3-5-2 or flat back 4?

[Green Sleeves]

3-5-2 seems like a throwback to a time when wingers were ditched in favour of wing backs who can go up and down the touchline. In their heyday Lewis and SDG could do this and it worked for us in the biggest game ever.

Mind you, Stubbsy persisted with a flat back 4 for way too long that season, driving us nuts with inconsistent results, only really switching to 3-5-2 after it worked against the Huns at Easter Rd. The rest, as they say, is history.

But with teams setting up with just one out-and-out striker, in variations of 4-3-3, it gets harder to surprise the opposition. Now 3-5-2 is being used more often, seemingly to vary things up. Lennon is giving it a shot along the M8 as well.

If everyone was fit, what's the preference? Flat back 4 or 3-5-2?

 

[southfieldhibby]

Always liked a back 3, especially when one of them can carry the ball forward. I can see next season using Porteous-Jackson-Hanlon in a back 3...Jackson seems to be quite comfortable breaking into midfield and Paul can occasionally be seen raiding up the left!

3-5-2 or even 3-4-3 with a front 3 of McNulty-Doidge-Boyle would be nice, and a midfield of Allan-Docherty-Omeonga-Newell seems to have a nice balance to it, although it does seem to put pressure on the defensive wide areas. Also, 3 of those players aren't ours so the personnel might not be right.

 

[Daddy 'O' Hibee]

I enjoy watching Hibs play 3-5-2, I suppose it depends on the managements thoughts on who we are up against. This one up top is popular, but it bores me to helll. The end result is what matters, winning teams make the fans happy. I sometimes think managers can over complicate team formations, get 11 winners on the park and your jobs almost done. Heckingbottoms brand of football would kill the game.

 

[1875]

I am a 3 5 2 fan too, the one up front only really works when you have a superb striker in your team in my opinion.

I think Jack picks his team based on who we are up against and how he thinks we might beat them.

 

[Zab]

I am a 3 5 2 fan too, the one up front only really works when you have a superb striker in your team in my opinion.

I think Jack picks his team based on who we are up against and how he thinks we might beat them.

I think he does that too, which I’m fine with.

That said I am a fan of 352 and think it suits us.

For a number of reasons 433 doesn’t work for us - We don’t have a striker that suits the line front man role, and we don’t have two outstanding wingers. We lack a holding midfielder and our defence as a whole as been poor this season.

 

[Power]

A lot of different factors (Your player quality, opposition, venue, conditions etc etc) but I do lean towards playing a formation on what you have at your disposal instead of trying to shoehorn players into a preferred formation/style.

An initial setup of 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 would be my ideal but it needs to flex easily (more so defensively) to adapt to the change in games.

Ach, you know what? 5 upfront.

 

[Boo]

Always liked a back 3, especially when one of them can carry the ball forward. I can see next season using Porteous-Jackson-Hanlon in a back 3...Jackson seems to be quite comfortable breaking into midfield and Paul can occasionally be seen raiding up the left!

3-5-2 or even 3-4-3 with a front 3 of McNulty-Doidge-Boyle would be nice, and a midfield of Allan-Docherty-Omeonga-Newell seems to have a nice balance to it, although it does seem to put pressure on the defensive wide areas. Also, 3 of those players aren't ours so the personnel might not be right.

3 5 2 please ?
Off to madrid at 4 pm
Legannes v Betis on Sunday and athletico v l pool next week
Next Hibs game is 3/2 v HMFC
How about unbeaten Hibs run till then
Sunday hubs win both to score at 6/1

 

[stickyRicky]

3-5-2 seems like a throwback to a time when wingers were ditched in favour of wing backs who can go up and down the touchline. In their heyday Lewis and SDG could do this and it worked for us in the biggest game ever.

Mind you, Stubbsy persisted with a flat back 4 for way too long that season, driving us nuts with inconsistent results, only really switching to 3-5-2 after it worked against the Huns at Easter Rd. The rest, as they say, is history.

But with teams setting up with just one out-and-out striker, in variations of 4-3-3, it gets harder to surprise the opposition. Now 3-5-2 is being used more often, seemingly to vary things up. Lennon is giving it a shot along the M8 as well.

If everyone was fit, what's the preference? Flat back 4 or 3-5-2?

Think our team is perfect for 3-5-2. And if it needs to be a more defensive 3-5-2 you could play McGinn and Stevenson wingback.

3-5-2 is also a formation you can fit Allan and 2 strikers in which is a benefit.

 

[Smurf]

I think and I'm hoping that we've got a head coach who will deploy a system that best utilises the squad of players that we have. Too many head coaches deploy systems not the best use of the players.

