"That's the problem with the 4-3-3," says O'Brien, who played 32 times for the United States and spent more than a decade in Dutch soccer. "You're pretty exposed and so if you don't keep the ball, you're definitely very open for counters. Part of the 4-3-3 is getting used to knowing that when you're possessing the ball, you're ready in case the guy turns it over.

Anyone who has been looking for a new home understands the feeling of displacement that comes with it: the yearning for something new and different which you can model after your vision, while still feeling unsettled because you haven't found ...
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Can we try to forget Real Madrid and the Bernabéu yet? It's a little like knowing how long is an acceptable time before you forward that joke text you received when a famous person died. Of course there's still the second leg to be played but even the most optimistic person has got to realise that games just about pride rather than success and I for one would accept defeat if it meant winning our next three league games, all at home, and proceeding a massive game at Stamford Bridge.

New season. New faces. New roles. New tactics. As we move ever closer to the start of the 2011 season, the PSP takes a look possible tactical formations the Union might employ. Today, Eli looks at going for the gusto with a 4-3-3 with two defensive midfielders anchoring a swarming 4-man attack.