| "Plan B" 19:47 - Oct 22 with 2275 views | swede |
This board if full today of people requesting that KMcK has a "plan B". I assume "Plan A" is the style that we have become used to over the last three years or so - playing out from the back, getting the ball out wide, possession football and a lone striker.
Genuine question - What "Plan B" should he adopt and when should it be put into play?
It is only my opinion, but I thought we played well in the first half last night against a packed defence. Should he have changed it up at half-time and how? Or perhaps after their first break-away goal?
As someone once said "football is a funny old game" and I think that proved true last night. At HT, there was no possibility in my thoughts that we would lose 3-0, but the second half was one of the worst we have seen in a long time when we seemed to fall apart.
Fine margins - a breakaway (badly defended) first, a deflection that sat up perfectly for them to score the second and the officials not seeing the ball go out of play for the third.
Credit to Charlton for taking advantage. Is their style the "plan B" fans want us to adopt?
Apologies for rambling, but even after attending Portman Road for 55 years, I recognise that I am far from a tactics expert and would like to hear exactly what "Plan B" should be, rather than just shouting angrily that KMcK "has no plan B". |  | | |  |
| "Plan B" on 19:55 - Oct 22 with 2215 views | FrimleyBlue |
For me plan B would be using alternative players to play an alternative formation rather than missusing players in the lineup to do so instead
For example. It's obvious for the past 18 months a midfield 3 is needed in some games. Some obvious before kickoff however we just don't do it. Yes we ask davis to invert etc and players roam. But this isn't a plan B for me this is plan A being ineffective as we are not then getting best out of the players.
We've got akpom and Sammy s fighting over a 10 role that neither of them suit
There's potentially a host of specific formations km could utilise with the squad at his disposal.
How about an actual 3 5 2 at times too. We have the players for it.
But we are so fixated on the double pivot and a 10. [Post edited 22 Oct 2025 20:02]
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| "Plan B" on 20:04 - Oct 22 with 2166 views | King_ding_a_lin_g |
| "Plan B" on 19:55 - Oct 22 by FrimleyBlue |
For me plan B would be using alternative players to play an alternative formation rather than missusing players in the lineup to do so instead
For example. It's obvious for the past 18 months a midfield 3 is needed in some games. Some obvious before kickoff however we just don't do it. Yes we ask davis to invert etc and players roam. But this isn't a plan B for me this is plan A being ineffective as we are not then getting best out of the players.
We've got akpom and Sammy s fighting over a 10 role that neither of them suit
There's potentially a host of specific formations km could utilise with the squad at his disposal.
How about an actual 3 5 2 at times too. We have the players for it.
But we are so fixated on the double pivot and a 10. [Post edited 22 Oct 2025 20:02]
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Ah, so 'Plan B' is to use an extra player without anyone noticing!
Sneeky, I like it! Bring on plan B! |  | | |
| "Plan B" on 20:24 - Oct 22 with 2074 views | DavoIPB |
Let try different formations throughout a game to suit the game situation
I.e. away from home Middlesbrough, start with a 5-4-1. Nullify Their midfield threat. Keep it 0-0 for 30 odd minutes. Switch it up to a 4-51 towards end of second half. If still 0-0 on 65 mins push on switching to a 3-5-2 | | | |
| "Plan B" on 21:19 - Oct 22 with 2012 views | billlm |
Take last night,
We have the players to help pressure on teams, for me he let himself and the fans down when he takes azon off and puts hirst in,
He wouldn't get half the flack today if he had two up top and if we had got one goal who knows, it's this like for like subs yes killed teams before but everyone's worked and he hasn't anything else to offer, |  | | |
| "Plan B" on 21:25 - Oct 22 with 1966 views | Blue_Heath |
Depends how you define playing well, lots of possession and sideways/backwards passes but no incision. Charlton actually had the best two chances although we 'dominated' the play we didn't finish off a single move.
McKenna ball has been found out and he needs to change something hence the plan b which presumably is a different formation or different way of playing. The lack of urgency last night when we had gone behind was appalling. | |
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| "Plan B" on 21:37 - Oct 22 with 1928 views | cressi |
Do you never think maybe for the last 20 we play 2 up front.
Or go to a 3 in midfield when we are overrun.
