4 at the back for the remainder of the season?

[Ponty]

5 at the back until we’ve got the players to play 4. Boly probably can, the rest all have major flaws and are not up to it. If Nuno persists in playing Coady, Saiss or Kilman in a 4 with the intension of using them like that next season the heady heights of 7th place will soon become a fading memory.

 

[pacamac]

Has to be a 5, A) we don't really have the central defenders/type of midfielder to play a 4. B) the team have been drilled so much to play the 3/5 at the back. C) Ait Nouri might be ok as a LWB but I never want to see him play as a LB again (I said that last time) so while Johnnys out or we get a different option has to be a back 3/5.

 

[Minimalist]

Maybe if we want to play a back 4 it would be better to have 3 midfielders sat in front of them.

 

[Jay Jay de Wolf]

Has to be a 5, A) we don't really have the central defenders/type of midfielder to play a 4. B) the team have been drilled so much to play the 3/5 at the back. C) Ait Nouri might be ok as a LWB but I never want to see him play as a LB again (I said that last time) so while Johnnys out or we get a different option has to be a back 3/5.

Agreed @pacamac Boly in a back 4 is more of a miss than Jonny . This is why you can't understand Nuno gambling so much on that weak back 4 last night. Which came at our cost with 3 goals conceded in 30 odd mins!

 

[pacamac]

Maybe if we want to play a back 4 it would be better to have 3 midfielders sat in front of them.

Non of our midfielders win the ball though (or rarely) doesn't matter if its 3 or 2 as long as that happens.

 

[Sheffield Wolf]

What I’d give for 3 points at Fulham. Think we’d be safe then and we could experiment a bit more with formations and personnel. Just not Coady and Saiss in a back 4 though.

 

[Minimalist]

Non of our midfielders win the ball though (or rarely) doesn't matter if its 3 or 2 as long as that happens.

I think I saw somewhere neves has very high stats for winning the ball, I think it is just that it’s not done in a sliding big crunching tackle kind of way. Donk often plays a holding role for Belgium so he must have something in that regard.
Donk-Neves-Saiss sat ahead of aback 4 would surely offer better protection.

Problem is that only gives you 3 forward players so you probably may as well stick to 343.

 

[Chris H]

Has to be a 5, A) we don't really have the central defenders/type of midfielder to play a 4. B) the team have been drilled so much to play the 3/5 at the back. C) Ait Nouri might be ok as a LWB but I never want to see him play as a LB again (I said that last time) so while Johnnys out or we get a different option has to be a back 3/5.

What did Ait Nouri do wrong particularly?

I don’t think he was particularly poor defensively, don’t remember much coming from his side. Anything they created pretty much came from straight down the middle of the pitch I thought

And attacking wise I though he was brave and direct, loved the fact he drove straight through the middle of them a couple of times.

 

[pacamac]

What did Ait Nouri do wrong particularly?

I don’t think he was particularly poor defensively, don’t remember much coming from his side. Anything they created pretty much came from straight down the middle of the pitch I thought

And attacking wise I though he was brave and direct, loved the fact he drove straight through the middle of them a couple of times.

He's just not a left back, great going forward so as a wing back yeah he's a good option but not in a back 4 leaves our already shakey 2 CBs with too much to do.

 

[Monketron]

Ait-Nouri probably had his best game for us last night, didn't really cause any issues defensively (he did lose Bowen for a free header once) and was great going forward, far more dangerous than any other LWB we've played this season.

He's going to be one hell of a player once he matures and learns the dark arts of defending like a little **** (re: Robertson at Liverpool).

 

[Axle]

Can l ask a really obvious question? I was goin mg to start a new thread but decided not to asthere are already several ‘back four’ threads.

Where and when was it decided by Wolves or found out by the media that we are definitely going to be playing a back four next season?

It seems to be common knowledge but l don’t remember anyone actually saying it or stating it. I’m not saying anyone is wrong or that it’s been misunderstood, just that these major changes that will be required make little sense unless we are planning to use similar personnel next season.

After all Coady became a great sweeper after being a middling centre midfielder. Is Nuno planning the same transition to CB for our skipper next season?

 

[QB Wolf]

I think it’s a bit of a myth that Coady can’t play in a 4, he just needs the right partner, a big strong centre half, who is not only strong in the air, but is also good on the ball, someone like Boly.

 

[Wolf in Kenilworth]

To be strong with a back 4 we need 2 things which are better central defenders and better wing backs.

 

[Darvo]

I hope we go with 4 at the back tomorrow but play with more discipline. By that I mean that we don’t leave the 2 centre halves so exposed. So, if one full back attacks, the other doesn’t ... plus Neves doesn’t wonder too far from the defensive, midfield holding role.

Let’s get at em and put any lingering thoughts of relegation to bed.

 

[Ponty]

4 at the back without Boly makes sense. I’d rather everyone realises by the end of the season that Saiss and Coady aren’t up to it than start next season thinking they can.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

I think it’s a bit of a myth that Coady can’t play in a 4, he just needs the right partner, a big strong centre half, who is not only strong in the air, but is also good on the ball, someone like Boly.

The game against baggies....

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

What did Ait Nouri do wrong particularly?

I don’t think he was particularly poor defensively, don’t remember much coming from his side. Anything they created pretty much came from straight down the middle of the pitch I thought

And attacking wise I though he was brave and direct, loved the fact he drove straight through the middle of them a couple of times.

Tactical indiscipline. You can't have both full backs going forward like that. Ait-Nouri should probably drop back rather than try and stick his foot in for the first goal.
But I like the guy and he didn't look too shabby.

 

[QB Wolf]

The game against baggies....

Not the best example, undone by some poor refereeing, particularly for the first pen and the Gibbs no pen.

