Let Wingers Be Wingers And Full Backs Be Full Backs
Neil Lennon likes his teams to be flexible, and for players to be able to deputise in positions other than their own … but it’s this philosophy of putting square pegs in round holes which has really done us in of late.
There’s too much of it, and especially out wide.
It doesn’t matter whether we are playing a 3-5-2 or a 4-2-3-1, it is time to blend the tactic and the personnel properly; if we’re going with the 3-5-2 then play wingers … and in their proper roles.
No Frimpong charging up the right when we can go with Forrest (when fit) or Christie.
No more playing Ryan as a striker, or God forbid, trying to shoehorn Elyounoussi into that role … play him wide left, where he belongs, and make the best of his skills.
And if we’re a 4-2-3-1 then, by all means, have overlapping full backs and play the wide men as inside forwards, because we know they can fulfil that role.
But no more playing full backs as wingers or wingers as strikers.
These are specialised roles and players play more comfortable in their natural positions and when they aren’t being asked to do anything they aren’t sure about or which exposes them to mistakes.
We will see the best from this team when the wide players are allowed to do their normal jobs … it weakens the whole team when they don’t.