3. Fluid Formations Are Far More Successful
Too many times this season, Newcastle have seen their play limited by too-rigid formations, particularly when the team has been sent out to play a traditional 4-4-2 set-up, and yesterday's game against Man Utd was no different. From the outset, with Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse playing together and a flat four in midfield, the gap between midfield and attack was too great to make for any real threat. The Reds' possession and greater attacking threat pushed both Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye back, and Hatem Ben Arfa was reduced to picking the ball up from deep, and attempting to shake off the close attentions of Wayne Rooney. That rigid formation failed, and just as the second goal went in, Alan Pardew changed things up, swapping Ben Arfa's flank, dropping Cisse out wide into a fluid 4-3-3 and allowing Jonas Gutierrez to operate in a more central role, where he tends to flourish these days, and where his industry tends to pay off more. That formation allowed the full-backs to over-lap more than they had managed in the first twenty minutes - though Shane Ferguson looked a little lost at times and over-awed at others - and caused Man United a lot more problems. Man Utd on the other hand were successful from the outset in a more fluid system that saw Wayne Rooney dropping deep, almost to the line of defence, to collect the ball and to keep a close eye on Hatem Ben Arfa, with their full-backs offering outlets high up the pitch and Wellbeck, Rooney, Van Persie and Kagawa combining in attack to try and carve out some chances. Sir Alex clearly values players who can operate in multiple positions, and it is that versatility that makes for a more fluid formation that forces more pressure on the opponent to cope.