Utilising our squad - formations

[Trix]

From my understanding and research of Postecoglu and his tactics, there will be several differences to this.

1. Both WF's will hold the width

2. Both FB's will invert to a narrow position either side of the 6.

3. The 2 x 8's will push up in to the half spaces between the WF's and the striker.

There's nothing to say he'll play the same system he played at Celtic. He's played different formations in his other jobs. It's just his style and philosophy that doesn't change.

 

[felmani26]

We're going to need a bigger formations thread.....

 

[Scot-Spur]

It’ll be 4-3-3 under Big Ange I reckon.

Dan KP says the following players futures are under threat: (surprised that Tanganga isn’t on that list poss because he’s homegrown)
Hugo Lloris • Ivan Perisic • Eric Dier • Ben Davies • Davinson Sanchez • Ryan Sessegnon • Giovani Lo Celso • Sergio Reguilon • Harry Winks • Bryan Gil

Id like to see Reggi as a LB in Big Ange’s 4-3-3 and Lo Celso as one of the midfield options and possibly keep Gil as a young squad winger option but the rest can go.

I think Tanganga and Tanguy will be on that list also. Just to many to name haha

I also think we would listen to offers for PEH.

 

[pedrodelawasp]

We're going to need a bigger formations thread.....

What, like a 5-5-3?

 

[Flobadob]

We don’t have the players to play exactly the way Ange has been setting up Celtic. We don’t have any fullbacks suited to playing the inverted way and we don’t have touchline hugging wingers. He’ll have to adapt his tactics. He’s been coaching for over 20 years, I’d be very surprised if he’s not capable of working with exactly what we have and making the best of them in their best positions

 

[noggen]

We don’t have any fullbacks suited to playing the inverted way.

Didn't Emerson Royal do it occasionally under Conte? Cut inside to midfield position. As far as I remember he managed that very well.

 

[Flobadob]

Didn't Emerson Royal do it occasionally under Conte? Cut inside to midfield position. As far as I remember he managed that very well.

Pointless doing it if you don’t have proper wingers though, the two tactics have to go hand in hand. If we signed an out and out winger like Diaby him and Son could perhaps hug the touchlines with Emerson and Udogie (he’s really good on the ball) coming inside but we’d need a proper winger on the right hand side at the very least for it to begin to be a viable tactic. Could play Skipp as the holding DM, Bissouma and Kulusevski as the busy CM’s, Diaby and Son as the wide men. Ange is gonna need a bit of backing in the market if we’re gonna play exactly how he has at Celtic

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

Destiny will be able to play the LB role with coaching in my opinion. He likes to drive inside and he’s played in CM before too.

The biggest thing with him is coaching his defensive awareness and positional play.

 

[Timberwolf]

Think this will be one of the most interesting and informative pre-seasons in a long time.

Had high hopes for certain players when Jose and Conte came in and many of those players were swiftly sidelined. I'm sure there will be a fair few surprises this summer too, but it will be refreshing to have a manager who that priorities our more technical players rather than the (supposedly) reliable plodders.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Good summary from Windy on the squad broken down by the below categories (id barely disagree with any of his summaries tbh, think he’s just about nailed it):

• SELL – just get rid
• ACCEPT GOOD OFFER – if we keep hold of them it’s not a problem, but a good offer would mean it’s sensible to sell
• ANGE POTENTIAL – a player I think could fit the system well
• SHRUG – just too many variables
• NO FURTHER DISCOURSE – you know why
• N/A – we don’t own Kulusevski or Lenglet
  
  

  Squad Rebuild

  I am super, super excited about the appointment of Ange Postecoglou but my main (only?) worry is that our squad is not especially well set-up to implement his style. Alongside this, read my Twitter…

  windycoys.com

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

There's nothing to say he'll play the same system he played at Celtic. He's played different formations in his other jobs. It's just his style and philosophy that doesn't change.

I think he’ll look to rebuild us in his imagine and preferred formation of 4-3-3 which he’s used pretty heavily throughout his coaching career.

He said when he joined Celtic he loved the opportunity to rebuild the team in his image in a 4-3-3, I think the fact we’ve given him a 4 year contract means he’ll start from the ground up, very much doubt he’ll play a back 3 for example, pretty sure it’ll be similar to the 4-3-3 he’s set up at Celtic as @Nick-TopSpursMan has said.

 

[spurs9]

Without looking too much in the nuances of it all, I really am looking forward to seeing Bissouma involved under Ange as more progressive 8.

I think he will be used more in the 6 role, he isn't creative enough for the 8 role IMO.

 

[spurs9]

We don’t have the players to play exactly the way Ange has been setting up Celtic. We don’t have any fullbacks suited to playing the inverted way and we don’t have touchline hugging wingers. He’ll have to adapt his tactics. He’s been coaching for over 20 years, I’d be very surprised if he’s not capable of working with exactly what we have and making the best of them in their best positions

Celtic's wingers don't hug the touchline under Postecoglu, they cut inside. Kulusevski spends more time on the touchline down the side of the box than any of Celtics wingers.

In Regards to the inverted wing backs, I wrote the below in another thread:

"Udogie has actually played CM quite a few times already and if you watch him play, he cuts inside when dribbling almost as much as he dribbles down the wing and all his best work tends to be in the channel rather than down the touchline. If you look at Greg Taylor's heat map prior to Ange joining, it is similar to Udogie's except Taylor is involved a lot more (expected when Celtic had 62% possession compared to Udinese's 47%).

