Liverpool FC Forum

[Rush Job]

I think if roy goes for that formation then he`ll be looking to play a defensive midfielder who can drop into defence and CBs ( JC, DA ) who are comfortable moving into fullback positions when needed.
That way your wide players are a bit more free to attack.
If we do line up like that I think its because we have very little to spend and he`s just trying to do the best with what he`s got and thats what he thinks is the way to go. Like I say I think the wing backs will be much more attacking than defensive, so Johnson fits into that, just need someone for the left.

[Owzat]

Have heard  from a lad on the rattle that Roy is going to be playing 3 5 2 this year . All the academy teams from under14's up have been told to employ the system aswell.

I seriously doubt it... We dont have the personnel to put it simply..

I would have focused more on the failings/limitations of 3-5-2 than personnel.

But it is not a formation players are used to, it leaves you with at least one spare man at the back and that is not good if you are looking to win a game. It also lacks width defensively unless you play wing-backs which then makes it 5-3-2, either way I'm not a fan of it and it would be extremely bold come risky for Woy to go that way. I can see us getting a spanking in the first two Premiership games if we start with a new formation, try it in less demanding games by all means, but on last season's showings I'd say there aren't that many easy pickings.

I would think Woy would be a traditional 4-4-2 man and be looking to solve any problems with the current personnel by signing players where needed, not by fiddling with formations.

[NANNY RED]

If that is the formation he is gonna be playing we had better start looking at a left  wing back then. Imo Cole is no left wing back ,

[Redman in wales]

A side sometimes builds its team / formation around is world class player(s). And in the past its worked for us when gerrard and torres have been fit. this formation I think is okay for both, but not ideal. However, although he is not a world class player, one lad who would most definately benefit from this formation would be Johnson. i dont really like it, but 3-5-2 is the PERFECT formation for Johnson. He can provide defensive cover, but not have to worry too much, but allows him the opportunity to get forward a lot more.

How it could look:

                        Reina

            Carra     Skrtel     Agger

Jonhson                                New LWB
                     Masherano


       Gerrard       Aquilani     Cole


                        Torres   

---

Potential senarios...

Without the ball, you have 6 behind the ball: 3 CBs, 2 WBs, and Mash.

With the ball, you have 6 attacking players: 1 striker, 3 att. mids, 2 WBs


or


                        Reina

            Carra     Skrtel   Agger

Jonhson                                New LWB
                      Masherano
           Gerrard                 Cole

                            Kuyt
                      Torres

[Scottbot]

Have heard  from a lad on the rattle that Roy is going to be playing 3 5 2 this year . All the academy teams from under14's up have been told to employ the system aswell.

I don't really buy into that mate, listen to Roy discussing the merits of 3-5-2 here and it seems unlikely it would be his favoured formation unless our personnel REALLY suited it. He makes some excellent points about it only really working IF you're centre halves are comfortable coming out to defend in space on the flanks and the importance of having a centre-mid who can drop into the CB position to make the 3 a 4.

See below

http://www.uefa.com/trainin....ay=true

[stmichael]

3-5-2? if anything, with the players we have in the squad we should be looking at 4-3-3. afterall, we don't have any out and out wide players apart from riera. we have an abundance of wide forwards who are used to playing in a 4-3-3 system though. if cole comes he played that at chelsea and kuyt and babel play that system at international level.

[Scottbot]

If that is the formation he is gonna be playing we had better start looking at a left  wing back then. Imo Cole is no left wing back ,

If you watch the clip Hodgson uses Venables England side from euro 96 as a positive model of the formation which had two full-backs, Stuart Pearce and Gary Neville playing in the centre-back positions. The wide (so called wing-back) positions were manned by defensive stalwarts Darren Anderton and Stevie Macmanaman. He also talks about the important role of Ince as the man who was required to drop back into the CB role on regular occasions when either Neville or Pearce was required to move wide.

If you're asking the question as to whether he will use it at Liverpool then it makes sense to ask 'can he do it the same way as Venables did it with England?' I'm not so sure.

[Benny The Noon]

Agree that with current personnel at club 4-3-3 would be a useful formation with Gerrard , Masher and Aquilani the three in middle with Kuyt , Torres and Jovanovic the three up top

[Benny The Noon]

From what I remember of Euro 96 it seemed to me to be basic 4-4-2 formation Venables used

[Ben Patrick]

From what I remember of Euro 96 it seemed to me to be basic 4-4-2 formation Venables used

No it wasnt mate, it was the christmas tree formation.

[Scottbot]

From what I remember of Euro 96 it seemed to me to be basic 4-4-2 formation Venables used

Don't think so mate, it was essentially a 'Christmas tree' formation. The press had a field day with it, I remember Shearer hadn't scored for something like 10 games in a row (for England) leading up to the tournament and Venables was coming under a lot of flak for the formation. Of course they all shut up when we put 4 goals past Holland in the group stages.

[JC_81]

Not a big fan of a permanent switch to 3-5-2.

Some continental and International teams have made a success of it previously and we played some good football with that system under Evans, but history would suggest it isn't a formation that has been successful in English football.  No team has won the Premiership playing three at the back.  Whether British players aren't comfortable with it (even at that though only about a third of Premiership players are English these days) or other reasons, English sides haven't really made it work up until now.

And apart from that, we simply don't have the players to suit that system at the moment.  We need to keep four at the back, and what happens ahead of that will largely depend on who we can keep and who we can bring in.

[stmichael]

Agree that with current personnel at club 4-3-3 would be a useful formation with Gerrard , Masher and Aquilani the three in middle with Kuyt , Torres and Jovanovic the three up top

it's basic. every major succesful team these days plays a 4-3-3 which essentially turns into a 4-5-1 when you're defending. chelsea have done it for years, arsenal do it and now united do it in the really big games with rooney up top on his own with nani/park and valencia wide of him. 4-4-2 is completely outdated now at the highest level.

mascherano will go but had he stayed, him gerrard and aquilani would be easily as good if not better than fletcher/scholes/carrick, song/diaby/fabregas or even essien/lampard/mikel. even with mascherano gone i'd have no problem with lucas playing that role.

[Benny The Noon]

From what I remember of Euro 96 it seemed to me to be basic 4-4-2 formation Venables used

Don't think so mate, it was essentially a 'Christmas tree' formation. The press had a field day with it, I remember Shearer hadn't scored for something like 10 games in a row (for England) leading up to the tournament and Venables was coming under a lot of flak for the formation. Of course they all shut up when we put 4 goals past Holland in the group stages.

The Xmas tree formation was binned when it came to the tournament itself - I was at every single game and trust me they lined up as 442 . Seaman the back four of Pearce Southgate Adams and Ratboy - middle four of Anderton wide right Ince and Gazza in middle with Macca left and Shearer and Sheringham up front . They only time it changed was for second half of Scotland game when Redknapp came on and sat deep and they played three at back

[roysreds]

What odds would you give me on this being our starting line up against Arsenal on the opening day of the Prem, ?

                       Reina

           Carra     Skrtel     Agger

Jonhson                                  Figuaroa?
                    Lucas


      Kuyt       Aquilani     Cole


                     Remy ?

Subs:  Kygyakos, Jovanovic, Babel, + new signings?

I don't think Nando, Mash, Stevie will be here at the end of the transfer window, I'm thinking 2 out of the 3 might go.

We need to get real and look to the future, which by the way, I think will be bwight.