05 Oct 2026 07:26:07
Wee bit of fun playing 442. Goals that have been scored from each position. Fav goals, players, and game. Like coop LW vs Celtic Glasgow cup. Big Bert CH vs Celtic ect.
05 Oct 2026 09:01:07
Got to agree Stewarty, it's as effective today as it was back then. I think nowadays there are too many Pep wannabe's who want to over complicate a simple game. When I was growing up in the 90s you always had great partnerships up top. Yorke and Cole, Bergkamp and Henry, Inzaghi and Del Piero, Ronaldo and Vieri, Vialli and Ravanelli, McCoist and Hately, Weah and Shevchenko. If I have forgot any great partnerships let me know. Now we have Kelsey and Naderi and what I like is that two up top is a simple solution to the low block.
We can now dominate in the air from crosses whereas before against the low block we used cross aimlessly and hopefully in to one solitary striker. I never understood playing with a fancy midfielder as a 10 particularly in Scotland. You'd be as well playing with another proper striker and have them drop a little when defending as we have seen in McInnes set up. I really can't wait until this international break is over.
05 Oct 2026 10:40:08
We don't play 442. Yes we sometimes start with 2 strikers but it does not translate to 442.
For example both old firms we played a variation of 3-5-2.
05 Oct 2026 11:12:36
Absolutely Del👍a lot of head coaches do over complicate the game of football, just look at when russell martin was our head coach 😲McInnes has simplified it at Rangers and everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing and it's not over complicated even though he's got his tactics correct 👍🇬🇧The way it should be keep things as simple as we can and adapt during games is McInnes's answer 👍Why at times do head coaches/managers want to over complicate the simple game of football 🤔🇬🇧.
05 Oct 2026 11:37:26
SWS, have to disagree, there is nothing simple about our set up.
The rotation from back 4 to 3.
The use of fullbacks to overload midfield.
The discipline to start with 2 in midfield.
The rotation and pressing triggers for the front 4.
All these, and more, take a huge amount of work to implement, hence why so many players struggled to adapt at the start of the season.
It's so naive to look at us and label our system a simple 442, when infact we probably only spend about 20% of the game in that system.
At the start of the season McInnes was being hammered for being so flexible with his system, now we've put some wins on the board it's like posters has gone blind to what's happening on the pitch - i mean in the first OldFrim game I'm not sure we ever actually went 442 for any sustained period.
McInnes and his team deserve a huge amount of credit for not simplifying our set up and having the courage and belief to persist with a modern system that puts a huge amount of pressure on a key group of players, in order to create a platform for others to have the freedom to express themselves.
Sorry, rant over.
05 Oct 2026 11:40:20
hmm i'm not so sure its the answer to the low block, you still need to get the ball to the striker and that was and is the difficulty breaking down the block. to me the answer is more balls over the top of the defensive line with runners splinting on to it, whether that's wingers or strikers it doesn't matter.
We will see how it shapes up going forward.
05 Oct 2026 11:44:33
But it's not over complicated EHL my whole point mate and everyone knows what they're doing 🤔.
05 Oct 2026 11:48:10
Spot on Sirwalter. I don't know why either. It's not modern system. Football has been played this way for years.
05 Oct 2026 11:48:40
We all know EHL, that McInnes in the 2 Old Firm wins absolutely overloaded the midfield during the games, as he instructed and trusted Sterling and makhanya to defend and cover a lot of ground 🤔They both defended large areas on the pitch superbly well 👌🇬🇧.
05 Oct 2026 11:54:04
I find it fascinating nowadays watching the coaching team basically work an entire game from kickoff, like chess men moving in and out up and down, the team shape changing constantly and players moving in different areas, must be a lot of work goes on in the training ground nowadays EHL. I do enjoy seeing it come off when done well.
I assume some players are taken away from normal training in order to work intensively with coaches so they learn to adapt to the shape of the team at any given moment in the game, I would imagine that using two forwards allows them to change instantly and adopt different attacking positions, I remember when players would have a fit if asked to change positions, now it seems so obvious.
05 Oct 2026 12:51:08
Sws, so is your logic if it works it's simple, if it doesn't it's over complicated?
In the second OldFirm game, Celtic started 352 and then went 442. If it was so simple, why did they struggle to implement it?
05 Oct 2026 13:14:43
I really don't know why people are reluctant to admit that we play 442. McInnes has played 442 for years, he's not going to change now. Yip at times he likes 352 as we seen at times against Celtic. Its a fluid 442 where it can be adapted during the game to suit.
We play with four defenders, two central midfielders, two wingers and two strikers. That set up can change to 352 424, its very fluid. McInnes even said that he plays 442.
05 Oct 2026 13:15:34
Its not a rant EHL if its completely correct. I think people have totally missed the point of the opening post. It was if i'm correct using a 442 formation what is your favourite goal and scorer from each position of the 442. It was nothing to do with current team formation. Way to take the fun out of Steve's post guys.
