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There's been a lot of talk about team formations this seasons, our and everybody else's. Anyone who ever had the pleasure of watching Dutch 'total football' last century will know that the best teams are like a great band: the rhythm (formation) is there to give the players an agreed reference point but the greats will turn it inside out when they please.
So the Palace game was interesting in that bringing on Byram for Ogbonna was clearly intended to add width - and to free Antonio. And where did that should-be-Hammer-of-the Year end up? Just about everywhere on the pitch and making three goals.
I thought that what looked like 4-2-4 (or was it 4-4-2?) seemed to offer a simpler plan and somehow freed the players to do their stuff.
I don't care a lot for the way the Subbutteo pieces are laid out at the start, just so long as they can move when and where they are needed.
Not really disagreeing
I really enjoyed watching the Dutch team Ajax at the time and I suppose some of their national team's relaxed flexibility was because several of them knew one another's way of playing very well indeed.
It must be nostalgia week because as I'm typing I recall that Dynamo Tbilisi team that slaughtered us so beautifully at Upton Park. Anybody know if there is film of it?