Michael Cox's (pretty accurate) take on Saturday's game

Originally Posted by borsuk

plenty of tactical innovations have come into, and from, the english game, with fergie and united at the forefront of most of them. people aren't laughing at that, they're laughing at this fella's over-the-top oh-so-earnest descriptions of fairly straightforward things (a forward dropping deep and wide players coming off the wing) with invented terminology (false no 9s and out to in) to make it sound more impressive than it is.

Enlighten me. The only real one I can think of is a rotating front 3 playing out of a 4-5-1/4-3-3, which was pretty good and led us to a Premier League & Champions League double in 2008, even though Roma at the time were doing it too.

Originally Posted by Argentina

Enlighten me. The only real one I can think of is a rotating front 3 playing out of a 4-5-1/4-3-3, which was pretty good and led us to a Premier League & Champions League double in 2008, even though Roma at the time were doing it too.

the strikerless formation - which is a pretty good example of a silly term to describe what you've just described rather better.

fergie has been using 'inside out' wingers for donkey's years by getting them to switch repeatedly during the game. about 5 years or so the term suddenly became really popular.

fergie's put strikers on the wing for donkey's years as well, creating a mobile front unit where the nominal striker goes wide and the wide striker comes in.

we've always had strikers who drop into midfield when we lose possession.

united have played an unbalanced back four, with a centre half at full back on one side and an attacking full back on the other to create a back three when we have the ball and a back four when we've not.

united have often used carrick (keane before than in his later years) as an extra centre half to make a back three when the full backs go up.

we've used one sitting midfielder, two sitting midfielders, we've had three and three up top, we've used three at the back, we've shifted wingers to wing-back during games, we've used one up top, a no 10 behind a striker or two strikers

and, of course, we're currently pioneering a revolutionary midfieldless system.

Originally Posted by borsuk

the strikerless formation - which is a pretty good example of a silly term to describe what you've just described rather better.

fergie has been using 'inside out' wingers for donkey's years by getting them to switch repeatedly during the game. about 5 years or so the term suddenly became really popular.

fergie's put strikers on the wing for donkey's years as well, creating a mobile front unit where the nominal striker goes wide and the wide striker comes in.

we've always had strikers who drop into midfield when we lose possession.

united have played an unbalanced back four, with a centre half at full back on one side and an attacking full back on the other to create a back three when we have the ball and a back four when we've not.

united have often used carrick (keane before than in his later years) as an extra centre half to make a back three when the full backs go up.

we've used one sitting midfielder, two sitting midfielders, we've had three and three up top, we've used three at the back, we've shifted wingers to wing-back during games, we've used one up top, a no 10 behind a striker or two strikers

and, of course, we're currently pioneering a revolutionary midfieldless system.

I've read a couple of articles over on zonal marking that I thought were good. I didn't realize he wrote it all himself. Very impressive for a tweenie. Love the pictures with the arrows the most but it's difficult to shake the belief that the guy kicks like a girl.

I'm against the way we're against any nerdy football talk. I like a bit of it. AVB probably can't kick a ball either. It's not so important these days. He learnt to manage on computer.

Originally Posted by armchair

I've read a couple of articles over on zonal marking that I thought were good. I didn't realize he wrote it all himself. Very impressive for a tweenie. Love the pictures with the arrows the most but it's difficult to shake the belief that the guy kicks like a girl.

I'm against the way we're against any nerdy football talk. I like a bit of it. AVB probably can't kick a ball either. It's not so important these days. He learnt to manage on computer.

And he's a right £#%&!ing @#%&!.

Originally Posted by armchair

I've read a couple of articles over on zonal marking that I thought were good. I didn't realize he wrote it all himself. Very impressive for a tweenie. Love the pictures with the arrows the most but it's difficult to shake the belief that the guy kicks like a girl.

I'm against the way we're against any nerdy football talk. I like a bit of it. AVB probably can't kick a ball either. It's not so important these days. He learnt to manage on computer.

