25/07/2008 - Kenny burns: Don't play 4-3-3, Forest
No matter what happens in pre-season friendlies, no matter what is said, until the campaign gets under way we will not know what formation Nottingham Forest will opt for.
But I tell you one thing, I hope Colin Calderwood ditches the whole 4-3-3 thing.
It grates on me. I do not like it. For me, it does not work.
I know formations do not lose or win you matches but they play a massive part in the outcome.
And yes, Forest did win promotion last season. I am delighted they are back in the Championship.
But in my eyes, it was not because of the 4-3-3 formation often adopted. In was in spite of it because many fans were complaining at the time that it was unbalancing the team.
For me, the manager did not have the midfielders at his disposal to make it work.
They could not be faulted for hard work and application but in terms of holding their position within that formation, often they would lose it.
As a result, they could easily be overrun and it was down to the defence and Paul Smith to bail them out.
And while they got away with it in League One, I fear the same formation in the Championship could backfire spectacularly on the Reds.
It is not just Forest. I do not like to see it anywhere. That is because, on the whole, it fails to work.
Maybe Manchester United or Chelsea can pull it off but then they have the best players on the planet to make it happen. They are rarities.
In the Championship, Forest could find themselves exposed too easily.
People will say that with the likes of Andrew Cole, Robert Earnshaw, Nathan Tyson and Paul Anderson the Reds can kill teams with plenty of goals by selecting three of those up top.
But that is not the point. Without a balanced, effective midfield trio behind them with everybody knowing their jobs, where are the chances going to be created?
No. Calderwood must go 4-4-2, he has the midfielders to fill that shape. You always attack and defend in numbers and by doing it with four midfielders stretched across the middle, Forest will have the balance right.
And they have the men to fill those positions and formation effectively in this division.
If you want to play 4-3-3, it has to be done right through the club. From every youth team, to the reserves to the first team.
Any man who comes in can be placed in a position and will know their job within the team. That is whether he is plucked from under-10s or the reserves.
That is what Brian Clough did and when someone came in out of the blue, they did not feel out of place. They knew exactly what was required from them.
That is not the case at the City Ground. There is no need to complicate matters.
In the pre-season friendlies different formations and teams will be tested but these games are simply to get players blowing, get them fine-tuned.
I would not read too much into results or even performances, the real action kicks off next month.
It is grand to be back in the Championship and I cannot wait for August 10 against Reading.
I just hope when that team takes to the pitch, 4-4-2 is the way they line up.
If not, I fear the Reds could find themselves all too easily exposed this season.