Derby 0 Sheff 2

Plenty of teams have had success with 3 at the back, plenty have had success with 4. Whatever it is needs to suit the personnel. Like VC says, if everyone isn't clear on their role then it can be easier to get caught out since defence tends to get zonal rather than marking opposing strikers. We effectively become a back three anyway when playing from the back as Rooney drops deep and the full backs push up.

Three at the back actually suits the players we have and I'm not surprised it is being tried

Three at the back with wing backs requires no wingers and as we don't have any, not good ones anyway it makes sense

If you're playing this system though you really need two up top

Also our full backs are already more like wing backs so it makes sense to me

Some of the best football I've seen was with this system when Eranio played right wing back

If we play three centre halves, two full/wing backs (Bogle and Lowe, say) and then Rooney and Bird we start running out of players. With two strikers that would leave room only for one more. Lawrence? Sibley? Holmes? That doesn't look very creative to me. If Rooney was left out of that line-up and we had Bird, Lawrence and Sibley as the midfield then there is more creativity but it looks very lightweight.

Our best football with Eranio was when he moved into midfield in my opinion. We had Jacob Laursen and Chris Powell as wing backs then Eranio, Carsley and Baiano behind Burton and Wanchope. The midfield three were perfectly balanced. I'm not sure we have that with the current players available (nor do we have a Wanchope!)

I would prefer we signed wingers and didn't play with wing backs and I agree re-midfield although I do think Homes would make a good wing back if Bogle were to go

-------------Marshal--------------
---Te Werik----Belik----Clarke
Holmes----------------------Lowe
-------Rooney----Bird-----------
------------Lawrence------------
---Waghorn--------Marriot-----

I also think you would get the best out of Lawrence in this formation

The above team looks the best we could put out with the players we currently have

I dont remember J Laursen playing wing back, not disagreeing with you but I remember Laursen being a very solid defender but not a particurely good footballer
I do remember Eranio playing midfield but we only played with 2 as we played 3 up top and we got trounced a few times with midfield being to light so Eranio was moved to right wing back

Laursen Rowett Stimac Dailly Powell

That was 1997-8, the season we beat Wednesday 5-2 away, Southampton 4-0 at home etc. My memory is that when he first came Eranio played right back but then moved to midfield and never went back. Right back was Laursen until Delap eventually replaced him. is how I remember it, maybe I'm wrong. I forgot we also had Sturridge of course.

comment by Rameses, Kom op jij Rams (U7190)
posted 4 hours, 21 minutes ago
The transfer window closes on 5th October.
I’m going to reserve judgement until then. But as Bush says we need that striker. It seems odd that we have England and Man Utd all time highest goal scorer in our team but he isn’t even being played in anything like a forward position.
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Must admit I could see Rooney playing the role Chris Martin played. Wouldn't need to be particularly mobile just hold the ball and bring in other players. I cant remember Paul Goddard being particulary big or mobile but he forged a great partnership with Dean Saunders....so maybe Rooney alongside Marriott ???

In recent years our best football was when we had wingers and wing backs who would double up giving us width (Ward, Wisdom, Russell, Forsyth). We also had a target man (Martin) and attacking midfield players (Bryson, Hendrick). Seems to be a formation not in fashion but Fulham still use it and they have been promoted twice in recent years.

Marriott will score if he is given the service.

Marriott had great service against Barnsley last season and managed to score 1 of his 5 really good chances. It's not guaranteed Scouse.

It'd be nice to have a flexible formation that can go 3 at the back or flat back four.

Evans/Bielik staying fit and holding alongside Bird would maybe allow this. Waggy does offer flexibility in this dept. too, being able to go out right.

Think our problem will be having players that can break the press. Rooney currently the only one able to do it, but I do like the idea of him as number 9 too. If he can still do it.

Interesting how Scheepers said the difference last season, was physicality in terms of the teams that get promoted. Maybe we're going for a high octane press this year. If you look at those sides though: Leeds, West Brom they all seem to know where their players will be when they retrieve the ball.

We seem to be second guessing.