 

[Bofahibee]

What I find impressive is that JR said that every available player was stripped the other night and yet they put together a performance which seemd highly polished. Long may it continue.

 

[Two Headed Boy]

I love 3-5-2 when it works. Very attacking but can quickly switch to a back 5 under pressure. Perfect for a counter attacking team.

 

[Purple & Green]

3-5-2 seems like a throwback to a time when wingers were ditched in favour of wing backs who can go up and down the touchline. In their heyday Lewis and SDG could do this and it worked for us in the biggest game ever.

Mind you, Stubbsy persisted with a flat back 4 for way too long that season, driving us nuts with inconsistent results, only really switching to 3-5-2 after it worked against the Huns at Easter Rd. The rest, as they say, is history.

But with teams setting up with just one out-and-out striker, in variations of 4-3-3, it gets harder to surprise the opposition. Now 3-5-2 is being used more often, seemingly to vary things up. Lennon is giving it a shot along the M8 as well.

If everyone was fit, what's the preference? Flat back 4 or 3-5-2?

3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2 works really well when you have "wing backs" who attack from deep - its very hard to defend against - I think Martin Boyle gave Keiran Tierney a torrid time.

It won't work against Rangers and Celtic's 4-2-3-1, but we're not going to play it against them so that's all good.

I think we might persist with it in the upcoming games. It will come unstuck against some teams, but hey, we were coming unstuck anyway so I think its worth a few games.

 

[Purple & Green]

I think and I'm hoping that we've got a head coach who will deploy a system that best utilises the squad of players that we have. Too many head coaches deploy systems not the best use of the players.

And persist with systems that don't suit the players they've brought in.

 

[Greenmachine]

I like the 3-5-2 as well and it worked really well on Wednesday night, however it has to be remembered we were playing against poor opposition who made no attempt to press the game or close our creative players down. It might not work on Sunday against Killie, so we have to be flexible on a week to week basis. I do like the sound of the Porteous/Jackson/Hanlon back three as a possible first choice for next season, although for me we definately have to bring in a new central defender and a first choice left-back if we can get one better than Lewis Stevenson. Lewis is a legend but his best days are behind him...have to say though his form this season will definately have been affected by missing the whole pre-season training through injury. McGinn will be our first choice right-back next season IMO.
Doidge and McNulty look a potentially lethal front two, although as I have said said ad nauseum we need another striker in for next season, hopefully Nisbet from Dunfermline. Really hope we can secure Docherty permanently from the huns, and although on the face of it that looks hard to do, I think Hibs will be going all out to make it happen if the player really wants the move that is. McNulty we might get on another years loan, and I can see us signing Omeonga permanently. Hopefully in the summer we will only need to sign 3 or 4 players and we can bring a couple of the young players like Stirling and Campbell into the squad.

 

[WJC1848]

I like the 3-5-2 as well and it worked really well on Wednesday night, however it has to be remembered we were playing against poor opposition who made no attempt to press the game or close our creative players down. It might not work on Sunday against Killie, so we have to be flexible on week to week basis. I do like the sound of the Porteous/Jackson/Hanlon back three as a possible first choice for next season, although for me we definately have to bring in a new central defender and a first choice left-back if we can get one better than Lewis Stevenson. Lewis is a legend but his best days are behind him...have to say though his form this season will definately have been affected by missing the whole pre-season training through injury. McGinn will be our first choice right-back next season IMO.
Doidge and McNulty look a potentially lethal front two, although as I have said said ad nauseum we need another strikre in for next season, hopefully Nisbet from Dunfermline. Really hope we can secure Docherty permanently from the huns, and although on the face of it that looks hard to do, I think Hibs will be going all out to make it happen if the player really wants the move that is. McNulty we might get on another years loan, and I can see us signing Omeonga permanently. Hopefully in the summer we will only need to sign 3 or 4 players and we can bring a couple of the young players like Stirling and Campbell into the squad.

I like most of what you say (state) here, but I wouldnae be writing off Lewis just yet, even if he's no' your favourite player. Almost the exact same was said at the end of December about Darren McGregor and Darren then has the bloomin' cheek to turn in a MotM performance against the Jamboes. Ye jist cannae trust some people, eh?

 

[southfieldhibby]

I like most of what you say (state) here, but I wouldnae be writing off Lewis just yet, even if he's no' your favourite player. Almost the exact same was said at the end of December about Darren McGregor and Darren then has the bloomin' cheek to turn in a MotM performance against the Jamboes. Ye jist cannae trust some people, eh?

Darren played well against immobile huddies who should have exposed his lack of pace, fortunately the jambos only know one style of guntball.
Lewis wouldn’t be great in 3-5-2 because as much as he’s very good defensively, his crossing is pretty bad.

