4-4-2 at home is the way forward for Spurs

[RJ1882]

I think, at home, we can go against the myth 442 is dead and play with two strikers. There are a few reasons why I think this:

• We don’t offer enough goal threat the way we are playing. Our central striker is isolated and not offering our midfielders or defenders a good enough option to play the ball forward. Adebayor is easily nullified and Soldado doesn’t seem capable of playing the lone striker role in this league.
• We don’t have enough goal threat from elsewhere in the team. Chadli, Kane and Dier are our top scorers this season. Speaks volumes really. We’d all have assumed Adebayor, Soldado, Lamela, Eriksen would be leading the way this season but it just isn’t t happening. Something has to change.
• We don’t need to load our midfield with 5 and play the lone striker, not at home. WHL is one of the smallest playing surfaces in the league as far as I know. There is limited space all over the pitch. If we play 4 across the middle the area each individual is responsible for covering is probably much the same as the area each individual midfielder is responsible for covering on bigger pitches such as the Emirates or Old Trafford for example. It’s a small pitch, the ball can be transitioned quickly from defence to attack, much quicker than we are currently doing it, but we need the added presence of a second striker up there. A second option.

Playing personnel may dictate otherwise. Our two natural wingers Lennon and Townsend are poor, but would they improve playing a more straightforward system with two striker targets in the box to aim for? Could Lamela or Chadli play out wide in a 442, or as the striker partner to Adebayor or Soldado?

In most away games it wont work, it would be suicide. But at home, in games which we should be dominating, where we should be bombarding the opposition defence with waves of attack and creating multiple goalscoring opportunities, I think 2 strikers is the way to go. Any defensive pairing in the league will prefer to be marking one of Adebayor or Soldado rather than both.

Lets make WHL a fortress scoring plenty of goals along the way.

 

[spike472]

No it isn't. End of Love you sweetie x

 

[mikeeegreen]

Tactics aren't the problem. This has been pretty evident over the last few seasons. It's the players, they aren't good enough.

 

[mikeeegreen]

We've gone 442 before under AVB (we had Bale then) and Sherwood. Was equally shocking most of the time then as well. Putting an extra non performing striker on the pitch will not solve our problems. What will happen is we will get over run in midfield and the problems will continue. basic 442 is completely against the managers philosophy. No thanks.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

Paid too much attention to the ever wise (ahem) Mr Sherwood on ITV 4 last night?

It is going to take time, as most acknowledged at the beginning of the season and that most people said they would give, for Poch to implement his preferred tactics and plan and for the team to be up to speed. This won't happen if we dismantle the work he has been doing. That's not to say at times a formation change is needed, but lets not default back to what some may deem as exciting (and many see as an unstructured mess) because we havent hit the ground running, which was obviously going to be the case!

 

[Reclamation Project]

Tactics aren't the problem. This has been pretty evident over the last few seasons. It's the players, they aren't good enough.

I think its both the players and the tactics. I think there are signs Poch is willing or is feeling compelled to compromise his philosophy, something which Sh1twood alluded to last night.

Against the Arse it did seem like we were playing Chadli and Ade up front.

 

[DaSpurs]

Against the Arse it did seem like we were playing Chadli and Ade up front.

Yeah, but it wasn't with the intent of attacking football in that match. To me at least, it appeared more like a 4-2-2-2 with banks to cut off Arse's supply to their tricky, pacey, creative midfielders. Otherwise, with just Ade up top, there would have been nothing forcing them wide whatsoever.

 

[Good Doctor M]

4-4-2 again?

It's not happening, we don't have the players to be effective with it. With Chadli and Lamela, we'd have the narrowest midfield in the league. 4-4-2 needs wingers hugging the touchline. At the moment, who fancies Lennon and Townsend on the flanks? Because Lamela and Chadli are just not, 4-4-2 players for me.

 

[RJ1882]

Its not working though is it? What we are doing? For now I'd be more content giving up possession to have more of a goal threat on the pitch. I'd takle 40% possession and 10-12 shots on goal over 60% possession and half of those chances.
While Poch figures out which players he can rely on and confidence grows within the squad, I think the team would benefit from having two strikers on the field. Perhaps 4312 with Lamela behind Soldado and Adebayor. We need more of a goal threat in home games.

