Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
The system works for James Morrison
Tuesday 20th September 2011, 9:59AM BST.
West Brom midfielder James Morrison today warned the “one-dimensional” Baggies that they cannot blame their change of system for poor results so far this season.
The playmaker insisted the team must adapt to this season’s 4-4-2 system quickly, to stop the rot that has brought four defeats in their first five Premier League matches.
And Morrison insists the club’s senior men are keen to figure in the Carling Cup at Everton tomorrow to get Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Swansea out of their systems.
He said: “I think we’re a bit one-dimensional at the moment and we need to work on how we’re going to cope with teams when they’re causing us problems.
“We are capable of causing other teams problems but we can’t just wait for things to happen.
“Saturday was a disappointing day and hopefully we can put it right on Wednesday.”
The arrival of Shane Long in the summer has seen the Baggies switch from the 4-5-1 system used for most of last season to a new-look 4-4-2 formation, with Long partnering Peter Odemwingie in attack.
But Morrison is adamant the Baggies can make the new approach work.
He said: “I think we’ve had long enough under Roy and to know that he expects us to keep our shape.
“Longy and Pete are up there and hopefully they can form a strong partnership.”
To read our stories in full, log in to the premium 24 website.
Sponsored Links
UK Sport
Latest Blog — Microsoft Comes to the University of Wolverhampton
Last week Microsoft visited the University of Wolverhampton to give students the chance to develop their own phone apps that could be published on the Windows Phone Marketplace.
Technology blog
Business Awards
Read the full story here
Full coverage of awards celebrating the region's best businesses.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Express & Star and Shropshire Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
LIVE traffic updates
Road, rail and airport - latest
Our new, live traffic and travel updates service - check before you set out.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new E&S app
Download the Express & Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
expressandstar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
When you win, the ‘system’ was obviously the right one. When you get overrun as we were on Saturday, it isn’t just the system that is at fault. I was looking for a spark of energy, a bit of creativity, other players running into space to receive a pass. Giving away a crazy penalty with a tangled-legs tackle isn’t showing battle. Quite the opposite in fact. Not marking mobile players of the opposition, (see goal No.2) is just lack of awareness. Goal No.3 was just damned awful! That wasn’t the system at fault. Swansea wanted to win. We looked like we wanted to let them.
Report abuse
Cryil – couldn’t agree more. The players have to take responisibility for that performance and result and put it right on Saturday. It’s a huge game now
Report abuse
For me he is the first one I would drop, a nothing sort of player.
Mind you at the moment you could say that about another eight.
Olssen and Mulumbu apart. Come boys lets see some effort and committment.
Report abuse
Would play Dorrans ahead of this guy and Tchoyi instead of Thomas without question. They are both simply better players. Looks like Thorne and Gera will also be viable options soon n all.
Report abuse
If we are going to play 442 Sharna and Morrison have to go. The game just passes Sharna by, not good enough for centre back and not mobile enough for midfield. Just about gets away with it in 4-5-1.Morrison to lightweight in the middle and not fast enough for at wide.
Report abuse
I am afraid i have to disagree with James Morrison, the system clearly does not work.
Last season 4-5-1 was clearly working for us with our Midfield never being overrun and our attacking midfielders were able to support the lone striker.
This season just because we are deemed to have two strikers who its hard to choose from we cant give in and play both, for me at the moment Wingie would get the nod having Shane Long to come off the bench , there is no harm in healthy competition.
Our decision to play two strikers has totally unbalanced the midfield, to me by playing four this has narrowed our positions on the field and our wingers, certainly Thomas are not capable of adapting as Thomas is best played on the wing with the ball being played in front of him to run onto, to often in the games we have had there has been space for the ball to be played into on the wings and there is no man to receive it because of our set up.
I think its also noticable from players reactions that they are not comfortable with it.
SO for me the sooner we go back to 4-5-1 the better and unfortunately based on this seasons performances James Morrison would not start as his performances have been below standard.
Report abuse
I agree with B90. Tchoyi and Dorrans to come in if we persist with this 4-4-2 formation. Cyril and Beevover, I agree that the players need to show a little more passion and intent but the formation also has a bearing on the results that follow.
The expression ‘play to your strengths’ must have been pinned up on RHs wall last year. This year it seems it’s been taken down. We have gained a good striker over the summer but we have lost our best asset from last year with his arrival. Our midfield. With Scharner and Mulumbu in the middle there is no truly creative bridge to the strikers. I know Mulumbu is more than capable but he is needed to protect our leaky defence.
Boing Boing
Report abuse
Two holding midfielders is a luxury in 4-4-2 so Scharner has to go. I’d stick Dorrans at the top of a diamond with Mulumbu at the bottom if forced to, but I’d far rather play 4-5-1.
