I don't mind the formation, it helps that toure can play right back and sakho can play left back so if they move across into the LB or RB positions they are not stuck without a clue what do ala Scales, ruddock and babb. It gives the full backs more protection when they go forward so they don't get caught out of position, something which johnson in particular has been guilty of, while hopefully providing a strong spine in through the middle. Like every formation you need the players to fit, something we are struggling with at the min with moses playing no 10 etc. I'm more than willing to give it a crack, every team seems to play a variety of the 4-3-3 nower days so maybe its time to strike out in a new direction. I am also well aware i may be talking ****e. Thankyou
I'm sure we had exactly the same thread a few weeks ago? Anyway, I said it then and I'll say it again now, the trend in formations changes. Who would have thought from 15 years ago, that hardly anyone would play 442 anymore? Someone used 433 and made it work, and Mourinho was probably the one that did it in the Prem with Robben & Duff either side of Drogba. A different formation worked for them and they were 1 or 2 seasons ahead of the rest by the time they all caught up. Barca then went and made this formation with a "false number 9" and now few teams are trying to copy that. Who's to say that if BR uses 352 and it works well and is successful then you won't get teams copying that etc? Football moves on and you have fashionable formations. It just might be that BR see's a way that 352 will beat a team playing 433 more times than he thinks it will lose.
Yeah, really. It was the first Liverpool team I really got into and loved watching the entertaining football with the likes of Fowler, McManaman, Redknapp, Berger, etc, even Rush and Barnes were still knocking about too. I was still young and naive so I didn't take much notice of tactics etc
I like 3-5-2 it's hard work though if you don't keep the ball. Very susceptible to a decent side playing 4-3-3 if you can't keep the ball. Width being one great benefit yet we have no one who can put in quality crosses and early balls from out wide Screw false wingers, can we get a real winger please in Jan who can actually pick out a player in the box
It will work against the lesser teams. I wouldn't like to see us use it against City, Chelsea etc... as I think it is a weak formation against teams with good wingers. I also wouldn't like to see us play it if Johnson is unavailable. I don't think Kelly/Toure/Flanaghan would be attack-minded enough for it to be effective.
I think 3-5-2 is a flawed and outdated system, it was a hit 15 years ago, when most teams played with two forwards, and 3 at the back made more sense. But very few teams play with 2 strikers now. And If the WB's are caught out of position, Which is likely to happen very often, as they provide the only width going forward- A proper counterattacking side with pacy wingers would really hurt us. I also disagree with most on here, who think that Johnson's return would improve the system, He'd be a very poor choice for a WB. Im not against him starting, he's still the Best LB in the team- if not the only- But this system requires the WB's to put in a double shift, they probably have to do the most running on the pitch, not only provide width going forward but also to keep track of the opposition wingers. Johnson is NOT one you'd expect to be on his toes for an entire match. Henderson has ridiculous stamina but WB is not his natural position, and he was quite wasteful against Sunderland. And Enrique is also not one with a great positional sense Even if it takes a trouncing for BR to realize this system is flawed i'd take that, i really hope this is NOT our long term solution.
With regards to your first point. You could use the argument that if a team is playing with wingers (and you could argue who does actually play with 2 wingers these days?) then if the wing backs are out of position, then the relevant CB will come across to cover. That still leaves 2 CB's in the middle against the main striker which is a good position to be in. Every formation has it's flaws and before 7 or 8 years ago, everyone thought 442 was the best way to play before 433 came about and changed that.
When you have two wingers pushing from either side in a counter attack, it leaves 3 vs 3. And when the relevant CB move's outwide that leaves a lot of space through the middle, for the Opposition striker and the Winger to exploit. In a 4-3-3 system the wingbacks primary task is to cover the opposition wingers, as there are players ahead of them to provide width which makes it a more balanced system. But there's too much workload on the WB's in the 3-5-2 formation and they could easily run out of gas by the 2nd half. As was the case with Enrique today.
Do you think that 3-5-2 will only really work as intended when Johnson and Cissokho come back? In the last two games we've been good going forward, but not too convincing in defence, but we've had players like Henderson and Sterling playing out of position. I'm not a big fan of 3-5-2 but I think that with the right players it can be effective. EDIT: Just noticed that there's already a thread on this. Mods feel free to close this.
imo 3-5-2 will only really work as intended when Johnson and Cissokho come back. In the last two games we've been good going forward, but not too convincing in defence, but we've had players like Henderson and Sterling playing out of position. I'm not a big fan of 3-5-2 but I think that with the right players it can be effective.
3-5-2 will be better with those two coming in. Raheem isn't. Wing back so playing him there isn't really fair. Only issue is, where does Henderson and Moses play when our full squad is back? -----------------Ming --------Kolo-Sakho-Agger Johnson-Gerrard-Lucas-Cissoko --------------Coutinho ----------Suarez-Sturridge Very strong team tbh. Players like Henderson, Moses, Asapas, Enrique all in the bench is exciting to hear.
I like the system myself I know a lot of others don't, but for me it works - of course we need Johnson and Coutinho back to see the best of it. But once they're back it has the potential to be top draw. Especially as we get to play both our number 9 and a halves
I mentioned in the other 2-5-2 thread that it's prone to problems with a 4-3-3 counter played by a decent side that can pass. Holloway then played a 4-3-3 yesterday but Palace could not provide the quality passes and movement they needed to make it work yet the evidence was there that we can get caught out when we lose the ball high up the pitch. Johnson and Enrique need to be really switched on in this 3-5-2 when we lose the ball high up the pitch and Lucas and Gerrard need to work very hard in 3-5-2 when we don't have the ball for spells against a good team. We will have problems imo if we intend to play 3-5-2 no matter what the opposition and who's playing. Also, the service from wide was again poor yesterday.
