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Deciding on a formation: 4-4-1-1 (Part Two)

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Luke Turner discusses the second formation he thinks Rowett will be torn between playing on Sunday…

Yesterday I discussed the first of two formations I think Gary Rowett will be looking at using ahead of Sunday`s derby against Aston Villa.

Now, I am going to look at the other system which can be seen as either 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is that we have our two midfielders, two wide men and then someone closer or next to the central striker.

If we were going to opt for this approach then it’s likely to be Che Adams that will be the man to take up this role of supporting the striker.

Due to his flexibility and versatility, he could play just off Donaldson/Jutkiewicz or drop a little deeper to try and get things going for Blues.

I feel like he’s the ideal player for a derby match purely down to the fact that he has pace, power and strength. Playing Diego Fabbrini from the start just wouldn’t work and I think he’d easily get lost in the game.

Adams, on the other hand, can play a lot more direct and we can adapt more to the situation with him on the field.

He’s a lot more likely to support the striker higher up the pitch and, when there’s a chance, he will work his way into the box looking to get on the end of things.

It would also give the Villa midfield and defence a lot more to think about rather than if we were just going to play the three midfielders.

There would always be someone buzzing around, looking for openings and I think he’s definitely the type of player cut out for a derby match.

On the other hand, playing this formation would leave us with just the two central midfielders and potentially this would leave us more exposed.

Gary Rowett would also have to decide which two midfielders to go with. For me, David Davis is a must.

It’s then just the small matter of deciding between Gleeson, who gives you that calming influence, or Kieftenbeld, who will cover a lot more ground but could lose a bit of shape.

With Gleeson, you’re guaranteed to have someone sitting there, mopping up the danger. I feel there’s an added risk there if Davis and Kieftenbeld were to be paired together.

But, luckily I don’t have to pick the team and it will be interesting to see what Rowett opts to go with.

Personally, I am torn between the two but would be tempted to play the three midfielders just for that solidity in the middle and to ensure we don’t get overrun.

But, then again, I would love to see Che Adams involved in the game and feel like he could be a match winner for us.

Blues fans, what approach would you take for this Sunday`s huge fixture? Would you choose to be a bit more cautious or would you play that extra attacker?

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