What style of football should we play?

***Warning – long (and probably boring) article***

I've been looking at our squad and the thing that strikes me is that we have a real mixed bag of players suited to different styles. Before (or when) we get a new manager I think we need to look at what kind of team we want to be and then fill/trim the squad appropriately.

I see these styles as largely falling into 2 camps: 'Continental' and 'Push & Go'.

A bit of analysis for each:

Continental

So the way I see this style being utilised is essentially the Van Gaal way (great article here http://www.thefightingcock.co.uk/2014/03/what-life-would-be-like-under-van-gaal/). You have defined roles such as central midfielders who control the game and keep high possession. The passing is fast, methodical, and cutting. You have a ‘front three’ who can all beat a man and score a goal and cut inside when overlapped by wing backs.

Pros: Pleasing on the eye if implemented well, intelligent football, quick movement, defined roles for each position (it’s called a system Tim!)

Cons: High possession football isn’t always a scintillating experience, can leave the back 4 exposed as it’s not played with a true DM.

Potential team layout:

============Lloris============
========Kaboul==Vertongen=======
Walker=====================Fryers
============Holtby=============
=======Siggy======Carroll=======
===Lamela =============Eriksen===
============Soldado=============

Players who will excel:
• Holtby/Siggy/Carroll – these players are perfect for this role of dictating play– they have vision, movement, passing ability, and are assured on the ball
• Lamela/Eriksen – allows them to be in free roles and plays to their high goal rates
• Walker – frees him up to zoom down the line and become the English Dani Alves.

Players who wouldn’t fit:
• Lennon/Townsend – this isn’t about speedy one-trick wingers but intelligent wide men who get forward and influence the play.
• Ade – he’s not a very disciplined forward and goes wherever he wants
• Sandro – would be a bit player for when we were more defensive but I’m not sure he’s as good on the ball as Holtby


Push and Go

This is the old 4-4-2 or variations of it like 4-2-3-1 – it relies heavily on quick wingers who spread the field of play and open spaces up for those in the middle. Quick breaks, high % of crosses, fast paced – it’s pleasing on the eye but tricky to get consistently right.

Pros: When it works it looks amazing, gives good protection to the back 4 with a DM often utilised, keeps opposition back 4 honest.

Cons: heavily reliant on clever/in-form wingers, not easily adaptable (no plan B), leaves us open to counter attack

Potential team layout:

=========Lloris
Walker Kaboul Vertongen Fryers
=========Sandro
Lennon ===Eriksen ===Townsend
=========Soldado
==========Ade

Players who particularly excel:
• Sandro - A chance to go into beast mode and protect the back 4
• Lennon/Townsend - quick players who are allowed to attack at pace
• Ade – sees a lot of the ball and can get on the end of crosses
• Eriksen – if put in the number 10 spot he can affect the game in a big way

Players who wouldn’t fit:
• Holtby/Siggy/Chadli etc. – these players all seem to struggle with the formation and don’t have a natural fit


A quick note on AVB – I think he tried to implement a kind of hybrid and as such it never really stuck. He liked his team to have high possession but had inverted winger and defensive players and it all ended up in a slow muddle of players in the centre of the pitch.

Anyway enough nattering – what are everyone’s thoughts on our style of play and which players work best in each? I love players like Lennon and Sandro but we shouldn’t be asking them to be players they aren’t.