In the last couple of years we've not had much of a "Plan B" when things weren't going our way.

We've tinkered about a few times under Hurst/Scott&Hurst with 433 but that hasn't worked.

But it looks like we may have stumbled on a solution in the 5-3-2/3-5-2 we've switched to now a few times during pre-season.

It allows us to play the 3 top class (at this level) centre-backs we've got and allows us to get more bodies in central midfield without losing one of the outlets up front.

The other thing is it gives us a bit of flexibility with how we set the 3 midfielders up. It could work quite well with 2 CM's and then Arnold ahead of them "in the hole" for example.

Time will tell if it becomes a genuine option during the season but it looks to me as if it could. And I can imagine Hurst going for it as it saves him having to leave out one of Pearson/Gowling/Nsiala.

UTM.

I agree with your positive vibes but I think you're not giving Hurst enough credit by saying we've "stumbled" upon a possible solution. He's actively been testing it and it seems to be a decent option.  :)

You also need the right players who can adapt and look comfortable with formation changes.

This squad looks like it is no problem to them.

Plan B sorted.

What about Plan C !!!!!!

Formations only work if the players are good enough we have players that can confidently play in several positions if need be yet still be a potent force. That is the big difference we can adapt our play to counter are opponents. No doubt a lot will park the bus but having a good attack and not relying on one man (Lewis) any more could be a real blessing.

Quoted from 59[b

]Formations only work if the players are good enough we have players that can confidently play in several positions if need be yet still be a potent force. That is the big difference we can adapt our play to counter are opponents.[/b] No doubt a lot will park the bus but having a good attack and not relying on one man (Lewis) any more could be a real blessing.

This is a very important point and often overlooked by fans. Players win games not systems BUT if the players are adaptable to cover more than one role and play accordingly then the system becomes important. A lot of full-backs can't play the role of wing-back and certainly a lot of centre-backs are very uncomfortable when they are pulled wide. Although Toto is no full back he can certainly cover the right back area as indeed can Pearson on the left ( let's face it he did it enough times when Aswad went AWOL ! ). The way PH picked is team against Boston , especially with the changes , shows to me that he was using certain players versatility to see how they coped with a change of formation. He may have been forced to because of Marshalls injury but he certainly used the opportunity to try something different. The fact that we played without a " conventional target man " also demonstrated an intentional change in our approach.

Quoted from rancido

This is a very important point and often overlooked by fans. Players win games not systems BUT if the players are adaptable to cover more than one role and play accordingly then the system becomes important. A lot of full-backs can't play the role of wing-back and certainly a lot of centre-backs are very uncomfortable when they are pulled wide. Although Toto is no full back he can certainly cover the right back area as indeed can Pearson on the left ( let's face it he did it enough times when Aswad went AWOL ! ). The way PH picked is team against Boston , especially with the changes , shows to me that he was using certain players versatility to see how they coped with a change of formation. He may have been forced to because of Marshalls injury but he certainly used the opportunity to try something different. The fact that we played without a " conventional target man " also demonstrated an intentional change in our approach.

Bogle will be our target man when played

Not convinced that Bogle is strong enough in the air to play the 'target man' role. However, he does look strong on the ball so, providing we play the ball into his feet, he could do a decent job in that respect and I reckon he'll win lots of free-kicks a la Akinde.

I'm just not convinced he's going to win too many headers against the massive meathead defenders we get in this division.

Based on what I've seen so far in pre-season all of our strikers will be used as target-men but in a different mould to how LJL was.  

Last year with LJL it was often hit it high and just anywhere.  If it's near LJL he'll either flick it on or (more often the case) pressure/bully the defender into making a mistake.  If it goes to a defender with no pressure on them, LJL chase down and will pressure the defender into making a mistake.  

This pre-season a lot of long passes from the back have been at chest or lower height with the intention of Amond, Pittman, Arnold or Bogle bringing it down and under control, often 30-40 yards out from goal, with the intention of laying it off before turning for the forward pass from midfield.

We've also used the wings to much greater effect too.  Obviously how we play will partly be affected by the opposition but I'd like to think we've got enough quality in our squad to break sides down when they do park the bus rather than resort to formation changes and needed to chase games.

For me the key has to be getting at teams early, especially at BP.  If we get an early goal, sides who have come for a point have to change their approach.  The other important factor is getting sides on the ropes and then finishing them off.  

Quoted from Maringer

Not convinced that Bogle is strong enough in the air to play the 'target man' role. However, he does look strong on the ball so, providing we play the ball into his feet, he could do a decent job in that respect and I reckon he'll win lots of free-kicks a la Akinde.

I'm just not convinced he's going to win too many headers against the massive meathead defenders we get in this division.

That was the point I was trying to make. Long balls down the middle to a " conventional target man " are " bread and meat " to the majority of centre- backs at this level. Once you start playing the ball wide a lot of them get out of their comfort zone and we have he strikers to capitalise on this.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Based on what I've seen so far in pre-season all of our strikers will be used as target-men but in a different mould to how LJL was.  

Last year with LJL it was often hit it high and just anywhere.  If it's near LJL he'll either flick it on or (more often the case) pressure/bully the defender into making a mistake.  If it goes to a defender with no pressure on them, LJL chase down and will pressure the defender into making a mistake.  

This pre-season a lot of long passes from the back have been at chest or lower height with the intention of Amond, Pittman, Arnold or Bogle bringing it down and under control, often 30-40 yards out from goal, with the intention of laying it off before turning for the forward pass from midfield.

We've also used the wings to much greater effect too.  Obviously how we play will partly be affected by the opposition but I'd like to think we've got enough quality in our squad to break sides down when they do park the bus rather than resort to formation changes and needed to chase games.