Or Even play 3 centre backs one as the sweeper allowing our full/wing backs to go forward knowing the have cover. | | | |
| "Plan B" on 22:43 - Oct 22 with 1854 views | BrockleyBlue78 |
How about:
5-3-2
Walton
Johnson-furlong-O’Shea-Kipre-Davis
Nunez-Matusiwa-Cajuste
Azon-philogene
Or
4-3-3
Walton
Furlong-O’Shea-Kipre-Davis
Nunez-Matusiwa-Cajuste
Clarke-Azon-philogene
Or
4-4-2
Walton
Furlong-O’Shea-Kipre-Davis
Clarke-Matusiwa-Cajuste-philogene
Axon-Hirst
The only time I can recall KM changing formation was the win away at Spurs. He then stuck with it for a few too many games. |  | | |
| "Plan B" on 22:46 - Oct 22 with 1841 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| "Plan B" on 22:43 - Oct 22 by BrockleyBlue78 |
How about:
5-3-2
Walton
Johnson-furlong-O’Shea-Kipre-Davis
Nunez-Matusiwa-Cajuste
Azon-philogene
Or
4-3-3
Walton
Furlong-O’Shea-Kipre-Davis
Nunez-Matusiwa-Cajuste
Clarke-Azon-philogene
Or
4-4-2
Walton
Furlong-O’Shea-Kipre-Davis
Clarke-Matusiwa-Cajuste-philogene
Axon-Hirst
The only time I can recall KM changing formation was the win away at Spurs. He then stuck with it for a few too many games. |
I'd love to try Johnson and Davis as wing backs but not sure how we truly accommodate Philogene then.
Ben Johnson gets slated around here but I thought there was games when he was in front of Axel last year in that role that he was decent a level up. |  |
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| "Plan B" on 23:13 - Oct 22 with 1746 views | Swansea_Blue |
Plan B should be to play Plan A better. |  |
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| "Plan B" on 05:25 - Oct 23 with 1651 views | ITFCSG |
What’s infuriating is that the players all seem one dimensional at times precisely because this is what McK has drilled into them. The over obsession with passing, even sideways and backwards to nowhere which slows the game down and allows the opposition to regroup. The lack of freedom to mix up styles I.e. going long when needed. The past few games vs the Boro and Charlton shows it doesn’t pay to try walking the ball into the net or depending on a wonder moment from Philogene.
For example at 0-3 down why wasn’t the change made in formation to play 2 up and try salvage the game rather than stick either the same old tippy-tappy nonsense? Any other manager besides Russell Martin would have taken off a defender or midfielder and thrown on another forward and throw caution to the wind. At 0-3 down we had nothing to lose. Yet McK did nothing. The like for like changes are pointless especially in situations like this | | | |
| "Plan B" on 06:20 - Oct 23 with 1604 views | Blue_Heath |
| "Plan B" on 22:46 - Oct 22 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
I'd love to try Johnson and Davis as wing backs but not sure how we truly accommodate Philogene then.
Ben Johnson gets slated around here but I thought there was games when he was in front of Axel last year in that role that he was decent a level up. |
This is part of the problem with Leif we effectively play 3 at the back for the most part. Hence when teams break they look like they will score every time as midfield area is stretched too.
As great as Leif has been our whole system is built on that left hand side overload, great when it works but easily exploited when we lose the ball.
We need a more solid foundation as we gift goals for fun. | |
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| "Plan B" on 07:04 - Oct 23 with 1554 views | BrockleyBlue78 |
| "Plan B" on 22:43 - Oct 22 by BrockleyBlue78 |
How about:
5-3-2
Walton
Johnson-furlong-O’Shea-Kipre-Davis
Nunez-Matusiwa-Cajuste
Azon-philogene
Or
4-3-3
Walton
Furlong-O’Shea-Kipre-Davis
Nunez-Matusiwa-Cajuste
Clarke-Azon-philogene
Or
4-4-2
Walton
Furlong-O’Shea-Kipre-Davis
Clarke-Matusiwa-Cajuste-philogene
Axon-Hirst
The only time I can recall KM changing formation was the win away at Spurs. He then stuck with it for a few too many games. |
Out of possession:
Walton
Johnson-Furlong-O’Shea-Kipre-Davis
Nunez-Matusiwa-Cajuste
Azon-Philogene
In possession:
Walton
Furlong-O’Shea-Kipre
Matusiwa
Nunez-Cajuste
Johnson-Azon-Philogene-Davis | | | |
| "Plan B" on 07:16 - Oct 23 with 1521 views | noggin |
It looks a lot like the players we have are incapable of performing to plan A. |  |
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| "Plan B" on 07:30 - Oct 23 with 1489 views | mrfixit426 |
Good grief, the football illiteracy on this thread is off the charts. |  | | |
| "Plan B" on 07:30 - Oct 23 with 1484 views | Bluemike31 |
At times I wonder if we even have a Plan A, it's more of a routine same old same old. | | | |
| "Plan B" on 07:50 - Oct 23 with 1458 views | Papillon64 |
..as i'm old school. I have always believed 2 up front has led to great success!
