If Andy Awford knows which formation Pompey will use against Cambridge United on Saturday, he's keeping his cards close to his chest.
They have been playing 4-2-3-1 in most games but against Peterborough, a wing-back system was introduced to good effect.
Awford was delighted but says he has a squad that gives him a number of options in terms of how to approach different games.
He told The News: 'I just didn’t have the right personnel in pre-season to try it and have a look at it. We’ve played it many a time in practice matches so the lads know what they are doing with it. It’s not alien to them, it’s something we have in the locker if we needed to use it.
‘On Tuesday night I thought it was right tactically to use against Peterborough, I had seem them play on DVD and felt that was the best way to go. It gives you more bodies in the centre of the pitch, you have three centre halves and three central midfielders and two centre forwards so there’s a strong spine.
‘Of course you are vulnerable out wide, but if teams like to play through you down the middle maybe you need more bodies in the centre of the pitch, so we had a look at it and felt that was the right way to go.
‘We had a look at it last season as well if I am to be honest, but didn’t get round to playing it for whatever reason. It is something we can do. You can’t just be a one-trick pony, if we need to flip mid-game we can. You generally have a defender on the bench if you are playing a back four so if we need to do it during a game we can.
‘It’s not just because Paul (Robinson) came to the club, I could have played it with Whatmough, Devera and Chorley, while Johnny Ertl and Adam Webster can also play in there.
‘The lads made it work. Me, Macca (Alan McLoughlin) and Paul (Hardyman) can only give them the information and walk it through with them and do it live on the training ground — but they have to do it in the cauldron.'
| Advertisement |
|
|
Click here to sign up for an account and reserve your username! You can then post on the Forum and add your comments to articles