Quote Originally Posted by jackal2 View Post
The problem is we've tried 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 also, and it hasn't often worked, especially when Wootton gets isolated. And even those who crave a 4-4-2 would have to admit we haven't really got the central midfield players to make it work against teams who sometimes pack the midfield. Neil Bishop and Ricky Ravenhill were energetic workhorses who made it work ten years ago, but you can't expect a veteran like Doyle, as fit as he is, to do that job; and Reeves isn't really dynamic enough either. O'Brien's maybe the hardest worker, but again he's no spring chicken.
I've seen so many different midfield pairings in 4-4-2s over the decades. I don't think you always need 2 holding players if you play that - if the defenders can be trusted to defend and there are no passengers in the front four, pairs like Harkouk and Goodwin, Webb and Hodge can work..
Do we have those things now to play say a Reeves and Rodrigues partnership? No!