Bit of a slow day so i wanted to revisit my solution to our formation / team selection issues. The 3-3-3-1.
.......................DDG
........Varane Maguire ..Shaw
..Donny .......McTom.......Pogba
Greenwood....Bruno.....Sancho
......................Ronaldo
Benefits when in possession -
McTom can drop, allowing Shaw to get forward
Pogba able to play left of midfield
6 players comfortable on the ball.
Plenty of options for a pass
Ronaldo not required to come deep
Benefits when out of possession -
Defence less susceptible to the break.
Bruno and McTominay can drop, making it a 433.
Ronaldo not required to defend or press.
I realise it looks narrow, but given AWB's struggles going forward, we arent losing much width from not having a RB, plus we still have Shaw, Greenwood and Sancho wide.
Thoughts ?
Why not go 3-3-3-1 ?
posted on 10/10/21
comment by Ole-dirty-baztard - You want ole in, ole out, in, out, in, out, shake it all about. Do the ole Koke-Penited (U19119)
posted 4 hours, 13 minutes ago
Bottled it Op. this is what we should be playing.
......................DDG
..…………....Varane
..Donny .......McTom.......Pogba …Fred
Greenwood....Bruno...Ronaldo ..Sancho rashford
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Love it, but I'd push Varane into midfield
posted on 10/10/21
The LCM & RCM would become de facto wing backs, cos you're not gunna ask Sancho & Greenwood to do it, and that's why the outside CB's need to be converted midfielders - so they can plug into the spaces left in the middle without losing anything in possession. What you've essentially described with McTominay dropping back is actually a 4-3-3 with a weird attacking shape
The 3313/3331 shape is pure Bielsaball. I'm sure somewhere in the world there's been other variations but I've not seen it played any other way, and that's what I've described.
posted on 10/10/21
Even Bielsa facked it off.
posted on 10/10/21
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 10/10/21
comment by Devil (U6522)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
The LCM & RCM would become de facto wing backs, cos you're not gunna ask Sancho & Greenwood to do it, and that's why the outside CB's need to be converted midfielders - so they can plug into the spaces left in the middle without losing anything in possession. What you've essentially described with McTominay dropping back is actually a 4-3-3 with a weird attacking shape
The 3313/3331 shape is pure Bielsaball. I'm sure somewhere in the world there's been other variations but I've not seen it played any other way, and that's what I've described.
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They aren’t wingbacks just because they play wide and you ask them to defend, or is Bruno a DM ?
posted on 10/10/21
The issue seems to be you guys need to fit players into a typical role, rather than looking at what they are being asked to do.
posted on 10/10/21
comment by Don (U22703)
posted 10 minutes ago
The issue seems to be you guys need to fit players into a typical role, rather than looking at what they are being asked to do.
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Only one genius in the world can see that United should be playing 3331, literally everyone else is wrong.
posted on 11/10/21
comment by Don (U22703)
posted 1 hour, 48 minutes ago
The issue seems to be you guys need to fit players into a typical role, rather than looking at what they are being asked to do.
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Width is fundamental in any tactic, and if you only have one source of it (which I think you're suggesting if there's no FB/WB's) then you're in trouble structurally. The opposition's job is to make the pitch as small as possible when defending, here you've done the job for them - neutralizing the wingers is easy, from there playing between the lines is a nightmare & your setup falls apart.
Either the outside midfielders are the secondary source of width, or you'd be doing some Chris Wilder overlapping CB's madness, but it's gotta be one or the other.
posted on 11/10/21
Devil, I wouldn’t waste your time on trying to explain anything to this poster.
posted on 11/10/21
comment by Devil (U6522)
posted 45 minutes ago
comment by Don (U22703)
posted 1 hour, 48 minutes ago
The issue seems to be you guys need to fit players into a typical role, rather than looking at what they are being asked to do.
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Width is fundamental in any tactic, and if you only have one source of it (which I think you're suggesting if there's no FB/WB's) then you're in trouble structurally. The opposition's job is to make the pitch as small as possible when defending, here you've done the job for them - neutralizing the wingers is easy, from there playing between the lines is a nightmare & your setup falls apart.
Either the outside midfielders are the secondary source of width, or you'd be doing some Chris Wilder overlapping CB's madness, but it's gotta be one or the other.
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The width comes from Shaw, Greenwood, Sancho, just one player less (Wan Bissaka who isnt great going forward) than the current set up, plus we
have Pogba who can go wide when in possession.
All formations / tactics have pros and cons, and im not suggesting 3331 doesnt, but to dismiss it out of hand like some have is just silly.
I genuinely believe this could make us better given our current deficiancies, but ultimately, its just an opinion.