Re: Liverpool v Aston Villa - Saturday 26th September KO 3pm
Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:52 pm
maguskwt » Sun Sep 27, 2015 4:14 pm wrote:damjan193 » Sun Sep 27, 2015 12:42 pm wrote:Good post Ace.
Another thing I was thinking, there's no need to limit the creative/attacking players to only 3 (i.e. Coutinho Sturridge and Benteke). Something that was noticable yesterday, was that Coutinho didn't play in the number 10 role and was actually playing a bit deeper, often receiving the ball straight from the defenders. So it made me think, if at some point we switch to the 4-4-2 diamond, we could make Coutinho our third midfielder while Frimino could play the number 10 role (effectively adding the extra man in attack everyone's talking about). I was thinking about something like this:
Mignolet
Clyne Skrtel Sakho Moreno
Lucas
Henderson Coutinho
Frimino
Sturridge Benteke
Coutinho won't have to do a lot of the defensive duties that are required from midfield players since we'll already have Lucas and Hendo doing that, he'll just have to concentrate on the creative part.
There is one problem with this formation, and of course that is the lack of protection on the flanks. Clyne won't have too many problems on his side I think, because this formation will suit him best (unlike the formation we're playing now), plus he'll have Henderson if needed. The problem will be Moreno, who will have to do a lot more defending than he is doing now and defending isn't exactly his best quality.
I'm sorry but that formation's going to be stopped like water against a concrete wall by park-the-bus teams. The 4-4-2 diamond worked 2 seasons ago because:
1. The mobility of Suarez and Sturridge - I haven't seen a player who can cause mayhem in close quarters like Suarez before
2. The playmaking ability of Coutinho - Coutinho played at the head of the diamond if I remember correctly and was feeding Suarez and Sturridge left and right, who also knows how to feed off of Coutinho's passes. The key position of the daimond formation is this position.
3. As the 'wide' players in a daimond formation, we had Sterling who is fast and can go naturally go wide. I can't remember who the other wide player was, maybe Henderson? which was not very ideal.
In your formation, you have 3 players playing out of position or not ideal positions. Coutinho, Henderson and Firmino. Coutinho is wasted out 'wide' there. Henderson's position in that diamond was never an ideal position for him. 2 of them will not provide natural width. Coutinho is more suitable to play at the head of the diamond than Firmino, who can play wider than Coutinho. If Coutinho and Firmino were to be swapped, it'll look better. Even then, you don't have Suarez and Sturridge up front. You have Sturridge and Benteke. Benteke is a totally different player from Suarez, Benteke likes high balls and crosses. He is not as mobile as Suarez, and he can never cause mayhem in close quarters as Suarez. I'm sorry but this formation is doomed to fail from the beginning. If you criticize that in the current 3-5-2, Can is playing out of formation, your formation has 4 players playing out of position and/ or not ideal strategy; Coutinho, Firmino, Henderson and Benteke. And that is without arguing about Moreno and Clyne, whom I feel are more of wingbacks than full backs.
Can't see why you think we'll have more players out of position than we have now. Bar Coutinho there is no one else, even Coutinho isn't unfamiliar with that position (he played there yesterday).
Don't know how much you've seen of Frimino, but from what I've seen he's always played as a classic number 10 (sometimes as a striker for Brazil), so don't know why you would think he'd be better off on the flanks. If we play him right the kid will be excellent for us I have no doubt, but the way we've played him so far (out wide mostly) we've wasted him. Yes, the number 10 role is probably the most important in this formation, but there's a reason why we paid 30 million for Frimino, the kid is a good player.
How is Henderson not suited to that? That position isn't a wide position, it's central. The formation has a partnership of 3 midfielders and has no wide players, Henderson will fit nicely as one of the three midfielders.
Clyne isn't suited to the wingback position at all! Our last few games should be proof enough for that, Clyne isn't suited to have so many attacking responsibilities. His position in the formation that I'm proposing is far better for him.
And finally, Benteke, he isn't Carroll mate, high balls and crosses isn't the only way to supply him. Even if it were, what would you suggest? That we have Clyne and Moreno hoofing long balls towards him? We can't play that game mate, we can't cross for Sh*t, I'd rather we play our football.
On Coutinho, yes, I agree he is slightly out of position, but I think he'll still be able to perform well from there, he's already shown that he can. Maybe I'm wrong to suggest that we should drag our best player out of position but it's for the better of the team IMO.