4-4-2?

[y_oh_y_delilah]

But it wasn’t 4-4-2 was it?
It was clearly 4-1-3-2 with either Burger or Moran (they alternated) playing just in front of the back 4.
Anyway with that starting XI it worked like a dream, but doubt we’d dare play like that at Swansea.

[lordb]

Oct 3, 2024 11:30:37 GMT y_oh_y_delilah said:

But it wasn’t 4-4-2 was it?
It was clearly 4-1-3-2 with either Burger or Moran (they alternated) playing just in front of the back 4.
Anyway with that starting XI it worked like a dream, but doubt we’d dare play like that at Swansea.

nope Gallagher played right up front with Cannon

[y_oh_y_delilah]

Oct 3, 2024 11:32:13 GMT lordb said:

Oct 3, 2024 11:30:37 GMT y_oh_y_delilah said:

But it wasn’t 4-4-2 was it?
It was clearly 4-1-3-2 with either Burger or Moran (they alternated) playing just in front of the back 4.
Anyway with that starting XI it worked like a dream, but doubt we’d dare play like that at Swansea.

nope Gallagher played right up front with Cannon

Yes obviously I know that.
What’s that got to do with anything we’ve been discussing?
🤷‍♂️

[J-Roar]

Oct 3, 2024 10:32:05 GMT FullerMagic said:

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.

The game was won - it's very rare for goal blitzes to continue - the attacking team loses focus and the defending team starts to play for pride.  

[wuzza]

However much people want to over complicate things it did my old heart good to see a strong (and not untalented) target man operating with skilful players buzzing around him. Hope it continues.

[shakermaker]

Oct 3, 2024 11:42:55 GMT y_oh_y_delilah said:

Oct 3, 2024 11:32:13 GMT lordb said:

nope Gallagher played right up front with Cannon

Yes obviously I know that.
What’s that got to do with anything we’ve been discussing?
🤷‍♂️

Cannon actually dropped into midfield a lot more. In fact, he had over three times more possession in the middle third than Koumas. But he still had close to as many touches as Koumas in the penalty area. It was all pretty fluid.

I think you're right that Burger generally dropped deeper and Moran more advanced. Moran did a good job carrying the ball forward from the middle to the attacking third. But there was no 'midfield 3' as such as Koumas himself was mostly high in the attacking third and Junho himself was quite advanced at times. The midfield three in a 4-1-3-2 would normally be more compact.

[PotterLog]

Oct 3, 2024 10:32:05 GMT FullerMagic said:

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.

Ohh Cannon and Gall, I do like that

[somersetpotter]

having a specific formation is a thing of the past. Someone said it recently.. Think it was Pep. They have a shape in possession, out of possession, on the counter, high press, low block etc, all completely different shapes. It's hilarious the arm chair tacticians think it's just a 4-4-2

[thedeadlyshart]

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.

yes, and Cannon shouldn’t play in the Mama role like he did in the first two games.

[staffordstokiemad1]

Oct 3, 2024 13:13:53 GMT somersetpotter said:

having a specific formation is a thing of the past. Someone said it recently.. Think it was Pep. They have a shape in possession, out of possession, on the counter, high press, low block etc, all completely different shapes. It's hilarious the arm chair tacticians think it's just a 4-4-2

I was thinking the same thing whilst reading through the replies, I saw a few different formations dependent on if we had the ball or not, where Portsmouth had the ball, if we had just won back possession ect ect.

[numpty40]

Oct 3, 2024 13:33:56 GMT staffordstokiemad1 said:

Oct 3, 2024 13:13:53 GMT somersetpotter said:

having a specific formation is a thing of the past. Someone said it recently.. Think it was Pep. They have a shape in possession, out of possession, on the counter, high press, low block etc, all completely different shapes. It's hilarious the arm chair tacticians think it's just a 4-4-2

I was thinking the same thing whilst reading through the replies, I saw a few different formations dependent on if we had the ball or not, where Portsmouth had the ball, if we had just won back possession ect ect.

You have a framework of a formation whether it's 4-4-2, 4-3-3 or 5-3-2 etc etc.
Last night was a clear 4-4-2 framework.
It's pretty obvious that framework becomes more fluid during games but the 4-4-2 was the set up throughout the game.
Some people do over analyse things😁.

[gingerninja]

Last night was excellent. Showed good adaptability, my worry is after 60+ minutes, he has alluded to it being physically demanding playing the way he wants, I am just not convinced our bench options are up to it when asked to come on and keep the intensity up?.

[AlbertTatlock]

Much better than 4-3-3 which always leaves our full back exposed.

Gouranga.

[Los Alfareros]

It was clear to me that the formation we played was an 11.

[ceejays]

Oct 3, 2024 13:17:46 GMT thedeadlyshart 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.

yes, and Cannon shouldn’t play in the Mama role like he did in the first two games.

