duncanjwitham

I don't buy that at all.  I'd go as far as saying that some styles are more tricky to implement with some formations (the flat 442 with possession football mentioned earlier, for example), but beyond that you can basically implement any style of football with any (sensible) formation.  There's no direct link between the two things.  You can play a free-flowing 433 and a free-flowing 4231. Likewise you can play an ultra-defensive 433 and an ultra-defensive 4231.

Are you seriously saying that (for example) the 4231 that Rowett played, is exactly the same as the 4231 that Cocu used last night? 😕

Was going to say exactly this.  There's very little difference between the two, and we pretty much played 4231 at times last year anyway - certainly when Bryson was in the team, he sat a lot deeper, almost alongside the DM, with Mount pushed much further forward.
And the point of continuity between managers isn't to play *exactly* the same formation, it's to keep the style of football the same.  It doesn't matter if Cocu wants to play 433, 4231, 343, 442-diamond or whatever, as long as we're playing roughly the same sort of high-tempo, pressing, pass-and-move football that we played last year, and that the academy play too.  The problems are when you switch from a manager that wants to play ultra-defensive, long ball stuff to possession football and have to change half the squad and the academy never get a look in because they're the 'wrong type of footballer'.

That's certainly my take on it.  Waghorn is a much better all-round centre forward.  I'm yet to be convinced that Marriott is suited to playing up front on his own.

The games come thick and fast in the championship, there’s very limited time to research opponents when you’re playing Saturday Tuesday Saturday.  If Cocu has someone that can just say “last season, they played this style of football, were good at this, bad at that and their best players were A, B, C etc” he can target his research much better in the time he has.  Once he’s had time to build up his own bank of knowledge of the teams and players in this league, he probably won’t need it.

The games come thick and fast in the championship, there’s very limited time to research opponents when you’re playing Saturday Tuesday Saturday.  If Cocu has someone that can just say “last season, they played this style of football, were good at this, bad at that and their best players were A, B, C etc” he can target his research much better in the time he has.  Once he’s had time to build up his own bank of knowledge of the teams and players in this league, he probably won’t need it.

The games come thick and fast in the championship, there’s very limited time to research opponents when you’re playing Saturday Tuesday Saturday.  If Cocu has someone that can just say “last season, they played this style of football, were good at this, bad at that and their best players were A, B, C etc” he can target his research much better in the time he has.  Once he’s had time to build up his own bank of knowledge of the teams and players in this league, he probably won’t need it.

The games come thick and fast in the championship, there’s very limited time to research opponents when you’re playing Saturday Tuesday Saturday.  If Cocu has someone that can just say “last season, they played this style of football, were good at this, bad at that and their best players were A, B, C etc” he can target his research much better in the time he has.  Once he’s had time to build up his own bank of knowledge of the teams and players in this league, he probably won’t need it.

Personally, I’m not *that* bothered about league position at this stage, I want to see signs of something being built.  If we have a team full of ageing, overpaid prima-donnas, playing dreadful football and finish 7th then yeah, get rid.  If it’s a team full of youngsters that maybe aren’t quite ready year, and the team isn’t quite clicking yet, but you can see where we are going, then I don’t care if we finish 12th, give him time to get it working.

Personally, I’m not *that* bothered about league position at this stage, I want to see signs of something being built.  If we have a team full of ageing, overpaid prima-donnas, playing dreadful football and finish 7th then yeah, get rid.  If it’s a team full of youngsters that maybe aren’t quite ready year, and the team isn’t quite clicking yet, but you can see where we are going, then I don’t care if we finish 12th, give him time to get it working.

Personally, I’m not *that* bothered about league position at this stage, I want to see signs of something being built.  If we have a team full of ageing, overpaid prima-donnas, playing dreadful football and finish 7th then yeah, get rid.  If it’s a team full of youngsters that maybe aren’t quite ready year, and the team isn’t quite clicking yet, but you can see where we are going, then I don’t care if we finish 12th, give him time to get it working.

For those of you who haven’t got 4 minutes, Rich said:
Yeah, LISTEN!, like you say, obviously, yeah listen, hopefully like you say, listen yeah, yeah, obviously yeah, like you say hopefully, yeah listen obviously yeah, and hopefully listen obviously, like you say.

That basically sounds like McClaren 1 to me - zonal defending with structured pressing, and then attacking by using the midfielders to create space for the wingers to break into.

That's certainly my take on it.  Waghorn is a much better all-round centre forward.  I'm yet to be convinced that Marriott is suited to playing up front on his own.

