If you were the Azkals coach, would you consider "doing a Scotland" against stronger teams in the Suzuki Cup?
Scotland recently played a qualifying match against the Czech Republic in a much criticized 4-6-0 formation.
The football world is starting to see more strikerless formations coming out in the recent years. At club level, AS ROMA is a pioneer in this formation (Francesco Totti wasn't playing a traditional striker's role by leading the line, instead he would roam in the hole as a trequartista/attacking midfielder) and Manchester United as even flirted with this formation in one match.
Scotland, however, is the first country to have dared to use this tactic at an international level.
They almost achieved their objective by snatching one point through a draw but were undone by a set-piece with the Czechs walking away with 1-0 win.
Scotland's 4-6-0 set-up successfully nullified the midfield threat of the Czechs although unsurprisingly, it produced one of the most boring matches in recent memory.
However, the tactical implications are fascinating!
(With the amateur club I used to coach, I've always wanted to try a strikerless formation in instances where we were facing teams coming from higher divisions during inter division cup tournaments... sadly my manager would have nothing of it and wanted us to go toe to toe with the big boys. Which of course always resulted in us getting a whipping.)
Imagine the Azkals playing Singapore in the Suzuki Cup.
Now nobody likes to mess around with Singapore as they are (at this level) a quality team.
Would it be realistic to go toe to toe with Singapore?
Personally, I don't think slugging it out with Singapore will realistically yield a positive result.
I'd be more results oriented and play very, very conservatively... even if that means playing without a striker regardless of how boring and "anti-football" it will turn out to be!
But then that's just me.
So roughly,
..................................(no forwards here!)......................................................
----Caligdong---------------------------------------------------J. Younghusband-----
......(wing)............................................................................(wing)................
-------------S. Greatwich--------Gould-------------De Jong---------------------------
..................(MC)......................(MC)..................(MC)......................................
-------------------------------------M. Ott--------------------------------------------------
.......................................(defensive mid)......................................................
-------DL------------DC-----------------------DC----------------DR-----------------------
............................(a tight, compact flat back four).........................................
------------------------------N. Etheridge------------------------------------------------
............................................(GK)..................................................................
And of course,
--------------------------Buddha------------------------
..............................(waterboy)...........................
Cheers