We played 352 for a few games because both Kulusevski and Richarlison were injured. That's tinkering the formation to suit the available personnel. And if we ever did decide to go 352 on a more permanent basis regardless of injuries and availability, Richarlison still wouldn't be starting games, so again, clearly not the plan.
We played 352 because we brought in personnel to play 352 Which is why we started a few games with that formation when Richy was available, most obviously Brighton in the league with Kane & Son up top , and Forest in the Season Killer Cup with Kane and Perisic...yes, you read that one correctly, up top
We have never been at the very top. And not even close for 30 years before ENIC. How have the recent billionaire takeovers gone....Man Utd disaster, Chelsea...not a good start, even Liverpool are currently below us. One out of three isn't good odds.
No we didn't, because we were never going to move away from the 343 system in which our front three were so potent in the previous season. We could change it mid-game if necessary but it's quite clear the plan was never to leave the 343 system, hence why it's been the starting formation for 95% of the season. Kulusevski was injured for Brighton hence why we went with 352. Son was injured for Forest, Kulusevski had returned just three days prior and wasn't fit to start, Richarlison also just returned from injury. We've only played 352 when we couldn't field a front three from the beginning.
I think we changed aspects of the system over the summer. We obviously immediately changed to 343 when Conte arrived but Son and Kulu were very much playing as wingers with freedom to go in or out. This season he’s been pushing the WBs higher and more consistently wide, and expecting the two players alongside Kane to also be comfortable coming deep and receiving the ball with back to goal to participate in the buildup, as well as acting like wingers. Kulu can do this but has been struggling with fitness, but that very much isn’t Sonny’s game, and that along with Perisic being where Son might like to be, has hampered him. Our pressing shape has also been different this season.
It's worse than rewarding mediocrity. He is a truly awful player and the worst thing is that he so obviously rates himself as better than he is. Looks at himself in the mirror and probably sees a Puyol-Maldini hybrid. I just see Titus Bramble with a bad temper.
Yes we did, which is why we were playing the system The exact same system Conte was playing at Inter a couple of seasons ago
And yet at Tottenham, Conte played 343. 352 is clearly something you perhaps wanted to see, not what was actually happening or going to happen. We’ve played 343 for about all bar 5 or 6 games since Conte was manager. So this clear plan you speak of was only clear to you.
It wasn’t quite, I think. Conte’s Inter peaked IMO when their midfield was Brozovic sitting and Barella and Eriksen playing as 8s. It works because you have someone who can break up play and set tempo and then two players who can progress the ball and be equally effective in the middle and final thirds. He also had a very complementary forward pair in Lukaku and Martinez. We don’t have that set of midfield profiles and while Son and Kane could play the forward roles, it’s not quite the same. The 343 only really works if you have truly elite midfielders who can do a bit of everything to an extremely high standard (or Kante +1) or if you do something different with the WBs and allow them to invert into midfield sometimes. Otherwise you simply don’t have the bodies to dominate in central areas and move opposition defences around.
Conte played 343 (technically 3421) last season This season Conte was transitioning us towards 352, as evidenced by the various times we played 352 Also, there's a tiny detail you're overlooking: Conte has said he wanted to play 352 this season "I changed the system because for the characteristics of this squad we can play with the three strikers in a 3-4-3 or at the same time we can play with the 3-5-2 with the three midfielders." - after the Everton match
No he wasn’t, that’s why we kept playing 3 forwards. The only times we’ve played 352 was when we didn’t have three forwards fit enough to start a game. That’s simply tinkering a formation to suit available personnel, not looking to change. I’m not overlooking that statement, you’re just interpreting it wrong by thinking him saying he can play two different formations is a sign that he’s going to permanently move towards a 352. There hasn’t been a single game we’ve opted to start with 352 where we had 3 fully fit forwards available.
In the title-winning season in 2020-1 they more often than not played a straight 352 with Brozovic and Barella ever-presents while the third spot was rotated between Vidal, Gagliardini and Eriksen (in roughly that order) The fact he was setting us up in some Frankenstein's monster of his Chelsea and Inter teams this season, for example Kane was playing similar to how Diego Costa played at Chelsea with him drifting right, Deki seemed to somewhat close to how Pedro played, yet Son didn't have Hazard's free role and the WBs definitely played more like they did at Inter underlines how Conte had a set of tactics he wanted to use while also using a different formation, and they just weren't compatible It's similar to what I was saying since at least January in how, on the face of it, we had a midfield constructed to play 3412 - but as Conte rejected Maddison last summer, we were lacking that player to play between midfield and the forwards
Yes he was, which is why we kept playing with three CMs And no, we didn't only play 352 when we were lacking forwards. We had Kane, Son and Richy available for the Brighton game where we started with 352, for example
Kept playing with three CMs? Bit hard when we’ve started 95% of games with a 343. Ah one game he’s picked a 352 then with three fit forwards, that clearly means he was looking to transition…
After ditching 352 after the Man Utd match The match where Perisic ignored all instructions and decided he wanted to play in a 343, leaving a colossal gap on our left flank as a result
This says it all ps. They may not be profitting right now but when they eventually sell, any addtional turnover/assets they are building now will definitely add to their bottom line. I think we did the maths and they certainly sont spend all of the profits on just players (not necessarily a bad thing except during when poch was close to the league) but anything that increases the value of the club is certainly in their interest and should be counted as profits. Whether you want to class that as increasing income for the club to spend or increasing their profits when they come to sell can be argued one way or another. However things like building homes and hotels is definitely not a footballing decision to most fans to help the current side and players (unlike a training ground or arguably stadium)
