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3-5-2 - Must be a serious option now surely?
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:27 pmby stmichael
I was 100% sure if we played 4-4-2 yesterday we'd lose, and so it proved.
Zenden is not so good he 'deserves to play centre', but I trust him more than Pennant, and obviously so does the manager.
I'm not saying we have to play 3-5-2 all the time, but away from home we should defo be doing that because OUR WIDEMEN ARE A MAJOR WEAKNESS RIGHT NOW.
Pennant is looking like an average signing so far, so is Gonzalez. However, it is too early to write them off and hopefully they will come good. They both have talent, we know that. The point is, we can't keep picking them on the offchance they will suddenly play well.
3-5-2 worked pretty well in the 2nd half in Istanbul. We also battered Newcastle at St James' last season playing that way.
You cut your clothes according to your cloth or whatever the f#ck that saying is. Right now we have no good widemen, so don't play with widemen. Simple really.
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:39 pmby mattylfc
Is this how you would line up St.Mich?
Reina
JC Hyppia Agger
Finnan Riise
Alonso Sissoko
Gerrard
Kuyt Crouch
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:40 pmby Redman in wales
So something like:
Reina
Carra Hyypia Agger
Finnan Alonso Zenden Riise
Gerrard
Kuyt Crouch
something like that? - with of course Bellamy, Pennant, Aurelio, god and gonzalez in the mix aswel when the occasion warrants.
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:43 pmby dawson99
Why bother with that when our defenders cant pass the ball? All that would happen would be hypia or carragher would hoof it over 5 players instead of the usual 4 
we need the passing to start from the back, we need to stop our hoofing on away games before changing the formation too much.
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:46 pmby ToTinho
good point , i thought yesterday that the best way to stop arsenal was a 3-5-2 formation simply coz they always seem to penetrate from the middle and as we missed momo it was the way to pack the center of midfield but unfortunately we didnt and we paid for this ( 3 in the center of midfiled always provide good cover for CB ) that's where chelsea r very strong or we can go with 4-4-2 diamond shape as our wingers r not delivering . In general i agree that a new approach is needed now as our curent tactics r not working so it couldnt be any worse .
In Rafa we trust and in Liverpool we believe
YNWA
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 5:15 pmby Alonso14
Agger definitely knows how to pass the ball.
But the problem with that formation is that Gerrard isn't really a guy with the creativity to find that killer pass like someone like Riquleme, Rooney or even Luis Garcia. Although it’s definitely worth a try.
It would also allow the option of changing back to 4-4-2 if need be, with Riise pushing to Left Mid, and Gerrard back to Right Mid.
But I wouldn’t mind us trying out 4-3-3
Renia
Finnan Carragher Hypia Riise
Alonso
Gerrard Zenden
Kuyt Bellamy
Crouch
But it would really be nice if Alonso pulls his finger out. Because when he plays Liverpool play, and Liverpool play they generally win. I mean when was the last time we won a game we didn’t deserve too?
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 5:17 pmby Ace Ventura
dawson99 wrote:Why bother with that when our defenders cant pass the ball? All that would happen would be hypia or carragher would hoof it over 5 players instead of the usual 4
we need the passing to start from the back, we need to stop our hoofing on away games before changing the formation too much.
I dont get your point, are you saying we need to get rid of our defenders and bring in defenders who are better at passing ?
TBH i like the look of 3-5-2 and the point is well made, our wide players havent settled quick enough and its severley hampering the rest of the team.
It would give Agger the starting place he deserves and allow Steven to play in a more central position.
Giving the team alot more of a balanced look, and allowing the manager to play two strikers and keep it tight still.
I'm all for giving it a go and think with the current personel we have it would be a very good option.
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 5:22 pmby Alonso14
dawson99 wrote:Why bother with that when our defenders cant pass the ball? All that would happen would be hypia or carragher would hoof it over 5 players instead of the usual 4
we need the passing to start from the back, we need to stop our hoofing on away games before changing the formation too much.
You didn't think we would go to the Arsenal and try out pass them did you. We was always gonna play long ball against them.
