Team Formation

The formation away from home I think works very well although BFS calls it a 4-3-3 it’s clearly a 4-5-1.

I’m not so sure that this should be used at home though. On Saturday just before we were awarded the penalty the BML was chanting “4-4-2” and we assumed BFS would change to this as Balldock was warming up. It was hoped that he’d come on for Noble or Lansbury. But we got the pen, Noble converted and he continued with the 4-5-1.

This was very frustrating, for most of the game Green was hoofing the ball up to Cole who wide on the left, this would have been okay of someone form midfield hade been bombing forward, but they either weren’t or had stated their run from too deep. What was the point of a five man midfield if you’re going to by-pass it?

I’m a big fan of 4-4-2 and I think Cole and Balldock would w**k very well together although given we won am I being a bit picky. I’d be interested to hear was TonyP thinks given his view of the pitch is very different to mine.

On a different note I was very pleased to see Nolan getting a bit of revenge in after a Pompey thug had flattened one of our players (Tomkins I think). Not seen this sort of thing since Dicks left

Suzanne Claret wrote:
On a different note I was very pleased to see Nolan getting a bit of revenge in after a Pompey thug had flattened one of our players (Tomkins I think). Not seen this sort of thing since Dicks left

What did Nolan do ? I know something happen but what ? And as for the formation at home i think it should be 442 with Cole and baldock upfront

Nolan committed a foul on the Portsmouth player (forgot his name) who had
been kicking lumps out of our players, got a yellow card for it.

Good old Nolan !!! Thats what we like to see in a captain

Hopefully Sue, now we have the home win under our belts, BFS will revert to 442 for home matches at least.....

It would have been a tough decision to take Noble or Lansbury off, they'd both been playing a great game imo..........Maybe going in front with the penalty relieved BFS from having to make that decision?

Good stuff from Nolan

Su, I totally agree with you. We clearly had FIVE players in midfield. It was NOT a 4-3-3. Bizarrely the three central midfielders (Nolan, Lansbury and Noble) seemed to get in each other's way whilst at the same time giving Portsmouth's midfield 3 all the time and space they needed. Time for one of them to make way for a genuine holding player who can break up play and keep it simple (Diop or Demel). Noble brings nothing to the team except giving away needless fouls (the penalty in the last minute) and attempting Hollywood passes that he is simply not good enough to execute. Diop/Demel in for Nobes methinks. But I digress......

When Lawrence got sent off I, like most of you, was thinking "brilliant, time to unleash Baldock and go 4-4-2". We no longer need to match them up in the middle of the park. But no. BFS continued with 4-5-1 and substituted Cole for Piquionne. Why ?!!

The 4-5-1 when we don't have the ball/4-3-3 when we DO, away from home suits us perfectly. At home it just plays into the opposition's hands

We were lucky to win on Saturday, as when it was 11 v 11 we kept giving the ball away needlessly by completely bypasssing the whole midfield by lumping it long, and getting caught on the break

Their second goal came from Noble getting caught in possession trying to be clever (again) and not having the pace to keep up with their midfield. Thankfully Allardyce has commented on this and once Diop/Demel is fit I can see one of them shielding our back four and doing what a holding midfield player SHOULD do

COYI's

I think Cole had run himself into the ground but I don’t understand
why BFS had to replace him with Piquionne (very pleased at the red card). Also, we couldn’t w**k out why he took off
Foobear only to replace him with Bentley. It was all a bit odd on Saturday……

Suzanne Claret wrote:I think Cole had run himself into the ground but I don’t understand
why BFS had to replace him with Piquionne (very pleased at the red card). Also, we couldn’t w**k out why he took off
Foobear only to replace him with Bentley. It was all a bit odd on Saturday……

Cole was probably knackered. Shame that he had to bring Piquionne on though. Waste of space at the moment. Faubert achieved the sum total of NOTHING in the time he was on the pitch. Bentley looks a class act. Not sure he will be used much away from home though!

Tony P wrote:

Suzanne Claret wrote:I think Cole had run himself into the ground but I don’t understand
why BFS had to replace him with Piquionne (very pleased at the red card). Also, we couldn’t w**k out why he took off
Foobear only to replace him with Bentley. It was all a bit odd on Saturday……

Cole was probably knackered. Shame that he had to bring Piquionne on though. Waste of space at the moment. Faubert achieved the sum total of NOTHING in the time he was on the pitch. Bentley looks a class act. Not sure he will be used much away from home though!

Its a pitty he's such a dick

True, but at least he has shaved off that silly "Andy Murray, tramp's beard" !

Suzanne Claret wrote:I think Cole had run himself into the ground but I don’t understand
why BFS had to replace him with Piquionne (very pleased at the red card). Also, we couldn’t w**k out why he took off
Foobear only to replace him with Bentley. It was all a bit odd on Saturday……

Apparently we are contesting it. :|

bollicks ..... I hope we lose that one

Tend to agree with you guys about our midfield. In the centre you would think we would do well however |I could not w**k out what Nolan was doing. Just seem like we had people there doing nothing nd would have been better off with someone helping Cole.
Was not very happy with the way we played. Just feel we should be doing better in the middle and dominating game like this. After all there are better teams in this division and we needs to be beating them. On this showing I have my doubts we will be coming up.

Nolan is clearly the holding / defensive midfielder, he no longer has the pace or the young mans legs to be the sort of box to box player he was when he was at Bolton. Although his role does appear to be more attacking when we are away. But at home he’s the guy rallying the defence, barking out orders and marshalling the troops, he does far more in a game than any of our previous captains.

As I said above a move to a more conventional 4-4-2 at home should do the trick. Although a change in personnel rather than
formation may also pay dividends.

It’s still early days though and I (surprisingly) trust BFS to get it right in the long term.

I think the formation and personel on the pitch will change over time, i reckon Sam is just making sure we get a result one way or another at the moment, in time i think he will know he best 11 home and away.

Me too 3W, he can’t start all of the new signings at once.

Also the good thing about BFS is that he isn't frightened to say what he thinks - like after Saturdays match he said the midfield didn't do their job properly. He will keep them all on their toes at last. None of this - "there were a lot of positives" crap from him!

He does look to be enjoying himself though, I think he has quite taken to the mighty WHU!!

Yes he does, there was a worry that he would change us but it looks like we are changing him??