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Finally we have one. 60 minutes with Sporting and Chelsea, with 3 strikers on the pitch and we scored 5 goals in front of two teams that parked their bus.

This can be the answer to our away problem.

Not sure I follow, 3 strikers is the answer to our away form? You mean putting 3 strikers on the field would have won us the Swansea-game?

We have had a Plan B (and C and D) all season, you only have to look at how many goals have been scored by our subs for evidence.

I don't know if we really had a Plan B,C,D after some teams started to understand the way we play and the results showed that (in our away form). The decision to use 3 strikers at the same time on field can be the key to our away form. After Bob made this tactical decision last night (and with Sporting) Chelsea had real problems to get the ball out of their own half, they couldn't cope to the pressure.

And the main thing is that this tactical decision was a risky one, we could had have major defensive problems on counter, but it wasen't the case. I genuine think that if he does that at Stoke or Norwich, we can decide the game even from the first half. They can't cope with this.

PeterParker wrote:I don't know if we really had a Plan B,C,D after some teams started to understand the way we play and the results showed that (in our away form). The decision to use 3 strikers at the same time on field can be the key to our away form. After Bob made this tactical decision last night (and with Sporting) Chelsea had real problems to get the ball out of their own half, they couldn't cope to the pressure.

And the main thing is that this tactical decision was a risky one, we could had have major defensive problems on counter, but it wasen't the case. I genuine think that if he does that at Stoke or Norwich, we can decide the game even from the first half. They can't cope with this.

But Mancini's plan b is to throw the kitchen sink at it - only after we have plugged away patiently for 65/70 minutes. Maybe he has learned from the Bayern / Chelsea away games where we did the opposite, ran out of steam and looked clueless once we hadn't scored after 30 mins - although I honestly thought that is what had happened last night at the end of the first half, and by the time we made the subs, we were completely out of ideas

Problem is, we can't keep going behind in order to get this reaction because we will come unstuck as we have away from home recently.

I understand that you can't start the way we finished last night, but there has to be a happy medium and I think last night he had it just right - and the fact that we fell behind was just down to sheer bad luck. Just happy we are now seeing our way through these defensive minded teams, it is a new phase in our evolution

Im_Spartacus wrote:

PeterParker wrote:I don't know if we really had a Plan B,C,D after some teams started to understand the way we play and the results showed that (in our away form). The decision to use 3 strikers at the same time on field can be the key to our away form. After Bob made this tactical decision last night (and with Sporting) Chelsea had real problems to get the ball out of their own half, they couldn't cope to the pressure.

And the main thing is that this tactical decision was a risky one, we could had have major defensive problems on counter, but it wasen't the case. I genuine think that if he does that at Stoke or Norwich, we can decide the game even from the first half. They can't cope with this.

But Mancini's plan b is to throw the kitchen sink at it - only after we have plugged away patiently for 65/70 minutes. Maybe he has learned from the Bayern / Chelsea away games where we did the opposite, ran out of steam and looked clueless once we hadn't scored after 30 mins - although I honestly thought that is what had happened last night at the end of the first half, and by the time we made the subs, we were completely out of ideas

Problem is, we can't keep going behind in order to get this reaction because we will come unstuck as we have away from home recently.

I understand that you can't start the way we finished last night, but there has to be a happy medium and I think last night he had it just right - and the fact that we fell behind was just down to sheer bad luck. Just happy we are now seeing our way through these defensive minded teams, it is a new phase in our evolution

I think he can try and start like this. With Sunderland, Everton or Wba, they started scared, they allowed us to take control of the game, but we failed to deliver, just because we didn't knew how to open their defence.

After that, they become confident and we all know what happend. He can really try to do this, if we can get our away tempo from the start of the season back.

Tempo is the key thing. If we play like that against the likes of Stoke, Sunderland and Swansea away we'll be three up by the end of the first half. They simply can't live with that sort of pressure which is why it's so infuriating to see us play so cautiously.

You can't often play like that for a full 90 mins, so it's probably best to start at high tempo with a balanced side, then if things aren't working, switch to kitchen sink mode for 30 mins second half. Then it's possible to keep up the intensity when the oppo are getting tired; advantage of having a top squad & 4 strikers.

