jmancubsfanI responded heavily to someone else's dilemma so I thought it might be good if I got some feedback on my own team. We are one of the most fortunate teams in my league in that our talent level is actually very balanced and I couldn't tell you if I had to, who our worst player really is. But here's a description of what I've got in each player and if anyone thinks I could try someone at a different position please let me know:
CB- good sweeper type
CB/RB/CDM- typical defender, but not as fast as the other CB
RM/RB-belongs at outside mid for crossing ability but can defend
RWB- lots of speed and hustle
CDM- tall, very strong tackler
CM- fast, ball-winner
LM- good passer
CAM- good passer, played a lot with LM and CF
CF- very fast
RAM- likes to play forward is good with the ball as a mid
Bench:
LW/LB- me, love to cross, lefty
ST- big target, good shot
RM- all around mid, misses about half the games
more to follow...
08.10.2009
jmancubsfanWe love the long ball to the CF when he's in the game. If their D comes up to the half he can easily out run nearly any defender in our league. The CAM seems to always be the distributor so I like him behind the CF as well.
08.10.2009
FeriAtsCan your team play possesion football? If you can dominate with say %70, maybe you can afford to play with one defensive midfielder and employ 2 strikers.
09.10.2009
Sweeper5From everything I've read in other threads this is working well for you, so I probably wouldn't make changes. But, if you're asking my opinion . . .
When I was playing in college my junior and senior year we had a coach from Salvador, Brazil who had played for and coached for EC Vitoria (the junior squad). We played 4-2-2-2 with the brazilian box midfield. This reminds me of that, but it is slightly tilted like the Brazilian national team often plays now.
The one thing I'd change is to put your attacking fullback on the opposite side. This seems like you will either play longball, which you say you do, or build down the right side. It seems that you are the only left footed defender, so unless you are on the field, it shouldn't matter to have the attacking player on the left. Probably you would want to swap the CB's if you made that change so your fast guy stays on the same side as the attacking fullback.
By switching the attacking fullback to the opposite side he'll be able link up with the LM easier than he probably does with the "CM-fast, ball winner" and overlap into the space left of the CF. If these two are attacking this space late it should be empty because the opposing defense will have shifted over to cover the Strikers and CAM.
09.10.2009
jmancubsfanWow, I'll have to re-read this more when I have time but I have to interject that our LM, CAM, and CF are Korean college students who play very well together and tend to help us play more possession, but yet very quickly and direct up the field, when they get the ball. We usually attack over the top or down the left already.
Sorry, if I lead you to believe the RWB was an "attacking" full back. I tried to highlight everyone's best asset but his speed is really all he has going for him. He claims a knee injury cost him his touch but I don't think that makes you kick every ball with your toe.
09.10.2009
Sweeper5I was making assumptions based on the formation looking (to me at least) a little shifted to the right side and you describe the right back as "RWB" (wing back?) and he is the only one you used "RWB" with. Everyone else is "RB". I assumed you were trying to differentiate him, and previously (commenting on a different topic) you had written about backs getting forward "only the speedy one tries". I thought maybe that was this guy.
Sounds like you shouldn't change anything. The three players you refer to probably morph their positioning already to solve whatever problems they encounter on the field. And with a solid block of six behind your front 4 can be as creative as they want - kind of like 4-2-3-1 is intended.
You had also written before that you would consider a 5 man defense if your league adapted to how you are playing now. I do have some thoughts on how you might do that, but I'll have to put it in later when I have more time.
10.10.2009
jmancubsfanLet me add to the dilemma then...
My team is currently in second after 8 of 10 regular season games and we still have a chance to win the regular season title and are likely to be favored to play in the championship at the end of the playoffs. However, at this point we are the only team that has allowed two or more goals in every game. We've never even come close to a clean sheet. We seem to be able to dominate through the first half but are becoming known for giving up a two-goal lead for a draw.
THE BIG QUESTION IS:
How should I adapt my formation and style of play in the second half when leading and my players growing tired in order to shut down the other team without getting pinned in for the entire half?
(I think I'll start a separate topic about this...)
13.10.2009
