Its starting to look like Rodgers has got the balance right! He has found a system where our defense are performing as well as our attack, the defense is confidently playing the bal out, building from deep, we are seeing the best of Henderson, Skrtel, Markovic and Coutinho and when the strongest 11 are fit the team carries no passengers. You know what, I think this system could be the future for us. The system to build on and climb up with. We struggled early on in this season having lost Suarez and Sturridge getting injured, and our replacements being inappropriate for our playing style. But in this system we have found a balance we have lacked for a long time. A balance we even lacked last season when we finished 2nd in the league. Its not quite as attractive, the scorelines are smaller, but we are keeping clean sheets, controlling possession and scoring goals all in the same game. I think we may have stumbled on an unconventional gem, and with a few additions (4-6) this could really work. When all are fit and our loanees return to Liverpool I see this as our A and B teams: Mignolet Can Skrtel Sakho Markovic Henderson Lucas Moreno Sterling Coutinho Sturridge Jones Wisdom Toure Lovren Manquillo Allen Gerrard Enrique Ibe Lallana Origi The top team has clear pace, power, leadership, width, creativity, balance and goals. A more commanding keeper is needed, and posible a more conventional CB to replace Can (but if Can is performing, why replace him?). If we are going to progress further I'd suggest the addition of a more creative and dynamic DM to play next to Henderson (Khediera for free would be great). If a new DM joins the top teams Lucas replaces Gerrard in the bottom, already strengthening the midfield. A luxury freebee like Milner to replace Allen will give us a very attractive set of CM's and Allen would make a very useful utility midfielder. We need to see how Ibe performs before juding him but I'd definately suggest a more experienced and ready made striker here because Sturridge is injured a lot, so the striker in this team can expect a lot of games. Lavezzi maybe, or with some negotiating, Berahino. Replacing Lovren is obviously a must... Do you guys think this system has a long term future?
You've not played anyone even half decent while using it, let's see if you still consider it to be the future come Wednesday morning
Decent formation but it has holes in it in terms of the players. GK, Skrts and Lucas we need better if we're to challenge. Sakho is getting better so i'll give him time, and Can needs time to solidify this position permanently. We need a quality striker to compete with Sturridge too. The attacking midfield positions I'm happy with though in Coutinho, Sterling, Lallana and hopefully Ibe. None of them worldies but all offer real quality. Its not bad. I think more games will bring out the best of the players in this formation. Origi coming back will hopefully release us of Borini and Lambert with the money helping us buy another quality striker with Origi our No.3.
Following on from Tobe's comment - we've played some poor teams recently but at least we've taken advantage. The next set of games will be the true test to see if we've turned a corner. Whether it's the 3-4-3 or diamond or 4-3-3, with the likes of Can and Markovic among others, we have some talented and versatile players who can adapt.
We've had some easier games and it's helped get some confidence in the team and new young players. Harder tests will come but I feel more confident going into those games now than I would have done 5 or 6 weeks ago that's for sure. Still not 100% on the formation, mainly because it can be got at but with the players we have available, it's the best we can use. It brings out the strengths in players like Skrtel who can concentrate on defending and being a spare man in the middle, Markovic who can use his pace to get down the wing and Coutinho who can stay inside and pick up pockets of space.
Because no-one plays with 3-4-3 it's given you an edge as the opposition aren't used to playing against it and won't have a tried and tested strategy of negating it and picking holes in it. I think you'll get mullered at some point by one of the better sides, who'll have chance to study it for a while by the time they face you.
In the diamond Gerrard often played so deep and the full backs got forward so often that it was vertualy a 343 a lot of the time, just with the front three arranged differently. But defensively this always seemed a bit awkward and was so sloppy. A slight change to a real 343 seems to be doing a lot of good right now.
As annoying as it is, I agree with Tobes here. We've not played any major teams with this system and although we've been on a decent run of results with it, we hardly look invincible either. Quite a few of the games we were poor at the back and but for better opposition we'd have been punished. Of course, we can only play whoever is in front of us but its far from filling me with confidence. I'll refer to what I kept saying last season though; beat the bottom half home and away and you have a sixty point platform to build on when playing the top half. Obviously, its not strictly set in stone since we've lost to a few of them the principal still stands, we don't need to be beating the top top sides to achieve our goal (apart from in cup games of course )
Unless one of your CBs pushes up, 3 CBs will often leave your midfield or forwards outnumbered in games. When you had 4 at the back and a player like Gerrard who sat deep enough that he was virtually a CB at times, it's not so bad because he can comfortably push up to assist the midfield (if he had legs) but CBs naturally prefer to stay deep. Can does step up being primarily a midfielder, as does Sakho, but it's just not the same as a deep sitting midfielder. Currently, we have 3CBs and a defensive midfielder in Lucas. It's a very safe system which aids our defensive frailties by clogging the space with numbers but against a possession team who'll probe and pass around the middle, we won't compete, won't get the ball and it'll be a matter of how long can we hold on and if we can grab a set piece goal. The big test will be against Chavski in the cup; does Rodgers keep some consistency with this 3-4-3 system because we're building some confidence and consistency, or will he change it up to better match them? I think he'll be criticised either way, personally. 3-4-3 will be demolished by Chavski, but equally a new system will risk upsetting what consistency we have. Gerrard will automatically play anyway which won't help... I don't think it's the way to go long term, but it works for now whilst we're struggling.
Against better sides we can revert to a 5-4-1 -----------------Ming ---------Can-----Skrtel------Sakho Manq------Lucas-----Hendo------Moreno ------------Sterling--------Coutinho ------------------Sturridge
How about the fact that we have been playing this formations without any in form striker. The formation can be very devastating evidenced by the quality of chances created . The biggest issue we have had is lack of a quality finisher. We have played two top sides i.e. Arsenal and United and if we had a top striker we'd be higher up the table. I want to see how a fit sturridge performs in this formation.
Now whilst we're struggling? We have just gone 8 games unbeaten. It is time to stop saying we are struggling.