The rags used to do it like that; go full on for the first ten mins, take a breather, go full tilt for 5 mins before half time. Then they'd usually start to bring all the strikers on in the last half hour & build up intensity.

Nowardays they just play for 5 mins 1st half & five mins 2nd half & plod around like pensioners for the rest of the time, but get the same results anyway.

Ted Hughes wrote:You can't often play like that for a full 90 mins, so it's probably best to start at high tempo with a balanced side, then if things aren't working, switch to kitchen sink mode for 30 mins second half. Then it's possible to keep up the intensity when the oppo are getting tired; advantage of having a top squad & 4 strikers.

The rags used to do it like that; go full on for the first ten mins, take a breather, go full tilt for 5 mins before half time. Then they'd usually start to bring all the strikers on in the last half hour & build up intensity.

Nowardays they just play for 5 mins 1st half & five mins 2nd half & plod around like pensioners for the rest of the time, but get the same results anyway.

It's as if you hate them.

Beeks much?

It was mentioned on tele last night that we have scored more goals in the 2nd half than any other Prem team, therefore either our Plan A works or we have a reliable Plan,C,D......Zzzzzzzzz

DoomMerchant wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:You can't often play like that for a full 90 mins, so it's probably best to start at high tempo with a balanced side, then if things aren't working, switch to kitchen sink mode for 30 mins second half. Then it's possible to keep up the intensity when the oppo are getting tired; advantage of having a top squad & 4 strikers.

The rags used to do it like that; go full on for the first ten mins, take a breather, go full tilt for 5 mins before half time. Then they'd usually start to bring all the strikers on in the last half hour & build up intensity.

Nowardays they just play for 5 mins 1st half & five mins 2nd half & plod around like pensioners for the rest of the time, but get the same results anyway.

It's as if you hate them.

Beeks much?

I put them under a pedestal.

Dronny wrote:It was mentioned on tele last night that we have scored more goals in the 2nd half than any other Prem team, therefore either our Plan A works or we have a reliable Plan,C,D......Zzzzzzzzz

Goals that collect more points tho? Doubtful. Piling on when the three pts are earned is more likely.

Dronny wrote:It was mentioned on tele last night that we have scored more goals in the 2nd half than any other Prem team, therefore either our Plan A works or we have a reliable Plan,C,D......Zzzzzzzzz

It's just that when we're good, we're very good. When we're not so good, we need something different.

Also, kitchen sink football takes away the nerves and replaces them with adrenaline; it's fun.

If you ask me, this 3 strikers solution can be a joker in our hat. We played Chelsea last night, even though they aren't at their best, and we were impresive.

I would really like to try this away from home and then change to our normal system, if we have two up at half time.

All in all, with Stoke it will be decisive if we are back to our best away form or still we can't deliver (but at least this time we have a new solution).

King Kev wrote:We have had a Plan B (and C and D) all season, you only have to look at how many goals have been scored by our subs for evidence.

But do we have a Plan E?!?

Mancini should get on it pronto

I liked the Rodney March tweet/quote about QPR.He said something like they should have a plan a,b,c and d and none of them should have Joey Barton in it.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:I liked the Rodney March tweet/quote about QPR.He said something like they should have a plan a,b,c and d and none of them should have Joey Barton in it.

Never understood all the managers coming out and saying that Barton was a good player during his Newcastle antics. Whenever I've seen him over the past year, he's been incredibly average. Like Barry without the class in his play

Don't know about a plan B, but that's up to Mancini and the coaching staff to figure out. Will be a big test for them to see if we can change it up and still be successful. Seems ratman got the analysis spot on and may help explain why Silva has been ineffective recently:

[youtube]YBaDDC6ca08[/youtube]

The other way to explain this defensive tactic is "everyone stay in between the 18 yard box and we may get a lucky break to nick a goal"

I can't believe he's supporting the Stone Roses either...

The thing is that teams park the bus more at COMs,its when they attack us whether it be on the counter or from set pieces or closing us down is when we struggle.Attacking more whether it be by putting the strikers on is I think the way