da bet7k： This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
da pinnacle： When Lyle Taylor went away on international duty with Montserrat and came back with damaged knee ligaments, you wouldn’t blame a handful of Charlton fans for fearing the worst without their talisman from six Championship games onwards.
At the time, Chuks Aneke was the only other Addicks striker to have found the back of the net – summer signing Macauley Bonne was still goalless, as was Tomer Hemed.
However, in the 29-year-old’s absence, Bonne in particular has stepped up to smash home five goals in six starts, matching Taylor’s tally from the first six Championship games of the campaign before injury struck.
Interestingly, Lee Bowyer has used eight different formations this season according to his Transfermarkt page, so how could the 42-year-old set his side out when Taylor is fit?
The first one is pretty obvious thinking.
Before Taylor’s injury, Bowyer was preferring to use Jonathan Leko alongside the Montserrat international. However, given how well Bonne has done, putting Taylor alongside the former Leyton Orient striker when he’s in such a rich vein of form surely makes the most sense for the south Londoners.
Additionally, the 4-3-2-1 formation has been used eight times this term by Bowyer, so this system seems the most realistic.
Bowyer used this 3-5-1-1 formation against West Brom last time out, and has deployed this three-at-the-back system a couple of times already this season.
This lineup would see Bonne drop out for the talismanic Taylor, with Erhun Oztumer slotting into an attacking midfield role while he deputises for the injured Jonny Williams – the Welshman is expected to miss at least two months.
This formation – a quite basic 4-4-1-1 system – was used in the 3-1 win away to Stoke in the second Championship game of the current campaign, with Leko out on the right wing and Williams on the left.
Bowyer could definitely use the same system in order to get arguably his three biggest goal threats – Gallagher, Bonne and Taylor – into the same side, while also keeping the backline in a traditional four-man style.
When the main man who hit 21 League One goals last season comes back to action, Bowyer will have somewhat of a selection headache – however, these systems are just three of many ways in which the former Leeds midfielder could set his side out.