How will we line-up?

[Don Giovanni]

I have always preffered 433/4231 over any back 3/5 formation.

It's pointless having 3 CBs on the pitch when most teams play with one man upfront. You need more bodies in midfield.

 

[Achilles]

With Harry Kane up top.

 

[Arthur Wensleydale]

In that kit?
Outside Poundland.

 

[FightingIllini]

I have always preffered 433/4231 over any back 3/5 formation.

It's pointless having 3 CBs on the pitch when most teams play with one man upfront. You need more bodies in midfield.

Yeah but the 3 at the back gets the fullbacks further up the pitch and for me makes better use of Dier's unique skillset. It beats the opposing midfield by stretching it out rather than flooding it.

Davies is more of a proper fullback than the more versatile Rose, but with the way Trippier dominated as a wingback for England I feel like that's the stronger formation for us going forward.

It also asks a little less energy-wise of Dembele.

The downside of course is then you can't play all of Kane, Alli, Eriksen, and Son, a foursome that is sometimes just completely unplayable. Unless you drop Eriksen deeper of course, though he hasn't seemed his best the couple of times I've seen him deployed there.

 

[Don Giovanni]

Yeah but the 3 at the back gets the fullbacks further up the pitch and for me makes better use of Dier's unique skillset. It beats the opposing midfield by stretching it out rather than flooding it.

Davies is more of a proper fullback than the more versatile Rose, but with the way Trippier dominated as a wingback for England I feel like that's the stronger formation for us going forward.

It also asks a little less energy-wise of Dembele.

The downside of course is then you can't play all of Kane, Alli, Eriksen, and Son, a foursome that is sometimes just completely unplayable. Unless you drop Eriksen deeper of course, though he hasn't seemed his best the couple of times I've seen him deployed there.

Back 3/5 formations are used by teams happy to sit back and concede possession as it leaves you open in midfield but very tight at the back.

This formation is used by average counter attacking teams that don't have technically gifted maestros to control the midfield, see England.

There has never been a club or national team in the last 50 years that truly dominated world football playing that formation.

 

[Hamilton]

Back 3/5 formations are used by teams happy to sit back and concede possession as it leaves you open in midfield but very tight at the back.

This formation is used by average counter attacking teams that don't have technically gifted maestros to control the midfield, see England.

There has never been a club or national team in the last 50 years that truly dominated world football playing that formation.

Didn't Juventus use a back 3 when they had Pogba, Marchisio, Vidal, and Pirlo as midfielders?

 

[FightingIllini]

There has never been a club or national team in the last 50 years that truly dominated world football playing that formation.

I'm not the student of history to refute that, but all I know is there were games against top EPL sides in 2016-17 where they could barely get the ball out of their own half with us playing a back 3. And that was with Kyle Walker, who while an utter class player isn't the hand-in-glove fit as a right wingback like Trippier.

Anyway, either way, I would hope we have the option of both to be deployed by Poch when the matchup suits it.

 

[Don Giovanni]

Didn't Juventus use a back 3 when they had Pogba, Marchisio, Vidal, and Pirlo as midfielders?

Did they really dominate world football?

 

[Hamilton]

Did they really dominate world football?

Won a bunch of domestic titles and reached a couple CL finals in 3 years. They were definitely a dominant team, they just weren't good enough to beat Madrid/Barca. I'm mostly arguing the bit about the formation being used by clubs that don't have technically gifted midfielders.

 

[FightingIllini]

We also ran Real Madrid off the park in one of the few games last year in which Toby, Jan, and Davinson all started. I had forgotten that. Dier and Winks as the CM pairing.

 

[Don Giovanni]

Won a bunch of domestic titles and reached a couple CL finals in 3 years. They were definitely a dominant team, they just weren't good enough to beat Madrid/Barca. I'm mostly arguing the bit about the formation being used by clubs that don't have technically gifted midfielders.

This Juve team will never really be regarded as dominant team at european stage. They reached 2 CL finals by playing pragmatic football. They also played 442 diamond under both Conte and Allegri few times I've watched them.

You misunderstood me, I said most of the teams that play this formation, not all teams, don't have maestros to control the midfield.

 

[Radical Rei]

WHERE'S FOOKIN 442!?!?!

 

[Don Giovanni]

WHERE'S FOOKIN 442!?!?!

Most underrated formation in the modern game.

 

[FightingIllini]

Most underrated formation in the modern game.

Remember when we went 442 for a hot minute in Cyprus last year and Sissoko suddenly turned into Steven Gerrard? That was fun.

 

[Radical Rei]

Most underrated formation in the modern game.

This but unironically

 

[TimothéeAtouba]

I just can’t stand the resurgence of 3-5 at the back. Whether Toby stays or goes, I hope we keep it to 2 centre halfs, really not a fan of the defensive lineup.

 

[Larry David]

I’d be interested to see a 4-3-3 with son and Moura either side of kane, but realistically think it’ll be the 3-4-3 to start with

 

[SpiderSpurs]

3 - 4 - 2 -1