Andreas Bjelland believes being able to switch between different systems will benefit Brentford in the long run.
Manager Dean Smith experimented with five at the back on Saturday, bringing in Bjelland alongside Harlee Dean and John Egan, with Yoann Barbet and Maxime Colin playing as flying full backs.
And while the result against Birmingham City was not in the script, the new formation worked well and led to plenty of chances being created, albeit not taken - Bjelland himself having a goal disallowed for offside.
Bjelland said: “I thought it worked well. It gave us options, and they had to react and change their system. We had some good ideas and some good passes through the line.
“We knew how they were going to play, two up front and kick it long, and needed to find a way to get out of that and play a little bit around them.
We played it (five at the back) a little bit in pre-season as well, and it's always good to be able to play different systems. We created a lot of chances and deserved at least a point.
“It was difficult for them to know if our full back or winger would press. It worked well, but their keeper did really well.
“We knew what they would come here to do, wait for our mistakes, and we were not good enough on the small things. We just have to work hard in training and be ready for next week.”
For Bjelland, it was also a welcome relief being in his preferred position, having been stuck mainly at left back this season to counter the injuries in that position.
He added: “I will always play where I am asked and give it my best, but I have said before that I always prefer to play centre back.”