Not against it just sick of it. Reading the post match analysis on here is more than enough for me.

There is a long standing joke where a woman and a man are talknig about their first time together with their friends. The woman goes on and on about the lighting, the temperature, how he kissed her neck etc. The blokes say "£#%&! her?" "yes" nft.

We've become footballing women.

Originally Posted by believe

Not against it just sick of it. Reading the post match analysis on here is more than enough for me.

There is a long standing joke where a woman and a man are talknig about their first time together with their friends. The woman goes on and on about the lighting, the temperature, how he kissed her neck etc. The blokes say "£#%&! her?" "yes" nft.

We've become footballing women.

I'm not in the mood for jokes at the moment, still mourning my pet mouse, Elvis...

typical english way.

yer tactics are useless. it's all about players. lets play 4-4-2 with lampard and gerrard in the middle.

Originally Posted by armchair

I'm not in the mood for jokes at the moment, still mourning my pet mouse, Elvis...

if you weren't so quick with that edit

Originally Posted by believe

Northers aged 30

He's 24

Originally Posted by believe

Not against it just sick of it. Reading the post match analysis on here is more than enough for me.

There is a long standing joke where a woman and a man are talknig about their first time together with their friends. The woman goes on and on about the lighting, the temperature, how he kissed her neck etc. The blokes say "£#%&! her?" "yes" nft.

We've become footballing women.

To take the analogy further, now guys are not only talking about lighting and how they kissed her etc, but they are actively planning it. And what's more, these guys are coming around £#%&!ing your girlfriend while you think it's stupid to put that much effort in.

Originally Posted by Argentina

To take the analogy further, now guys are not only talking about lighting and how they kissed her etc, but they are actively planning it. And what's more, these guys are coming around £#%&!ing your girlfriend while you think it's stupid to put that much effort in.

To say the least.

Originally Posted by rafabio

typical english way.

yer tactics are useless. it's all about players. lets play 4-4-2 with lampard and gerrard in the middle.

Yep that's what we've said.

The funny thing is though the people who believe in the "English way" still no more about tactics than you.

Originally Posted by borsuk

the strikerless formation - which is a pretty good example of a silly term to describe what you've just described rather better.

fergie has been using 'inside out' wingers for donkey's years by getting them to switch repeatedly during the game. about 5 years or so the term suddenly became really popular.

fergie's put strikers on the wing for donkey's years as well, creating a mobile front unit where the nominal striker goes wide and the wide striker comes in.

we've always had strikers who drop into midfield when we lose possession.

united have played an unbalanced back four, with a centre half at full back on one side and an attacking full back on the other to create a back three when we have the ball and a back four when we've not.

united have often used carrick (keane before than in his later years) as an extra centre half to make a back three when the full backs go up.

we've used one sitting midfielder, two sitting midfielders, we've had three and three up top, we've used three at the back, we've shifted wingers to wing-back during games, we've used one up top, a no 10 behind a striker or two strikers

and, of course, we're currently pioneering a revolutionary midfieldless system.

most of that is revisionist bullshit tbh

and some of it is nonsense, such as the made up claim about the midfielder dropping to make a 3 - United have usually left one behind one at the back just as they still do and just as they did on saturday

and virtually none of it if any at all is evidence of pioneering tactical thinking either

good work though

yay tactical analysis threads

Originally Posted by believe

Northers aged 30

£#%&! you, you desert living dessert eating @#%&!

Love bunks

Bunkoh

First thing football related I have read since that disaster served up on sat

Originally Posted by thenorthwillriseagain

£#%&! you, you desert living dessert eating @#%&!

I got genuinely excited when I thought the title read 'Michael Fox's (pretty accurate) take on Saturdays game'


Then I opened it and was like

Watched the Cluj - Gala game tonight.

Michael Cox ‏@Zonal_Marking
Ive been watching Cluj v Galatasaray. Really interesting, Gala ahead with what I can only describe as a Luis Garcia-style header from Yilmaz

Vintage Cox.