04 Sep 2026 11:57:17
If we get our act together perhaps it won't matter if we play 442 or 433.i personally think it will change depending on opponent and if it's home or away. First things first though let's get the basics right. Passing 5-10 yards without giving the ball away. Tracking runners. Crosses beating the first man.
Stopping crosses at source. 100%Effort all the time and speeding things up a bit.
We have the ingredients there to beat every team in our league home and away. Apart from maybe that mob.
If we can do all of the above more often than not we will be in a good place. Football is a simple game. Let's keep it simple 🇬🇧
04 Sep 2026 12:51:52
In most games, there's very little difference between the two.
442, one of the front players drops in as the ten.
433, one of the midfielders moves up to the ten.
The two biggest issues I've seen so far are the balance of the midfield 2 and the imbalance of the fullbacks.
For McInnes' system to bed in, we need two midfielders who are both comfortable playing as 6s and 8s and who are happy to rotate and take turns playing each role. With Raskin, Devlin and Neil, they all want to drop into the six, which invites pressure and isolates the front 4.
Also, McInnes always plays with one full back given licence to attack and the other asked to sit and make a back 3 when required. We've not been able to adopt this, and in trying to do so we spend huge chunks of the game completely ignoring our right hand side.
I also suspect that this is confusing Fernandez, as he's struggling to adjust without having an outball on the right or through the middle (as both midfielders are constantly coming towards him), and his positional play has been poor, as he's uncomfortable when Sterling drops in next to him.
04 Sep 2026 12:58:37
I bow to your superior tactical knowledge of the game, EHL. I am just a supporter who wants us to get better, to win silverware. I think that Drago can give us a bit more of that balance in the middle of the park.
I'd like to see him and Raskin in there, as I think what you elude to in both midfielders being able to play 6 and 8 is achievable with the two in there.
04 Sep 2026 13:14:24
I agree, Helicopter. Drago is very much the key to unlocking the midfield.
Think Spain with Rodri and Ruiz taking turns anchoring and supporting Olmo, who is given licence to drift ahead, whilst Williams and Yamal offer width and Olozabal stays between the CBs.
Now flip that to be Raskin and Drago with Minsu ahead, Gassama and Bouanani wide, and Kelsy through the middle.
That's ultimately what we're trying, and failing, to do.
It will come though.
04 Sep 2026 13:14:28
Would be a much poorer site without your input, Ehl, really enjoy your posts, mate. Yourself and Angus really make me see things from a different perspective, the way you both explain things.
04 Sep 2026 13:15:32
Noticed that the other night EHL, Serbian lad n Curtis were too quiet. Everything went left, commented on the live, as did BBJ. They were involved but not as much. Needs to be worked on.
04 Sep 2026 13:21:51
It will definitely take time for all these working parts to click together. I agree it will come in time. Hopefully soon. 🤣 It would be class to see it work and I think it could be quite devastating. If we could even remotely replicate what the Spanish do I'd be one happy bear. Here's hoping.
04 Sep 2026 13:30:15
To be fair, Helicopter, McInnes got a similar system working with Hearts last season, so there is reason to be optimistic.
We just need to increase our speed of play by about 800%. How hard can that be.
04 Sep 2026 13:33:57
Ehl, I feel, as well as Drago, I think Minsu will be very important in this system. 🤔🇬🇧 He'll press and take us up the park. 👍
04 Sep 2026 13:59:53
It's one of my pet hates. Forwards coming deep to pick up the ball, and immediately just pass it to our back 4, piling even more pressure on them.
04 Sep 2026 14:25:01
Good insight, EHL, we need to be patient, as I think when it clicks, we are going to be an electric team with the pace and power we have added up front and on the wings.
04 Sep 2026 14:32:51
Ehl, 800% 🤣 I'd settle for 50 atm.
04 Sep 2026 14:38:38
Thanks for the explanation, Ehl. I think, also, a big problem was apparently almost half of our forward passes were long balls, so we weren't looking to use the midfielders enough.
04 Sep 2026 14:50:53
Kaiser, that's what happens when you play two in midfield and both drop short - the only option is to go long.
Ideally, they split and one plays slightly higher - on the right hand side, as Sterling should anchor - to create more options.
The few decent passages of play happened when Shankland dropped into this space; however, it really shouldn't be left to him.
04 Sep 2026 15:31:37
This is the point I was making about Raskin and Devlin. Against Aberdeen, Neil played that slightly more advanced role, and, whilst not perfect, it was better.
04 Sep 2026 15:55:04
Would it maybe then be better with just the one defensive mid rather than 2 as in a 4132 or 4141?
04 Sep 2026 16:16:44
Lol, I don't sieve those formations exist, Kaiser.
Other than in computer games.
04 Sep 2026 16:32:25
100% Fork, it needs working on quickly too as we become too predictable when it happens. Probably why we are one of the worst performing attacking sides in our games so far.
04 Sep 2026 16:51:05
Correct Bbj. 👍
04 Sep 2026 17:07:57
I'm looking forward to seeing Drago and Raskin play together. Minsu in the 10 role looks good so far, but would like to see him get a start out wide to show what he can do there.