05 Oct 2026 13:47:13
Anyone thinking we play a standard 442, fair enough.
05 Oct 2026 14:20:49
Can't wait for this International break to be over🥴😮🫣.
05 Oct 2026 14:21:40
Easy to see EHL is involved in coaching, still find some coaches over complicate things, probably the main thing is having intelligent/skilled players who are good enough to adapt.
05 Oct 2026 14:27:55
Celtic 0-3 Rangers. 1999 title decider at Porkheid😅. Neil McCann's 2nd(our 3rd). He played LM that day rather than his usual LW position as we played a 442 under Advocaat. What a day that was and what a performance from McCann! MOTM.
05 Oct 2026 15:02:32
RWN simply call that the Neil McCann game mate.
05 Oct 2026 16:01:14
There are a lot of people heavily invested in making a simple game very very complicated. a lot of these lads nowadays can't add 2 +2 together without their agent adding 20%¡¡¡,
Get everyone properly fit to last 100 minutes
Get defenders to defend
Get forwards to score goals
Get midfield to mould the 2 together
Get All for one, one for all mentality
Bin the computer
Stir until well mixed, give it a go.
05 Oct 2026 17:51:19
Del nobody is reluctant to say we play 442, as we do at times, but as EHL has explained brilliantly we don't always play that system, two things can be correct at once.
I'm not sure why your reluctant to admit that not playing with 2 up top can just be as effective.
You say you don't understand playing with a fancy 10 especially in Scotland, when the league has been won the last 20 years by teams not playing 2 up top mate.
05 Oct 2026 18:11:18
I would call it an unconventional 442
That's just my opinion on it.
05 Oct 2026 18:11:54
There is also an argument though that it's a 4231 tbh lads.
05 Oct 2026 19:28:46
I don't think saying it not overcomplicated is insulting or in any way detracts from the great work being done by DM or his coaching staff. And I don't believe our bad start was down to the players strugging to adapt to his system.
It's was down to the poor options we had both defensively and creatively. Penrice Mak MinSu etc who came in late haven't shown any difficulty or needed time to understand what he wants.
05 Oct 2026 20:10:33
In the last 20 years boy blue, Walter Smith played two up top during 3 in a row. We have won it once playing with one striker, under SG. 433 has never been successful for us regardless of how successful its been for Celtic.
I read that boy blue but I don't agree that it explains it perfectly nor do I find it credible. It was explained perfectly by Gyldne Gut the other day. Here is what he said. I find it far more credible.
"The manager plays an asymmetrical 4-4-2 , having parts on either side that are not the same size or shape, offering great flexibility. The system also offers itself to making triangles, isolating opposing defenders or loading certain areas of the pitch (for instance when operating an aggressive press).
The Penrice tactic against the other mob is a decent example, the movement of Minsu across the inside forward and wide area is another. Flexibility of movement makes the system work and we're now showing that. I've forgotten a few benefits of the system now, but I was coaching it more than 30 years ago."
I know that it is not a strict 442, I said as much in my previous post. I said we play with four defenders, two centre mids, two wingers and two strikers. Its fluid and can change to 352 424 etc. But its a 442 set up. Its how McInnes plays mate.
05 Oct 2026 21:33:57
Why do we even care what the formation is, has been or will be going forward, 6 wins out of 6 and 8 out of 9 in all competitions means whatever we are doing is currently working- also I can't remember who said it but players win matches, not systems, the additions of makhanya, Penrice, Neil, Pandur, Kim have been vital and most importantly of all the selection of a mostly settled 11 who can develop an understanding together of whatever formation we use rather than constantly chopping and changing due to poor results or injuries.
06 Oct 2026 00:29:25
The obsession with formation in here is too funny.
06 Oct 2026 11:04:05
Playing with 2 forwards doesn't necessarily mean you play two up , the team will switch regularly and movement will mean one coming off the other or helping out midfield, even as a winger in certain situations, I like it myself, I expect at least one of Cher, kev and Ryan to go next summer, and I' was hoping for McBurnie to come in along with Ure but that ship may have sailed, it would be great to keep the spine of the team intact for at least 3 seasons at a time but money run's football now so that could be difficult, getting the top two to work as a partnership is key, whether in or out the box, reading the play and reacting will determine if we succeed, i'm quite excited to see how it all works.
06 Oct 2026 12:12:21
20 was a typo supposed to say 15. Del if you break your post down to bare bones of it, your basically saying why play any other way than 442, especially in Scotland you say, to which I say the team that has won the league every year for past 15 years hasn't played 2 up top, doesn't matter if it's us or them, not playing with 2 up top has been absolutely successful.
We also went on an unbeaten season Record: 32 wins, 6 draws, 0 defeats (102 points) for the first time ever, proving that system absolutely works if you have the players.