 

[Good Doctor M]

Its not working though is it? What we are doing? For now I'd be more content giving up possession to have more of a goal threat on the pitch. I'd takle 40% possession and 10-12 shots on goal over 60% possession and half of those chances.
While Poch figures out which players he can rely on and confidence grows within the squad, I think the team would benefit from having two strikers on the field. Perhaps 4312 with Lamela behind Soldado and Adebayor. We need more of a goal threat in home games.

That's not building though is it. We all agreed we'd have to be patient. There's no point in taking a manager in who has a system that he's shown can work really well and then at the first sign of trouble start calling for a 4-4-fucking-2.

We said we'd need to be patient. This is what being patient is. Two bad games and suddenly the answer is 4-4-2. And then what? How can we expect Poch to form this team into the shape he wants if we're calling for Tim Sherwood tactics at the first sign of trouble.

Our fans need to grow a pair, to be honest. We KNEW it would be like this.

 

[SpursDave88]

People seem to place an undue emphasis on the number of strikers as if that somehow makes the team more attacking...frankly it's absolute rubbish.

 

[mpickard2087]

4-4-2 can work, anyone who says it cant is just prejudiced against it (probably because they see it as an archaic formation associated with the past). Like any tactic, it would just need the correct set-up.

 

[Good Doctor M]

4-4-2 can work, anyone who says it cant is just prejudiced against it (probably because they see it as an archaic formation associated with the past). Like any tactic, it would just need the correct set-up.

I agree with this. I'm not against 4-4-2 as a formation. I just don't see how our players could be placed on the field to make it work. And our manager doesn't favour it. The only people who seem to want 4-4-2 are fans who think that it automatically means goals flying in. In reality we'd probably just isolate our two attackers while we got over-run in midfield.

 

[mpickard2087]

I agree with this. I'm not against 4-4-2 as a formation. I just don't see how our players could be placed on the field to make it work. And our manager doesn't favour it. The only people who seem to want 4-4-2 are fans who think that it automatically means goals flying in. In reality we'd probably just isolate our two attackers while we got over-run in midfield.

Fullbacks would be the key. Look at a team like City, they can play Nasri and Silva inverted, making almost a four centrally to dominate the ball, yet do a fantastic job of the fullbacks joining in on the overlap in the final third.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

@Good Doctor M , talking a lot of sense in this thread Sir.

 

[Mr Pink]

Fullbacks would be the key. Look at a team like City, they can play Nasri and Silva inverted, making almost a four centrally to dominate the ball, yet do a fantastic job of the fullbacks joining in on the overlap in the final third.

Indeed, but without Walker we'd have no chance. It would definitely require Walker and Rose to be overlapping, say Lemala and Eriksen etc.

The thing with City is they're king of looking a bit vulnerable in the 4-4-2. Fine against lesser sides, but good sides like Roma made them look ordinary. There's a huge work load for them in midfield and Toure just doesn't look as up for it at the moment.

Anyway, people just need to be patient.

 

[mpickard2087]

Indeed, but without Walker we'd have no chance. It would definitely require Walker and Rose to be overlapping, say Lemala and Eriksen etc.

Which is why last night (or the cup game last week) I suggested was the perfect time to try something like Lennon at right back. It might not work but Naughton and Dier have flaws and are liable for mistakes, we could do with finding width on the right hand side from somewhere.

Poch not brave enough though...

 

[Blake Griffin]

4-4-2 again?

It's not happening, we don't have the players to be effective with it. With Chadli and Lamela, we'd have the narrowest midfield in the league. 4-4-2 needs wingers hugging the touchline. At the moment, who fancies Lennon and Townsend on the flanks? Because Lamela and Chadli are just not, 4-4-2 players for me.

why? the top two in the league last season primarily played two up top with no wingers. same goes for la liga champs and cl runners up atletico.

 

[mikeeegreen]

why? the top two in the league last season primarily played two up top with no wingers. same goes for la liga champs and cl runners up atletico.

They have the players to do it

 

[Hotspur33]

Indeed, but without Walker we'd have no chance. It would definitely require Walker and Rose to be overlapping, say Lemala and Eriksen etc.

The thing with City is they're king of looking a bit vulnerable in the 4-4-2. Fine against lesser sides, but good sides like Roma made them look ordinary. There's a huge work load for them in midfield and Toure just doesn't look as up for it at the moment.

Anyway, people just need to be patient.

Agree with this. Full backs are so important to the way we play. Unfortunately our fullback seem to lack intelligence. Say what you like about about BAE's attitude, but we have struggled since he has been left out. And Walkers form tailed off last season.