Formation IF we sign a new striker

[bringonthesevco]

Our recent formation has been pretty consistent - Boyce plays if fit, supported by 2 of Woodburn/GMS/Ginelly/Mckay , if we sign another striker do people think we'll go Boyce and New striker supported by 1 "wide player" (most likely McKay) or stick with the Boyce or New Striker supported by 2 of the 4 wide players.

 

Fully accept that the best thing about signing a new striker is that we'll have more options available to us depending on opponents etc but we'll undoubtedly have 1 "most used" system ...

 

I'd love to see McKay / Boyce / New Striker tearing it up !!

 

[Howdy Doody Jambo]

I just hope we sign better quality than we have now, formations shouldn't matter 

[boag1874]

I think it’ll stay much the same & the striker will compete with Boyce, if it aint broke & all that

[vegas-voss]

21 minutes ago, boag1874 said:

I think it’ll stay much the same & the striker will compete with Boyce, if it aint broke & all that

Or we could just change to 3412 with Woodburn or McKay behind the strikers

[Guest ToqueJambo]

Hope we stick with 3 skillful, mobile forwards. Really like the look of the Japanese guy.

[portobellojambo1]

6 hours ago, vegas-voss said:

Or we could just change to 3412 with Woodburn or McKay behind the strikers

I would also hope that we would play 2 up front. I think that often in the present formation Boyce has to come away from the penalty area to actually collect the ball, meaning when he has it there is often no one in front of or near him to then play the ball to. With two effective strikers in/around the penalty area it should, in theory, increase the number of attempts on goal, and as a byproduct produce more goals hopefully.

[bairdy]

2 minutes ago, portobellojambo1 said:

I would also hope that we would play 2 up front. I think that often in the present formation Boyce has to come away from the penalty area to actually collect the ball, meaning when he has it there is often no one in front of or near him to then play the ball to. With two effective strikers in/around the penalty area it should, in theory, increase the number of attempts on goal, and as a byproduct produce more goals hopefully.

Good post.

[mitch41]

We need 2 goal scoring strikers added to the squad not 1.

[Armageddon]

We’ll sign a top proven striker, Savage will pull a belter out the bag, he’ll be stuck out on the wing until his confidence is at 1%

[The Grim Reaper]

59 minutes ago, Armageddon said:

We’ll sign a top proven striker, Savage will pull a belter out the bag, he’ll be stuck out on the wing until his confidence is at 1%

All too predictable. 

[JimmyCant]

12 hours ago, portobellojambo1 said:

I would also hope that we would play 2 up front. I think that often in the present formation Boyce has to come away from the penalty area to actually collect the ball, meaning when he has it there is often no one in front of or near him to then play the ball to. With two effective strikers in/around the penalty area it should, in theory, increase the number of attempts on goal, and as a byproduct produce more goals hopefully.

I don’t think we’ll play 2 up front. We’re playing 3 to press high, although it depends which 3 we play to make the press successful. Boyce and McKay and Woodburn are good at it. Ginelly not so good and GMS doesn’t want to do it at all. Our 2 worst performances this season, away to Aberdeen and Motherwell, Boyce didn’t play, the press was hopeless, our midfield 2 got overwhelmed as a result. Boyce is so important to the way we play but he’s not been a good finisher for us
 

Play 2 up and you lose a bit of the press IMO. For me it means you need an extra man in midfield. If you don’t press you need to match up in midfield

 

As long as the 3 are pressing properly and fluid enough when we are attacking, I’d stick with it. I don’t think the issue is creating chances. I just don’t think we have a finisher at the club now we’ve lost Walker. 
 

Sign a finisher. Front 3 with Boyce Mackay and the finisher for me

Edited January 12, 2022 by JimmyCant

[Absolute Scenes]

in terms of forward line, McKay has to start above any others (strikers aside). The other three can fight for the 1 remaining place. He's blown me away how good he's been and that's even without goals

[Absolute Scenes]

4 minutes ago, JimmyCant said:

I don’t think we’ll play 2 up front. We’re playing 3 to press high, although it depends which 3 we play to make the press successful. Boyce and McKay and Woodburn are good at it. Ginelly not so good and GMS doesn’t want to do it at all. 
 

Play 2 up and you lose a bit of the press IMO. For me it means you need and extra man in midfield

 

As long as the 3 are pressing properly and fluid enough when we are attacking, I’d stick with it. I don’t think the issue is creating chances. I just don’t think we have a finisher at the club now we’ve lost Walker. 
 

