3-5-2

[Ryan]

Leaving aside those Manc cunts for a minute, B-Rodge has gone 3 at the back with us before, especially away from home.

Any chance we might go there again?

--------------------------MIG----------------------

----------SKRTEL----LOVREN----SAKHO-----

GLENJO--THREE--OTHER--MIDS--MORENO

------------STURRIDGE----BALOTELLI--------

Please try and ignore the midfield names, and the best 11 thunderfuck, just think of the formation/setup.

I like the idea of Lovren being given complete freedom to tell those two either side of him were to go.
I like the idea of Glenjo being freed up of pretty much all defensive responsibility
I like that the same goes for Moreno.
I like the idea of a bunch of midfielders slottin in there over time. Hendo, Gerrard, Can, Lucas, Lallana, Coutinho, etc. Neat, short interplay through the middle with wingmen to spread the play. Mmmmm.
I like the idea of going 3-4-1-2 with Raheem in the 10 role. Or even Coutinho.
I like the idea of those two playing upfront togethor. Like a baws.
I like it.

 

[gkmacca]

Yes, with Lovren in the middle that's a system that gives one much more confidence.

 

[Oncy]

We actually have a squad capable of
3-5-2
4-3-3
4-4-2
4-1-2-1-2
4-5-1
Or any other fucking formation you could invent (if you were Louis Van Gaal obviously)

 

[Mystic]

I've never been a fan of it, but I'm not opposed to trying 3-5-2 out again. Manquillo and Moreno would be perfect wing backs, and it would get the best out of our midfield.

 

[Dreambeliever]

I'm still surprised we didn't start with it but perhaps with Mario signed now we will.
It looked to me like it was what he was heading towards

 

[Modo]

no chance

 

[Nir.Barak]

I've never been a fan of it, but I'm not opposed to trying 3-5-2 out again. Manquillo and Moreno would be perfect wing backs, and it would get the best out of our midfield.

Don't agree at all
When you're talking 3-5-2 and playing your full-backs as the wing backs you're effectively talking about taking out an attacking player out of your natural 4-3-3 line up and replacing him with a third CB.
So what happens is that the responsibility of producing attacking play is upon your full backs and you rely on Manquillo instaed of someone like Coutinho since you can't accomadate him in 3-5-2 while in 4-3-3 or Diamond you can.

If wer'e talking putting maybe Sterling and Markovic as full backs (which I think is a waste and won't work well) then maybe it won't limit us but with our natural full backs there we'll be limited going forward.

 

[Mystic]

Don't agree at all
When you're talking 3-5-2 and playing your full-backs as the wing backs you're effectively talking about taking out an attacking player out of your natural 4-3-3 line up and replacing him with a third CB.
So what happens is that the responsibility of producing attacking play is upon your full backs and you rely on Manquillo instaed of someone like Coutinho since you can't accomadate him in 3-5-2 while in 4-3-3 or Diamond you can.

If wer'e talking putting maybe Sterling and Markovic as full backs (which I think is a waste and won't work well) then maybe it won't limit us but with our natural full backs there we'll be limited going forward.

Manquillo and Moreno are both known as attacking full backs, and they are also able to defend properly, Sterling and Markovic wouldn't be able to do that. Anyway, it's not a straight like for like swap, the idea of 3-5-2 is to give us more bodies in midfield, whilst not compromising the defence or attack.

 

[Nir.Barak]

Manquillo and Moreno are both known as attacking full backs, and they are also able to defend properly, Sterling and Markovic wouldn't be able to do that. Anyway, it's not a straight like for like swap, the idea of 3-5-2 is to give us more bodies in midfield, whilst not compromising the defence or attack.

But you are compromising the attack,
With the diamond you have 2 strikers and you have 4 midfielders usually being Gerrard, Henderson + 2 others.

With the 3-5-2 you'd have 2 strikers and only 1 other player in addition to Stevie and Henderson, hence more of the attacking responsibility on your full backs, I don't like that.

 

[Mystic]

But you are compromising the attack,
With the diamond you have 2 strikers and you have 4 midfielders usually being Gerrard, Henderson + 2 others.

With the 3-5-2 you'd have 2 strikers and only 1 other player in addition to Stevie and Henderson, hence more of the attacking responsibility on your full backs, I don't like that.

But you have two central strikers and an attacking midfielder as opposed to two wide players and a central striker. Fullbacks provide the width, it does work, it's effectively identical to our 4-4-2 diamond, just a little more routed at the back.

 

[Khalido]

3-5-2 is essentially for sides who don't have a specialised defensive mid.
What I dislike about the system is that you tend to end up with a flat back 3 of centre backs against 1 or 2 attackers. The spare centre back is often wary to step out too often into midfield areas.
The advantage of having a back 4 with a defensive mid in front is that he can drop back into the defense when under pressure but also comfortably advance forward through midfield when on top in the game. There is that flexibility that for me 3-5-2 doesn't allow.

 

[Frogfish]

But you have two central strikers and an attacking midfielder as opposed to two wide players and a central striker. Fullbacks provide the width, it does work, it's effectively identical to our 4-4-2 diamond, just a little more routed at the back.

Nik is right. You effectively lose the #10.

