Is 4-5-1 killing the game?

Is 4-5-1 killing football?

  • Total voters
    40
Nickybaker

Nickybaker

You want SEVEN?
15 October 2003
Essex
The one and only Arsenal
A lot has been said over the last few weeks but after the Man U v Liverpool game yesterday I have heard the words "Death of the premiership" an awful lot.

Is there anything to be done to stop this, I don't know, but it's boring the fuck out of me.

I understand that for teams relegation can lead to financial ruin but there must be a solution.

I read somewhere that the average goals per game in the EPL is just over 2 compared to 2.5 in Italy and over 3 in Germany.
 
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Its killing our game, we have been playing 1 up front since we bought Ruud and we've only won the league once in that time and our football has been getting worse each year even though technically we have better players is key positions than we ever have...

saying that I dont think everyone should play 4-4-2, regardless of the formation the players should have a positive attitude to going forward which is something that is lacking IMO.

It could be down to teams being cautious in the 1st half of the season, so we'll wait and see what happens after xmas.
 
He doesnt know what he's talking about. The 4-5-1 that he says everyone used years ago isnt the same as the 4-5-1 we use today.

Heres a simple question. If the Premiership isnt really boring, why are people calling it boring in the first place? I could have fell asleep through the Anfield game.
 
Alucard said:
You only agree coz he says chelsea aint boring lol. Alan Hansen sucks any team that are the champions of the premiership.lol
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No young man. I agree with him, because i agree. It has nothing to do with Chelsea being mentioned. I, unlike a lot of people around here, am able to talk about football without a club hat on. Yes, i support Chelsea, but i don't let it blind me like a lot of the juveniles on these boards.

PS lol
 
4-5-1 is awful, with service cut off to the top man. It's professionalism over entertainment in this case, with clubs desperate to get points to avoid the drop (Everton?:D) but it bores the bollocks off me.
 
In time, Clubs will (hopefully) begin to acknowledge that only a select number of teams and managers will be able to utilize the 4-5-1 system efficiently. I won't fully blame the 4-5-1 system as many European teams have successfully played with the system whilst maintaining sublime play.

And who knows? maybe we are in the transitional stage of the Premiership from the traditional English style 4-4-2 to the more continental 4-5-1. It may actually work out to be a good thing for the future of English football...
 
I see a lot of matches per year and only a few are actually worth watching. Even the Dutch league is boring these days.
 
Well, the Portuguese national team plays in 4-5-1, although it is usually said that it's a 4-3-3. Pauleta is usually on is own upfront. Still, can't say they're boring to watch...
 
I guess a system is only as good as the players to utilise it. If only there were more decent wingers about.....
 
Barcellona are virtually a 4-5-1. Eto'o upfront. Really its a 4-3-3, but what exactly is the difference if Ronnie and Giuly arent exactly the strikers? would make it 5 midfielders.
 
The tactics have nothing to do about it. If it is boring or not I really can't tell cause I only watch one game per week of the EPL.
There are alot of teams out there that use only one striker but play great football.
 
Barcelona are much more of a 4-3-3 than a 4-5-1.

Eto
Ronny Giuly

deco xavi
van bom

Thats very attacking IMO

But 4-5-1 is ruining the game. Football is extremely boring nowdays. I can only bare to watch Arsenal, Barcelona, Milan (when they're on form) because they're the only interesting teams.
 
Its not the most entertaining tactic in the world, but its not the only reason for boring football out of all the teams that played over the weekend in the Premiership only Chelsea, Charlton, Everton, Liverpool, Man Yoo, Bolton, and Sunderland played that way with the rest playing various versions of 4-4-2! So no its not the 4-5-1 fault IMO!
 
Milanista said:
Barcellona are virtually a 4-5-1. Eto'o upfront. Really its a 4-3-3, but what exactly is the difference if Ronnie and Giuly arent exactly the strikers? would make it 5 midfielders.
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I think that is the difference as Ronnie is always bombing forward whereas teams like Everton have a man sitting in front of the back 4 who doesn't push forward.
 
jamie_mack said:
Its not the most entertaining tactic in the world, but its not the only reason for boring football out of all the teams that played over the weekend in the Premiership only Chelsea, Charlton, Everton, Liverpool, Man Yoo, Bolton, and Sunderland played that way with the rest playing various versions of 4-4-2! So no its not the 4-5-1 fault IMO!
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But it's difficult for teams not playing it to play against hence the reason teams do it.

If a team floods the midfield and only looks to counter you have to be weary going forward hence the unexciting football.
 
It is but you'd be silly to commit football suicide by bombing forward, letting a couple of cheap goals in and then playing against a 100% defence 5-5-0 formation.
 
Spot on Jamie, i think u are all looking a bit too much at the numbers, wether u play 4-5-1; 4-4-2 or 4-4-3 it can still be very attacking (or defensive offcourse) It all depends on the players on the field and their mentality and the managers instructions. Johan Cruijff is always saying that the formation is not very important, its the teams attitude towards the game that makes it worthwile to watch (or not)
 
The Premier League is launching an investigation to find out why attendances are so poor this season, BBC Link.

I watched the Liverpool vs Man Utd game at the weekend and would agree with the general view that it was pish. Tactics or not, the EPL is hitting a bit of a rough patch with defensive play resulting in less goals, boring matches and falling attendances. The title was sewn up for a long time before it was officially handed over last season, and it's going the same way this year already (IMO).

"Best League In The World"? My arse. Our country may be smaller and not have players of the calibre of the top English sides, but at least it always provides a title race, two of the past three seasons taking until seconds from the final whistle of the season to decide the champions. The last time that happened in England was when Blackburn won the league.
 
RuneEdge said:
Agree with ClassicD here. I think I should start watching SPL on Setanta.
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It'd certainly be cheaper watching four matches a season. :lol: I agree with you Classic D, best league in the world my arse too, but Runedge, stay off the pop. :mrgreen: All leagues have good and bad qualities, ups and downs. Personally I like taking them all in for the love of the game (jeez, perhaps I should stay off the pop.... ;) ).
 
But can you blame the teams that are ruining the entertainment? Chelsea might be boring but its effective. Lower teams usually have no chance against the big teams so they too have to be boring.

The fact that it pays to be boring is the main reason why this isnt gonna change for a long time. Unless some manager finally develops a new strategy based on attacking strongly 'Brazil-style' (who also are starting to use counter attacks) and proves theres a new way to play the game, nothing is gonna change.
 
I think the FA should give up and let us watch all the Saturday games live on Sky. Attendances are dropping anyway
 
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