The cry for 4-4-2


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3-5-2 for me with O'Nein and Oviedo the wing backs. Leadbitter, McG, and McG central with Grigg and Watmore up front.
If he has to play Power he can stick him at the back with any 2 from 3 from the normal centre backs
This is worse than what we have now. Power at CB :confused:
 
Yep McGeady should be torturing defences every match, he needs the freedom to do that and would be much better with Oviedo playing week in week out, he is our major asset why don't we use him like that
I just think JR doesn't trust Oviedo defensively - earlier in the season, he was getting skinned regularly by League One wingers and then that brain fart v Petebrough that cost us the game - the fact he has only started 4 out of 19 games since that red card (and I think those games were when James was injured) tells it's own story
 
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I think people just want someone supporting our lone striker which we don't have very often which is exemplified by the fact when we have the ball out wide or centrally just outside the box we have one player inside the box. Gooch, Morgan, McGeady, Honeyman and everyone else we've tried in the 3 attacking midfielder slots like to play just outside the box and they don't get in there and take a chance unless we walk the ball into it.
Honeyman last season got chances and scored a few by taking a gamble and getting into the box, he's not doing that this season at all and the others don't either or at least they don't do it very often
 
I just think JR doesn't trust Oviedo defensively - earlier in the season, he was getting skinned regularly by League One wingers and then that brain fart v Petebrough that cost us the game - the fact he has only started 4 out of 19 games since that red card (and I think those games were when James was injured) tells it's own story


he is our best left back he must play
 
Normally I would agree as in the prem and the championship we would have got battered if we went 442. The current formation isn’t working either though. We have the legs in the middle with 09 if he actually played him. So I d go with him and Leadbitter in CM. For me another body up front wouldn’t go a miss either.
 
It’s been almost two months since Sunderland last scored more than once in a league game and, as a result, our form has suffered. Would a move to a more traditional system with two strikers up top improve us? Dan Parker explains why he thinks it’s the way forward. “We have the players for it” Our players are ready made for it. Leadbitter alongside...

More at Roker Report...
 
Have not seen many calls for it. However, I have seen calls to scrap a negative approach to games with 2 holding, defensive midfielders. Get a 10 closer to our striker is a main priority too.
Think I'd look to play either Gooch or Maguire in that slightly withdrawn role just behind Grigg. Certainly not continue to shoehorn any of our centre midfielders into an attacking role that they don't know how to carry out.
 
I think people just want someone supporting our lone striker which we don't have very often which is exemplified by the fact when we have the ball out wide or centrally just outside the box we have one player inside the box. Gooch, Morgan, McGeady, Honeyman and everyone else we've tried in the 3 attacking midfielder slots like to play just outside the box and they don't get in there and take a chance unless we walk the ball into it.
Honeyman last season got chances and scored a few by taking a gamble and getting into the box, he's not doing that this season at all and the others don't either or at least they don't do it very often
Agree with this. A change to 442 or 352 with 09 in midfield would potentially give the wide players 3 red and white shirts to aim at. It’s not the prem or the championship the standard of defending in this league is shocking. As a team we don’t ask enough questions of oppositions defences. Yet crap sides ask plenty of ours and if it wasn’t for a competent goalkeeper and poor finishing we would find ourselves a bit lower down the league.
 
They had Kante who does the work of about 26 midfielders

We cant even control a game with 3 in the middle

And Okazaki puts in a hell of a shift from that number 10 position, and Vardy and Albrighton and Mahrez were real grafters. Totally different comparison. Likewise with Athletico, they have some real graft in their team - Koke, Saul, Griezmann, etc.
 
Seemed good enough for Leicester to win the Premier League by 10 points.
They did have a little help from the best defensive midfielder in world football though. The fact that he was here doing the work of two men certainly helped. A perfect role for Max Power?
 
Put simply, better passing & movement would make a significant difference, I think. Earlier in the season, we seemed to move with fluency both on & off the ball. For reasons I can't fathom, we seem to have stopped doing that as much/as proficiently. As others have said, it suggests a problem with mentality rather than ability. Players don't lose the ability overnight to pass with accuracy & make intelligent runs. Something is amiss. Ross knows it (I think) & will do his best to help the players fix it. Whatever happens, we need to stick together & not turn on our players. We'll leave that sort of behaviour to the masters of self-delusion up the road....
 
With the greatest of respect whenever we start to struggle Sunderland fans shout for 4-4-2. Every single time.

I understand the relative success we had was with that formation but it is OUTDATED.

Very few teams play it, Atletico Madrid and Burnley come to mind. We don’t have the players, McGeady can’t play in a 4-4-2 and you need two box to box midfielders.


It’s NOT the answer.

its not about just formations - it could be 442 or 433 or even 4231. The key principle is we need more of our forward/ creative players on the pitch and less of our water carriers in midfield. We are challenging at the top of the league we only need one of CAtts, power, Mcgeough and Grant on the pitch.

However the issue with our strikers - Wyke can lead the line but is unlikely to be prolific and to get the best out of Grigg i think he will need support.
 
Is he though? I agree he is very good offensively but he isn't the best defensive LB IMHO
FWIW I'd rather we played Hume


i think we should go gung ho and attack in the next 3 games, get 2 goals ahead then sit back a bit if we like, we cannot keep clean sheets regularly and our strength (was) in attack
 
They did have a little help from the best defensive midfielder in world football though. The fact that he was here doing the work of two men certainly helped. A perfect role for Max Power?
Luke O'Nien. It's only league one. He won't be up against Pogba, Fernandinho etc
 
Caps lock used, must be right :)

Who's crying for 4-4-2? I'm certainly not.

We need an injection of pace and energy in centre midfield IMO. I'd start O'Nien ahead of Power as he's been excellent off the bench. He could also do the running for Leadbitter who is playing well but needs more movement ahead of him.
 
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