Porro I have more reservations about, but that is from a defensive point of view, specifically one on one defending. From an attacking point of view, I don't see why he wouldn't work, especially when you look at the heat maps of 3 RB's for Celtic (Juranovic, Johnston & Ralston), as they spend just as much time crossing area's as Porro, it's just the middle third of the pitch they come inside a lot more, so shouldn't waste Porro's crossing ability."

Another thing to consider in regards to the full backs, is that 5 of the top 10 players for dribbles completed are fullbacks (yes the have used 5 full backs this season) and only 2 of their 4 wingers are in that top 10 (the other 3 are CMs). This would suit Udogie and Porro, but not Emerson and Davies (not even going to consider Regulion, Perisic and Sessegnon).

At the same time, 5 of the top 7 players for tackles made per 90 are also the fullbacks, which would suit Udogie and Emerson, but probably not Porro unless he improves his one on one defending (though he still wins more tackles than anyone bar one in the Celtic side).

 

[spurs9]

Good summary from Windy on the squad broken down by the below categories (id barely disagree with any of his summaries tbh, think he’s just about nailed it):

• SELL – just get rid
• ACCEPT GOOD OFFER – if we keep hold of them it’s not a problem, but a good offer would mean it’s sensible to sell
• ANGE POTENTIAL – a player I think could fit the system well
• SHRUG – just too many variables
• NO FURTHER DISCOURSE – you know why
• N/A – we don’t own Kulusevski or Lenglet
  
  

  Squad Rebuild

  I am super, super excited about the appointment of Ange Postecoglou but my main (only?) worry is that our squad is not especially well set-up to implement his style. Alongside this, read my Twitter…

  windycoys.com

He has Son and Richarlison in the same categories as Sessegnon and Rodon. 0/10 would not recommend. Also, I definitely wouldn't class the number 6 as a playmaker, McGregor has 3 assists in 2 seasons and and is 5th in the team (6th last season) for Key Passes.

 

[AnotherSpursFan]

We need proper footballers in the team. Hope he can rehabilitate Reguilon, Lo Celso and Ndombele

 

[Ron Burgundy]

We need proper footballers in the team. Hope he can rehabilitate Reguilon, Lo Celso and Ndombele

They'd need to get, and stay fit, which has seemed largely them in the past - who knows if a regime change could help?

Le Celso and Reguillon I haven't completely given up on, though they're long shots.

Ndombele is a lost cause IMO

 

[RuskyM]

Good summary from Windy on the squad broken down by the below categories (id barely disagree with any of his summaries tbh, think he’s just about nailed it):

• SELL – just get rid
• ACCEPT GOOD OFFER – if we keep hold of them it’s not a problem, but a good offer would mean it’s sensible to sell
• ANGE POTENTIAL – a player I think could fit the system well
• SHRUG – just too many variables
• NO FURTHER DISCOURSE – you know why
• N/A – we don’t own Kulusevski or Lenglet
  
  

  Squad Rebuild

  I am super, super excited about the appointment of Ange Postecoglou but my main (only?) worry is that our squad is not especially well set-up to implement his style. Alongside this, read my Twitter…

  windycoys.com

I agree with a lot of this (my "I Believe In Eric Dier" tattoo notwithstanding) but I'd be staggered if we sold double figures this summer. I just don't really see who pays the money/wages for Lo Celso, Reguilon, Sessegnon.

That said, really wouldn't be surprised to see mutual terminations for Lloris and Perisic.

 

[felmani26]

I think he will be used more in the 6 role, he isn't creative enough for the 8 role IMO.

Depends if we utilise a single pivot and two 8's in which I think he can play a more box to box/advanced role who's capable of being a threat.

Nevertheless, it's actually fascinating to think how fluid we could potentially setup and the way tactically the game is going, it's ever so slightly less about round pegs in round holes but being a functioning moving part in a bigger system that everyone know's their remit and triggers.

 

[mil1lion]

Pointless doing it if you don’t have proper wingers though, the two tactics have to go hand in hand. If we signed an out and out winger like Diaby him and Son could perhaps hug the touchlines with Emerson and Udogie (he’s really good on the ball) coming inside but we’d need a proper winger on the right hand side at the very least for it to begin to be a viable tactic. Could play Skipp as the holding DM, Bissouma and Kulusevski as the busy CM’s, Diaby and Son as the wide men. Ange is gonna need a bit of backing in the market if we’re gonna play exactly how he has at Celtic

Porro is perfect for right wing

 

[Timberwolf]

Porro is perfect for right wing

He's a great crosser and a good finisher but not sure he's got the raw pace or trickery to be a top-tier winger. Suspect that's why he ended up being converted into a wing-back in the first place.

He'd be a decent rotation option there, though.

Unless we switch to a back 3 I do struggle to see how Porro fits into the first 11 tbh. Would be useful as a super-sub either on the wing or at RB but not sure he'll have a natural spot in the first 11 as he seems like such a specialist wing-back.

Both Spence and Udogie look more natural fits at full-back to me (and Royal ofc). Both quicker and better defenders than Porro, with more physicality, albeit more raw in possession. Not sure Spence could do the inverted thing, though