A quick look at the tactics vs Newcastle

There was no change to the formation that we set out with, deploying the 4-2-3-1 as we have done in most games under RDM yet I noticed how we played was slightly different.

This was the formation, Yet we were very rarely in this shape.
Most of the time Mata was either out right or dropping deeper. Hazard was given the more free role and drifted all around the place. Bertrand and Cole added the width down the left with neither of them drifting from the wing often. Meireles and Mikel held the shape in the midfield and Ivanovic offered width out right. In attack we looked like this:

With HazMat moving where they wanted, not where I placed them. This worked out well for us as Cahill-Mikel-Luiz were able to stop the counter attacks and Ivanovic, Meireles, Cole and Bertrand dropped back to help out.

This meant HazMat did not have to worry about positioning as they knew they had to do very little defencively because everyone else had it covered.

On defence we shaped up something like this:

Look familiar? Oh yes, at points we were playing the Christmas tree. Effectively too. This formation gave us a solid defence (Meireles, Mikel and Bertrand is a good midfield defencively.) and allowed for great counter attacks through HazMat and Torres. Mata was generally the first receiver of the ball, he then played it to Hazard who looked for Torres or the on rushing Bertrand.

This lead me to think if This formation worked against Newcastle we should use something similar against the likes of City and United:

In this formation both Bertrand and Ramires can cover the defence while adding speed in counter attacks. This gives both Mata and Hazard 3-4 options on counter attacks while keeping a decent possession team.

Playing Bertrand-Cole gives us a great deal of defencive stability even if they are poor attackers (in terms of being able to play Oscar or Marin there instead) This meant HazMat could play free which in turn allowed us to dominate.

Whether it was planned or not, Hats off to RDM, he did very well tactically in this match. Especially considering Newcastle had some decent form before this match and we made them look poor.

Don't be surprised to see us use Bertrand-Cole LW many more times this season. It works.

lol and then i saw a christmas tree and saw it was kick posting it

Christmas tree. Kick. Why am I not surprised?

It's the truth.

Go watch the match again and you will see. My point is that it worked defencively. On attack we didn't play it.

GTFO Xmas tree is mine, Kick is Rogers & am Martinez in terms of Swansea .

That being said the right side was a bit exposed at times especially in second half, although RDM brought in Rambo to sort that out .I wish Mata wasn't 100% useless in defence .

I think having Raul in showed how much Lampard doesn't fit in the pivot, he was pretty awesome. Although we have kinda come to expect that on the basis of the Portuguese national team with him and Veloso.

Abramovich wrote:GTFO Xmas tree is mine, Kick is Rogers & am Martinez in terms of Swansea .

That being said the right side was a bit exposed at times especially in second half, although RDM brought in Rambo to sort that out .I wish Mata wasn't 100% useless in defence .

I think having Raul in showed how much Lampard doesn't fit in the pivot, he was pretty awesome. Although we have kinda come to expect that on the basis of the Portuguese national team with him and Veloso.

We were not the first to suggest the christmas tree.

I thought our right side was fine and that meireles did a great job there. Ramires would have been better of course.

I honestly think if Raul can keep that kind of form he will be very handy to have around.

There's no we here, I was before you
I would take Raul over Rambo in that position tbh, better passer & more tactically aware. I don't praise him or Mikel much ever, but them two really beasted it.

It was Ben Arfa vs Christmas tree.

Poor lad had no chance

Also we didn't really have any decent form and us with 4-4-2 is like facing a mid-table team because that's what we are when we use that system and we are always poor with that system.

Which is why i rant about it constantly

There's not much a playmaker the trio imo. Either one of Meireles/Lampard/Oscar have to play.