17 Mar 2013 19:37:26
When people post possible formations and teams on here for next season they are always 4-2-3-1. I'm unsure whether Ferguson will go down this route, or whether he will stick with 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. Over the last few years we are a team renowned for width, so whether we will make the transition I am unsure. Obviously we have Kagawa but he seems to be a utility forward player who can play out wide, in the middle or behind the striker.

I certainly want for us to adapt, but I have my doubts over whether that will be the case, especially as soon as next season and maybe as long as Sir Alex is manager.

1.) 17 Mar 2013
If you look at the 4-2-3-1 formation, it is basically 4-4-1-1 but with the wingers pushing on higher and someone dropping in behind the striker or ultimately 4-4-2. Wouldn't over think it to much, just fancier ways of putting things. SAF will always line up with 4 at the back and with 2 CM's and then the other 4 would have just a little bit of freedom to rotate but ultimately the structure remains the same.

2.) 17 Mar 2013
But my point Ports is SAF may want real wide men on the wings, e.g Valencia and Young and a striker dropping in i. e Rooney. A 4-2-3-1 usually consists of players who are more central and drift in on their favoured foot, Mata, Gotze, Rodriguez.

3.) 17 Mar 2013
I would say the formation is slowly becoming less of an issue with us. We seem to be strating in a 4231 like formation but with all four of the front four all moving and floating about so as to make it hard to mark players and so we can find the space against more ridgid opposition. Personally I think Rene Meulensteen is having more and more of an effect on our tactics and coaching. He has had a huge effect on our academy set up, he wants to get players playing in different positions to bring on their weaker skills so as all out players are comfortable in playing many different positions so that the team can change and morph during a game to target the oppositions weaknesses and cover up our own.

Since he moved into a role with the first team we are seeing his philosophy more and more with the first team squad.

4.) 17 Mar 2013
Think is an interesting point IMO and I've often thought the same. A lot of us would like to see us play with inverted wingers in a 4231 but I'm unsure as to whether SAF is willing to move from old fashioned wingers i. e. 4411.

Zaha can play as a touchline-hugging winger which seems to suggest we will stick to that shape but then when we signed Kagawa I was sure we would move to a narrower, more modern shape with him and one other either side of Rooney. All very confusing!

I guess our summer signings will show us how SAF feels as to whether we stick to traditional wingers or move to a narrower 4231. If we signed Rodriguez he could easily play in an intrecate front 4 with Kagawa, Rooney, RVP and then we could still have Valencia and Young to play as more traditional wingers against lesser teams - the best of both worlds?

5.) 17 Mar 2013
Valencia and Young? They're both completely useless.
Nomidfield

6.) 17 Mar 2013
TBH Nomidfield I don't take "completely useless" as an insult from you any more. It seems every second subject of a post is 'useless' or 'past it'. The truth is it takes all sorts to make a successful 25 man squad. Not all players will be in form all at once. I'm guessing you didn't watch us play when Valencia was tearing opponents a new one last season and the season before?

7.) 17 Mar 2013
Honeybadger - that is ideal tbh. Rodriguez looks an outstanding talent and looks to be on his way to the top. However, if we have signed Zaha, and we may well sign Rodriguez aswell, I think another winger as well as Nani will depart, as we will have 5 wingers and possibly 5 strikers fighting for 4 places, ad although competition and depth is very good, that seems excessive. It may well be Valencia.

8.) 17 Mar 2013
Well nm, last season when Rooney was underperforming, Chicharito was on bad form, Welbeck couldn't hit a barn door, Young was having toe trouble and Nani was his typically inconsistent self, we turned to " useless " Valencia. For 6 months, he lifted the team and carried us back into the title race and 8 points clear of city. He turned in 9 whoscored mom in 12 games. He wasn't useless than, was he? Now that he's experiencing injury trouble and playing through the pain barrier, hey, let's kick him out! Let's also kick out Fletcher.