Next Season's Formation - What is your take??

After the purchase of an incredibly pacey winger in Andre Schurrle, a debate has sparked in my mind regarding how our squad may line up next season. We've truly got a hoard of ridiculously talented midfield players, but are lacking a bit of depth at the back, and obviously could use some more class up top. So this brings me to question what our formation will look like under Mourinho come pre-season. He's obviously known for his love of (and dominance using) the counter attacking 4-3-3 system. However, the last few seasons, we've generally been lining up in our fluid, possession-oriented 4-2-3-1. Schurrle seems to me to be a player more suited to the counter, so is that an indication of where Jose's mind is at?

In all honesty, I'd really be sad to see our fluid, stylish, and fun attacking play go by the wayside. We've made really positive strides this season, and it'd be a shame to see that all go to waste. But, Mourinho's sides have never been known to be all that entertaining to watch, nor have they been attack-oriented. However, as the squad is set up right now, that's what we've got - staunch attacking players, with a little left to be desired at the back.

Personally, I do think that we'll see Mou shift back towards his favored 4-3-3, but maybe see something a bit more attack-minded. What I think I'd like to see is Mata pushing up from the midfield 3 into a more traditional #10 role behind the striker, and using the other two mids in a pivot-type fashion, somewhat reminiscent of how the double-pivot is used in the 4-2-3-1. In a system like that, I could really see a player like Oscar blossoming, given that he'd be able to work in the middle of the pitch (as he prefers), but he'd still be lying deep enough to splay the ball around in a way similar to Andrea Pirlo or Xabi Alonso. Pair him with a solid defensive-minded midfielder, who also has enough creative talent to get forward and make something happen (I truly believe that under Mou's tutelage, David Luiz could really grow to thrive in a role like this), and I think we could avoid sacrificing some of the swagger and style we've been playing with lately, while still leaving options for a strong counter-attacking side. Then, we've got Hazard out wide on one wing, Schurrle/Moses/KDB/Ramires to choose from on the other, with a (hopefully!) prolific striker for them to target in the middle.

Ideally, I'd like to see something as follows:

Azpilicueta          Cahill          Terry          Cole

Luiz           Oscar

Mata

Schurrle                                             Hazard

Lukaku/Torres

I really don't want to see Luiz head for the exit - He's a tremendous talent to waste. But moreso, he's a huge personality, a leader, and a terrific motivator for the squad. On top of this, I don't want to lose Mata, either. Despite all the claims to the contrary, I believe both of these guys have huge roles to play in our squad, now and far into the future. This is just one system that I think could play to both of their strengths, while still allowing for some of the main concerns Mourinho might have with the style of our squad.

How do YOU think we should line up next season? What would be your ideal formation (including only present squad members - yes, I'd also 'ideally' love to see Messi leading the line)? Who do you think should be the starters?

Let me know with a comment below & be sure to follow me on Twitter for updates on postings, rumours, news, and *disclaimer* occasionally some non-CFC-related random ramblings - @blakehewitt


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