Sunderland boss not ruling out formation switch

David Moyes is not ruling out a switch to 3-5-2, but admits he has concerns over playing the system.
Patrick van AanholtPatrick van Aanholt
Patrick van Aanholt

The Sunderland boss was considering switching formations for the trip to Stoke City last weekend, with a back three and Patrick van Aanholt and Javier Manquillo as wing-backs.

But an injury to centre-back Lamine Kone scuppered any plans of a back three.

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Instead, Sunderland kept faith with their back four, with John O’Shea partnered by Papy Djilobodji in central defence, with van Aanholt and Manquillo at full-back.

Kone has since recovered from his hamstring strain picked up on international duty with the Ivory Coast and is in line for a start at West Ham United today, along with fit-again van Aanholt, who had hobbled off with an adductor injury at Stoke.

So, has their return to training forced a tactical rethink from the Sunderland boss?

Moyes said: “I’m not giving much away.

“I have a few reservations about it because of some of the personnel and the way it might work out.

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“But it is not something I am ruling out. There is only the odd team that use it in the Premier League.

“We also don’t know whether West Ham will play with a back four or a back three.

“That is one of the things we are juggling with.

“We have a little bit of that in our mind.

“We are trying to get the best 11 players available out on the pitch and see if they can get a result.”

It is Sunderland’s first trip to the London Stadium, the new home of the Hammers after they left Upton Park in the summer.