At home your right we should pass the ball, which we do, but away from home against arsenal with the form we are in, we would never out pass them.
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 5:24 pmby stmichael
Alonso14 wrote:But I wouldn’t mind us trying out 4-3-3
yeah that's not a bad shout either but i'm not sure if we've currently got the personnel.
ideally in that formation you'd want kuyt up top with kewell and garcia supporting him from wide. garcia has played in a 4-3-3 for spain in the world cup and kewell has played in a more advanced role before. i suppose bellamy could play as one of the three aswell.
but back to the original point, we should be looking at playing 3-5-2 away from home because none of our widemen can be trusted to do the job required, and that includes gerrard who plays everywhere except where he's supposed to.
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 5:28 pmby puroresu
Alonso14 wrote:dawson99 wrote:Why bother with that when our defenders cant pass the ball? All that would happen would be hypia or carragher would hoof it over 5 players instead of the usual 4
we need the passing to start from the back, we need to stop our hoofing on away games before changing the formation too much.
You didn't think we would go to the Arsenal and try out pass them did you. We was always gonna play long ball against them.
At home your right we should pass the ball, which we do, but away from home against arsenal with the form we are in, we would never out pass them.
Away from home at someone like Arsenal it is vital u keep the ball and dont give it away or u aint getting it back. Playing wasteful long balls giving away possession at Arsenal is madness. Reina plays too many long balls as well. Its such a waste. When Reina gets the ball our fullbacks should immediatly get wide. Our CB's should have no problem asking for the ball and then we go from there. Just cos there isnt a pass forward it doesnt mean kick it forward. Go sideways and backwards, just keep the ball. At least Agger is one defender who is comfortable on the ball.
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 5:29 pmby *_Ruthless_*
mattylfc wrote:Is this how you would line up St.Mich?
Reina
JC Hyppia Agger
Finnan Riise
Alonso Sissoko
Gerrard
Kuyt Crouch
If we ever went to a 3-5-2 formation then this has to be the side ... Hyypia and JC make big mistakes under pressure an extra man in there would help and Agger is that composed for a young kid it could actually work!
We all know a pacey winger is gonna test both Finnan and Riise but with 5 at the back they will always be extra cover, Gerrard can influence and win us games for central midfield and we all know hes not gonna play there if both Alonso and Sissoko are fit so ... Play all 3 there and were onto a winner!
Also means we haven't got to 
about with players like Pennant Gonzalez Aurelio and Zenden because make as many excuses for these guys as you want there just not good enough!
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 5:46 pmby ToTinho
Renia
Finnan Carragher Agger Riise
Alonso
Gerrard Zenden
Bellamy/Kuyt garcia
Crouch
That is a very good formation as with 3 midfielders in the center we could easily control games which means we could stop other teams from creating
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:46 pmby Bad Bob
I don't think changing the formation is the answer when we're conceding silly goals and letting the heads drop instead of clawing ourselves back into the match. Plus, I shudder to think what Henry and Van Persie--two players we managed to contain fairly well yesterday--would have done against 3 at the back, given how they like to get behind advancing fullbacks and steal in from the flanks.
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:50 pmby stmichael
Bad Bob wrote:I don't think changing the formation is the answer when we're conceding silly goals and letting the heads drop instead of clawing ourselves back into the match. Plus, I shudder to think what Henry and Van Persie--two players we managed to contain fairly well yesterday--would have done against 3 at the back, given how they like to get behind advancing fullbacks and steal in from the flanks.
I disagree. I think we'd have been better going forward, and would have coped well enough at the back. They effectively only played one up front, so Carra or Agger could move across to help out the full backs when needed, or act as a full back when we have the ball allowing the wing backs to push up.
Gerrard and Zenden could have played either side of Xabi, meaning they too could get across to help out if we were outnumbered out wide. The players would have had to work hard, but if they did that I think it would have seemed like we'd have had extra numbers all over the field.
We'll never know who's right though, as its all hypothetical. 
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:52 pmby Cool Hand Luke
I think Rafa will defo use the wing back system againt Boro, I would put money on it.