billythekid
UTC Legend
The first time we played Villa away February 1972 will be remembered for this goal (I know it has been shown before on more than one occasion).
Tony Scott was brilliant at crossing the ball. 48k plus at the game!
I think it was before that, you have to go back to the 20sHas it been since the 70s that we’ve struggled with set pieces?
Villa are fresh meat for TalkSport's wind up merchants, AFCB are old hat by now.
The first time we played Villa away February 1972 will be remembered for this goal (I know it has been shown before on more than one occasion).
I wouldn't have been against a back 3 for this game, but the recent performance has soured it a bit. Maybe it'll work better away from home, against a team without the weird tactics (like that overlapping centre backs nonsense that Sheff do).
I'm not 343 biggest fan but if we do play it lets play an attacking version of it and that means playing wingers as wing backs rather than full backs......i still think its Ibe's best position tbh ideally or rather wishfully with Stan on the other side....reluctant as i am to leave out Smith or King from any team of ours i feel we must as it doesn't play to either of their strengths....as Lermanator has mentioned our two best performances with the 343 system ...Chelsea and Fulham came about when King didn't start........we can always bring on Smith or god forbid Rico if we need to protect a lead.IMO the key players in the 3-4-3 are the two playing behind the striker - it's set up for them to play centrally, in between the lines.
The only times I can recall us playing this system well in recent years (Chelsea and Fulham away for example) is when we've had at least one creative player (Brooks, Stanislas etc) playing there - i.e. someone who has the football brain to find space, see a pass and link the play. Wilson and King had passing accuracies of 50% and 54% respectively against Sheff Utd.
Unless Howe's willing to drop one of Fraser/King/Wilson (unlikely), or play Fraser at wing back again, in order to accommodate someone like Harry Wilson, I'd be staying well clear of a back 3 - or else I think we'll just get repeats of Saturday's 'performance'.
I'm not 343 biggest fan but if we do play it lets play an attacking version of it and that means playing wingers as wing backs rather than full backs......i still think its Ibe's best position tbh ideally or rather wishfully with Stan on the other side....reluctant as i am to leave out Smith or King from any team of ours i feel we must as it doesn't play to either of their strengths....as Lermanator has mentioned our two best performances with the 343 system ...Chelsea and Fulham came about when King didn't start........we can always bring on Smith or god forbid Rico if we need to protect a lead.
Something like this imo:
........................................Rambo
........Mepham...........Cook............Ake
Ibe................Lerma............Billing.............Fraser
.....H wilson...............Solankie..............Callum
Yep completely agree with Topfarrier on the wingers at wingback point (especially with Lerma/Billing in the middle who are athletic enough to get back and cover the wide areas).I definitely agree with playing wingers as wingbacks rather than Rico and Smith in this formation. Bit of a shame Danjuma is out, as he apparently did this quite a lot at his old club. If we're doing 3 at the back I'd probably go
--------------Ramsdale--------------
----Cook-----Ake-----Mepham----
Smith----Lerma----Billing----Fraser
---Ibe-----C. Wilson-----H. Wilson---
Bench: Boruc, Rico, Daniels, Surman, Kilkenny, King, Solanke
Yep completely agree with Topfarrier on the wingers at wingback point (especially with Lerma/Billing in the middle who are athletic enough to get back and cover the wide areas).
Would rather have Ibe playing behind the striker than wingback (he always looks infinitely better centrally and with fewer defensive duties).
Other than switching Ake to Mepham's position (he strangely always has a shocker when playing in the middle of the back 3) I'd be alright with that team.