Soulboy said:What did we get right against Sunderland that transformed us in such a dramatic fashion?
For me?
* Playing Toure in a full midfield role rather than as a support striker
* Playing Balotelli as a striker rather than a winger
* Playing Silva in the midfield role rather than as one of the front three
* Playing Johnson to give us that width and pace that has been so lacking these past couple of months
* Playing round pegs in round holes
* Mancini looking like he has generated a team spirit as evidenced by the reaction to the goals
* Playing Sunderland at a time when they are plunging!
Great performance yesterday, the workrate was as it should be, we hunted the Mackems down in packs whenever they had the ball, and de Jong was world-class.
Let's just keep this momentum going for another couple of months...
Project said:tolmie's hairdoo said:4-4-2.
The irony being many of Mancini's biggest suppoters insisted his rigid 4-3-3, was correct.
The result yesterday says otherwise.
The conversion rates are great, but the chance creations were the biggest change.
Mancini has either woke-up or gone for broke.
Whatever it is, kudos for changing the rigid thinking.
It wasn't really a 442 though. Of course after Sky rammed it down our throats so often people may well have thought it was. But if anything it was the same 4231 that we have played all season, but this time with Silva playing as the AM instead of Yaya.
check the chalkboard for Silva and you can't say he played on the left.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/E151X6Qqgj7NOVi80x85" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chal ... 7NOVi80x85</a>
The change is something a lot of people have been crying out for. 2 central midfielders with Silva sitting in front and being allowed to roam. It means that Yaya is able to make those runs we love in the space he used to occupy as AM. For the first hour or so Balotelli and Tevez were flexible. If one dropped left or deep, the other would take the position as the lone striker, ensuring that we always had an outlet and kept their defence occupied. AJ was the only one that was stationery of the front 4. The rest were quite fluid, but that is the point of a 4231 and its variations. The rigidity isn't in the formation, but the players. Often we would play DJ and GB as the two midfielders, and put YT as AM. Silva would be stationed out on the left and sometimes move inside. AJ on the right, and Tevez up front... but because he often drops back to force the issue we are left without an outlet to play balls in behind. The fluidity of the system meant that when needed Balo and Tevez could also be up front together for periods during the game.
Yesterday for me was the first time the system has really come together and show an indication of what Mancini wants. While a 7/10ish performance, Kolarov would bomb down the left in the space made vacant by Silva and Tevez linking in the middle and drawing Ferdinand in.
This needs to be reiterated. We played a 4-2-3-1 as we often do. Granted, it was a very fluid formation, especially up front, but it wasn't a 4-4-2.Project said:tolmie's hairdoo said:4-4-2.
The irony being many of Mancini's biggest suppoters insisted his rigid 4-3-3, was correct.
The result yesterday says otherwise.
The conversion rates are great, but the chance creations were the biggest change.
Mancini has either woke-up or gone for broke.
Whatever it is, kudos for changing the rigid thinking.
It wasn't really a 442 though. Of course after Sky rammed it down our throats so often people may well have thought it was. But if anything it was the same 4231 that we have played all season, but this time with Silva playing as the AM instead of Yaya.
check the chalkboard for Silva and you can't say he played on the left.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/E151X6Qqgj7NOVi80x85" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chal ... 7NOVi80x85</a>
The change is something a lot of people have been crying out for. 2 central midfielders with Silva sitting in front and being allowed to roam. It means that Yaya is able to make those runs we love in the space he used to occupy as AM. For the first hour or so Balotelli and Tevez were flexible. If one dropped left or deep, the other would take the position as the lone striker, ensuring that we always had an outlet and kept their defence occupied. AJ was the only one that was stationery of the front 4. The rest were quite fluid, but that is the point of a 4231 and its variations. The rigidity isn't in the formation, but the players. Often we would play DJ and GB as the two midfielders, and put YT as AM. Silva would be stationed out on the left and sometimes move inside. AJ on the right, and Tevez up front... but because he often drops back to force the issue we are left without an outlet to play balls in behind. The fluidity of the system meant that when needed Balo and Tevez could also be up front together for periods during the game.
Yesterday for me was the first time the system has really come together and show an indication of what Mancini wants. While a 7/10ish performance, Kolarov would bomb down the left in the space made vacant by Silva and Tevez linking in the middle and drawing Ferdinand in.
Rammy Blue said:Has this thread turned wum?
I am staggered that 2 people now have gone with a 4-2-3-1.
Not taking the piss but where do you sit in the stadium?
Failsworth_Blue said:Rammy Blue said:Has this thread turned wum?
I am staggered that 2 people now have gone with a 4-2-3-1.
Not taking the piss but where do you sit in the stadium?
I sit in 110 and thought it was much more of a 4-2-3-1 than it was 4-4-2 with Silva playing at the tip of the 3 and being given a chance to move about, at times when we had the ball Balo would move inside and Silva would drift out to the left but overall i thought our shape and set up was more of a 4-2-3-1 than a 4-4-2
Precisely, which is a strength of the formation. It's fluid so you can put pressure where needs suit.OrigamiNinja said:Failsworth_Blue said:I sit in 110 and thought it was much more of a 4-2-3-1 than it was 4-4-2 with Silva playing at the tip of the 3 and being given a chance to move about, at times when we had the ball Balo would move inside and Silva would drift out to the left but overall i thought our shape and set up was more of a 4-2-3-1 than a 4-4-2
I think we played both. I thought 1st half there was a definite look of a 4-4-2 with Silva sticking to the left far more. In the 2nd half I think we reverted to 4-2-3-1 with Silva playing a lot more central and Balotelli moving over to the left.
blueinsa said:4-4-2 and that from behind the goal in the south stand where you cant see jack fucking shit!