We’ve already signed his replacement on a free transfer....

Yeah, that's pretty much what I was going for.  And there's literally a thread on the front page with people arguing those positions on Thorne and Martin (obviously in a less exaggerated-for-comic-effect way).

If he wants to get the fans on his side, he just needs to do the following:
He has to play a fluid, entertaining 433 formation. And we always have to have 2 strikers up front.
We need someone up front who can hold the ball up. And also Marriott has to start every game.
We need to pick a first XI and stick with it. We also need a plan B, C, D and E, that we use regularly to keep them fresh.
We need a team full of experienced players who know the championship well. And we also need to blood the youngsters from the academy.
Chris Martin and George Thorne need to start every game. Also, Chris Martin and George Thorne need to never wear a Derby shirt again.  (And no, playing them both shirtless doesn't resolve this.)

If he wants to get the fans on his side, he just needs to do the following:
He has to play a fluid, entertaining 433 formation. And we always have to have 2 strikers up front.
We need someone up front who can hold the ball up. And also Marriott has to start every game.
We need to pick a first XI and stick with it. We also need a plan B, C, D and E, that we use regularly to keep them fresh.
We need a team full of experienced players who know the championship well. And we also need to blood the youngsters from the academy.
Chris Martin and George Thorne need to start every game. Also, Chris Martin and George Thorne need to never wear a Derby shirt again.  (And no, playing them both shirtless doesn't resolve this.)

Yeah, that's pretty much what I was going for.  And there's literally a thread on the front page with people arguing those positions on Thorne and Martin (obviously in a less exaggerated-for-comic-effect way).

If he wants to get the fans on his side, he just needs to do the following:
He has to play a fluid, entertaining 433 formation. And we always have to have 2 strikers up front.
We need someone up front who can hold the ball up. And also Marriott has to start every game.
We need to pick a first XI and stick with it. We also need a plan B, C, D and E, that we use regularly to keep them fresh.
We need a team full of experienced players who know the championship well. And we also need to blood the youngsters from the academy.
Chris Martin and George Thorne need to start every game. Also, Chris Martin and George Thorne need to never wear a Derby shirt again.  (And no, playing them both shirtless doesn't resolve this.)

If he wants to get the fans on his side, he just needs to do the following:
He has to play a fluid, entertaining 433 formation. And we always have to have 2 strikers up front.
We need someone up front who can hold the ball up. And also Marriott has to start every game.
We need to pick a first XI and stick with it. We also need a plan B, C, D and E, that we use regularly to keep them fresh.
We need a team full of experienced players who know the championship well. And we also need to blood the youngsters from the academy.
Chris Martin and George Thorne need to start every game. Also, Chris Martin and George Thorne need to never wear a Derby shirt again.  (And no, playing them both shirtless doesn't resolve this.)

If he wants to get the fans on his side, he just needs to do the following:
He has to play a fluid, entertaining 433 formation. And we always have to have 2 strikers up front.
We need someone up front who can hold the ball up. And also Marriott has to start every game.
We need to pick a first XI and stick with it. We also need a plan B, C, D and E, that we use regularly to keep them fresh.
We need a team full of experienced players who know the championship well. And we also need to blood the youngsters from the academy.
Chris Martin and George Thorne need to start every game. Also, Chris Martin and George Thorne need to never wear a Derby shirt again.  (And no, playing them both shirtless doesn't resolve this.)

If he wants to get the fans on his side, he just needs to do the following:
He has to play a fluid, entertaining 433 formation. And we always have to have 2 strikers up front.
We need someone up front who can hold the ball up. And also Marriott has to start every game.
We need to pick a first XI and stick with it. We also need a plan B, C, D and E, that we use regularly to keep them fresh.
We need a team full of experienced players who know the championship well. And we also need to blood the youngsters from the academy.
Chris Martin and George Thorne need to start every game. Also, Chris Martin and George Thorne need to never wear a Derby shirt again.  (And no, playing them both shirtless doesn't resolve this.)

If he wants to get the fans on his side, he just needs to do the following:
He has to play a fluid, entertaining 433 formation. And we always have to have 2 strikers up front.
We need someone up front who can hold the ball up. And also Marriott has to start every game.
We need to pick a first XI and stick with it. We also need a plan B, C, D and E, that we use regularly to keep them fresh.
We need a team full of experienced players who know the championship well. And we also need to blood the youngsters from the academy.
Chris Martin and George Thorne need to start every game. Also, Chris Martin and George Thorne need to never wear a Derby shirt again.  (And no, playing them both shirtless doesn't resolve this.)