Formation 442 or 4231?

[Glenn Hysen]

I really like the shape of 4231 and think it gives us more control but how are the other top teams playing? Manure, Chelski, ARSEnal and Tottenham? Are they all playing 4231? My preferred team and formation would be:

Reina
Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique
Adam, Lucas
Suarez, Gerrard, Downing
Carrol

[cream]

I really like the shape of 4231 and think it gives us more control but how are the other top teams playing? Manure, Chelski, ARSEnal and Tottenham? Are they all playing 4231? My preferred team and formation would be:

Reina
Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique
Adam, Lucas
Suarez, Gerrard, Downing
Carrol

We'd definitely need to replace Carroll in January and probably Downing as well. That midfield triangle would also need looking at in the summer as well.

[~LFCHistory~]

-----------------------Reina---------------------
Kelly---------Skrtel----------Agger------Enrique
-----------Lucas-------------Spearing-----------
-----------------------Maxi----------------------
----Suarez-------------------------Bellamy-----
-----------------------Kuyt----------------------

That's the team that we should be sending out.

[the rev leeroy brown]

i dont see a problem with 4-4-2.

city (top of the league) have gone 4-4-2 although the players do interlink positions throughout the game:

milner - toure - barry - silva
aguero - dzeko

united have adopted the same set up:

nani - fletcher - rooney - park
welbeck - hernandez

arsenal had a 4-4-2 at the weekend after ramsey left the pitch:

walcott - song - arteta - rosicky
gervinho - RVP

spurs when van der vaart was subbed :

lennon - parker - modric - bale
defoe - adebayor

these teams are the most inform teams in the EPL right now and also our rivals for top 4. tthey dont seem to have any worries playing 4-4-2 as its a formation that allows a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-5-1 or even a 4-3-3 formation to be incorporated during the game if needed.

For us, id go :

reina

johnson
skrtel
agger
enrique

maxi
lucas
gerard
bellamy

suarez
carroll

as this allows us to play a variety of formations.

[Norbs]

-----------------------Reina---------------------
Kelly---------Skrtel----------Agger------Enrique
-----------Lucas-------------Spearing-----------
-----------------------Maxi----------------------
----Suarez-------------------------Bellamy-----
-----------------------Kuyt----------------------

That's the team that we should be sending out.

Kuyt is really adept at following up a long range shot hoping to capitalize from keeper errors. He'd really flourish in this set up, imo

[cream]

-----------------------Reina---------------------
Kelly---------Skrtel----------Agger------Enrique
-----------Lucas-------------Spearing-----------
-----------------------Maxi----------------------
----Suarez-------------------------Bellamy-----
-----------------------Kuyt----------------------

That's the team that we should be sending out.

Do you not think Gerrard is better than Maxi

[Neil Young]

Man United played 5-4-1 against us.

[The Birdman]

4-3-3.
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Gerrard Lucas Maxi
Kuyt Carroll Suarez

It also would suit Henderson, Adam, Bellamy, Downing, Spearing.

Basically any formation is a load of bollocks, if we played 4-3-3 as above I'd be looking at Lucas holding, Carroll working between the width of the penaly box and everybody else having fludity of movement.

Our best football after Kenny rejoined was towards the end of the season when we were fluid, this season seems more structured/rigid/predicatble and I think we are struggling because of it.

[The Birdman]

Man United played 5-4-1 against us.

It was more like a 4-6-0 before the substitutions 2nd half

[Neil Young]

I almost put that but thought Welbeck might have counted as a forward-lying defensive harasser.

[dom9]

I prefer 3 at the back in the short term.

[Baracus]

This is how I read the Question

Formation. Rafa Haters or. Rafa Lovers?

[Frenchie]

At the end of the interview on BBC Kenny switched off the smile through gritted teeth and said "we will sort this out behind closed doors".. the thing is, is Kenny or Clarke responsible for the shape, who is the better tactician? we dont know..or at least I havent seen any leaks other than positive ones? who is leading this new Australian fitness system? is it working? less injuries? hmm are they fit? hmm

So what will happen?

[BringbackBiscan]

We haven't played 4231 since 2009/10, it hasn't worked well since 2008/09 before Xabi left. It's not coming back, and thank **** for that cause it was sussed by the end.

[BootRoom]

-----------------------Reina---------------------
Kelly---------Skrtel----------Agger------Enrique
-----------Lucas-------------Spearing-----------
-----------------------Maxi----------------------
----Suarez-------------------------Bellamy-----
-----------------------Kuyt----------------------

That's the team that we should be sending out.

I'd prefer Suarez in the middle where he can cause more damage to the centre-backs. Plus Kuyt is more frustrating when he's breaking our moves down in the middle when he's having one of 'those' games.

Edit: plus I'd have Johnson in with his superior attacking play in place of Kelly - we'd need that in such a formation with two defensive midfielders.