How to accomodate Tim and two strikers

Comments (19)

Since Cahill Tim has been at the Asian Cup, and Moyes' decision to go with 2 out and out strikers (and our up-turn in form), there has been continued debate on this site as to what we should do when Tim returns.

I don't think anyone can doubt Tim's importance to our team, his goals return is phenomenal, his work rate second to none, and he winds the opposition up brilliantly. Without being exactly a world class player, and certainly less skillful and gifted than one or two of our other players, he has become our most important players.

But, despite his g oals this season, I think most of us would agree that our 4-5-1 system which accomodates him has pretty much been found out by other teams. I also think most of us have really liked seeing us play with two strikers.

So, what do we do when Tim returns? Keep him on the bench, use him in a four man midfield, or revert to type? I was giving this some thought, and i think there is an alternative. Basically, i think an option worth considering is switching to the 3-5-2 formation.

I realise this is a set-up which has a lot of critics, and is one that is rarely used in England, but i think we have the personnel to make it work. with Heitinger, Jags and Distin across the back, Seamus and Bainsy as the wing backs, Fellaini and Arteta in the middle as they have been, and Tim playing his usual role, but this time behind Beckford and Saha/Vic/Whoever. I know this formation has its shortcomings, but I think we'd have a very solid spine with Fellaini in front of three very good defenders, who would balance very well, and Seamus and Baines I think are tailor made for the wing back roles.

Tim would have the freedom to do his usual job of getting stuck in in midfeild, and bursting into the opposition box. He certainly works best breaking from midfield rather than being used as a striker, which frankly just seems desperate. With the pace of someone like beckford and the class of an in form Saha, or the power of Anichebe and the brilliantly timed late runs of Tim we'd have a lot of threat going forward, especially with the deliveries of Baines and Coleman's ability to get to the line.

Fellaini would have to be extra discplined to protect the back four when Baines and Coleman burst forward, but I think he's easily up to the job, and once Mikky gets back in form he can pull the strings in the middle. An advantage of the particular personnel in the line up is that, if things aren't going well we can easily switch to a 4-4-2 formation, with Heitinga, Jags, Distin and Baines across the back, and Seamus, Tim, Fellaini and Arteta across the middle, with of course the added options of changes from the bench.

I'm not 100% convinced this change would work. I can't think of an English team who play this way, and i doubt Moyes has much experience of coaching it, and everbody involved would have to be extremely well drilled, but I think it potentially offers a solution to a quandry Moyes will certainly face when Tim returns.
Nathan  O'Hagan, Northamptonshire     Posted 21/01/2011 at 22:50:32

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