The Fish

Yep. They seem to simplistically think that our problem is that we're too negative, and that playing 2 up front will instantly make us more attacking and thus better. 4-2-3-1 allows us flexibility in game to switch from; blah blah blah blah blah --- blah blah blah blah blah blah to a very defensive (4-2DM-3-1) blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah --- blah packed midfield (4-5-1) blah blah blah blah blah --- blah blah blah blah blah --- blah all the way to an ultra-attacking 4-2-1-3 blah blah blah blah blah --- blah blah blah blah blah blah Much easier to do that from a 4-2-3-1 than it is from, say, a 4-4-2

Rattled.

No worries. I'll have a think and if I get up some time this season I'll give you a shout, record 30 minutes in a pub somewhere. 4-5 short pieces about players or games. Then your international Media career can begin.

Ant just showed how that assertion isn't true. Pay attention.

As Strawb says below your post a 4-2-3-1 can morph into a 4-4-1-1 if the wingers play further back. It can also shift in 4-1-2-2-1 if one of the centre mids drop fully into a DM position and the #10 drops back into midfield as an attacking midfielder. That flexibility is probably why Benites favours the 4-2-3-1 formation.

What course are these lads studying? Seems to be one of these around this time every season.

Would you fancy doing an oral piece for my podcast? Haven't thought through the technical side, but a few 5-10 minute chats about old players or old games might be something my legions of adoring fans might like to hear?

Is it shite man. Look at the most successful managers, they're not just motivators, they're tacticians. If you can't see football is more complicated than naming 11 players and geeing them up, you're a fucking idiot. We dominated possession, chances and goals in most games in the Championship. So you're full of shit in that regard. We don't have enough attacking wise to be more expansive, that's patently obvious to everybody. We need to be solid, pragmatic, not cavalier and expansive. We simply don't have the quality across the pitch to play a game that's particularly pleasing on the eye at the moment. Few in the top flight do. Like who? Name for me a top contemporary manager that built a team of decent players into a team of top players?

Think you're being harsh, but essentially if Benitez can get consistency and composure from Shelvey and Hayden keeps improving I think we do have sufficient quality in the centre to stay up. Not exciting, but with Ashley holding the purse strings, that's as exciting as it can be in this season.

We fundamentally do not have the players to play that expansive brand of football. You're being way too simplistic. Football is no longer about inspiring talented young men to give it their all and hang the tactics board. It's managing periods of play, it's denying the opposition time and space on the ball whilst finding pockets of space for yourself, it's about pulling their team out of position or whatever. There's a very, very good reason why managers like Ancelotti, Mourinho and Benitez have all won things and dinosaurs like 'Arry Redknapp have won fuck all, by comparison.

We havent the players to play a more expansive attacking game and it's naive to think that by attacking more we'd win more points. More likely we'd get hammered as teams allow us to push forward, leaving gaps between lines of midfield and defence and gaps between defence and 'keeper. It's all well and good calling to attack, but this man has won a shit load of trophies getting his team to play pragmatically, I'd rather win 1-0 than lose 3-4, dunno about you?

We do have the players to play the 4-2-3-1 formation. We won the Championship with that formation and imo, with a couple of players we'd be able to play that formation in the top flight. We weren't miles away from points against Spurs, and it was missing players+poor performances+good saves that stopped us getting points at Huddersfield. We don't have the players to play 4-4-2 at this level. Too many teams play formations that overload the midfield meaning our centre would be overrun, most teams can hurt you on the counter attack and 4-4-2 would expose us to that. 4-2-3-1 is flexible, pragmatic and plays to our players' strengths.

Think there's a problem with presenting our history. Not enough is done to celebrate our successes, or dramatic moments. Murals on buildings/ walls near the ground, videos played on the massive screen before games. Something to get the history into the eyes of the kids. Not being funny, but if you've the time and inclination, you could write a short piece about players or games from our history? I'd happily proof read them for you and I'm sure @Ant would host them on here.

tlab;dr

Rafa identified targets to build a squad to get promoted automatically at the first time of asking. The contract negotiations are Charnley and Barnes' remit.

How often do managers change up their formation? I mean sure, they'll maybe swap roles and personnel to change things around a bit, but they tend to stick with the horse what brung 'em, don't they?

Never.

Well there's rumours he's off to Cagliari, so if that happens all the critics* can breath a sigh of relief I suppose. I still think there's a decent player in there, but I literally cannot be arsed arguing the toss with people any more. They've made up their minds and given Rafa doesn't seem to rate him I can't imagine he'll get an opportunity with the first team to prove them wrong. At best he'll get chances in cup games with 2nd, 3rd or 4th string players around him, or he'll play the final 15 minutes of games. I still maintain the criticism of him is way over the top, as is some of the praise. He's a polarising figure and no mistake. *not saying they're 100% wrong, just that it's a moot point.

Scored last night.

What are these about?

Course there can.

And the team named last night; had limits on it due to injuries and suspensions could and should have progressed I can't fault Benitez's overall decision, one or two different options maybe, but choosing to heavily rotate totally makes sense to me.