Setting ourselves up differently (merged)

[nedums noodles]

Re: It's time to start with a five man midfield

is this not the 4-2-3-1 formation what we won most our games with last season?

 

[Dzeko's Right Boot]

Re: It's time to start with a five man midfield

Garcia for Milner is much more balanced. Not too keen on playing Aguero upfront at the moment either. Then again, I'm not keen on any of our strikers playing upfront.

 

[awest]

Any tactical experts out there?

Please explain the plan A we are using and the plan B we should adopt if we are struggling to break teams down.

 

[knuckles]

Re: Setting ourselves up differently

Tevez and Aguero need to be freed up to make runs through the channels, while Balotelli needs to be fed the ball on the last man while on the run. Each of these players has made a "world class striker" reputation on playing this way, but our slow build up is KILLING those reputations and strike rates.

Some people think that our midfield is brilliant, because it can play 20 short passes in a row. All well and good IF it was actually opening up defences, but it RARELY does, and once or twice per game does not cut it. We need to break out of defence with PURPOSE, rather than working it out to the wing and then bringing it back around the horn a few times, allowing opposition defences to both get back and organize. When we see ourselves in trouble, it is USUALLY when other teams break quickly on us and we FAIL to get back and organize ourselves, often with our "midfielders" believing they are really forwards! We need to make it clear to the team that we have ONE FORWARD who has no defensive responsibilities other than pressuring the two central defenders to release the ball forward into our 5 man midfield....that will win it back!

Why are City's players "too good" to fight to get the ball back BEFORE it ever gets to our back four? You know, like Barca's world class players!![/quote]

Spot on, break out fast, have width as the option, give the stikers a little time and Silva a little time to get the pass in, and we will start scoring again

 

[hilts]

Re: It's time to start with a five man midfield

...................Aguero
Silva.......................................Nasri
....................Yaya
.............Barry......Milner
Clichy...Nastasic...Kompany...Zabaleta
....................Hart

Three central midfielders with two wider players joining them allows us to have more width since the wide players have to worry less about covering the central zones. If the opposition go to close them down then Yaya potentially has a lot more room to make forward runs and even if he is unsuccessful, Barry and Milner are there to sure things up at the back.

Our possession based style means that a two striker system rarely works because there isn't much chance for good link up play when the opposition is playing a flat back eight.

That is not a massive difference to how we play anyhow ya ya further forward no tevez wouldn't change much, as acon is coming up we need formations without ya ya

still think we should play 3 at the back

 

[Stoned Rose]

So how would you do it

We lack natural width, and so you'll need to bear with me hear, but how about the following

GK: Joe
RB: Zabba, WRM: Balo
LB: Clichy, WLM, Nasri
CB: Kompany, Nasty

DM: Barry
CM: Yaya
AM: Silva

CF: Dzeko

a 4-5-1, the wide players stay wide (touchline hugging). CF position dictated by aerial threat (and allowing for the fact that sergio and carlos need a break as it aint going for them)

Square pegs round holes. Nasri and Balotelli are not 'touchline huggers'.

And Dzeko over Aguero & Tevez?

 

[Marvin]

Aguero should have been dropped weeks ago

We've been trying to play him through his bad form. The team are creating chances but he and Tevez are missing them. It's been going on all season

 

[taleofbluehalves]

Counter attacking quickly, quick passing and imaginative free kicks would make a big difference.

 

[dom]

Re: Setting ourselves up differently

Tevez and Aguero need to be freed up to make runs through the channels, while Balotelli needs to be fed the ball on the last man while on the run. Each of these players has made a "world class striker" reputation on playing this way, but our slow build up is KILLING those reputations and strike rates.

Some people think that our midfield is brilliant, because it can play 20 short passes in a row. All well and good IF it was actually opening up defences, but it RARELY does, and once or twice per game does not cut it. We need to break out of defence with PURPOSE, rather than working it out to the wing and then bringing it back around the horn a few times, allowing opposition defences to both get back and organize. When we see ourselves in trouble, it is USUALLY when other teams break quickly on us and we FAIL to get back and organize ourselves, often with our "midfielders" believing they are really forwards! We need to make it clear to the team that we have ONE FORWARD who has no defensive responsibilities other than pressuring the two central defenders to release the ball forward into our 5 man midfield....that will win it back!

Why are City's players "too good" to fight to get the ball back BEFORE it ever gets to our back four? You know, like Barca's world class players!!

Spot on, break out fast, have width as the option, give the stikers a little time and Silva a little time to get the pass in, and we will start scoring again[/quote]

Post of the day... defo this and this is our only hope

 

[micahr]

We rely on Yaya too much. If hes not playing well we don't get the amount of chances we do when he's on fire. He saw a lot of the ball against Sunderland but didn't do anything with it.

Dzeko needs to play a lot more I just don't think he's Bobs sort of player. Playing regularly Dzeko could be as good as Lewandowski at BD and would be a better Plan A. If hes not going to play him then sell him and get a spearhead in the Drogba mold who will lead from the front.

I just think despite their record Aguero and Tevez are too similar their better performances together came against poor teams.

We have the players its just not firing at the moment but it will and Bobby can get them going again.