...............CB...................CB...................CB

RWB.....Henderson ... Gerrard .....Sterling ..... LWB

............... Sturridge.............. Balotelli

 

[SummerOnions]

Gerrard plays as the 3rd CB at times anyway. We play very fluidly

 

[gkmacca]

Yes, it's not so much a formation for a match as a formation for a certain phase of a match.

 

[StevieM]

Do we not practically play with 3 at the back half the time anyway?

When in possession - the full backs push on, the 2 CB's fan out to cover the space & the DM usually drops deep and sits in between the two CB's. The two wide attacking players then try to get closer to the central striker (if we're not playing with two upfront), as the FB's create the width further up the pitch.

When we lose the ball the FB's retreat into a more traditional back four (except when Johnson can't get his fat arse back quick enough) and the wide attackers retreat and fan out to help the FB's if required.

 

[Mystic]

Do we not practically play with 3 at the back half the time anyway?

When in possession - the full backs push on, the 2 CB's fan out to cover the space & the DM usually drops deep and sits in between the two CB's. The two wide attacking players then try to get closer to the central striker (if we're not playing with two upfront), as the FB's create the width further up the pitch.

When we lose the ball the FB's retreat into a more traditional back four (except when Johnson can't get his fat arse back quick enough) and the wide attackers retreat and fan out to help the FB's if required.

Exactly

 

[Mystic]

Nik is right. You effectively lose the #10.

...............CB...................CB...................CB

RWB.....Henderson ... Gerrard .....Sterling ..... LWB

............... Sturridge.............. Balotelli

You don't lose your #10, Mata at United case in point.

 

[Fabio]

You don't lose your #10, Mata at United case in point.

He was quite ineffective last week.

Whether that's formation based or just a bad day I've no clue

 

[Leo]

Looks ok on paper but it probably wouldn't benefit the likes of Sterling and Markovic.
Could see it being a very useful plan though away at the bigger teams.

 

[JohnnyRocket]

Hopefully not

I've always felt the 3 at the back system puts you at a bit of a disadvantage. If you come up against a 4-2-3-1 with decent wingers, what happens is 1 of 2 things. Either the wingback tracks the opposition wingers and gets pinned back, which effectively nullifies the wingback as an attacking force. If the wingback doesnt track the wingers the 4-2-3-1 then stretches the back 3, leaving you exposed in the middle.

In addition to that, the 4-2-3-1 has the benefit of full backs playing behind the wingers, making your wing back's job even harder. I'd lick my lips if I came up against a back three. All I'd need to do is tell my wingers to push up and press like hell, and tell my two defensive midfielders to keep the opposition number 10 in check and I've effectively nullified their system. Same applies when playing against a diamond system, which is why I don't really like it.

In the case of our squad, we've got a fair few attacking midfielders, and the system only allows 3 midfielders. It essentially means that you can only play 1 of Coutinho, Sterling, Lallana, Markovic - so a bit of a waste really.

If we want to fit Sturridge and Mario into the same side, I'd opt for a 4-3-3 with one of them starting wider and cutting in onto their stronger foot. Just get Henderson to play whichever side Balotelli is playing to cover the area.

Gerrard
Coutinho Henderson
Sterling Balotelli
Sturridge

 

[Frogfish]

You don't lose your #10, Mata at United case in point.

United effectively have Mata where Gerrard is in that line-up, but pushed forward, and don't have a DM. So for us where does that leave Gerrard / Coutinho and Sterling ? It doesn't play to our strengths.

 

[RedZeppelin III]

.....................scales...wright....babb
McAteer jones
redknapp Barnes
Mcmanaman
Collymore Fowler


Classic .

 

[Khalido]

When teams play 3 centre backs in the Epl it's because they don't have faith in the 2 they have being good enough. How many teams have won our league playing that system regularly?........ Zero.

 

[Frogfish]

.....................scales...wright....babb
McAteer jones
redknapp Barnes
Mcmanaman
Collymore Fowler


Classic .

Jones at LB ? I can only remember him at RB.

 

[doctor_mac]

Yey!!

Erm, wrong thread.

 

[Gary25]

Leaving aside those Manc cunts for a minute, B-Rodge has gone 3 at the back with us before, especially away from home.

Any chance we might go there again?

--------------------------MIG----------------------

----------SKRTEL----LOVREN----SAKHO-----

GLENJO--THREE--OTHER--MIDS--MORENO

------------STURRIDGE----BALOTELLI--------

Please try and ignore the midfield names, and the best 11 thunderfuck, just think of the formation/setup.

I like the idea of Lovren being given complete freedom to tell those two either side of him were to go.
I like the idea of Glenjo being freed up of pretty much all defensive responsibility
I like that the same goes for Moreno.
I like the idea of a bunch of midfielders slottin in there over time. Hendo, Gerrard, Can, Lucas, Lallana, Coutinho, etc. Neat, short interplay through the middle with wingmen to spread the play. Mmmmm.
I like the idea of going 3-4-1-2 with Raheem in the 10 role. Or even Coutinho.
I like the idea of those two playing upfront togethor. Like a baws.
I like it.

I prefer the idea of Glen Johnson being on the bench, in the stands or even better at QPR or somewhere. Anywhere but in the starting 11 for us because he's muck.