ECFC89
Member
Just a note to people calling for a flat back four. Everytime we seem to do this under Taylor it never seems to work out. Maybe for the very odd game, but usually we are very poor in a flat back four.
As an advocate for the back four system I would agree with you. However, with thr current crop of defenders available to us, we're limited with playing 3 centre half's.Just a note to people calling for a flat back four. Everytime we seem to do this under Taylor it never seems to work out. Maybe for the very odd game, but usually we are very poor in a flat back four.
Matt Taylor yesterday taking about “keeping to our identity” so unlikely to happen.Just a note to people calling for a flat back four. Everytime we seem to do this under Taylor it never seems to work out. Maybe for the very odd game, but usually we are very poor in a flat back four.
It's not about wanting but it being the only realistic option available with players available otherwise you're starting to put square pegs in round holes.Just a note to people calling for a flat back four. Everytime we seem to do this under Taylor it never seems to work out. Maybe for the very odd game, but usually we are very poor in a flat back four.
The problem with us playing a back 4 is that we have no specialist full backs for who defence is the first priority but who get forward when they can. Key and Sparkes are wing backs who are better going forward than defending the area between the 18 yard box and the touchline/ corner flag. Caprice also likes to get forward whichever side of the pitch he is on.It's not about wanting but it being the only realistic option available with players available otherwise you're starting to put square pegs in round holes.
But we don't have a centre back full stop to cover that huge chasm left by Diabate and Stubbs. Key can and has played full back, ditto Sparkes and Caprice is a full back. You can then keep the midfield three and play them all as midfielders as they have been with no on player tied to a set role and then you play the three I mentioned early in the thread up front. As soon as you drop Kite (square peg....)into the back three, you bring Jay (another square peg...)in which means he plays an attacking role. This instantly ties Collins down to a holding role and he has proved already this season his game so much more than that. Or you put Key in the back three (yet another square peg....)where he had, by all accounts, an absolute doomer against Shrewsbury.The problem with us playing a back 4 is that we have no specialist full backs for who defence is the first priority but who get forward when they can. Key and Sparkes are wing backs who are better going forward than defending the area between the 18 yard box and the touchline/ corner flag. Caprice also likes to get forward whichever side of the pitch he is on.
With a back three Sweeney and Hartridge can cover for them, but without a central defender that they need to stay more central to avoid leaving holes, and neither of them is a central defender in the same way as Stubbs or Diabate.