The profitability of salt and pepper pot positioning.

By: Martyn | July 24th, 2008

Tactics are a word the likes of Barry Fry are allergic to, but most technical-area prowling pot-bellied team leaders – including our very own Scouse rogue – are not that clueless with the Plan A side of things. When we get going, our formation and positioning allows a nice, flowing passing game. You see, Plan B is where it gets a bit stiff. Dave Jones likes to let his fullbacks roam forward, and this is fine by the vast majority of Bluebirds fans. Indeed on good days, we can be a very attractive side with a healthy amount of players prowling in the opposition half (of course, things are amended when we are away from home) and the ball remaining vertically challenged.

With a system allowing fullbacks to maraud forwards, I believe our squad (with some relevant and necessary minor tweaking) has the potential to operate with a formation that looks something like 4-1-3-2, or a 4-4-2 Diamond.

Heaton
McNaughton Johnson Loovens Comminges
Rae
Ledley McPhail Parry
McCormack Target Man

Although Parry played exceptionally well last year in the second striker role, this attack-minded formation would give him license to run in from deeper, causing havoc around and inside the box. From what I know about McCormack, he could play a similar role to the one played by Parry last year, and thus, we’d have two good pacy, attacking outlets in our first XI. He certainly showed in the Guimares game that he ain’t half bad at it! If we are able to accommodate that pair in our first team (I can’t see them ever lining up together on a regular basis), I don’t believe we would lose the inspirational match winning Parry we so dearly relied on and were inspired by for large parts of the bygone season.

I sincerely believe that if the men brought in are up to the task, the 4-1-3-2 formation I advocate is so flexible, it could straightforwardly be converted to a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 if we need to close out or chase a game. It’s all about the personnel, naturally, but if Dave Jones is realistic about getting up and not playing it like Stoke, then an attack-minded 4-3-3 as back-up plan is surely necessary. Correspondingly, the 4-4-1-1 Jones favours (see also below) (note on the hyperlink: Parry dropped a little deeper than he is placed here), can still be used when needs be. Variety is the spice of life. With these systems not involving too much complication for the players to understand and get to grips with (owing to the fact they are all in theory relative to one another), we would not only gain more than just the tried and tested sole formation that is understood and thwarted by everybody and anybody in the league who has seen it and dealt with it all before, but an attacking nature that could see us launch a genuine promotion push over the course of a season.

However, as it stands right now (pending further captures), I believe Dave Jones will line us up in the same formation that served us well in the closing stages of the season, a 4-4-1-1 of sorts with just the one change:

Enckleman
McNaughton Johnson Loovens Capaldi
Whittingham Rae McPhail Ledley
Parry
Target Man

Maybe McCormack can use the tour to manipulate that though?

But will Jones at last have a Plan B?? Sadly, I doubt it. Especially now the versatile, urgent, insightful, and accurate ball-user Ramsey has gone. It will be the same old striker for a striker, centre midfielder for a centre midfielder, or wide midfielder for wide midfielder when it comes to DJ stepping it up a gear i.e. little or no element of surprise to the opposition. Sure, players like McCormack and Kennedy may prove to be something fresh from the bench. But more often than not, it’s a system change that is required more than anything.

Sometimes, Jones will bring on Purse and shove ex-youth striker Johnson up top. This is a very rarely utilised option mind, and only if we are trailing in an important game. Likewise, it rarely works.

From a personal point of view, I believe that a creative midfielder must be sought and bought to give us greater depth and spark, especially when our wingers are struggling to press teams back. Oh for the Championship’s equivalent of Cassano, Montolivo, Xavi, Iniesta, Pirlo or Arshavin! Bristol City’s Nick Carle impressed me thoroughly last year, but A. he has just swanned off to endure the whining tones of Neil Warnock at Palace, and B. I don’t think he would have considered us a step up from a club that are virtually equal to us in almost every sense. Presumably, Dave Jones is hoping that the centre midfield combination of Scimeca and McPhail that performed so heroically when we led the league for the first third of the 06/07 season will click once again (that relationship is encapsulated perfectly by the linked match report). This is too much of a jeopardising venture mind, and this is why a forward thinking and forward passing bright spark is much needed. Regrettably, we have the terrible tendency to turn our back on the locked door when we fall behind, even if the key never seems that difficult to slot in. Correspondingly, Joe Ledley always has a stinker of a game after returning from international duty, and an extra quality midfielder would give him a bit of release from the pressure has faces both mentally and physically at a still relatively tender age.

Anyway, it’s off to a nearby public house to enjoy Cardiff-Celtic later on. I can provide a more detailed insight into how pre-season and the new signings are shaping up (albeit a 90-minute intensity lacking game) having seen things with my own eyes.

The profitability of salt and pepper pot positioning.

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