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Town Back to 4-4-2 for Leicester
Friday, 22nd Nov 2013 16:08

Boss Mick McCarthy will revert back to his usual 4-4-2 formation when the Blues take on high-flying Leicester at Portman Road on Saturday afternoon, despite a switch to a more gung-ho 4-3-3 leading to the dramatic 3-2 victory at Blackpool a fortnight ago.

McCarthy was in no doubt what the result would be if he opted for that approach from the off against the Foxes, who are currently second in the Championship: “We’d get slapped, that’s what we’d get slapped, thoroughly, thoroughly slapped!

“Someone will say ‘How do you know that?’. Well, I don’t, but that’s my experience. I could change it and we could also get slapped, who’s to know?

“What we achieved [at Blackpool] was a reactionary thing and it worked but I think we need a bit more structure in it than that to play Leicester from the start.”

He says the system at Bloomfield Road, which saw subs Frank Nouble and Paul Taylor either side of Daryl Murphy in a front three with David McGoldrick behind them ahead of Cole Skuse and Ryan Tunnicliffe in midfield, was tailored to match the Seasiders' approach.

“We changed the system, we played more like Blackpool,” he said. “Leicester are 4-4-2, that’s how they play and if they don’t, you can slap me with a wet copy of the Radio Times.

“I’ll be very surprised if they don’t and they’re good at it. They’re one of the better teams playing it. That’s the way we’ll be playing.

“That was a really good ‘what-if’ against a team playing 4-4-1-1 and it changed it. What I do know is that having players like Tayls and Frank on, it’s great, but if you start that way and it doesn’t work, with every striker on, then what do you do?

“You’re 1-0 down so you take them off and put some defenders on! That’s not really the way forward.

"I’ve made that mistake before in my career, where we played really well with all the strikers on, and I played it the same in the next game and it didn’t work. I won’t con myself or get conned into it.”

Nevertheless, he’s pleased to have an alternative system in his armoury: “We’ve worked on those options so if we want to force a game [we can].

“It’s a matter of not changing like for like. If you’re 4-4-2 and you take a winger off and put another winger on, unless he’s somebody completely different, blisteringly quick and can cause a problem a different way, [that's what you're doing]. I think you need options to be able to change a game.

“And I think we have. Despite the size of the squad. We’ve got 18 players but there’s flexibility within that.

“It worked [at Blackpool] and I think it’ll work again, having three strikers on the pitch, but the team won’t be the one that finished.”

Aside from Aaron Cresswell, who is serving the final game of his two-game suspension, McCarthy has a full squad from which to choose from with Tommy Smith having returned from international duty with New Zealand: “He’s back, he was back this morning.


“He’s fine, he took on knock on Wednesday, to his leg and to his ego probably having been well beaten, but he’s such a good pro he reported the knock.

“He’s travelled back, he’s had his kip on the flight and he was in here training this morning, he’s terrific.”

Winger Paul Anderson missed the Blackpool game with a groin injury but is in the squad: “Ando’s fine, he’s OK. He’s trained all week, so there are no problems with him.”

McCarthy has included academy second-year right-back Kyle Hammond in the squad, presumably as cover in case Smith was unavailable following his international exploits and Luke Chambers had to move into the centre, with Elliott Hewitt on loan at Gillingham.

The Town boss rates the Foxes very highly and says his team will have to be at the top of their game to claim the three points: “If we get a win out of this we’ll have had to play really well because I think they’re the best team in the league.

“I think that from the goalkeeper to the left winger they’ve got, they’ve got a really solid team. Kasper Schmeichel at the back, he’s terrific. They’ve got Paul Konchesky, who’s come back, he’s added to the squad.

“They’ve signed Marcin Wasilewski, a Polish international, who not many knew much about, but he looks a really solid defender.

“We all know Wes Morgan and how good he can be and Liam Moore, the right-back, an England U21, I was very impressed with him at Watford.

“Anthony Knockaert is suspended, don’t ask me how he gets five bookings for tackling but he has. He’s missing and I’m glad because he’s a handful.

“They’ve got Lloyd Dyer on the sidelines, the two midfield players, Andy King and Danny Drinkwater, are as good as any pairing and then they’ve got Jamie Vardy, Chris Wood and David Nugent up front.

“They’ve let Paul Gallagher go to Preston, that tells you the strength of the squad they’ve got. They’ve been playing together a long time most of them. If anybody else beats them in the league this year, they’d have to do very well.”

