Stearman Burn Ream - are three centre backs the way forward?

[fulhamben]

i did not see the game either but my feeling is that the important aspects of that formation is that it gives Fredericks and Husband more freedom to push forward and that Fredericks and Husband seem more effective and creative at the moment than playing the likes of Pringle and LVC as wide midfielders.

not so sure about that, how many goals and assists did lvc and kaca get against a superior reading as opposed to husband and Fred today?

Reading was only one match. Our wide midfielders have been generally pretty ineffective.

And it is not just a matter of comparing player with player. It is the overall shape and performance of the team that counts.

I don't advocate any particular system. The choice should depend on the players available, the opposition and even whether playing home or away. Currently having five defenders might help cut out and clear more crosses against which we have been vulnerable and having five midfielders when attacking gives us more width. It does rely on those wide players having speed and stamina as Fredericks and Husband have.

And yesterday Husband ran down the wing and crossed for the first goal, was fouled on another attacking run for McCormack's free kick and it was his run from deep in our half and pass to Tunnicliffe for the fourth.

but you are basing husbands and Fredericks effectiveness on one game. And you said they were more effective at the moment, which also isn't true as kaca and LVC were immense against reading

The point about Husband's contribution yesterday showed that your argument based on one game could equally be applied to yesterday's game.

Plus three assists in one game seems a pretty good return for Kit's clever change of formation.

And Kacaniklic and LVC were not 'immense' against Reading, just good in the second half n a side full of good performances. Let's not overlook the less than immense performances in previous matches whereas Husband and Fredericks have looked sharp and threatening regularly.

yes they have looked sharp from full back positions and kaca was only on for 50 mins, so are you saying the first poor half was down to him? And I don't think we looked overly impressive in the second half yesterday whilst we are on about half's. Point is I believe kaca and LVC are better midfielders than the other two. And we can have the best of both worlds with them sitting behind and overlapping like they have done in the past in a flat four four two. The question should really be, did burn and ohara do enough to warrant the formation change to include them in the team

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

i did not see the game either but my feeling is that the important aspects of that formation is that it gives Fredericks and Husband more freedom to push forward and that Fredericks and Husband seem more effective and creative at the moment than playing the likes of Pringle and LVC as wide midfielders.

not so sure about that, how many goals and assists did lvc and kaca get against a superior reading as opposed to husband and Fred today?

Reading was only one match. Our wide midfielders have been generally pretty ineffective.

And it is not just a matter of comparing player with player. It is the overall shape and performance of the team that counts.

I don't advocate any particular system. The choice should depend on the players available, the opposition and even whether playing home or away. Currently having five defenders might help cut out and clear more crosses against which we have been vulnerable and having five midfielders when attacking gives us more width. It does rely on those wide players having speed and stamina as Fredericks and Husband have.

And yesterday Husband ran down the wing and crossed for the first goal, was fouled on another attacking run for McCormack's free kick and it was his run from deep in our half and pass to Tunnicliffe for the fourth.

but you are basing husbands and Fredericks effectiveness on one game. And you said they were more effective at the moment, which also isn't true as kaca and LVC were immense against reading

The point about Husband's contribution yesterday showed that your argument based on one game could equally be applied to yesterday's game.

Plus three assists in one game seems a pretty good return for Kit's clever change of formation.

And Kacaniklic and LVC were not 'immense' against Reading, just good in the second half n a side full of good performances. Let's not overlook the less than immense performances in previous matches whereas Husband and Fredericks have looked sharp and threatening regularly.

yes they have looked sharp from full back positions and kaca was only on for 50 mins, so are you saying the first poor half was down to him? And I don't think we looked overly impressive in the second half yesterday whilst we are on about half's. Point is I believe kaca and LVC are better midfielders than the other two. And we can have the best of both worlds with them sitting behind and overlapping like they have done in the past in a flat four four two. The question should really be, did burn and ohara do enough to warrant the formation change to include them in the team

i accept that you prefer Kaca and LVC but think your argument in support of them as presented is rather weak.

I don't understand the point you are trying to make about Kaca and 50 minutes.

The second half yesterday was less than impressive because we were 4-0 up. Simples.

Who could fail to like LVC afer his performances last season but until the Reading game he had not shown anything like that form after coming back from injury. And playing out wide rather than in the centre does not suit him in my eyes.

Kacaniklic for me struggles to get by full backs and delivery crosses and he is noticeably poor defensively. Oddly he seems much better at running at defences through the centre and he is a surprisingly good finisher.

Of our other players who have occupied the wide positions Cairney looks as uncomfortable as LVC out wide and Pringle has been a little too inconsistent and a bit weak defensively like Kacaniklic.

Husband and Fredericks may not be down on paper as midfielders but my view, for what it is worth, is that they can certainly play in a formation like that on Saturday in a 3-5-2 / 5-3-2 and have the potential to play as the wide midfielders in a 4-4-2.

[Bronaldinho]

Worked tremendously.

Burn is a leader, and him as a figurehead in that system was great.

Fredericks and Husband can run all day and class at both ends of the pitch.

Was really good.

[Forever Fulham]

With every practice, and every game, more aware of situational habits of their teammates, and quicker into the right positions.  I wish we had one legitimate bruiser, one bully boy, one junkyard dog. 

Strangely enough I think that McCormack, O'Hara and Stearman are just that type and who give us that 'hard edge' during recent matches.

I'm with you on O'Hara, maybe. But I see him more as recklessly physical at times than a tough guy who inspires nervousness.

[mullers]

This was the system that that Keegan used with Neilson/Symons/Coleman and it made a very good side look unbeatable. What it could do with is centre backs scoring from deadball situations and Burn's confidence to keep on growing. And to be lucky with injuries.

[fulhamben]

This was the system that that Keegan used with Neilson/Symons/Coleman and it made a very good side look unbeatable. What it could do with is centre backs scoring from deadball situations and Burn's confidence to keep on growing. And to be lucky with injuries.

that's not the keegan side I remember

[snarks]

Whilst 532/352 worked well on Saturday, is it a long term solution? I'm not sure, it does rely on inviting teams on and hitting them hard on the break.

With Fredricks/Richards and Husband/Garbutt it works well, certainly away from home where the home team is expected to attack. I'm not sure it will work at home as it does mean the team plays deep and opposing teams tend to sit back too. (usually not always)

[Forever Fulham]

Didn't ManU try a three-CB formation a while back, and it just didn't work.   You need burst speed fullbacks who can take on the speedy winger running the edge.

[fulhamben]

Didn't ManU try a three-CB formation a while back, and it just didn't work.   You need burst speed fullbacks who can take on the speedy winger running the edge.

Liverpool tried it to. It hardly ever works

[Forever Fulham]

Well, we should qualify to say that it has hardly ever worked in England.  But continental teams have had some success with it, where the emphasis is more on speed and ball control than on height and physicality.  But if it works, who cares about the past.  For instance, I look at Ream and see a guy with great positional awareness  and ball control, not tall, not a monster. He can drift from middle play to the side.  Would I call him a classic in the mold CB?  No.  But he's a perfect fit for playing alongside one.