Diamond or Basic 4-4-2 ?

[Jimmy Grimble]

What do you think? Peronsally, I have never rated the diamond system, no one is ever moving off the ball and we go through the same routines over and over. Becuase of it I dont think we saw the best of Thomson today as he was forced to sit in front of the back 4 - he was unable to add any creativity.

With the traditional 4 across the middle players seem to roam with a bit more freedom and the football we produce is better. When Hammond is back I can see him and Thomson forming a good partnership in this system, supplying the strikers with better service, who admittedly were both poor today.

 

[Beach Hut]

4-4-2, diamond is shite

 

[Scotty Mac]

much prefer a flat 4-4-2 - especially when you have somebody like cox who can be so dangerous down the flanks, and forster and to a lesser extent revell who can thrive off balls into the box from wide positions

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

Bring back the 'W' formation 2-3-5

 

[Screaming J]

I don't think the Diamond is shite but there are two problems with it for us:-

(1) I'm no coach but 4-4-2 is something that they are used to ever since they were young lads. Therefore they are going to find it hard to adapt to a different system

(2) Although we love our team we have to be realistic and admit they aint Premiership class. That is also going to act against them being able to deal with anything too complicated and different.

I think we should stick to what we know. Even England struggled when they tried anything that wasn't a 4-4-2 and not many of our players are in that class!

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Wilkins needs to try things out instead of continuosly sticking with the same ideas.

 

[Zebedee]

much prefer a flat 4-4-2 - especially when you have somebody like cox who can be so dangerous down the flanks, and forster and to a lesser extent revell who can thrive off balls into the box from wide positions

Agreed.. but it's about time that we played Cox on the right. He is, after all, right footed. Seeing him continually cutting in on the left to change his foot drives me absolutely mad.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

I don't think the Diamond is shite but there are two problems with it for us:-

(1) I'm no coach but 4-4-2 is something that they are used to ever since they were young lads. Therefore they are going to find it hard to adapt to a different system

(2) Although we love our team we have to be realistic and admit they aint Premiership class. That is also going to act against them being able to deal with anything too complicated and different.

I think we should stick to what we know. Even England struggled when they tried anything that wasn't a 4-4-2 and not many of our players are in that class!

True, I think its shite for us

 

[Rookie]

depends on the oppo it will and has worked a treat against some but today wasn't the day for it we should have attacked with two wide men and really gone for it. The second half when we switched looked alot more likely to get the break throughs

 

[ali jenkins]

442 every time!!

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

The Diamond is BOLLOCKS.
Not only does it usually mean we fail to win the game, but we also somehow manage to play ever MORE boring football with it.
Get rid

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

When Hammond returns I think we'll go back to the normal 4, before when he has been out we've gone for the diamond.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

No votes for the diamond Wilkins

Don't get me wrong I think he's doing reasonably well, just needs to sort out his tactics and substitutions, then we may get play off's.

 

[Silent Bob]

I'm not a fan of the diamond really, particularly at home. I think it is restrictive and encourages the long ball that has crept more and more into our game lately as everything has to go through the crowded centre.

I think away from home it 'does a job', it is very solid... but even then I'm not a massive fan of it. But at home I don't think we should ever play it, there were some complaints when we were playing an almost 4-5-1 system in the earliest games under Wilkins but even that was more conducive to better football.


I've got no problem with tactical flexibility, but switching between two formations hardly constitutes that. It's time to ditch the diamond, especially at home.

 

[BensGrandad]

I dont think that it matters provided the players know what they are supposed to be doing, which is apparent at the moment.

As we tend to play the long ball over the midfield I would suggest 4 - 3 -3 would suit us better.

 

[B.W.]

4-4-2

 

[O Lads]

It was evident today that the diamond doesn't work. The second half we came out with Cox on left wing, Martot on right with Thomson and Reidy in the centre and played alot better. We were able to keep the ball on the ground and past it through the middle of the park, instead of hoofing it to Revell to try and head down to Cox or Forster; which didn't work.

 

[Easy 10]

We get NOTHING from Cox playing at the front of the diamond in the "hole". Its too congested there for him to thread anyone through, and he often ends up trying to hold the ball up, which is certainly not part of his repatoire.

Get him out there on the right wing (for f*** sake Wilkins) and stick with the 4-4-2. Cox and Whing would be a decent combo down that side, they could give us some genuine momentum in attack. At the moment it all fizzles out as soon as Cox has to turn back inside.

 

[face in the crowd]

We get NOTHING from Cox playing at the front of the diamond in the "hole". Its too congested there for him to thread anyone through, and he often ends up trying to hold the ball up, which is certainly not part of his repatoire.

I think the problem with our variation of the diamond is that the point of the diamond is far too advanced - we end up playing 4-3-3. Cox, Robinson and Loft have all played the same way - more like a striker that drops into midfield when we lose the ball.

For it to achieve success, the point of the diamond has to come deep to look for the ball and get into space. Cox is quick witted and skillful enough to do this and to avoid getting clattered.

Since Bas left, our current personel fits the diamond better than 4-4-2 simply because we have no one that is consistently good at holding the ball up. Playing with Forster has been good for Revell but is not so good for Forster.

We need to find a way of getting Cox on the ball about 40 yards from goal to try and take advantage of the mobility of Forster and Revell. This would also give the defence and other midfielders the option of a shorter pass and to avoid the repeat of that turgid first half on Saturday.

 

[Les Biehn]

The dimond only really works if you play really attacking, free flowing football like the Arse. Other wise the midfield becomes to congested.