Full backs playing as fullbacks


Windypants

Winger
I can't help but think that part of the problem of having one of the fullbacks moving into midfield could prove to be a contributory factor in why we've struggled to score. Pushing a fullback into midfield means there is more congestion in the middle of the park and less support for wide players. Will we see a return to fullbacks as fullbacks, supporting attacks from the wings, pulling more defenders away from the middle of the pitch, thereby meaning more opportunity out wide and more opportunity to exploit those due to having at least one fewer defenders in the box?
 
Hope so.

Nearly ever team in the world sets up as 5-5 with the ball.

There are different ways to do that.

Last year we did it the most conventional way, really…

Two midfielders sitting. One full back joining the attack. The other tucking in.

This year trying to switch to a full back dropping in to midfield, so we have two people occupying 10 positions… it just hasn’t worked.

It’s made our midfield less cohesive, our wing play more predictable, cramped the space in the middle, confused our “hybrid” full back and hasn’t hugely affected our defensive strength (we have conceded less, but mainly because imo Ballard has been playing more and better).
 
Whatever system and formation we decide to go with what is really apparent is that we need to have more than one way of playing and the ability to change things up both in and out of possession when things aren't going well.

I'm not against the style of football we played under Mowbray but I am against that being the only way we play. Doing the same thing all the time against every opponent is a recipe for disaster.

You get sussed and found out and it just makes it easier for other teams to prepare and set up to frustrate us and nullify our threat. Tactically we need to be much better and to be able to switch to different formations when it's required. Some of the like for like changes in recent weeks have been infuriating.
 
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