Are you Roy Keane?
Tactical adjustments
- Thread starter dmishra
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This formation will never happen - it would be a disaster.
I actually think, short of Matip as a DM, you’ve picked the least likely to ever happen Klopp formation ever!!!
Except, according to Trent, that's exactly what we played yesterday? Though obviously we are very flexible in how we play during a game.
I'm interested to know why you think it would be a disaster? You can move Diaz to LW in place of Harvey and have Jota and Salah upfront. The formation puts numbers in MF and protects our right from being over loaded
Because it's too flat and the players are used to playing in a fluid formation. So not only are you putting players in fixed positions, assuming they will stay there, you're adding a new less rigid, tactical mindset to a group of players who've previously had all the freedom in the world to express themselves.
Trent is a poor defender. I don't think Klopp has helped in hanging him out to dry in a system that's set up to get the best out of him, but with players who are waning around him and in a role that's become more and more advanced and unsustainable. Klopp has pushed and pushed his position forward, expecting the attacking outcome to diminish the defensive shortfall, when the exact opposite has happened. His attacking prowess and confidence has been dented and we're even more vulnerable than we already were.
I don't know what the answer is, though I suspect the obvious is either to play a different right back and find a new role for Trent, or try to compress the defensive line and system a bit more, so it's more watertight. The truth is probably in there somewhere, but the problem (or admirable persistence) with Klopp is that he will stick with it until it works again, either by players finding form again (a tough ask for those who are ageing) or by eventually replacing players to enable Trent to reach those levels again.
It's a matter of patience, it's frustrating, infuriating even and we will suffer for a season for it for the greater good, in Klopp's eyes. The issue though, I feel, is symptomatic of Klopp's blind spots. Rather than developing an alternate method, or a slight adjustment to turn to, he won't, just like he won't have a rethink about Trent's role and trying anything different with him, he'll wait and wait for the right environment to see him flourish again.
It's like letting yourself freeze all winter, knowing it will eventually get warm again, because you don't like wearing a coat.
What the flying of all pigs fuck is this???
It was more to do with the players he had in those positions than us rolling out the “partying like it was 1999” formation.
Love it when the loons have an squabble between themselves
Maybe we can sell Trent to City in Jan to fund the midfield rebuild.
No but in all this Southgate stuff, I can actually see Joe Gomez getting picked for that right back role - if you think about it, he could do that role and has pace to match Walker.
Crazy.
Any thoughts on this? We don’t seem to be capable of defending successfully in small numbers with individual skill any more; the 1st Arsenal goal was a perfect illustration of the way teams now cut through our lines at will. I’m not a fan of 3 at the back in general, but in the short term, it makes all the sense in the world to give us additional defensive cover with the help of an extra defender now that Konate is back. Also, assuming a more counter-attacking posture might make life easier for Salah and Nunez. as they will have more space to run into.
Life of a football team is cyclical - Klopp started by fixing Rodgers’ leaky defense, making us uncomfortable to play against (I remember his first game in charge that finished 0:0 and I think we played a flat 4-4-2 with Milner in midfield), then made us into a counter-attacking monster, then added more balance in possession, then the final act was buying Thiago. Now that everyone has perfected the tactics of soaking up our half-hearted pressure and hitting us on the counter, I don’t see the alternative to closing the circle of tactical evolution back to being harder to penetrate and sitting back to give our forwards space to counter. 3-5-2 seems like the most radical way to do that; but there are alternatives as well - but one way or another we have to change the way we play.
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I wouldn't be against trying three centre backs with wing backs. But Trent has to play in that formation - there's no point mitigating for his frailties and then swapping him out for Gomez. He still has a lot to offer offensively, even off form, and the extra cover could leave him less exposed and allow him to rebuild his confidence. I also wouldn't play three sitting midfielders if we're fielding three centre backs. Fabs and Thiago can sit while Firmino/Carvalho/Elliot plays a free role behind the front two. I get where the caution is coming from given our next opponents, but if we set ourselves up to defend the whole game then we'll get absolutely battered.
EDIT: Doh! Forgot Trent is out. The general point stands, though. We can't sacrifice all our attacking threat just to shore things up.
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He would need to catch him first.
He'll be standing still in the players tunnel before the game.
Well we could play Fabs in a back three - he was actually one of our best players when forced to stand in a couple of years ago. That would maybe give us more flexibility in midfield (do we have any players not injured though is the question)?
I realise that you suggest a formation change as well, but I would avoid playing players out of position until we really need to.
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