McCarthy is likely to continue with Dean Gerken in goal, Chambers at right-back, Smith and Christophe Berra at the centre and Tyrone Mings making his home debut at left-back.

In midfield, the Blues boss has choices to make and says not too much ought to be read into his half-time substitution of Luke Hyam and Jay Tabb at Blackpool: “I could have taken more off, but I didn’t really want to put three subs on. It was to change it, to cause more of an attacking threat.”

Skuse is likely to fill one of the central roles with Tunnicliffe and Hyam in the running for the other. The on-loan Manchester United man could move back to his more usual left-sided role, where Tabb is also an option, while recent signing Stephen Hunt is probably not yet considered fit enough for a start.

Skipper Carlos Edwards appears likely to keep his place on the right ahead of Anderson, while David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy will probably start up front with Nouble and Taylor, like Murphy scorers at Blackpool, coming off the bench at some stage.

Leicester will be without suspended winger Knockaert, while defender Sean St Ledger, a one-time Town target, is out with a groin injury.

Young striker Tom Hopper will miss out with a stress fracture, while Foxes full-back Ritchie De Laet is back in light training but is unlikely to feature against the Blues.

Foxes manager Nigel Pearson says Town have a strong team ethic: “When you look at them as a side now, Mick McCarthy has stamped his identity on them. They have good individuals, but I think it’s the collective that’s their strength.

“You look at a lot of the sides in this division, and that is the case. You’ve got to have that collective spirit, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of Mick’s sides that doesn’t have that as one of its main ingredients. We have to be spot on.”

Town have had the upper hand historically, winning 27 games between the sides (27 in the league), drawing 18 (17) and losing 24 (22).

At Portman Road in March, David McGoldrick netted his second goal for the Blues five minutes from time as Town claimed a crucial 1-0 victory.

In November, shortly after Mick McCarthy took over as manager, Town fell to their second successive hammering on the road as they were smashed 6-0 at the King Power Stadium.

Nugent took his record to 11 goals in 11 games against the Blues with two early goals, the first a penalty, with Dyer, Knockaert, Martyn Waghorn and Marko Futacs netting the rest.

Nugent, who missed last season’s trip to Suffolk, has scored in each of his previous matches at Portman Road, a record of seven goals in six games for the Foxes, Preston, Pompey and the England U21s.

Leicester manager Pearson was interviewed for the job as Town boss in 2006 but lost out to Jim Magilton.

Town are running a Kids for a Quid offer at the match which runs up to kick-off, full details here.

Prior to kick-off, the club will play Edward Ebeneezer Jeremiah Brown as a tribute to supporter Mike Kemp, who died after the Blackpool match. Lynn, his wife, and his many friends would love supporters to stand up, sing, clap and smile as the song is played. A wreath will also be placed on his seat in the East of England Co-op Stand.

Manager McCarthy hopes Town can provide a suitable tribute on the pitch: “We’ve all had losses in our families but when it’s a healthy fella, who goes to watch a game, it must be heart-breaking. Let’s hope we can do it for all of us.”

Saturday’s referee is Oliver Langford from the West Midlands, who has shown 26 yellow cards and one red in 12 games so far this season.

Langford’s most recent Town match was the 2-1 defeat to Hull City at Portman Road in April when he booked one player from each side and awarded the visitors a penalty.

Squad from: Gerken, Loach, Chambers, Veseli, Hammond, Mings, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Hyam, Wordsworth, Tunnicliffe, Edwards, Anderson, Tabb, Hunt, Murphy, McGoldrick, Nouble, Taylor.


Photo: Action Images



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pazelle added 16:20 - Nov 22
Phew!
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LankHenners added 16:34 - Nov 22
Sensible decision by Mick - Leicester are the sort of team that could cut you right open if you're not careful. Maybe if it's still close towards the end of the match and Mick's feeling like taking a risk, finish the game in 4-3-3.
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pazelle added 16:51 - Nov 22
How can Taylor not start?
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bohslegend added 16:54 - Nov 22
Yeah, common sense approach. It is good to know we have other options during a game if we need them. Tough game ahead of us no matter what formation we play.
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StowTractorBoy added 17:02 - Nov 22
Very much as I would I expect against a very good looking Leicester side. I think it is the right decision to go 4-4-2 and hope we can sneak it like we did last season at home. Will obviously be delighted to take the 3 points but I think this will be a very difficult match for us.
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thebeat added 17:11 - Nov 22
I dont mind 4-4-2 as long as Anderson doesnt get recalled and Tunners plays in the middle with Skuse.
If Chambers goes back to right back surely we can afford to play Taylor on the wing?
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whiskey added 17:36 - Nov 22
I'd like to see a bit more optimism or even a dash of cocksureness from our manager. Sounds like he thinks we're probably not going to win. If so, lets at least be willing to take a slap or two. Much more entertaining to go all out and get beaten than digging the back foot in. Don't show them too much respect. I hope he looked at Harry from bath's pre-match posting.
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irishtim added 17:58 - Nov 22
Would be great to get 3 points in memory of Mike Kemp.
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blueboy1981 added 18:18 - Nov 22
...... now that is NEGATIVE - we are at HOME, against a decent team granted, but if we sit back against them they are capable of inflicting damage.