 

[moathibby]

I know very little about tactics,but the folk I was sitting next to on wednesday said we were playing a 3,5,2,which worked against Ross County.Would it work against Killie?How would anyone know until you know who'se playing against you?

 

[moathibby]

There's a magazine called 4,4,2.Would 4,4,2 not work?

 

[WJC1848]

Darren played well against immobile huddies who should have exposed his lack of pace, fortunately the jambos only know one style of guntball.
Lewis wouldn’t be great in 3-5-2 because as much as he’s very good defensively, his crossing is pretty bad.

I just feel it's a pity that you concentrate on a negative aspect of Darren's game in what was a remarkable performance, given that the doom-and-gloom merchants had told us beforehand that legend undoubtedly he was, but finished he more definitely was. For the aforementioned, also read "Lewis".

 

[southfieldhibby]

I just feel it's a pity that you concentrate on a negative aspect of Darren's game in what was a remarkable performance, given that the doom-and-gloom merchants had told us beforehand that legend undoubtedly he was, but finished he more definitely was. For the aforementioned, also read "Lewis".

During that game and after it was obvious he played well, the guy is a fucking warrior and hates the jambos. But he’s most certainly at the end of his career and claiming he’s not as mobile as he was isn’t a stretch or some kind of insult to him. Same applies to Lewis. To say crossing a football isn’t the best is just stating facts. I love Lewis, probably too much.

 

[Zab]

I like most of what you say (state) here, but I wouldnae be writing off Lewis just yet, even if he's no' your favourite player. Almost the exact same was said at the end of December about Darren McGregor and Darren then has the bloomin' cheek to turn in a MotM performance against the Jamboes. Ye jist cannae trust some people, eh?

The problem with Darren, and any player with his injury history (and his age) is that 3 days after such a great performance against them he was absolutely rotten against Livingston.

As for Lewis, while I wouldn’t be getting rid of him the club have to be actively looking for a proper alternative - we’ve been so lucky to have had his consistency over the years, but it’s just not been there this season.

 

[stickyRicky]

The problem with Darren, and any player with his injury history (and his age) is that 3 days after such a great performance against them he was absolutely rotten against Livingston.

As for Lewis, while I wouldn’t be getting rid of him the club have to be actively looking for a proper alternative - we’ve been so lucky to have had his consistency over the years, but it’s just not been there this season.

For me Stevenson has been consistently average. Yeah that's better than Kujabi but knowhere near Murphy or Laursens level and for me that's the levels we should aim for.

 

[Purple & Green]

The problem with Darren, and any player with his injury history (and his age) is that 3 days after such a great performance against them he was absolutely rotten against Livingston.

As for Lewis, while I wouldn’t be getting rid of him the club have to be actively looking for a proper alternative - we’ve been so lucky to have had his consistency over the years, but it’s just not been there this season.

Jack Ross seems to handle the veterans very differently. I think it’s good, too.

 

[Zab]

Jack Ross seems to handle the veterans very differently. I think it’s good, too.

He does, he’s not afraid to take them in and out of the team as required.

 

[Zab]

For me Stevenson has been consistently average. Yeah that's better than Kujabi but knowhere near Murphy or Laursens level and for me that's the levels we should aim for.

You say consistently average like that is a bad thing? He gives his all, never hides and very rarely has a bad game, and sometimes is standing. His fitness and stamina is second to none either.

We’ve all seen enough shocking left backs to know it’s not an easy position to fill. I said we should absolutely target a first choice left back in the summer, but it will be down to that player to take the position away from Stevenson. Will be interesting to see if we continue with 352 and if Joe Newell makes the position his own.

David Murphy is one of my all time favourite Hibs players - tremendous first touch.

 

[stickyRicky]

You say consistently average like that is a bad thing? He gives his all, never hides and very rarely has a bad game, and sometimes is standing. His fitness and stamina is second to none either.

We’ve all seen enough shocking left backs to know it’s not an easy position to fill. I said we should absolutely target a first choice left back in the summer, but it will be down to that player to take the position away from Stevenson. Will be interesting to see if we continue with 352 and if Joe Newell makes the position his own.

David Murphy is one of my all time favourite Hibs players - tremendous first touch.

Agreed on the stamina and fitness part and the fact he's never injured gives him extra kudos.

I've seen him have plenty aweful games in his Hibs history.

I've seen folk moan about signings before with "lack of ambition" well keeping Stevenson as our left back for me also shows that lack of ambition, happy with steady eddies. I do also except that it's a position hard to fill.

Be interesting if Newell does start in wingback position.