Much better formation!!

[rjc_1988]

The Manager's decision to pick 3 central midfielders and go 4-3-1-2 was exactly what was required.

In dire conditions we dug deep today - dominated midfield, restricted Livvy to very few attempts at goal and fully merited our win.

I have said repeatedly that this 4-2-3-1 formation has held us back big time and I am convinced that we would have accumulated at least 6+ points more at this stage if we had played players in proper positions.That may be an under estimation!

Ian Russell has had a good season and has scored several ***** goals but for me he has to play as one of the two strikers or he is on the bench. The whole balance of the team is wrong with the favoured formation and accommodating players "out of position" has to stop.Playing Gavin wide right at Morton was another bad decison.

We have plenty of options in central midfield (Derek Young to come back as well) and it makes sense to get 3 in there or go 4-4-2. It helps us to dominate possession and it protects the back 4 b

[jzee]

Not sure I agree that formation was spot on, agreed that apart from 10 mins before ht when ref gifted them a penalty , that even LIvi did not claim for,we largely controlled the game and kept them quiet. Would prefer McKenna more central, I know he isn't the best distributor but his physicality breaks up play and let's others play. Manager as others has said has moved players about not always to best effect eg Reilly on Wednesday , however results are improving and with injuries and suspensions manager will have to shuffle his squad.
Atkinson's distribution is really promising , defence sound ,Durnan outstanding.Midfield improving a fit Young in there may be the missing link.Up front Mchugh looked lively and with Reilly, Lyle and Paton we have a bit more variety to test the opposition in different ways.
Only down side today Paton limping off.

[QOS55]

Dowie is a good player at this level and has been unfairly criticised by some on here IMO.

Whether he is better than Higgins is open to debate.

[deek5trans]

Taking nothing away from the result I wouldn't say it was the best formation in the first half. Burns was struggling, McKenna is better central and their number 2 had a free run of the right wing the whole of the first half. We looked much better in the 2nd half when we switched it about.

[rjc_1988]

Deek - in all honesty I don't think we did switch the basic formation in the second half. The players that came on fitted into the same pattern.it was much easier to play with the wind but Livy really struggled second half and our midfield 3 played great in that period. Burns did struggle a bit first half but I thought he did a great job second half.

The one aspect that I don't think works is playing someone in the hole behind the strikers...better to have Paton wide where he can find space. We seem to think that this role is a "must have" but I don't think we get much out of it and for me it is a luxury one. So long as we have two up front we will get chances and we will also press the ball higher up the park.