This 442 clearly isn't working, the defence is all over the place, and our 2 in midfield are getting overrun all the time, like I said last year, Mowatt is a class player but he doesn't have the legs to play in a 2 at the top level! I would try the following as I think it protects our weaknesses and allows our strengths to be used better!! This then gives us a strong bench as well with options to change things. Brown can either play up front or can also be a strong wing back on the right. Jordan Williams for me might be better in midfield or as a wing back! Thomas would be fine as a wing back as well. Wilks could play up top or further up like Bahre even. Kenny (if he ever gets back) can slot into the middle like Style's! Collins Diaby Sibbick Halme Cavare (right wing back) Ben Williams (left wing back) McGeehan Bahre Mowatt Woodrow Chaplin
It’s worth a try. But I’d swap Anderson for Sibbick and also swap Bahre for Dougall. Problem then, is that you limit the attacking side too much. Dougall has to start when he is fit.
It's all opinion and conjecture obviously, but I think shifting to 3-5-2 would be a disaster. One of the issues we have are the fullbacks and how we cover. But our centre halves have made lots of individual errors and the defensive communication has been really poor at times. If we let off the fullbacks to bomb forward more, we're asking our centre halfs and one centre mid to anchor and be the defensive unit if the attack breaks down. 95% of the time, our attacks break down. We give the ball away cheaply or our pacey forwards stop, negating the very asset they've been acquired for. We'd also need attacking prowess and accuracy from our full backs. Our fullbacks, despite being asked to play high a lot of the time contribute very little in terms of quality delivery and number of assists. The other negative, we've been coaching these kids for months on how to play a system which they have nowhere near mastered. How long would it be before they got comfortable in a 3-5-2 which is a very different set up? I can understand the clamour for some form of change, but I don't think 3-5-2 is the answer. The answer is unpalatable and unlikely and requires a lot of deadtime until we can even start on such a route.
I just don't think the team has the pace to play in a 2. Bahre & Woodrow are another 2 players who like Mowatt have real quality, but all 3 of them lack that extra yard of pace to be real top quality players! The 352 turned our season when Flicker took over, what do we currently have to lose?? I have never seen us defend so bad in 20 years!!
This may be a bit OTT for some but I would start by stopping the rot...play 5 - 4 -1..hold the full backs back in our half as cover for the centre backs, use the midfield to support Woodrow as a lone striker. use Dougal if fit as holding mid with Cam and let Mowatt and Wilks push up with the attack. Most important is learn how to defend, even a few 0-0 results would build confidence not only in the team but in the fans...agree with the calls for some experience to be brought in , even on loan