Southampton v Everton

[GLewis]

Tony Grant's best game for us, remember him making his debut against PSV in pre-season, don't know why he wasn't a massive star for us as he had all the technique in the world

Ale

[GLewis]

4-4-2 away against Southampton would end in defeat. The gaps are massive when we play 5 in midfield, nevermind 4.

4-1-4-1. Soak it up, hit them on the break.

With our forwards we should be doing this every game nearly!

[GLewis]

I know we all liked the 80's but 4-4-2 isn't the answer.

The formations are largely irrelevant.

Or they are for us at the moment.

It's more if Kone plays then it's another player whose natural game is to get into the box to support Lukaku.

Similarly we played a bit better when Oviedo came on as he's a natural wide player.

He wasn't great individually (and I'm not convinced longer term in midfield) but just because he stays out wide naturally meant that we could get more width higher up the pitch which stretched them a bit. This is why Lennon made a big difference last season.

So yes, a strict 4-4-2 isn't likely to work but maybe having players on the pitch who gravitate towards the roles that are associated with the formation may help us.

[GLewis]

Making a substitution if we need to get back into the game will be an improvement on last season!

[GLewis]

Baines and naismith cm with lukaku wide left, kone wide right and Barkley centre forward will live with me........  Forever

It's the Barry at CB element that tips it over the edge.

That was the peak (or nadir) or Roberto's Tactics Tombola moments!

[GLewis]

They played his usual 4-2-3-1. I don't know why everybody is talking about us playing with two upfront when we actually played the normal tactis. Lukaku on top and Kone on the right wing with Cleverly at left and Barkley central.

Kone was immense today as he actually looked like beeing a striker but still was following Southamptons left back all the time. People may not have seen it too much but McCarthy was way more offensive doing runs all the time which created a lot of space for Barkley who was simply brilliant. In fact this was a genius tactic for this game.

I'd say it was more fluid than the standard 4-2-3-1.

We seemed to start off with a pure diamond and with two up front but then asked Kone to cover their full back going forward.

I think it turned into the sort of "melted" (Rodgers would love this) 4-3-3 that we saw away at Newcastle in 13/14 where basically Cleverley was asked to cover a lot of ground to allow Lukaku, Kone and Barkley to sort out between them who could stay higher up the pitch for counter attacks/cover their full backs.

Cleverley ended up on the right for much of the 2nd half for example.

[GLewis]

The trio of Barry McCarthy and cleverly worked their arses off to help give kone, Barkley and lukaku freedom. I can cope with that

The style of play seems to suit us so much

When you throw in mirallas and deulofeu on the bench we look very very (potentially) strong on the break

Back at goodison is gonna be the major issue, we have to find a way to play there too

That's why we have to stretch the pitch.

There's always space somewhere.

And if it means crossing the ball more so be it.

Barkley and Cleverley are capable of putting it good balls from wide-ish positions as well as Coleman and Kone(!) from more conventional positions. Not to mention obviously the other players not in the team atm.

Utd have always been able to hit people on the break and they must have had teams sit back against them more than anyone else over the past 20 years.

It doesn't have to all be length of the field charges either.

It can just be direct play on the edge of the box like a fast one/two.