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At Villa park in the very top row. Got a great view of tactics and 3-5-2 isnt for premiership footy. Kolarov and Milner not suited to wing back play. Hope we go back to last years formation soon.

It seems to be working ok

Cautious yay for me

It will be useful against certain sides, a useful plan B or C tried out in a friendly rather than next weekend.

Worked well in the end.

Not for nothing but even though we went behind we looked in control all game. A new weapon for a new season.

Maybe the jury is still out on 3.5.2 but I cant go with the idea that Milner and Kolarov are not suited to it.I would have thought it was made for them.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Maybe the jury is still out on 3.5.2 but I cant go with the idea that Milner and Kolarov are not suited to it.I would have thought it was made for them.

Sometimes it seems Milner is suited for basically any role on the wing, be it wing back, full back, midfielder or forward. I hope Mancini will use him more this year, be it in this system or any other. He's such an underrated player.

An option. Always useful to have those.

I wouldn't want to see us using this from the start in matches but I think it's good to know we can move to this formation if we need to push players up the pitch, i.e. if we're chasing a goal.

For example, the QPR game at the end of last season, there was no need for us to keep 4 defenders at the back when QPR were making no attempt to attack so 3 at the back could have been useful then (obviously it all ended well in that game).

I don't think we'll use this as our standard formation but Mancini knows we'd be pretty comfortable adopting it if a game required it.

aaron bond wrote:I wouldn't want to see us using this from the start in matches but I think it's good to know we can move to this formation if we need to push players up the pitch, i.e. if we're chasing a goal.

For example, the QPR game at the end of last season, there was no need for us to keep 4 defenders at the back when QPR were making no attempt to attack so 3 at the back could have been useful then (obviously it all ended well in that game).

I don't think we'll use this as our standard formation but Mancini knows we'd be pretty comfortable adopting it if a game required it.

Good post..Think it was worth a risk in today's friendly, but i think we will use it sometimes as a plan b when we play the negative teams that park the bus....Its an interesting formation and we will get better as the season goes on. Well done to Mancini for giving it a go.

i've been in the "sell kolarov if we get a good bid" camp for some time, but if we're going to play 3-5-2 on even a semi-regular basis we should absolutely keep him. looked really good in the wing back position.

BmoreBlue wrote:i've been in the "sell kolarov if we get a good bid" camp for some time, but if we're going to play 3-5-2 on even a semi-regular basis we should absolutely keep him. looked really good in the wing back position.

probably his best position

thought he even defended ok - probably because most of his job at wing back is to just get back and somewhat get in the way.

BmoreBlue wrote:thought he even defended ok - probably because most of his job at wing back is to just get back and somewhat get in the way.

Agreed

it worried me as a ball over the top and we were too thin at the back, especialy first half with Savic, it was more like a back 2 but if we are winning would love to use to go for the juggular and get our goal differnce as high as possible again

I can't see us starting PL games this way but I can see us changing to this system if teams sit back and look to frustrate us.
I think Mancini has been clever here and shown teams what we can do if they decide to park the bus in their own box.
It provides us with natural width and enable us to stretch defences and pepper the goal.

Think it is a good idea to get Tevez and Sergio leading the line together. With a full strength squad to choose from any three of Vinny, Joleon, Micah and Kolo is a great defensive trio.

Biggest advantage for me is Mancini's ability to change the master plan if it's not working and go with something the lads know, feel comfortable in and works.

Risby wrote:I can't see us starting PL games this way but I can see us changing to this system if teams sit back and look to frustrate us.
I think Mancini has been clever here and shown teams what we can do if they decide to park the bus in their own box.
It provides us with natural width and enable us to stretch defences and pepper the goal.

I agree. Its a good Plan B to have, and one that we didn't have on a few occasions last season.

Mase wrote:<null>

I just think sides will be in two minds now when they prepare as they now know we are not one dimensional. As you said, we didn't really have a back up plan at times last year. This could become a weapon when needed. I still can't see us using too many times, but we might need it on a few occasions when pushing for goals.

I think this formation is very dangerous. Especially when competing in Premier League, Champions League, Cups...Players get tired, and we don't have many good CB's to switch them around..Do we?