Report abuse
4-4-2 also exposes our full backs more especially when Thomas is one of the midfielders. As we all know, Reid and Shorey are not the quickest and Shorey has had a particularly poor start to the season. 4-5-1 will give the defence more cover and allow us to retain the ball more easily. For some reason when we play 4-4-2 we can’t keep hold of the ball and this was a strength of ours last season. Against Swansea the possession stats were 56% vs. 44% in their favour.
Our midfield is the strongest department at the club so let’s utilise it, especially with Gera to come in.
Report abuse
9 NY Baggie….agree and why do we loan out young players with potential Hurst is a full back with pace, Wood is doing wonders at Blues. and Thorne is a budding midfielder. If Man Utd can play youngsters why cant we, even bringing them on off the bench, they can do no worse than Saturdays lot. I think they will have the passion we lack
Report abuse
———————Foster—————————Reid————————Mattock—
————-Dawson———-Olsson———–
———————Mulumbu—————–
Dorrans————–Tchoyi————-Brunt
———-Long——————Osaze——–
Now pass Everton off the park with this modern version of the M-plan and get some decent “Ball” to the front runners. Dorrans and Brunt can also protect the defence as and when. Up and at’em lads.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
Report abuse
The trouble with 4.4.2. is mulumbu does not have time on the ball, we lose the ball and end up with the rest in def. Pete and long up front needing a taxi to get the ball.
Report abuse
It seems to me that based on what the players are saying, 442 is here to stay.
Report abuse
very interesting posts today, or should i say enlightening. here was me thinking 442 was the bus my nan used to catch to west brom market, only to be informed that it’s something to do with whether or not we lose football matches. cheers folks…
Report abuse
Kev.
Work has got in the way for the last couple of days and this is a reply to the match result thread.
First of all I think the truth about JT is somewhere between your own and Warren’s views. I think we can only accomodate him in a 4-5-1 when he is invaluable. A 4-4-2 including him and 2 strikers leaves too much for the rest of the midfield to do, especially when they have a poor game as well. Another alternative is for PO to play as a wide man in a 5 man midfield as he has played in this role in the past.
I’d like to agree with Max for once, please don’t disappear like the much missed Sir Terry. We have loads of fair weather posters and need as many Albion Till I die ones as we can muster.
Come to mention him, I’m getting more worried about Max. At 124 he answers a question he doesn’t ask himself at 122.
PS.
I must admit that being of a nervous disposition Cyril is starting to scare me now. I’m so glad I’m not Shadrag Bassey’s stilletto’s.
Report abuse
i remember last season when morrison bottled out of a challenge and a bloke behind shouted at him to get stuck in which is exactly what i wanted to shout myself.morrison looked at the bloke in the crowd with the expression that he was a piece of dirt on the bottom of his shoe.i thought to myself we pay your wages son.thats always stuck in my mind. im not a big fan of morrison,good player but definately not good enough for the premiere league.much too lightweight.anyway keep positive cause the results and performances will improve with the quality of our squad.up the baggies.
Report abuse
This 4-4-2 system will only work if the right players are picked. I doubt any other team in football would play to holding midfielders in this formation. For me scharner has to go. He lacks the pace and attacking quality to play centre midfield in this formation and dorrans has to replace him. Against Stoke when dorrans was played on the right it was a waste as he wasn’t influential there plus not entirely fit I’d say. Tchoyi has to fit in somewhere, possibly on the right in place of mozza until Gera is back. And please Roy a new right back in January. Reid blows hot and cold and I’m guessing he don’t trust jones enough or he would have surely have played him by now after witnessing our lack of defensive displays. Only way is up now baggies. Make us proud like last season.
Report abuse
I posted this on the Ben Foster thread only to be told it was closed. There were a lot of complaints about players interviews.
I think people are being a bit disingenuous over this topic. How many times have I read ‘what are the players going to do about that performance?’ or ‘why are they hiding?’ What else can they say except ‘it was a terrible performance and we want to put it right on Saturday.’?
Or should we blame the E&S? If there are no articles on here people complain so these player interviews fill the gaps.
10 Albionwiley.
Memory can be deceptive. Tony Godden was a decent but not great keeper (in my opinion) who had the tremendous advantage of a great defence in front of him. Ben Foster is anything but second rate (in my opinion) but like his predecessor suffers from an unsettled defence. This is something Roy is trying to address with our changed formation but as they say ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ ask Arsene Wenger who has spent a lot more than us and would probably swap defences with us.
One last thing, why the need to insult a player by calling him a freak? Question his ability by all means but let’s not lower ourselves to the playground.
Report abuse
Seems to me that this all started when we lost 3-1 at wolves then 3-0 down at newcastle,for some reason our back four have gone haywire,we dont look like a team anymore.
Report abuse
I have never rated Morrison. I have lost count of the number of times he has given the ball away, he is lightweight in his tackles and he also has a nasty habit of scuffing his shots when on goal. Yes, he scores the occasional great goal but they are as rare as hens teeth! Definitely NOT Premier league class.
Report abuse