"We’ll be playing 3-4-3," Joey Barton revealed in the press conference in the wake of Bristol Rovers' defeat to Lincoln City. "I think it is the future, I have utilised it to good effect in the division before."
His team may have been beaten 6-3 by the Imps on Saturday, but through the blur of a chastening afternoon filled with individual errors and some tough breaks, there were elements of the performance that the manager appreciated.
Certainly Rovers attacked with more cohesion and efficacy on Saturday than they had done in recent weeks. Of course, that matters little when you allow six in at the other end and Barton – who will relish the return of key players from injuries and suspensions in the coming days and weeks – will have to strike a similar balance to what he found in the second half of last season, with his defence miserly and his attack menacing.
