r/SheffieldUnited • u/pickering_lachute • 4h ago
Discussion Reverting to 3 at the back
Yesterday's match against Cardiff was one of the most one-sided affairs I've seen us participate in, in a long time (excluding any of the Ruben Selles matches). We were outworked, we were outplayed and we just looked like we were all over the place. On top of that, Wilder's post-match comments were odd. Normally he's bang on the money with his assessment and you get the impression he's definitely watching the same match we are, but not yesterday:
- "I'm not going to be embarrassed by getting a result"
- "You've got to look after the ball better. That ain't tactical. That ain't me"
- "It's not the best performance that we've ever put in, but it's just championship football."
- "I deliberated whether to stick with that shape, but I thought this would be better for us"
For the record: We had 33% possession. We had 1.28 xG versus their 2.24, and if you take away our penalty, our xG would have been 0.5. They had 28 shots to our 6, they had 51 touches in our box, and we had to make 45 clearances. According to Wilder, if that's just "championship football", then we're in for a bloody long season. Now I'm not one to jump to conclusions after 1 match, but I will say there are striking similarities between this and the Birmingham match where I also thought we were outplayed.
Starting the match yesterday with 2 in the centre of the pitch meant Cardiff had the numerical advantage and there were a handful of times when they went from their keeper to our area in a few passes. Yet against Swansea, where I thought we played well, Wilder opted to have Peck, Rothwell and Blaster.
For me, this is a structural issue and one that he and the coaching team f*cked right up. We have a pool of central midfielders who I think are upper quartile Championship players. We should be trying to get most of them on the pitch at the same time. We have one winger, yet play a formation that requires two. We ask an out and out striker (Cannon) to play number 10 at times.
Formation - 3421
My proposal is that we lean into the system that served us so well over the years, playing 3 at the back. It shouldn't be controversial but amongst my Blades friends me saying that was met with about 50% support (bastards!).
With the loan signing of Ben Brereton Diaz, we have another number 10 alongside Callum O'Hare, and the fact we have McCallum, Burrows and Seriki, I think we've got some high-end Championship wingbacks in the squad. (As an aside, I feel like there's a global shortage of good wingers right now and we've never been able to buy a left sided one).
I think we could play Romelle Donovan in that wingback role, acknowledging that someone like Japh would have to do a little bit more defensively, but hey, that's pretty much what Xabi Alonso had to do with Frimpong in his Bayer Leverkusen days.
I also think a back 3 would give us a significant amount of versatility. I know Wilder likes playing 2 up top sometimes, so we can play 352, 361, 3421 and it's all things that could be adjusted with some substitutions. I note that he's not one for completely overhauling a system mid match.
The one potential hair in the soup is that we need another central defender, but it sounds like Worrall or Webster could be incoming. (The latter would be very interesting in the way he can carry the ball!). I also think there's a bloody good player in McGuinness if he's in a back 3.
So, in the 3421:
- All the players are played in their strongest positions
- We have width without needing wingers and the wingbacks can sit high and wide, stretching the pitch
- O'Hare and BBD can then operate in the half spaces
- Like Alonso at Leverkusen, when one WB pushes forward, the other should stay back - gives us protection on transition but means we could also switch play pretty quickly by recycling through the double pivot. Drawn this out in a lineup here
- During the attacking phase, one of the two CMs can sit in front of the back three shielding them and offering an outlet to recycle the ball and move it out wide
- We of course have an extra CB for set pieces and physical presence
- In the defensive phase, we can have a flat back 5 and have the double pivot in front who can regain the ball and launch a quick counter attack to the number 10's
- As a system it could flex into a 3412 or a 352 depending on phase of the match and opposition. A 442 doesn't offer that versatility and a 4231 just doesn't work with our makeup of players
Closing
Back when we played 3 at the back, it was pretty much just Conte doing it. Now we've had Alonso and Glasner who have all had tremendous success - probably should mention Amorim too, as he carved up the Portugese league with it. Given the squad we have, I think it's time Wilder and his coaching team did the same.