Pablo-Kuqi
Mathie-Marshall
Phillips-Crawford
Johnson-Whymark
Mariner-Whymark/Brazil
...and many , many more. |  | | |
| "Plan B" on 08:04 - Oct 23 with 1398 views | BrockleyBlue78 |
| "Plan B" on 07:30 - Oct 23 by mrfixit426 |
Good grief, the football illiteracy on this thread is off the charts. |
Educate us then. We’re all ears | | | |
| "Plan B" on 08:05 - Oct 23 with 1396 views | Dennyx4 |
| "Plan B" on 22:46 - Oct 22 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
I'd love to try Johnson and Davis as wing backs but not sure how we truly accommodate Philogene then.
Ben Johnson gets slated around here but I thought there was games when he was in front of Axel last year in that role that he was decent a level up. |
If you have three central defenders, you shouldn’t need three central midfielders as well, unless you are going extremely defensive.
3421 could work, with Philogene as one of the two behind Hirst. Johnson and Davis as the width in the 4.
Think you could also just tweak the current system in tough games, by playing Cajuste in the central 10 role and it being more of a 433.
Another option is have O’Shea as the right back and keep the same formation that McKenna uses. This would make the team a little more solid. Similar to when Tuanzebe played there, a couple of seasons ago.
We have plenty of options, without radical changes. |  | | |
| "Plan B" on 08:41 - Oct 23 with 1333 views | itfcjoe |
"Plan B" is just something that people say who don't watch the game properly and all the minor and sometimes major in game tweaks we make [either in set up, instruction, style, etc] - and who don't understand how modern football works and how it isn't really possible with all patterns of play etc to just totally shift everything around.
Every team now will be set up to a framework, and everything will fall inside of that - but the only "Plan B" we needed on Tuesday is to speed the execution up in the final third and take chances when they are presented - we are a bit laboured when we get there and it's almost a bit of paralysis at times [too much info? fear?]. We lack that intensity and risk taking approach that we have elsewhere on the pitch and play safe to option so don't create enough good chances from the good positions we find ourselves in |  |
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| "Plan B" on 09:10 - Oct 23 with 1269 views | BloomBlue |
Ironically if you look at the game, Charlton were also playing it out from the back same as us. Not sure if it was Jones H/T talk but they were more dynamic after H/T but still utilised playing from the back.
What I mean by that is look at the 1st goal. Yes terrible defending, but Carey (a midfielder) gets the ball just inside our half his first thought is run towards the Ipswich goal. Given he was on his own he probably never expected the Town players to stand aside especially as he was on his own, but his aim was create panic.
I can almost guarantee if that was a Town midfielder they would turn back and play it wide or back. We're not dynamic enough, almost static in our approach.
Its not just our midfielders, too many times we turn back. |  | | |
| "Plan B" on 09:13 - Oct 23 with 1258 views | Vaughan8 |
I fully in agreement we maybe need to be more adaptable in game than we are. I'm pretty sure even though the formation is the same in every game, McKenna tweaks things here or there and targets different areas etc.
However, if we defend like the last 2 games, it doesn't matter what formation we play further up the field. We will always let in Goals. Both Middlesborough and Charlton could have got 4 or 5 each. | | | |
| "Plan B" on 10:06 - Oct 23 with 1190 views | swede |
| "Plan B" on 07:30 - Oct 23 by mrfixit426 |
Good grief, the football illiteracy on this thread is off the charts. |
Okay, would you like to share some of your expert solutions? | | | |
| "Plan B" on 10:47 - Oct 23 with 1142 views | Bobbychase |
"McKenna has no Plan B"
McKenna makes seven changes.
"Don't change anything you idiot." |  |
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