4-3-3

[The Sea-gull]

Worth a try?

Sproule on the right. G O'C (recent revelations and pending court cases aside) through the middle. Griffiths on the left.

Even if G O'C's issues start to affect him then Sodje could play through the middle and may be a good option to bring on in that position. Wotherspoon, Galbraith and even Booth could fill in in the wide roles at times.

Trouble is, for it to work it requires a good, hardworking and talented midfield. Don't think we have that just now.

It was a really effective formation in the first spells of Sproule, G O'C and Riordan. Even had the likes of Fletch, Deano, Killen and Benji to slot in nicely at various times. They were backed up by a midfield of three from Boozy, Brown, Thomson and Stewart. We've not quite got the same quality there now. Shame.

[Aldo]

Sorry gull not for me.....

Sproule has been totally and utter ***** and needs to sit on the bench and come on with 20 or so to go. I would go 3 5 2

Stack
Hanlon O Hanlon Murray

Towell Pallsson Ozzy Scott Booth
GOC Griffiths.

Hard to beat but with the wing backs getting foward to support and supply the front 2.

4 3 3 would leave us exposed at the back IMHO.

We dont have the players to play that sort of system.....but appreciate where you are coming from.

Cheers

[soproni1]

Sorry gull not for me.....

Sproule has been totally and utter ***** and needs to sit on the bench and come on with 20 or so to go. I would go 3 5 2

Stack
Hanlon O Hanlon Murray

Towell Pallsson Ozzy Scott Booth
GOC Griffiths.

Hard to beat but with the wing backs getting foward to support and supply the front 2.

4 3 3 would leave us exposed at the back IMHO.

We dont have the players to play that sort of system.....but appreciate where you are coming from.

Cheers

I've thought about 3-5-2 for a while and it just doesn't seem to be fashionable at all (I always play a variation of it on FIFA - not as Hibs mind you). On paper it looks great as it probably gets (arguably) our strongest X1 players on the pitch in positions they should be comfortable in. However we will never know until we actually see it put into practice - CC surely must be experimenting with diferent systems in training coz what hes tried so far aint worked. Also...

100% agree about Sproule - he's been absolutely brutal. Time for him to go back to the days of coming off the bench when the game gets stretched IMO

[IanM]

Sproule has been totally and utter ***** and needs to sit on the bench and come on with 20 or so to go. I would go 3 5 2


the only problem i can see with 3 at the back is we cant defend with 4! Inter Milan have been roasted twice so far this season with playing 3 at the back - if they cant do it i'd doubt very muck our defence would be good able!

altho dont think for a minute i think inter are anywhere near as good as the mighty HFC :wink:

[The Sea-gull]

3-5-2 might be woth a shot. Can't remember a team playing that consistently for years though. Used to be all the rage in the 90s and early 2000s.

Then 4-3-3 which could adapt to a 4-5-1 came in again for a wee while. Jose brought it in with great success at Chelsea and loads of teams started doing it, including Mowbray when he was with us. Does require the right players though.

The last few years 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1 etc seem to have taken over.

We could give 3-5-2, lets face it we can't get any worse.

GK - Stack

RCB - O'Hanlon
SW - Murray
LCB - Hanlon

RWB - Towell
RCM - Osbourne
CM - Palsson
LCM - Scott
LWB - Booth

RCF - G O'C
LCF - Griffiths

[Ozyhibby]

You can try any formation you like but the players we have are not good enough for the spl.

[stokesmessiah]

You can try any formation you like but the players we have are not good enough for the spl.

I am sorry i just do not believe that, that was the excuse for last season as well and those players have gone and new ones are there.....i dont believe we dropped a team of duds and signed a team of duds.

[Ozyhibby]

I am sorry i just do not believe that, that was the excuse for last season as well and those players have gone and new ones are there.....i dont believe we dropped a team of duds and signed a team of duds.

Believe me, that is exactly what we have done. Only these duds are worse.

[Judas Iscariot]

Really don't get the fascination with the 3-5-2

No teams play it now & why anyone think it'd work for us when we canna defend with 4 at the back never mind 3 is beyond me :confused:

[Aldo]

You can try any formation you like but the players we have are not good enough for the spl.

Sorry but have to disagree with you there Ozy.

We may not be playing that well but we have a better squad (on paper anyway) than the Pars/St Mirren/Aberdeen/ICT and possibly Utd


I personally blame CC for not getting the best out of his players..cos thats his job.

O and FWIW the standard of the SPL this season is as poor as I have seen it.

[DH1875]

4-2-3-1 is the way to go :wink:.

[PISTOL1875]

Sorry gull not for me.....

Sproule has been totally and utter ***** and needs to sit on the bench and come on with 20 or so to go. I would go 3 5 2

Stack
Hanlon O Hanlon Murray

Towell Pallsson Ozzy Scott Booth
GOC Griffiths.

Hard to beat but with the wing backs getting foward to support and supply the front 2.

4 3 3 would leave us exposed at the back IMHO.

We dont have the players to play that sort of system.....but appreciate where you are coming from.

Cheers

He will be more effective sitting next to me in the stand...

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

3-5-2 has to be played with 3 centre halves at the back line and that would be reach for us to find consistemt performers in that area. As for Ivan Sproule, he was a vanity signing that hasn't paid off at all.

[soproni1]

Really don't get the fascination with the 3-5-2

No teams play it now & why anyone think it'd work for us when we canna defend with 4 at the back never mind 3 is beyond me :confused:

Maybe thats the point. And FWIW I don't think its the numbers we have at the back it's more likely the personnel and positioning/positional play of those there.

3-5-2(more of a 5-3-2) May work as I don't know if anyone else has noticed but our midfield play really narrow, which allows opposition full-backs (Bloody Danny Grainger!!) plenty of space and time with the ball to start attacks. The 3-5-2 would automatically add a bit of width whilst defending (firstly) and attacking - admittedly 4-5-1 would as well but then the width would be provided by 2 wingers who canny defend or really build play (Sproule and Griffiths?) rather than 2 attacking defenders (Towell & Booth?). Just think it would be worth a try as thats where I see a lot of our problems coming from.