hmmmm. how 'bout that? that's pretty much what's going on the premiership right now. it's called the
"dreaed 4-5-1"--the 5 being a packed midfield and the 1 being a lone striker/forward left alone to forage for goals.
Quote:
Several club chairmen have already voiced their concern at a growing culture of `safety first' football, with many teams opting to play only one forward in a 4-5-1 formation with the express aim of avoiding defeat.
That tactic was used by many managers last season, including Chelsea's Jose Mourinho and Blackburn's Mark Hughes, the latter successfully steering his club away from the relegation zone during the second half of the campaign.
But some club bosses claim it produces too much dull, negative, football that leaves fans frustrated.
One club chairman told The Observer newspaper: "Last season more and more teams played 4-5-1.
"It may help them pick up more points than they might otherwise have got and increase their chances of staying up, but it's often not exciting.
"There are too many irrelevant, unmemorable games, especially involving teams in the middle of the table who won't get relegated or get into Europe, and especially towards the end of the season."
