Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance 23:05 - Dec 5 with 4824 views | JJJack | Why? Because as Toshack famously said...."if you haven't got 2 that are good enough, play 3." None of ours are upto much. Our FBs are gash as FBs. Play Kingsley as LWB and Routlegde on the right or maybe Naughton. Perm 3 from the CBs , drop deep and just play on the counter. We need Siggy and Fer in the team and Llorente/Baston or we can't score goals. Chelsea (with far better players obviously) had a problem, switched to this and are top now, winning every game since going 3-5-2. It's worth a try and I think it would suit us and confuse the oppositions for a while. | ![](/images/avatars/10463.gif) | | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:08 - Dec 5 with 4811 views | thenorthbankbog | I was talking to a mate about this today we both agreed it's probably the best way to go | ![](/images/avatars/14935.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:09 - Dec 5 with 4803 views | blueytheblue | Chelsea don't play 3-5-2. They play more 3-4-3. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
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Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:14 - Dec 5 with 4788 views | jasper_T |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:09 - Dec 5 by blueytheblue | Chelsea don't play 3-5-2. They play more 3-4-3. |
They've also got a full-back playing as one of the three, and Cahill looked a right state trying to play the outside centre half position the other day. Maybe if we still had Ben... | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:15 - Dec 5 with 4786 views | blueytheblue |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:14 - Dec 5 by jasper_T | They've also got a full-back playing as one of the three, and Cahill looked a right state trying to play the outside centre half position the other day. Maybe if we still had Ben... |
For me, if Cahill plays in a three it has to be as the middle guy. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
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Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:21 - Dec 5 with 4766 views | jasper_T |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:15 - Dec 5 by blueytheblue | For me, if Cahill plays in a three it has to be as the middle guy. |
Outside CB is a specialist position if you're not playing a flat 5 with "wingbacks" bolted onto the defensive line. Southampton used Bertrand, Chelsea Azpilicueta, Davies for Wales... Guidolin tried Kingsley. I wouldn't trust the mobility of any of our crop to cover the right areas effectively. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:30 - Dec 5 with 4745 views | blueytheblue |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:21 - Dec 5 by jasper_T | Outside CB is a specialist position if you're not playing a flat 5 with "wingbacks" bolted onto the defensive line. Southampton used Bertrand, Chelsea Azpilicueta, Davies for Wales... Guidolin tried Kingsley. I wouldn't trust the mobility of any of our crop to cover the right areas effectively. |
Well, it's obviously because those outside CB are the ones dragged wide when facing attacks down the wing. In that regard, it makes perfect sense to use full backs - or more accurately full backs with a good competence playing at centre back. Kingsley, Taylor, Rangel, Naughton - not sure any of those are competent enough in the middle from what I've seen. When we flirted with 3 at the back, one of those was Peltier - a solid defensive full back who can play there. The problem for me with 3 at the back is it's always lopsided as a result. Play two full backs with a CB in the middle, it weakens the central defence. So sides going 3 at the back tend to have the one "converted" full back with two traditional centre backs. For me, that means there's always one guy who can be attacked, drawn wide. That means the WB that side has to be more defensive in nature. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
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Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:35 - Dec 5 with 4723 views | Kerouac | go 3-5-2 bring Chico back to play RCB Loan Ben Davies to play LCB. Bob's your American Uncle. | ![](/images/avatars/18321.gif) |
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Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 05:55 - Dec 6 with 4562 views | Whiterockin | Fab VDH Mawson Amat Naughton Cork Britton/Fulton Taylor Siggy Barrrow Llorente Not 3-5-2 but the system for me. A bit narrow but give Siggy and Barrow freedom to roam. | ![](/images/avatars/9155.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) | Login to get fewer ads
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 06:20 - Dec 6 with 4545 views | longlostjack |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 23:30 - Dec 5 by blueytheblue | Well, it's obviously because those outside CB are the ones dragged wide when facing attacks down the wing. In that regard, it makes perfect sense to use full backs - or more accurately full backs with a good competence playing at centre back. Kingsley, Taylor, Rangel, Naughton - not sure any of those are competent enough in the middle from what I've seen. When we flirted with 3 at the back, one of those was Peltier - a solid defensive full back who can play there. The problem for me with 3 at the back is it's always lopsided as a result. Play two full backs with a CB in the middle, it weakens the central defence. So sides going 3 at the back tend to have the one "converted" full back with two traditional centre backs. For me, that means there's always one guy who can be attacked, drawn wide. That means the WB that side has to be more defensive in nature. |
I think Taylor is up for it. He seems to enjoy running backwards into the CB position while being pursued by an opposition player with the ball. | ![](/images/avatars/9563.gif) |
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Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 07:23 - Dec 6 with 4467 views | JFSwan | Guidolin tried it , didn't work, changed it at half time. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 07:29 - Dec 6 with 4455 views | Kerouac | Don't you think the transition period might take a little longer than one half of football? | ![](/images/avatars/18321.gif) |
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Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 07:38 - Dec 6 with 4435 views | JFSwan | Pre season is for experimenting, we dont really have time to bed into a new style and I dont feel we have the fitness levels to pull it off like chelsea have | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 09:19 - Dec 6 with 4313 views | jasper_T |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 07:23 - Dec 6 by JFSwan | Guidolin tried it , didn't work, changed it at half time. |
Guidolin had the same problem Wales have: the players with the most time on the ball to produce something - the wingbacks - were the least technically able to do so. When your outlets can't do anything but stop and pass sideways/backwards it's hard to get a foothold in the game and move up the pitch. Wales have the benefit of a world class Bale and a lower standard of opposition to break down. And still Taylor keeps getting into the box with no idea what the fck to do once he's there. You don't need world-class wingbacks to make it work - Victor Moses is doing really well for Chelsea in the position - but some level of footballing ability is needed. 10 years ago Rangel would have done a tidy job. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 10:07 - Dec 6 with 4240 views | Jango |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 07:23 - Dec 6 by JFSwan | Guidolin tried it , didn't work, changed it at half time. |
To be fair he tried it against Chelsea, it was always a recipe for disaster. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Go 3-5-2 - it's our best chance on 15:09 - Dec 6 with 4073 views | BytholWyn | There are big risks attached to a major change in formation mid-season - especially if the coach has very limited experience of that formation, and my understanding is that Bradley has always gone with a back four. But in theory at least going with a back three has a lot going for it. You only have to look at the transformation in Wales' fortunes in the Euros, going from a rate of conceding in the World Cup campaign of 2 goals a game to 0.4 goals per game in Euro qualification - largely a result of a switch from four at the back to using wing backs in most games. And this without proper wing-backs in Taylor and Gunter. The formation (incidentally suggested by Osian Roberts) for the Israel game, and in most games subsequently in qualifying and the finals, was a 3-4-2-1 box formation. This had two number 10s (Bale and Ramsey) behind the number 9 (HRK or Vokes). Such a formation could give us a Fer/Sigurddson duo behind either Llorente or Baston - or possibly with Barrow or Baston replacing Fer. This would put Fer in his best position and would reduce his defensive responsibilities, where he's a real liability The biggest downside of such a formation would be that Montero and Barrow might struggle for game time, unless we were to risk Barrow as right wing back. That might be fine for games against weaker teams or where we were chasing the game. It's a real shame that we don't have the liberty to implement a wing-back system - but I think there's a lot to be said for it next season, whichever league we find ourselves in. | ![](/images/avatars/17381.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
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