Alternatives to 4-4-2

[cmonurz]

Reporter: Steve, will you consider trying an alternative to 4-4-2?

Coppell: LOL.

[SLAMMED]

1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

[Avon Royal]

Reporter: Steve, will you consider trying an alternative to 4-4-2?

Coppell: I may buy When Saturday Comes for a bit.

[Negative_Jeff]

Coppell did try several alternatives to 4-4-2 around this time last season, the most interesting being the 3-6-1 at White Hart Lane in the FA Cup. None were particularly successful.
Whatever system is used, to progress you have to pass the ball well and few Coppell teams do this. An obvious exception was the 2005/6 season when a very talented bunch produced some superb football within the manager`s framework.
Regarding the alternative formations may I recommend an excellent recent book "Inverting the Pyramid", a history of football tactics by Jonathan Wilson.

[Ian Royal]

Isolated? He does all the defensive work in midfield along with the wingers tracking back. Matejovsky has a free-er attacking role and doesn't need to run about at 100mph. Cisse in defensive midfield, Matejovsky as playmaker in attacking midfield - perfectly balanced midfield with everyone knowing their job and no reason for players going box to box and getting caught out of position.

That would be great if Cisse wasnt so far behind the game at times

I wouldnt mind seeing Ian Royals formation but with the possibility of having Tabb and Henry on the wings instead of Hunt and Kebe, or more realistically one of those two replacing Kebe because Hunt is guaranted to start. I dont think Kebe would score enough goals to justify playing him as one of the three forward players but in Tabb/Henry you have two players with a decent scoring record and are both adaptable enough to be able to swap around with Marek and Shunt to make the system a bit more like total football than our current ridgid 4-4-2

The great thing (IMO) about the formation I propose, is that it is easy to swap players in and out of. right back and possibly striker, are about the only position we'd struggle to swap someone else in. I think it also puts less pressure on each indivdual (again except possibly striker) so it would be easier to swap players in and out.

Start the revolution here. IR for Manager when Sir Steve steps down.