Not having a proper left back on the pitch didn’t help either.

 

[Chris H]

Tactical indiscipline. You can't have both full backs going forward like that. Ait-Nouri should probably drop back rather than try and stick his foot in for the first goal.
But I like the guy and he didn't look too shabby.

Possibly, I think he realised that but had already been caught out. I think he went for the challenge as he knew they’d be past him anyway.

Probably should have made sure he cleaned their player out and the ball didn’t go past him, but then he wasn’t the only culprit for that through the night.

Bust a gut to get back goal side of one of their players to cover his run after that though and managed it to be fair.

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

In what games have we played 4 at the back and conceded more than 1 goal a game, other than at Anfield? I ask that genuinely, not smugly.

I also think losing Jimenez at the exact same time we changed formation is unbelievably bad luck. Since then we've been effectively playing without a striker. Someone who can hold the ball up and get others involved around them. And of course, put the ball in the net.

West Ham on Monday?

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

We've played 8 actually.
Southampton, Arsenal, Liverpool, Villa, West brom, Brighton, Everton and Tottenham.
1 win, 3 draws and not a single clean sheet. 6 points in 8 games. 16 goals conceded.
It's mind-blowing awful. I have no idea why anybody wants to stick with it given how badly it has gone so far.

Have to agree. Maybe we can evolve to 4 at the back, but not with the players we have. CB's are too slow and FB's can't defend.
We had a system that everyone understood, now we have square pegs in round holes.

 

[goldeneyed]

You can only play 4 if Boly is available and even that is a bit dodgy. Saiss can be in the middle with Kilman and Boly on either side for me. Coady is a fantastic captain and a great passer of the ball but too easily bullied and often quite slow imv making him very vulnerable to pace.. I would like to see Kilman given a lot more encouragement. There are the makings of a very good player there.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Have to agree. Maybe we can evolve to 4 at the back, but not with the players we have. CB's are too slow and FB's can't defend.
We had a system that everyone understood, now we have square pegs in round holes.

It is slightly better now after a win against arsenal and a loss against west ham. But it is still 9 points in 10 games and that second arsenal game was clearly an act of god.

 

[Jay Jay de Wolf]

We were much better in all aspects of the game when we reverted to a back 3/5. After Neto was taken off.
Better defensively and more of a threat on goal. Scoring 2 goals really with this system

 

[Tring Wolf]

I personally still think we’re better playing a three but if we are considering making the transition to a four next season, the next 7 games give us a great opportunity to experiment.

If Neto is out, I’d really like to see Vitinha given a consistent run of games. Something like:

Rui
Semedo, Coady, Boly, Ait-Nouri
Vitinha, Neves, Moutinho/Dendoncker
Traore, Silva, Podence

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Much better with a 4, just invite pressure with 3

I don’t think our players our fit enough to play 4 though. We need to be able press and they are all blowing

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Much better with a 4, just invite pressure with 3

Problem is you've got nothing over the last 12 months to back that up.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Much better with a 4, just invite pressure with 3

I don’t think our players our fit enough to play 4 though. We need to be able press and they are all blowing

I suspect that is in part because the small squad/injuries means that they are playing many more minutes than some other teams and may not (see Neto tonight for example) be 100% fit either.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Problem is you've got nothing over the last 12 months to back that up.

Performances going forward when podence has played have been better with a 4 than a 3

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Performances going forward when podence has played have been better with a 4 than a 3

Well we weren't today were we?
If I'm honest I think our performances going forward have been better when traore has played, wherever he has played, whatever formation we have played.

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

Much better with a 4, just invite pressure with 3

I don’t think our players our fit enough to play 4 though. We need to be able press and they are all blowing

I don't agree with that. We have looked wide open and conceded too many goals playing a flat back 4.
When we changed to 3/5 v Fulham we looked much more solid and everyone knew their role.
Wolves have played "with 5 at the back and pace in attack" for 3 years. The whole club, reserves, kids and all, are set up that way. It is hard to change overnight.
If Nuno wants to do it then do it properly, buy players that are quicker and can defend and give them a chance to play that way before the season kicks off. Which by the way is about 4 weeks after the euros finish.

 

[whitnash wolf ex.dewsbury]

I don't agree with that. We have looked wide open and conceded too many goals playing a flat back 4.
When we changed to 3/5 v Fulham we looked much more solid and everyone knew their role.
Wolves have played "with 5 at the back and pace in attack" for 3 years. The whole club, reserves, kids and all, are set up that way. It is hard to change overnight.
If Nuno wants to do it then do it properly, buy players that are quicker and can defend and give them a chance to play that way before the season kicks off. Which by the way is about 4 weeks after the euros finish.

so not much of a preseason and a lot of our players will be worn out again

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

I still don't understand why we need to switch to a 4, or how it will make us a better side.

 

[SA Wolf]

I still don't understand why we need to switch to a 4, or how it will make us a better side.

We don't and it won't, at least with players who have been schooled in a 3/5 for 4 seasons.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

We have to stick with 5 at the back we simply cannot play any other way with these current crop of players

 

[Darvo]

I hope we go with a 4. Our games have been very ‘dry’ when playing with 5.

Come on Wolves, let’s have some fun and excitement for the remainder of the season.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

I hope we go with a 4. Our games have been very ‘dry’ when playing with 5.

Come on Wolves, let’s have some fun and excitement for the remainder of the season.

Absolutely this. Nuno let your hair down man! Have a bit of fun. Try something - you might even enjoy it! A 4 for me, Boly and Kilman, Vitinha and Otasowie to start with Neves and Neto, Silva and Traore up top. Christ, if you can't experiment in our position v Sheffield then you really can see that Nuno is stuck in a groove.