France here we come and other 2015/16 Pre-Season Stuff

[The Bear]

Plus it's not going to work when teams come to Molineux and pack the middle of the field to stop us playing through them.

We struggled enough against that with genuine wide players never mind an even narrower formation.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

As I said before Iorfa can play that up and down game but I don't think Golbourne can. You'd have to have Dicko on the left side of the front two to occasionally drop deep/wide to help with width.

I'd have thought it'd be easier for Edwards to drop deeper off the ball for move of a 4132 defensively and then you just shuffle the 3 across to suit which side the play is building down you'd end up with Coady/Rowe covering the wide position on whichever side the ball was with the other tucked in a bit alongside Edwards to occupy the centre.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The issue is that you're relying on two fullbacks, one of whom won't cross the ball, one of whom can't, for all your width. It wouldn't work at all.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Just don't deliver from wide areas then, they can still occupy wide areas to stretch the game but then work the ball back inside rather than crossing it. It's not like Wolves have got a forward who's going to thrive on service from wide areas at the moment anyway so you're not really losing a great deal in that respect.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Or we could not play a formation which is easily combated and doesn't suit the players we own.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

So you send out bang average Henry and VLP just to stick with the wide plan despite neither of the forwards being particularly great from that type of service and at the expense of either one of those front two or a central midfielder who is probably better than either wide option, that really suits the players.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I don't think I ever said I was wedded to having out and out wingers. I said a diamond won't work.

 

[NoodleWolf]

Edwards hits the post, but it remains 0-0 at HT.

 

[Lycan]

Wolves XI SECOND: Flatt; Weeks, Iorfa, Hayden, Deslandes; McDonald, Henry, Jacobs, Ronan; Enobakhare, van La Parra.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I don't think I ever said I was wedded to having out and out wingers. I said a diamond won't work.

What's the alternative then? 433?

Don't think there's really the right players for that at the moment either, if Sako was still here then you could've made a fudge of it with Dicko on the opposite of Afobe to him but no way is VLP the same sort of threat from that narrower position. Dicko would be just about passable as the wider forward but then the other side is a complete bodge and you've still pretty reliant on the fullbacks for majority of the width.

 

[Lycan]

Flatt

Weeks Iorfa Hayden Deslandes

McDonald

Henry--------------Jacobs

Ronan

van La Parra Enobakhare​

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'd still be looking at what we played last season, 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1. Just sign someone to play on the left. Don't rip it up and play a rubbish formation, as I said last week diamond formations do not work in this country.

 

[Lycan]

Burgoyne in for Flatt as well.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I'd still be looking at what we played last season, 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1. Just sign someone to play on the left. Don't rip it up and play a rubbish formation, as I said last week diamond formations do not work in this country.

I just don't see that as a sign of progress. You've lost the best wide player and are unlikely to improve on him yet you've improved the options in the centre of the park, or at least tried to do so, so surely an emphasis on central midfield is the way to go for improving on last year's starting 11? Otherwise it's just a pale imitation of last season with a Sako downgrade or ditching one of Dicko or Afobe to play Wallace in behind which has to be seen as a gamble looking at their CVs at the moment.

As a side note it really bugs me to see comments like what i've highlighted, like English football is some sort of special case where certain things just aren't for our game.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Well you tell me when and where it has worked, as I've seen plenty try over the 27 years I've been watching football and most fail. Liverpool 2013/14 I'll give you.

It doesn't work here as most teams still play wide players and you get horribly exposed. It works in Italy as hardly anyone plays wingers.

 

[Jolemai]

Tim Spiers ‏@tim_spiers_Star 4 mins4 minutes ago

Wolves' captain for the second half - Kevin McDonald.

:shake:

 

[The Bear]

I quite like 5-3-2 if you have the wing-backs to make it work. They've got to be damn good though.

 

[The Bear]

Oh and Leicester seemed to make it work in their last 9 games of the season. 7 wins and 1 draw.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Well you tell me when and where it has worked, as I've seen plenty try over the 27 years I've been watching football and most fail. Liverpool 2013/14 I'll give you.

It doesn't work here as most teams still play wide players and you get horribly exposed. It works in Italy as hardly anyone plays wingers.

As I said the other day/week.

No-one has really given it a real go in this country from my memory, you had that 1 season at Liverpool almost out of necessity that was torn up after Suarez left and Hoddles mess here, I can't really remember anyone else trying it to any real extent, certainly not over the sort of period where you're likely to iron out the creases and start to build a squad with that formation in mind.

As Wolves' squad stands the midfield strength is down the middle so I see no harm in giving it a try if no further players come in, especially as you want to try and play Dicko and Afobe as often as possible. It doesn't work out then you know you've got VLP and Henry as steady wide options to at least tide you over until you can add to the squad again.

 

[Lycan]

Tim Spiers ‏@tim_spiers_Star 4 mins4 minutes ago

Wolves' captain for the second half - Kevin McDonald.

:nod: