Phoenix Formation 12/13

Yeah it was more that we needed a RB and a ST and had just signed Sanchez. Once we signed Totori there was more angst.

I was a bit critical of the re-signing, mainly because I thought we should have been looking to see if we could improve on Sanchez. But think he is class and needs to be given the number 6 and told to own it like Timmy did

Leo at RB is of course a bit of a risk. In theory it makes our team a more attacking unit but in doing so leaves risk in defence. It is worth a shot. We have more to gain from it than not. If it is successful it is a win for the Phoenix and a win for the All Whites. If it fails we are just in the same place we already were.

The biggest factor for me is going to be how consistant is his ball distribution. He will lack on tackling but has advantages pushing up on attack. the telling factor to sway success or failure is going to be his distribution.(i hope Lochead is helping him there)

It's not as if Lia has ever convinced there - he's just as vulnerable defensively

Yeah. Perhaps given some time Lia could do a better job there (better then previous Lia efforts maybe even better than Leo?) but I think he would get beaten on pace by many A-league wings and left backs. (moreover he doesn't have that much time due to injury.

I know some people on here like to say Leo has lost a lot of pace but he is certainly faster than Lia and at least has enough left to not be beaten on pace as easily. 

And Leo will be much better going forward. I mean Lia has made a bit of a habit of groan worthy crosses in the past.

Surely Leo > Hearfield at RM

So He could make a similar transition to RB

The thought of anyone in our current squad but Manny at RB scares me. He will have to have a massive season in the midfield to make up for what we lose not having him at RB.

At the risk of comitting a heinous statement and villifying myself I firmly believe that Ricki has got it wrong....again. leo Bertos at right back is not an improvement its a step backwards. RB is a position that we have all wanted filling by a decent right back to allow Manny to play in the midfield and its a case of here we go again finding a spot for bertos as he is lightly to struggle to hold down his wingers role with the players that we have currently...he hasnt played that well for a couple of seasons either, and all of a sudden he can fill a RB slot...dream on.

I admit that I'm a bit naive when it comes to the tactical side of things, but to me I just don't think the current 4-1-3-2 is working.

I was putting it down to Smith dropping deep to get the ball off the back four, meaning he had no one in front of him to pass too. It just seems that we always have no options to pass forward to in the middle of the park, so end up passing across the back four until we find some room on the wings, or have to lump it forward.

I have since been told that in a classical 4-1-3-2 that Smith is meant to be dropping back like this, so what is causing the issues? Should one of the front 2 be dropping back to provide an option?

Maybe it is time to move back to the 4-5-1 of past seasons.

Yeah Smith is covering the ground he is supposed to.

I think the 4132 requires a much narrower system, well sort of like a diamond midfield. Our wide guys need to come in on defense and when we push through the middle, and then go wider when our fullbacks receive the ball. The second striker really needs to sit off the main man and make run back towards our guys to open up space for the runners around him. 

To RH's credit, we did look to address the width issue from the victree game, and fenton and ifill did come inside a lot to help out in defense.

But I would have to say that the formation just isnt working the way it should, in terms of the way we should be attacking with it.

I would look at 4231 or 433 - especially against opposition sides who pack the midfield. 

The diamond is supposed to be like a concertina, so the wide players are wide on defence (when we're covering less of the pitch) and come in on attack. Which would work for us as we need players in the middle of the park, and it opens the space for L & L to get forward.
Fenton looks good coming inside, and Ifill would if he ever bothered to run with the ball anymore. 
But we aren't playing a diamond because Smith and Manny both seem to only play DM well, and often are flat. Basically we need someone to  actually show for the ball behind the strikers. 
Personally I think Stein at the moment could drop deeper to pick up the ball. I would suggest Brockie but he seems too lazy (I think GVE was right about him), and Stein has Nothing in the air anyway.
I like seeing Smith dropping back to pick up the ball, we just need people moving for the ball when he does. 

Yeah exactly, smith and manny make a great holding pair, and that shouts out to me that we should be looking at more of a 4231 or 433. a 4222 is more like what we are doing now.

If we continue playing with a front 2, then one of them does have to sit deeper, but my preference is for sanchez or even fenton to play centrally and be the go to guy to be given the ball.

Thats been the problem for the last 4 seasons. If you compare us to any other team, our player in posession hardly ever has an option of someone to pass to, especially in the midfield and wide. Our running off the ball is shocking.

Which is something smith has done quite well. I was watching him yesterday in particular, and he was about the only one coming to receive the ball from anybody. The problem is,he'd get it,look up and find no one else looking to receive the ball. They all makes runs away from it (if they even make a run at all).

Think fenton made a few runs as did Stein, but brockie often runs away and ifill wont be running. I hope dani can come in and keep up that movement