Surely we should have enough confidence at HOME to play 4-4-3 - against anyone.

Anything less is:- NEGATIVE - like it or not.
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thebeat added 18:21 - Nov 22
blueboy1981 surely playing 4-4-3 is cheating?
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blueboy1981 added 18:34 - Nov 22
..... MM will be more than satisfied with another point.
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blueboy1981 added 18:40 - Nov 22
thebeat - ...... was waiting for someone to spot the obvious - but I'm sure 'most' will know what I meant.

The 'extra' would have been useful anyway lol.
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stevelincsexile added 18:55 - Nov 22
One step forward now two steps back, why is MM so intent in not losing rather than winning. Never mind driving down with grandson for his first match COYB.
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Walk_the_Wark added 19:30 - Nov 22
Why am I not surprised???…..yawn
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theblueginger added 19:34 - Nov 22
Don't read too much into this guys.....
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RegencyBlue added 19:35 - Nov 22
Micks default system is 442 and that's all there is to it.

Going 433 against Blackpool was a last throw of the dice and we were always going to revert back to the norm.
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blueboy1981 added 19:55 - Nov 22
......... I can't see anything other than another yawn tomorrow - sincerely hope I am wrong, and return to the car park with a smile as opposed to a grimace on the face at the end of the game.

Not expecting much to be honest - especially if Taylor is not in.
Cannot see it being much different to previous episodes.
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TimmyH added 20:10 - Nov 22
Can't help Mick is going back into his 'let's not get beaten shell' - ok we'll go back to 4-4-2 IF that is best to counteract Leicester but let's not get suckered into bringing back Anderson and Hyam and Skuse in midfield again!
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TimmyH added 20:11 - Nov 22
* Hyam with Skuse I should say.
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Jimmy86 added 21:54 - Nov 22
Lets hope big Murph can get under that donkey morgan's skin again. Worked a treat, coz he was at fault for our winner last season, wind him upans the fact he a hoof merchant will be exposed!!! Oh and hope nugent has an accident with the advertising boarding or that someone kicks him into the stand!!! Hatefull little man!!!!
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bluemikey100 added 22:25 - Nov 22
i prefer GUNG HO MCCARTHY well at the right time in the match
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muccletonjoe added 22:27 - Nov 22
Let's be honest , 3 points from tomorrows game and we are in with a shout , if McCarthy didn't want the players to under estimate leicester I think he has put that one to bed. If we go for the yawn draw we will end up with nothing , we are not good enough defensively to play that way.
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craigyboy10 added 22:31 - Nov 22
Don't think this is a stupid decision what so ever, and anyone that says reverting back to 442 is negative then you really have no tactical sence what so ever...

We are playing one of the most dangerous teams in the league in my opinion the first 45 mins will speak volumes for this game.. If we go all guns blazing at the start there just hit
Us on the counter every time, lets give them a tough first half frustrate them make them think we got a game here, lower there confidence of winning the game hit the 4-3-3 with 25 - 20 mins to go and I expect mick depending on the result at the time to do just that
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clive_baker added 23:23 - Nov 22
Anything other than 4-4-2 would be suicide against such a strong and well organised Leicester side. Keep it tight, get to 60 minutes all square and then introduce some fresh faces to nick the win and the 3 points. If we're 3 points better off come 5pm tomorrow we can start looking at that league table with some real interest. Especially as we'll be 16 games in, probably 3ish points off the top 6 with Charlton away, Blackburn home and Huddersfield home as our next 3 games.

COYB.
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clint_eastwood added 01:39 - Nov 23
I dont get it?Is it wise to reveal our tactics?
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