For me the key has to be getting at teams early, especially at BP.  If we get an early goal, sides who have come for a point have to change their approach.  The other important factor is getting sides on the ropes and then finishing them off.  

Agree with this, especially about hitting teams early at BP if we get 1 or 2 in front then game over I reckon. Last year a few nothing teams took an early lead against us and then we were finding it difficult to get a breakthrough.

DHM, totally support your last comment.  We were poor last season at getting an early goal  BP.  Especially against the so called lesser teams.  Even if we did score first, we rarely finished teams off.

I think that this season we have the variety, firepower and nous to ruthlessly demolish teams at BP.

Maringer said that Bogle will win many free-kicks like Akinde.  I expect him (or any of our other strikers) to win many penalties, also like Akinde.

I think that we are good enough to put sustained pressure on many teams this season.  If we are patient enough, we should get the wins that we will deserve.  

I think that whoever is up front we don't hit the ball to them from the back but hit it into space. If we have one up front when defending a set piece i would expect the oppo to have at least two defenders in situ. That leaves a lot of space to hit any clearances into.
Yes the striker then has to work hard to either get to the clearance or at least close down the defender. I can see us counter attacking very effectively with this squad

Ultimately we have strikers who can finish. Certainly with Bogle from what i have seen and Amond you do fancy them to put away a chance that falls their way.  And if we play Arnold down the middle when he is through on goal you do feel pretty confident he will finish.

That was something we didnt have last season (and beyond).. not since Hearn was fully fit really.

We have pace in the team and from what i saw in pre-season we are playing football ie getting the ball down and playing with much less hoof ball. There is a place for long ball on occasion but we have too often slipped into this way of playing in the past.

The defence has been solid for the last 2 or 3 years and there is no reason to think that will change but i now feel we have much more going forward and that could be the difference maker this year.

Its not going to be a stroll...we will face a challenge from i expect Tranmere, FGR, Eastleigh, Wrexham...and there is sometimes a dark horse but this is probably our best squad since we came into this league and the aim has to be to be champions.

It seems clear that we don't intend to play the same style as last season most of the time so shouldn't be reliant on a big, bustling LJL-alike to put himself about and attempt to cause havoc for the opposition defenders. The extra pace available in the attacking areas will hopefully (as has been noted) make us much more of a threat on the counter-attack. I feel this is an area where we should have been a lot better over the past few years so I'm hoping to see us causing more problems on the counter this year.

My only concern is that we don't really have the option of a target man up front. Let's face it, there are likely to be at least 5 or 6 games at BP this season which are played in a howling gale and quite a few more away matches played in similar conditions. It is all but impossible to play accurate passes in these sort of conditions and having to whack the ball upfield a lot more often than you would prefer seems inevitable.

It would be nice if we were to have the option of another big striker (Bogle isn't exactly lightweight!) to mix things up a bit in this sort of a situation but it remains to be seen what sort of a player Hurst is still looking to sign. I suppose that in such windy conditions, the aerial strength of Monkhouse could prove to be enough of an asset to mean that another 'big' striker wasn't missed too much. However, if Bogle struggles with fitness this season, the present squad doesn't provide us with any other strikers of greater than average height - Amond would be the tallest at just 5'11"!

I do tend to think that Hurst will be looking for a tall-ish striker to be his final signing so hopefully, he can find a capable one for us.

Quoted from Maringer

It seems clear that we don't intend to play the same style as last season most of the time so shouldn't be reliant on a big, bustling LJL-alike to put himself about and attempt to cause havoc for the opposition defenders. The extra pace available in the attacking areas will hopefully (as has been noted) make us much more of a threat on the counter-attack. I feel this is an area where we should have been a lot better over the past few years so I'm hoping to see us causing more problems on the counter this year.

My only concern is that we don't really have the option of a target man up front. Let's face it, there are likely to be at least 5 or 6 games at BP this season which are played in a howling gale and quite a few more away matches played in similar conditions. It is all but impossible to play accurate passes in these sort of conditions and having to whack the ball upfield a lot more often than you would prefer seems inevitable.

It would be nice if we were to have the option of another big striker (Bogle isn't exactly lightweight!) to mix things up a bit in this sort of a situation but it remains to be seen what sort of a player Hurst is still looking to sign. I suppose that in such windy conditions, the aerial strength of Monkhouse could prove to be enough of an asset to mean that another 'big' striker wasn't missed too much. However, if Bogle struggles with fitness this season, the present squad doesn't provide us with any other strikers of greater than average height - Amond would be the tallest at just 5'11"!

I do tend to think that Hurst will be looking for a tall-ish striker to be his final signing so hopefully, he can find a capable one for us.

But surely these are the kind of conditions when you need to pass it short and from the back. Route one only really works if you have a strong striker dedicated to that role. I think we are better than that and I think PH that is in PH's planning also judging by the players he has brought in this summer.

Quoted from rancido

But surely these are the kind of conditions when you need to pass it short and from the back. Route one only really works if you have a strong striker dedicated to that role. I think we are better than that and I think PH that is in PH's planning also judging by the players he has brought in this summer.

Think about some of the big, nasty, up and at 'em teams we face each season. Their entire style of play is to pressurise you into making mistakes and giving them chances to sling the ball into your box, something which is easier for them to achieve in poor conditions.

With the best will in the world, we're a Conference team and, though I'll be happy to see us pass it around more than in recent seasons, I'm not convinced we've got the players to tippy-tappy around the opposition when they are chasing the ball down.

I think the 'Plan B' of a physical presence up front would be useful in these conditions, not to mention in the games where things aren't working out in our regular game. Hopefully, not too many of these, of course!