Sign a finisher. Front 3 with Boyce Mackay and the finisher for me

i like the MckAy and Boyce line, i just dont know what Boyce position would be in that front 3. Proven scorer you would assume would need to be a CF, so that means Boyce would move out of there

 

edit: Would help if i read the rest of your post! You pretty much summed it up well there, about the fluidity. 

Edited January 12, 2022 by Absolute Scenes

[JimmyCant]

7 hours ago, mitch41 said:

We need 2 goal scoring strikers added to the squad not 1.

Ultimately yes but one will do in January.

[TheBigO]

I think the signing of a truly attack minded RWB (along with Cochrane on the other side who can run all day and has shown he can finish and assist this season) allows us to play the rest of the team a bit narrower.

 

Bit reluctant to call it "2 up front" but I think we may play more of a 3412 type thing.  McKay behind Boyce plus another.  Those 2, and McKay with license to pull wide of course and that'll be important, but I feel we need someone to run in beghind more, which creates space for Boyce and McKay to do their thang,

 

Of course that could be Gino or Woodburn, and as I say, don't see it hinging on signing a new CF (though hope we do), it's more to do with having threat and energy at WB now.

 

We'll see I guess!

 

Gordon

Moore Halks Kingsley

Natty Dev Beni/Pete Cochrane

McKay

Boyce Haaland

 

 

[Bazzas right boot]

Folk still banging on about 2 up front, very few teams play with two strikers now.

 

A mobile and fluid front line is the  general way nowadays. 

I like it and it's working well for us. 

 

 

[TheBigO]

22 minutes ago, Smith's right boot said:

Folk still banging on about 2 up front, very few teams play with two strikers now.

 

A mobile and fluid front line is the  general way nowadays. 

I like it and it's working well for us. 

 

 

Banging on right enough.  Got the hiccups srb?

 

You're right in general and that's kind of what I tried to say in my post above, I don't see us going Robbo and Clarke or Quinn and Phillips, but I do think we need to get our forwards a bit closer to each other.

 

I would also add that because it feels quite old fashioned doesn't mean it can't work.  Eff them to hell, but Hibs did OK last season out of very rudimentary football and Doidge and Kev Hibsedit up top essentially just being a partnership.  Of course it was painted as flairball, but the plan was ball wide, ball in the box, really.

 

The question for me is do we occupy opposition CHs enough?  I'd say no.  We put pressure on teams, but it's often all in front of them.  We need danger in behind, down the sides and coming in to the box.  Formation will take a wee tweak to do that (see my prev post for details on how a true pro with no coaching experience would do it)

[Bazzas right boot]

1 hour ago, TheBigO said:

Banging on right enough.  Got the hiccups srb?

 

You're right in general and that's kind of what I tried to say in my post above, I don't see us going Robbo and Clarke or Quinn and Phillips, but I do think we need to get our forwards a bit closer to each other.

 

I would also add that because it feels quite old fashioned doesn't mean it can't work.  Eff them to hell, but Hibs did OK last season out of very rudimentary football and Doidge and Kev Hibsedit up top essentially just being a partnership.  Of course it was painted as flairball, but the plan was ball wide, ball in the box, really.

 

The question for me is do we occupy opposition CHs enough?  I'd say no.  We put pressure on teams, but it's often all in front of them.  We need danger in behind, down the sides and coming in to the box.  Formation will take a wee tweak to do that (see my prev post for details on how a true pro with no coaching experience would do it)

 

 

All fair, and  it wasn't a dig at you. 

 

Far too often folk go on about starting "1 up front". 

It's no indication of attacking intent. 

 

It would be good to have the option to change things but this mindset of somehow having 2 up top is more attacking doesn't wash. 

 

Very few teams play with two strikers regularly now, many of the the most attacking teams only play with 1 striker. 

[TheBigO]

6 minutes ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

 

All fair, and  it wasn't a dig at you. 

 

Far too often folk go on about starting "1 up front". 

It's no indication of attacking intent. 

 

It would be good to have the option to change things but this mindset of somehow having 2 up top is more attacking doesn't wash. 

 

Very few teams play with two strikers regularly now, many of the the most attacking teams only play with 1 striker. 

Didn't take it as dig at me mate, was just being cheeky re your triple post!

 

Defo, 2 up top can actually be a defensive move - 2 banks of 4, 2 big lads up top.  Burnley and plenty teams in Scotland do that.

 

For me, we need to get more people in the box and moving CHs around.  Hard to put it in writing or as a written formation, but essentially more people up there!!  As i say, really think some thrust out wide allows us to do that.

