If you strech the individual phalanx blocks then it will still be an echelon, just its footprint will be bigger, meaning your Roman formation won't be able to outflank the poor guys in front rather you have to face the entire formation head on, which is the entire point with this.

Also I think I mentioned that the cavalry could be on both flanks. Protecting one side and being a menace to the other. Anyway the initial echelon looked great and was in my mind a perfect beginning.

So what is your job at EB? I mean you mentioned something about strange formations in EB, so ifthat is what you do then perhaps this could be your testing grounds for the more conventional formations. How would we 'know'?