4-4-2?

[numpty40]

Looked pretty much like a basic 4-4-2 last night.

[diego]

my stream had pompey commentators and they said their team was a shambles for the first 20 because they couldn't work out how to play against our weird 4-4-2. football has come full circle

[djralphy2k9]

It was a 4-4-2 when defending but turned into a 4-2-4 on the press/attack

[ElworthPotter]

Four - four - fucking - two ❤️

[emretezzy]

Oct 3, 2024 6:52:02 GMT djralphy2k9 said:

It was a 4-4-2 when defending but turned into a 4-2-4 on the press/attack

That's just 4-4-2 isn't it. Flying wingers.

We actually had a solid platform to build on yesterday with Wilmot and Stevens providing am actually back 4.

Koumas Bae were brilliant.

Gallagher gave the best striker performance I've seen at Stoke since probably Fletcher.

Cannon smashes everything but when they go in it looks quality.

[chiswickpotter]

Old school 4-4-2 with 2 flexible central midfielders. Great solution to our problems in midfield, bypass them and by doing so, create space for the midfield to play. My worry is how it will be against better teams able to attack through midfield

[Gary Hackett]

Can't see us playing 442 against better opposition so he'll probably go 352 / 532 if he wants to keep 2 up top.

[lordb]

Oct 3, 2024 6:52:02 GMT djralphy2k9 said:

It was a 4-4-2 when defending but turned into a 4-2-4 on the press/attack

As it always was

[Biblical]

Oct 3, 2024 7:15:29 GMT Gary Hackett said:

Can't see us playing 442 against better opposition so he'll probably go 352 / 532 if he wants to keep 2 up top.

He’s got to keep two up top whatever he plays.

We don’t need a number 10 if Gallagher is as capable of bringing others into play as he showed last night.

[potterfox1011]

Oct 3, 2024 6:54:49 GMT emretezzy said:

Oct 3, 2024 6:52:02 GMT djralphy2k9 said:

It was a 4-4-2 when defending but turned into a 4-2-4 on the press/attack

That's just 4-4-2 isn't it. Flying wingers.

We actually had a solid platform to build on yesterday with Wilmot and Stevens providing am actually back 4.

Koumas Bae were brilliant.

Gallagher gave the best striker performance I've seen at Stoke since probably Fletcher.

Cannon smashes everything but when they go in it looks quality.

[rowleyscfc]

To me in possession it went in to like a 4-1-3-2, Moran pushed to the 10, Burger filled the gap, Gallagher and Cannon

Whatever it was it was a joy to watch

[femark]

He’s played 4-4-2 in all 3 games, just with Manhoef as the second striker in the others.

[march4]

Looked more like 4-4-1-1 with Gallagher in the Mama position.

[pez75]

I thought he had said in one of his interviews that his preferred formation is 4-4-2?

[figo85]

I’m not overly fussed what happens prior to the “2”, but the change to having 2 up front was incredible. Long may it continue

[Gary Hackett]

Oct 3, 2024 7:18:22 GMT Biblical said:

Oct 3, 2024 7:15:29 GMT Gary Hackett said:

Can't see us playing 442 against better opposition so he'll probably go 352 / 532 if he wants to keep 2 up top.

He’s got to keep two up top whatever he plays.

We don’t need a number 10 if Gallagher is as capable of bringing others into play as he showed last night.

Totally agree, hopefully he'll stick with 2 up top.

[emretezzy]

Oct 3, 2024 7:15:11 GMT chiswickpotter said:

Old school 4-4-2 with 2 flexible central midfielders. Great solution to our problems in midfield, bypass them and by doing so, create space for the midfield to play. My worry is how it will be against better teams able to attack through midfield

That's spot on.

A good team will overload the midfield and bully us in there.

With that formation we can play on the counter, but as you say we don't want to continually get overran.

[jimmygscfc1234]

When Lawal is fit (not to mention Pearson) and is the real deal, and everyone available how do folk see things going? I know it's a squad game but what's our best midfield and attack?

I'm thinking Lawal (hopefully), Burger with Moran or Bae in front and Million, Cannon and Gallagher up top.

[FullerMagic]

Didn't see that comiig at all.

Interesting to see how things shape up long-term, especially against the better teams but it was like watching a different sport that we don't often see these days. Gallagher's presence up there changed everything.

Fascinating to see how he sets up at Swansea and their possession domination

[GeneralFaye]

We've played 442 in every game. Why can't people see that Manhoef has been playing as a striker?

When he comes back hopefully it's on the right.

[FullerMagic]

Oct 3, 2024 10:15:22 GMT GeneralFaye said:

We've played 442 in every game. Why can't people see that Manhoef has been playing as a striker?

When he comes back hopefully it's on the right.

It's apples and oranges when you've got a proper 6' 4" striker there though, and not someone trying to float around as a bit of a number 10.

[jm]

Oct 3, 2024 8:47:51 GMT Gary Hackett said:

Oct 3, 2024 7:18:22 GMT Biblical said:

He’s got to keep two up top whatever he plays.

