Team built for 3 at the back

[Premier Quality]

I’d invert them, Traore is playing well but at the moment is still looking for a target man. Let’s get him causing havoc on the left opening space up for Neto and our new striker.

I’d like to see that too - let him run inside with Ait Nouri going on the outside of him - gives him an out ball on his right side to Semedo too.

would mean more chance of keeping attacks going forward rather than getting bogged down and going backwards.

 

[YoungWolf]

Everytime I've seen Traore switched to the left I have tended to not want to ever see it again

 

[jlo]

If we are going back to 343 I'd play Podence and Neto as the inside forwards. A bit harsh on Traore who's form has improved but we just end up with him on the touchline and a big gap between him and the central forward.

I'd play 3-4-3 too, but more of the version we played in the Championship, so inside forwards too. But I don’t think any of the three shouldn't be playing with our current choices, just have to be fluid with who plays up very top. If we could encourage Traore not to run to the corner flag that'd certainly help, that's where Semedo needs to position himself for now - he's put in some decent crosses (if I'm remembering it right) except no-one has been attacking the one penalty area.

When is Podence back anyway?

 

[Johnny75]

I’d invert them, Traore is playing well but at the moment is still looking for a target man. Let’s get him causing havoc on the left opening space up for Neto and our new striker.

I don't think he can do it, he just hasn't got the anticipation or mental agility to make those runs out take up the correct positions.

Both Neto and Podence do (oh for an Eze in this spot).

 

[Premier Quality]

Traore has been good the last few games, needs to keep building on it.

 

[Walnut]

Traore runs to by line because he's told to. He should be doing what he did against Palace more often.

 

[prawnking]

Traore runs to by line because he's told to.

This is the thing, we can blame the players for a certain amount, but (individually or collectively) they're surely getting their direction from Nuno and the coaches.

 

[Johnny75]

Traore has been good the last few games, needs to keep building on it.

He was fairly rubbish second half on Saturday but he has been good for a game and a half when played wide.

He's far better wide right in a 3 and pretty rubbish as a narrow forward behind a front man.

 

[Tredman]

He did it pretty well at Middlesborough. Scared the bejeezus out of our players cutting in from the left.

 

[Aikiwolf]

He did it pretty well at Middlesborough. Scared the bejeezus out of our players cutting in from the left.

Fun fact, Pulis used to switch flanks for him so he was always on the side of the bench. This allowed Pulis to tell him what to do constantly!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Fun fact, Pulis used to switch flanks for him so he was always on the side of the bench. This allowed Pulis to tell him what to do constantly!

Karanka, not baseball cap Tone.

 

[Aikiwolf]

Karanka, not baseball cap Tone.

I won't link it as its the S*n but there's an article claiming pulis did it as well.

Either way, I think he's far worse on the left unless someone is instructing him what to do!

 

[slink]

Definitely did that in the 2-1 game on Good Friday. Played on the right on the first half and tore Douglas and Boly every time he got it and then second half played on the left and Doc, Neves etc just kept kicking him. Great assist for Bamford in that game too.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Watched that game recently on Sky when they do those “classics”. Was watching Traore thinking he was a different player! Moving off the ball, dropping inside, cutting in, you name it he was doing it. Possibly it was easier as we a man, and then two men down for a good chunk of the game. But why hasn’t he done that regularly for Wolves I don’t know. Coaching, strict system, he can’t actually do it and that was a one off. I don’t know the answer.

 

[redvictor]

Fun fact, Pulis used to switch flanks for him so he was always on the side of the bench. This allowed Pulis to tell him what to do constantly!

In a sort of Forrest Gump fashion.

 

[Nando]

The principal issues as I see it, and I do not profess to have anything like the tactical knowledge or football background of YW or Johnny, are that:

• We've moved to a back four, but the full backs are largely playing the same roles as they would be if we were playing with 3 centre halves which is leaving space in the channels to be exploited, which the midfield are either not plugging or shutting off before it becomes an issue. Liverpool are particularly good at using their midfield 3 to press or cover when TAA/Robertson are high, but we're not really doing either;
• Coady is not at all comfortable being dragged out into wider areas and it highlights his weaknesses 1v1. His reading of the game is largely very good, but this is negated as it stands and I'm not overly sure where he stands if we are going to stick with it;
• The balance of the current midfield three is all wrong;
  • We were all frustrated with Ruben dropping right in next to Coady when he was playing central in a 3-4-3, but he has license to do this now whilst we're still in a position to have options both centrally and wide ahead of him
  • Donck is unfortunately not Michael Ballack and this role he keeps being tasked with is not getting the best out of him and is ultimately showing up the holes in his game. He's not comfortable playing ahead of the ball and if we're going to continue with this style, he needs to be restricted to shielding the defence with Ruben. He's actually very capable of playing the ball out from deeper positions (he was excellent at this when he had that run at RCB) without being Paul Scholes
  • I have no idea what Moutinho's role is currently supposed to be. I do think we're looking in the future more towards a 4-2-3-1 than this 4-3-3 but that Podence's absence has forced us back into this current shape. Saying that, personally I see him as much more of a wideman than someone who operates centrally as he can be crowded out
  • If we're going to stick with it, and my suspicion is that we are, I'd like to see:

 

[Tredman]

On current form I'd have Marcal ahead of RAN, but that's about as good as it can be with 4. That said we could be much better with 3 at the back...

 

[Nando]

On current form I'd have Marcal ahead of RAN, but that's about as good as it can be with 4. That said we could be much better with 3 at the back...

I don't disagree with you on either point really! Only reason I've picked RAN there is due to the lack of updates about Marcal.

 

[Premier Quality]

That’s a good summary. The only bit I’d add is that our centre backs are five yards too deep, which means they need to do too many risky tackles in our penalty area rather than outside.

 

[Nando]

That’s a good summary. The only bit I’d add is that our centre backs are five yards too deep, which means they need to do too many risky tackles in our penalty area rather than outside.

That seems to go hand in hand with the lack of protection we're currently getting from the midfield. If you've got people running at you, the natural reaction is to drop, or at least try and crowd them out. I believe last season that Ruben and Joao were the most dribbled past players in the league, which isn't overly surprising in itself, but the back 3/5 were set up so as to balance that out with Boly/Saiss and then Coady sweeping if needed.

We've pretty much gone from this as defensive shape:


To this:


We've taken out the insurance policy at the back and made it easier to play through the midfield at the same time, made even worse by our best midfielder in a purely defensive perspective typically being the one that's most advanced.