[Bazzas right boot]

33 minutes ago, TheBigO said:

Didn't take it as dig at me mate, was just being cheeky re your triple post!

 

Defo, 2 up top can actually be a defensive move - 2 banks of 4, 2 big lads up top.  Burnley and plenty teams in Scotland do that.

 

For me, we need to get more people in the box and moving CHs around.  Hard to put it in writing or as a written formation, but essentially more people up there!!  As i say, really think some thrust out wide allows us to do that.

 

Never noticed my stutter😳. 

 

I agree last paragraph, more bodies in the box is a must. 

 

 

[Tom Hardy’s Dug]

We’re buying and building for 3-4-3 as our foundation formation and we’ll be sticking with it.

 

I don’t understand why that is so difficult to understand…

[AlimOzturk]

4 hours ago, Tom Hardy’s Dug said:

We’re buying and building for 3-4-3 as our foundation formation and we’ll be sticking with it.

 

I don’t understand why that is so difficult to understand…

It’s difficult to understand because we haven’t always played 343. Robbie has tinkered a lot depending on the opposition we play. 
 

I think “formations” aren’t really viewed as rigid nowadays by modern day coaches. A 343 can easily be a 541 or 442 can easily become a diamond system with a sitting midfielder and striker dropping back. 
 

 

[A_A wehatethehibs]

I reckon the desire is to get someone better than Liam Boyce. Certainly someone to compete for a start. The formation won’t be changing from 3-4-3, the squad has been entirely built round that.

 

Yes Boycie has a respectable goal tally but there has been quite a number of important chances he has missed at times. Need someone who will push him. 

[Cruyff]

It'll be 3-4-3 or 3-4-1-2. I can't see us changing from that. I fact, the players we have signed and looking to sign look like they will improve us in that formation. 

[A_A wehatethehibs]

14 minutes ago, AlimOzturk said:

It’s difficult to understand because we haven’t always played 343. Robbie has tinkered a lot depending on the opposition we play. 
 

I think “formations” aren’t really viewed as rigid nowadays by modern day coaches. A 343 can easily be a 541 or 442 can easily become a diamond system with a sitting midfielder and striker dropping back. 
 

 

Absolutely bizarre to see the word tinker, like a time warp to 2016 or something, cringe. Our primary formation has been a very consistent 3-4-3 throughout this season: 

 

 

Souttar — Halkett — Kingsley 

 

Smith — Devlin — Beni/Haring — Cochrane/Halliday

 

McKay — Boyce —  Woodburn/GMS

That has been the formation for about 80% of the football this season 

[OTT]

9 hours ago, Smith's right boot said:

Folk still banging on about 2 up front, very few teams play with two strikers now.

 

A mobile and fluid front line is the  general way nowadays. 

I like it and it's working well for us. 

 

 

 

Got to say, I don't think I can recall too many times in my time of supporting Hearts where our striker has been small and pacy. We looked very dangerous with the fluid front 3 against Dundee utd, I'm not sure if they had trained etc. on marking Boyce so we got the jump on them a bit, or if actually everything just clicked. 

 

Regardless, it should open up our options. 

 

Personally, I'd really like to see Euan Henderson get given the League cup/preseason games. Let's see what he can do. He's pacy and by all accounts a solid finisher. If he can carry over the confidence and form he's on just now then it should help us a lot in the summer in terms of recruitment. 

[Bazzas right boot]

41 minutes ago, AlimOzturk said:

It’s difficult to understand because we haven’t always played 343. Robbie has tinkered a lot depending on the opposition we play. 
 

I think “formations” aren’t really viewed as rigid nowadays by modern day coaches. A 343 can easily be a 541 or 442 can easily become a diamond system with a sitting midfielder and striker dropping back. 
 

 

 

Are you sure you've been watching Hearts?

 

[Bazzas right boot]

6 minutes ago, OTT said:

 

Got to say, I don't think I can recall too many times in my time of supporting Hearts where our striker has been small and pacy. We looked very dangerous with the fluid front 3 against Dundee utd, I'm not sure if they had trained etc. on marking Boyce so we got the jump on them a bit, or if actually everything just clicked. 

 

Regardless, it should open up our options. 

 

Personally, I'd really like to see Euan Henderson get given the League cup/preseason games. Let's see what he can do. He's pacy and by all accounts a solid finisher. If he can carry over the confidence and form he's on just now then it should help us a lot in the summer in terms of recruitment. 

 

V utd they also  helped in general by playing quite attacking themselves