Our fullbacks are virtually wingers anyway haha, especially in those kind of games. Like I said, pure personnel wise we'd probably be replacing Elia with Yoshida, regardless of playstyle I don't think that's adding more goal threat!
The thing is, teams have worked out if they can push our fb's back then they negate a lot of our attacking threat, having 3 CB's makes it harder to push them back and gives them more license to get forward. Also Pelle I think benefits from having someone up top with him and Mane looks twice the player when up top imo.
Thought that Djuricic did enough in the first half to keep his starting position. Not fully fit yet though so 1st change likely to be him. 352 def suits our style and players. Who would have thought that with no Long we do not score? Very easy for the heads to drop, vital 2games coming up
In theory yeah, but teams hardly ever do that against us. If they want to man-for-man our fullbacks 3-5-2 makes it easier for them as they don't have out-and-out wingers on that side to compensate for as well. They can put their wingers on our fullbacks letting their back four tuck right in and become even more compact. It'll give Clyne and Bertie good match-ups but the game will basically rest on their shoulders as attacking space elsewhere will be nought. Definitely agree I think Pelle, Mane, and Long as well look better as part of a 2 up top, hence why I reckon 4-4-2 or 4-2-2-2 is better for us in games where our sole focus is to attack and break down teams. For me 3-5-2 is for games where we will need to do a fair amount of defending and our best chances will probably be countering, and against teams that play two up top. I would like to see it against Chelsea, Everton, Spurs and City and maybe aganst any of the other teams if it looks like they are shaping up for two up. In games like the upcoming ones, my focus would be getting as many of our best attacking players on the pitch in their best positions as reasonably possible and letting them do their work, for me 3-5-2 isn't doing that.
So is it better to play 2fbs that can attack, or 2 wingers that can defend ? Could play a 352 with Mane and Pelle up top, Tadic left Elia right and Filip behind the front 2. We have games coming up that we can go balls deep and play basically all our attackers. Personally I would not have the balls to do it, but our lack of goals is getting concerning
I'm still incensed to be honest. Anyone that says the ref didn't cost us the game is from another planet. Two penalties to us and a red to them is costing us the game. In my 24 years of supporting saints and countless games, I have never seen a worse refereeing performance. The worst part is that it was in such a big game. Awful, awful, awful. If we had lost fairly and squarely to a better side I wouldn't be as downhearted as I am today. The ref literally gave liverpool the game.
I'm playing simplified devil's advocate now..., so against two forwards, God rather three at the back than four? That gives them more space and more holes to find I'm not really disagreeing with you, just pointing out that there is always a flip side to every formation. Truth is that three becomes five when defending and vice versa.
Indeed, thankfully it's Ron's job to figure out which one has the least downsides and he's preeetty good at it. That being said if he picks 3-5-2 for the next game he's **** and needs to be sacked!
I actually think the next game is bigger. Liverugh have City, Arsenal and Chelsea in their next five games, so people are going to be taking points off one another. We need to capitalise as we can STILL MAKE THE TOP FOUR!
Just let it go. Feeling angry for such a length of time isn't good. Just move on, that's what Koeman and all the players will have done.
I'd like to see Tadic starting the next game and on the left of course. We need his early season form back, which in turn should help Pelle find his form too. With Bertrand back and probably/potentially Alderweireld too, we could be back to full strength. We just need to get an early goal (for once) and I'm sure our confidence (and luck) will change. We could field something like this: please log in to view this image And still have a bench like this: K.Davis, Yoshida, S.Davis, Reed, Elia, Long, JWP
I would go 3-5-2 at WBA. Mane alongside Pelle. Clyne and Bertrand in more advanced roles will help as well.
I think I'd go same team but Mane playing off Pelle and Tadic and Djuricic playing left and right respectively but very tucked in roaming inside frequently and mainly just linking with the fullbacks who'd give us our width. Vic stays deep to effectively form a 3 at the back (Happy now FLT?! ), Morgan knits things together. Would be fine with Davis or JWP instead of Djuricic though.
Also struggling to let this one go. Clubs outside the big club cartel have to fight harder point for point as more decisions go against us. Money talks in football. Sponsorship, big clubs in European football, bums on seats all matter to the FA and sponsors. It must filter down to the referees to the 50/50s and make poor referees make even poorer decisions. It might be time for more objectivity through technology to aid decisions.
Not sure what Elia has done wrong. I thought he offered more than Djuricic in the last game. Would rather have him in the team than Dj at this point. Otherwise, agree with Mane playing off Pelle and giving Tadic another run out on the left (I'm sure Elia can play right).
I thought Elia was quite poor on Sunday. Got in plenty of promising positions but was very wasteful. I would probably drop both Elia and Djuricic and put Tadic in a central role with Clyne and Bertrand wing backs in a 3-5-2.