We don’t need a number 10 if Gallagher is as capable of bringing others into play as he showed last night.

Totally agree, hopefully he'll stick with 2 up top.

You previously said NP was full of shit and just making things up - now you're analysing his tactics?

[Gary Hackett]

Oct 3, 2024 10:15:22 GMT GeneralFaye said:

We've played 442 in every game. Why can't people see that Manhoef has been playing as a striker?

When he comes back hopefully it's on the right.

Nah it was 4231 with Manhoef not as advanced as Gallagher, however Gallagher did drop deep when he needed to.

But yeah Manhoef needs to play on the right.

[Gary Hackett]

Oct 3, 2024 10:24:21 GMT jm said:

Oct 3, 2024 8:47:51 GMT Gary Hackett said:

Totally agree, hopefully he'll stick with 2 up top.

You previously said NP was full of shit and just making things up - now you're analysing his tactics?

He is full of shit because he has done what he said he wouldn't do initially, but fair play to him he's either realised he was wrong or the Sporting Director has had a word in his ear.

[FullerMagic]

www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-portsmouth-narcis-pelach-9601603
An old-fashioned strike partnership
Stoke hadn’t played with a proper old-fashioned front two since April 2023 when Dwight Gayle and Tyrese Campbell had lined up for Alex Neil against Gareth Ainsworth’s Queens Park Rangers. Less said about that day the better and we’d have mercifully forgotten about it altogether if George Weaver, AKA Potterlytics, hadn’t flagged it up as the last time Stoke had played with a proper old-fashioned front two.

It has been a lot longer than that since Stoke had a front two that linked together like Gallagher and Cannon, Cannon and Gall. Rock on Tommy indeed.

It was all about balance. We saw the best of Cannon and Bae Junho and Lewis Koumas because of Sam Gallagher, Andrew Moran and Wouter Burger. We saw the best of Burger, Gallagher and Moran because of Junho, Koumas and Cannon constantly stretching the game.

Everyone was giddy by the time the sixth went in but there will have been a few mental notes being taken that Stoke lost their forward momentum as the substitutions were made in midfield and attack. Maybe that was due to the state of the match but it will all be valuable knowledge to the head coach as he truly weighs up his starting XI and the depth behind it.

[GeneralFaye]

Oct 3, 2024 10:16:46 GMT FullerMagic said:

Oct 3, 2024 10:15:22 GMT GeneralFaye said:

We've played 442 in every game. Why can't people see that Manhoef has been playing as a striker?

When he comes back hopefully it's on the right.

It's apples and oranges when you've got a proper 6' 4" striker there though, and not someone trying to float around as a bit of a number 10.

The effectiveness of it doesn't change the fact we've been playing it since Pelach has taken charge.

[shakermaker]

Oct 3, 2024 6:54:49 GMT emretezzy said:

Oct 3, 2024 6:52:02 GMT djralphy2k9 said:

It was a 4-4-2 when defending but turned into a 4-2-4 on the press/attack

That's just 4-4-2 isn't it. Flying wingers.

We actually had a solid platform to build on yesterday with Wilmot and Stevens providing am actually back 4.

Koumas Bae were brilliant.

Gallagher gave the best striker performance I've seen at Stoke since probably Fletcher.

Cannon smashes everything but when they go in it looks quality.

I think the above two have more or less nailed it. The wingers provided attacking outlets although were more compact, with Junho stationed a little deeper on the left, working hard to recover the ball and get it forward and Koumas enjoying freer rein in advanced attacking areas down the right.

Both Cannon and Gallagher played as deeper forwards, though Cannon had a knack of being in the right space to shoot in the attacking third.

[mcw]

Like night and day between that performance and Mddlesborough. Never saw it coming in a million miles but I think we may see Wilmot/Stevens stay at right back and left back for a while now. They seemed much better at defending the spaces and making us look much more solid at the back. Gallagher for Million also worked out very well with him knowing how to play the slightly withdrawn striker role much better and provided physical presence up top to make it stick. With the back four looking solid, the midfield seemed more fluid and confident. Long may it continue and long may I eat my words about the head coach not requiring a song as he won’t be around for long😂

[lordb]

Oct 3, 2024 10:15:22 GMT GeneralFaye said:

We've played 442 in every game. Why can't people see that Manhoef has been playing as a striker?

When he comes back hopefully it's on the right.

because when he played central when he attacked he played as a striker & when we didn't have the ball he was 20/30 yards deeper playing in midfield ?

Gallagher did drop off the CB's into attacking midfield areas on occasion but no where near as deep as Million was playing when we didn't have the ball

a very clear difference

hues we would need player geta maps to demonstrate the difference

[noustie]

Stoke playing 4-4-2 with Sexy Sam up top makes my knob tingle.

Formations are fashion essentially and if 4-4-2 is the answer against the current bland shite across football then I'm very much in favour.