- Oct 19, 2004
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- 50,713
I've been thinking about this for a while. It seems we are one of the last teams to play a proper 442 in the EPL. Arsenal, ManU, Chelsea, Everton, Portsmouth, ManC, Villa etc. Not to mention most of those below us. The only exceptions I've seen recently are Reading (at our place) and Blackburn. Even West Ham don't usually.
I always hated 451 and what it stood for. It doesn't always have to be a negative formation, as Arse & ManU prove (and some of Europes finest). And under Jol I found myslef suggesting it as a way to accomodate the deficiencies of Hudd, Jenas, Zokora whilst playing to their attacking strengths and with Malbranque, Bale, Lennon etc we had the flair to make it an attacking formation. Especially away from home where we were a soft touch. But when deployed in the Bolton way it kills football, it is anti-football. It's about function at it's ugliest. And if we were ever to adopt this I would be very fuckied off.
Thankfully Ramos has managed to negate the need for 451 of any kind so far. And even if he did deploy it I'm positive it would be the Arse, manU variety not the Bolton variety.
In my heart of hearts though I would love us to find a way to continue to play 442 successfuly (I know it needs not just two fantastic CM's but two fantastic everything to make it really successfull FB's, CB's, Strikers, Wingers) and I think we are close. This is what I love about 442. Done properly it is about beautiful mathamatics. About simplicity and interchangeable partnerships. It is not about safety first or stopping them. It is about the shapes and paterns you make.
It is the ultimate efficient footballing design concept.
To Dare is To Do.
I always hated 451 and what it stood for. It doesn't always have to be a negative formation, as Arse & ManU prove (and some of Europes finest). And under Jol I found myslef suggesting it as a way to accomodate the deficiencies of Hudd, Jenas, Zokora whilst playing to their attacking strengths and with Malbranque, Bale, Lennon etc we had the flair to make it an attacking formation. Especially away from home where we were a soft touch. But when deployed in the Bolton way it kills football, it is anti-football. It's about function at it's ugliest. And if we were ever to adopt this I would be very fuckied off.
Thankfully Ramos has managed to negate the need for 451 of any kind so far. And even if he did deploy it I'm positive it would be the Arse, manU variety not the Bolton variety.
In my heart of hearts though I would love us to find a way to continue to play 442 successfuly (I know it needs not just two fantastic CM's but two fantastic everything to make it really successfull FB's, CB's, Strikers, Wingers) and I think we are close. This is what I love about 442. Done properly it is about beautiful mathamatics. About simplicity and interchangeable partnerships. It is not about safety first or stopping them. It is about the shapes and paterns you make.
It is the ultimate efficient footballing design concept.
To Dare is To Do.