Tactics Column · October 3, 2026
I have cleared a space on my desk for this argument. A considerable honour. There was a photograph of me there. I would hold the grand announcements about Oldsea Stanley's 5-2-3 for now.
In 19 starts, every one of them in 5-2-3, Oldsea Stanley recorded 10 wins, 1 draw and 8 defeats. That is 31 points and 1.63 per game, with 52 goals scored and 40 conceded. The last three were a 2-0 away win, a 3-0 home win and a 5-3 away defeat. All twelve clubs in Division 1 League 1 have played 19 matches this season, and those twelve clubs, Oldsea Stanley included, average 1.48 points per game. On points per game Oldsea Stanley rank sixth of twelve. These results do not tell us how much credit belongs to the shape.
Sir Flex Aerguson
Columnist
The Opinion Dugout
A verdict on the club or the season in front of him. The numbers stay true. The argument is his.
The Opinion Dugout filing — shape ledger first, then Sir Flex's notebook.
The Filing
Sir Flex's notebook — verdict, receipts, then the decision the next match can test.
The Verdict
The Verdict
Filed by
Sir Flex Aerguson
I enjoy a grand theory, especially one with my name on it. But the useful question is what the manager does next. Give me a decision I can examine and I can survive the absence of a ceremony. I may still ask for a good chair.
The Receipts
The Receipts
Filed by
Sir Flex Aerguson
The club has used one shape for the whole season, so there is no second shape in the record to set it against. A return of 1.63 against 1.48 is a fair return, not proof. I want a choice the manager can explain, followed by a willingness to change his mind. That is enough work for the next match.
The Principle
The Principle
Filed by
Sir Flex Aerguson
The record is healthy and the verdict is not ready. I find this arrangement deeply irritating.