You're so fixated on isolated statistics, while happily ignoring the fact statistics don't and can't tell the story of the game. We create more chances than every opponent in every game without fail, however that sadly doesn't always correlate to us winning every game.

You quoted 'expected goals' last time we had this conversation as the defining statistic to prove your point that we're the bestest team ever in the world, so considering yesterday's xG and xGA were 2.46 and 0.59 respectively, how are you going to argue this now? By the way this has happened on multiple occasions this season.

We've also scored more than the 'expected goals' statistics tell us we should have, so our finishing overall isn't the issue but we have the best strikers so that's expected. However we've also conceded more than the 'expected goals' statistics tell us we should have, against consistently poorer strikers so that's not expected.

Hmmm... See my point. Statistics only tell half the story.

My point wasn't that statistics tell the whole story. I've never made such a point. And didn't mention xG today either. My point was that the reason we concede chances and goals isn't that we are impotent at creating chances without committing many bodies including the FBs in attack.

Your point: we struggle in attack without having players providing width, therefore we push FBs to go forward which results in chances for the opposition and conceded goals. It isn't sound for me but seems to be your pet idea, which, of course, you are entitled to repeat as many times as you like.

I think we have bigger problems than not having enough width, but that's me.
 

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