Southend Away

That maybe the case with Liverpool but certainly not City. Sterling's goal was only scored centrally because he cut in from his left wing starting role. Pep is known to love his wingers and overlapping full backs.

I agree our wide players do need to get closer to our striker, they don't get in the box enough at all.

 

Dieng? Looking okay - still too early to say more than that .......... and he was missing for the 1st game if I remember correctly. For Southend, it is about getting the right combination in the midfield and Dieng seems to be providing some balance. We have another player out injured who should be back in the next week or so and I do wonder if Dieng will then be on the sub's bench.

 

Wingers are wide for Man City, so wide and then if they do cut in thats license for the full backs to bomb forward

 

So here is an analysis of Southend games so far:-

Lost 3-2 to Donnie. S'end dominated 1st half - could have scored a few but then went to sleep in 2nd half and went 3-0 down before coming back to 3-2 and "unlucky" not to get a draw.

Drew 1-1 at Plymouth. Plenty of chances on goal but again did not score when they needed to. Consensus is that we were unlucky not to win.

Lost 4-2 to Brentford in the cup. Good team display despite letting in 4 goals.

So, you could say that Southend United are still not gelling and starting slowly - a little disjointed. Could be a good time for Bradford City to play them ..............

............or ............

Southend United are gradually coming together as a team and if they start putting in those chances then they will start to get the results that the performances suggest.

We will soon find out!

 

The lack of understanding of simple formations is actually baffling.

The wide attacking players in a 4-3-3 are generally winger types. If they played in a 4-4-2 they would generally play as wingers or "in the hole" rather than out and out strikers.

Exactly the same in a 4-2-3-1.

Of course they can play more centrally that they would in "four" but that's simply because it's obviously a more narrow formation - 3 players take up less space than 4 spread across the pitch.

The difference between 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 is a matter of yards in the starting positions but they are both based around the single, central striker and a strong midfield numerically. They are both very different in strategy to the 4-4-2.

 

Radic wasn't happy at all last season over the early cup exits. Interesting to see his reaction after this one. Regards the formation, 1 up top doesn't seem to be working. Know it's away but I'd like to see Doyle with Miller or if not then Bruenker. Need to find something that works going forwards. CTID

 

Brunker

I know he's technically at Bradford City, but surely it's just a gesture?

 

Think you need to study my reply more closely before replying.

I said Sanchez, Rashford, Sane, Sterling etc. will start out in wide positions and come inside/more central at certain times (e.g. they dribble inside with the ball to shoot or they arrive at the back post for crosses).

However, they do start out as wide men, they track back and help the full back in defence and they team up with the full back in an attacking sense. Hence I consider them a winger/wide forward.

 

You are right in some respects but it is all about emphasis, If you play 4-2-3-1 the emphasis of the team is defensive because in reality on the pitch it is 6 defenders ( 4+2 ) 3 midfielders and 1 forward.
The emphasis on 4-3-3 is more offensive because on the pitch it becomes 4 defenders 3 midfielders and 3 forwards and means the team will be set up more offensively than the more timid 4-2-3-1 where teams will always struggle to score under this system,

 

Only if you weirdly start counting midfielders as defenders for some reason.

 

Look up the word emphasis, If you play 2 midfielders in front of the back four they will naturally be defensive to protect that back four to stop conceding and will rarely get forward quickly enough to support any attack and quick to retreat, So in effect you have 6 defensive players on the pitch, 4 out and out in the back four and 2 defensive midfielders in front of them,

 

Bruenker is not the answer. He’s shit. He’s not up to League football. He might run around and try hard and have the mystical presence, but he’s not good enough. He’s as much chance of scoring 10 from
open play in the league, 5 even, as Chicksen.

 

Should be aiming to winning every game. Treat any fixtures as easy and should be winning and you’ll come unstuck. Arsenal, Wigan, Villa, Chelsea, Sunderland have all done that against City in recent years.

 

You don't necessarily need to play them in front of the back four. You could just play them in midfield. You know, where they actually play.

The players who make up the central 2 in a 4-2-3-1 would play as part of the central 3 in a 4-3-3. They're midfielders.

 

So that would be 4-5-1 then, Why then list it up as 4-2-3-1 where 2 midfielders are quite clearly deeper than the 3 other central midfielders to protect the back 4 down the middle.

 

Or the 3 attacking midfielders are further forward?

 

Well I agree and in his preseason preamble, also the ethos of MC..just got to get it across to his players and allow them to play in a roll which suits them and benefits the team. It would certainly be timely if he saw a tangible improvement on Saturday.