I think you need glasses . Anyone have Gallagers heat map compared to Manhoef to prove the point ? 442 is two up too not 4411 as Manhoef played a lot deeper and broke from deep. Gallagher was up too causing mayhem . Pressing . Being physical. Even did slide tackle at one point. No last night was good old fashioned uncomplicated 442 none of the tactical bollocks that fills players heads and confuses them. More of the same ? Overall yes but Portsmouth were dire let’s not forget

[wakefieldstokie]

Oct 3, 2024 7:30:00 GMT rowleyscfc said:

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

^This^

[walrus]

Oct 3, 2024 13:13:53 GMT somersetpotter said:

having a specific formation is a thing of the past. Someone said it recently.. Think it was Pep. They have a shape in possession, out of possession, on the counter, high press, low block etc, all completely different shapes. It's hilarious the arm chair tacticians think it's just a 4-4-2

Pep has taken it to another level but that’s always existed to some degree. Pulis’s 4-4-2 looked closer to a back six in some game situations.

Formations are just an easy approximation of the average position of the players and 4-4-2 is roughly what ours was last night.

[y_oh_y_delilah]

Oct 3, 2024 14:38:59 GMT walrus said:

Oct 3, 2024 13:13:53 GMT somersetpotter said:

having a specific formation is a thing of the past. Someone said it recently.. Think it was Pep. They have a shape in possession, out of possession, on the counter, high press, low block etc, all completely different shapes. It's hilarious the arm chair tacticians think it's just a 4-4-2

Pep has taken it to another level but that’s always existed to some degree. Pulis’s 4-4-2 looked closer to a back six in some game situations.

Formations are just an easy approximation of the average position of the players and 4-4-2 is roughly what ours was last night.

. . . . . . or more accurately 4-1-3-2.

[march4]

Oct 3, 2024 14:38:59 GMT walrus said:

Oct 3, 2024 13:13:53 GMT somersetpotter said:

having a specific formation is a thing of the past. Someone said it recently.. Think it was Pep. They have a shape in possession, out of possession, on the counter, high press, low block etc, all completely different shapes. It's hilarious the arm chair tacticians think it's just a 4-4-2

Pep has taken it to another level but that’s always existed to some degree. Pulis’s 4-4-2 looked closer to a back six in some game situations.

Formations are just an easy approximation of the average position of the players and 4-4-2 is roughly what ours was last night.

4-4-1-1 for TP.

[Mr_DaftBurger]

You're all wrong it was 4-2-4

[thedeadlyshart]

Oct 3, 2024 14:03:38 GMT ceejays said:

Oct 3, 2024 13:17:46 GMT thedeadlyshart said:

yes, and Cannon shouldn’t play in the Mama role like he did in the first two games.

I think you need glasses . Anyone have Gallagers heat map compared to Manhoef to prove the point ? 442 is two up too not 4411 as Manhoef played a lot deeper and broke from deep. Gallagher was up too causing mayhem . Pressing . Being physical. Even did slide tackle at one point. No last night was good old fashioned uncomplicated 442 none of the tactical bollocks that fills players heads and confuses them. More of the same ? Overall yes but Portsmouth were dire let’s not forget

When you get your heat maps check Cannon in the Hull and Middlesbrough games versus Gallagher against Portsmouth. I never said Manhoef and Gallagher played in the same spot. Against Hull and Middlesbrough we lumped it toward Cannon over and over and he couldn’t do what Gallagher could last night.

[smallthorner]

Oct 3, 2024 10:12:48 GMT FullerMagic said:

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

Refreshing and exciting.

Not words we've been using about our performances in recent times.

Gally was amazing.
Bae back to his best.
Wow.

[hokusai]

It was weird when we were in attack sometimes. Wilmot tucked into a back three an Enda was playing LW, Bae tucked in to something like "inside left"

[telfordstokie]

Football is a simple game really - get the ball to your attacking players, have as many shots as possible and you’ll normally do alright. Well done Narcis ‘Mike Bassett’ Pelach for realising that.

[lordb]

Oct 3, 2024 20:37:39 GMT hokusai said:

It was weird when we were in attack sometimes. Wilmot tucked into a back three an Enda was playing LW, Bae tucked in to something like "inside left"

I think inside left is Junho best position

[bayernoatcake]

There was way too many gaps when we didn’t have the ball and I think against an ok team we will get cut apart playing like we did last night.

But if it means an increased goal output then it might just be about Kevin Keeganing them.

[thisisouryear]

Oct 3, 2024 21:27:40 GMT bayernoatcake said:

There was way too many gaps when we didn’t have the ball and I think against an ok team we will get cut apart playing like we did last night.

But if it means an increased goal output then it might just be about Kevin Keeganing them.

Or Vindalooing them

[ChesterStokie]

Oct 3, 2024 11:30:37 GMT y_oh_y_delilah said:

But it wasn’t 4-4-2 was it?
It was clearly 4-1-3-2 with either Burger or Moran (they alternated) playing just in front of the back 4.
Anyway with that starting XI it worked like a dream, but doubt we’d dare play like that at Swansea.

At one point in the first half whilst waiting for Pompey to take a goal kick we lined up in an absolutely perfect 4-1-3-2 formation with Burger as the 1.

It really couldn’t have been any clearer if they’d drawn it on a white board in the training room.

[premieraj]

Oct 3, 2024 21:27:40 GMT bayernoatcake said:

There was way too many gaps when we didn’t have the ball and I think against an ok team we will get cut apart playing like we did last night.

But if it means an increased goal output then it might just be about Kevin Keeganing them.

I think this is the next challenge for Narcis to get them much more solid defensively whilst maintaining the attacking threat. Tricky? Wilmott and Stevens was a start but the recruiting team should be all over a right back for January?

[apb1]

What we need now is the cage