The Mane In The Middle

[manwithnoname]

It's been briefly mentioned before (I think) and Aldo's latest Echo piece talks about us playing Coutinho, Mane and Salah as the front three

"Liverpool are potentially now looking at a possible forward line of Coutinho, Mane and Salah.
I actually think there’s a case for Mane to perhaps play down the centre.
Play some games with Coutinho on the left, Mane down the middle and Salah on the right."

What do people think about this? There's no doubt that Mane is a better player and a better finisher than Firmino, and he's also much quicker. So while he would undoubtedly score more goals than Firmino, would anyone here play him centrally?

There's certainly pros and cons, as for all that Firmino isn't a very good striker, he gets through a lot of more defensive work and makes so many tackles and interceptions. And he's also a bigger physical presence and can hold the ball up better

And then there's the issue of what we might lose by moving Mane from the flanks.

 

[mark1975]

Our pace is best utilised on the break anyway, so even from a starting central position, he would still use the channels, as every forward does (including Firmino).


How about:

Coutinho----------Mane---------Salah
-----------------Firmino-----------------
-----------Can---------Henderson------

 

[Windom Earle]

I think he's best off where he is, personally. He's a ball carrier mainly (in my opinion), he does his best work with the ball at his feet and he's better cutting in from wide across the goal.

Salah, on the other hand, seems very positionally aware and arrives on the end of all sorts. If we are going to try the Raheem experiment again, I'd sooner it be with Salah.

 

[HC]

I prefer coutinho being a bit deeper, or the idea atleast anyway

Mainly cause it breaks up the incumbent trio , in doing that , i think it forces our hand into plqying sturridge or firmino centrally. Well it doesnt but firmino seems far less effective when on the left.

 

[KopRed]

No idea why we would try this unless Firmino is injured. Firmino is rubbish elsewhere except in the middle.

 

[Kay Age El]

Playing Mane in a more central position upfront with our style of play in mind, wouldn't really benefit us as he'd then have to operate in much more congested areas, with less room for his manoeuvres of pace and directness and with more defenders right in front of him.

Firmino despite not being a striker himself is better suited in there but we still lack that one player that'll thrive there whilst also scoring loads of goals.

A Lewandowski-type if you like.

[bcolor=#ffffff]ALL WE NEED IS DOLBERG[/bcolor]

 

[keniget]

I think he's best off where he is, personally. He's a ball carrier mainly (in my opinion), he does his best work with the ball at his feet and he's better cutting in from wide across the goal.

Salah, on the other hand, seems very positionally aware and arrives on the end of all sorts. If we are going to try the Raheem experiment again, I'd sooner it be with Salah.

Agreed.

 

[Hansern]

What a great idea. Move our best player from his best position, and where he has scored 3 goals in 3 Premier League games this season to a unfamiliar striker role which wont utilize his strengths in the same way, or benefit the team.

Brent would be proud.

 

[manwithnoname]

Playing Mane in a more central position upfront with our style of play in mind, wouldn't really benefit us as he'd then have to operate in much more congested areas, with less room for his manoeuvres of pace and directness and with more defenders right in front of him.

Firmino despite not being a striker himself is better suited in there but we still lack that one player that'll thrive there whilst also scoring loads of goals.

A Lewandowski-type if you like.

[bcolor=#ffffff]ALL WE NEED IS DOLBERG[/bcolor]

Yeah, I know the lone striker archetype is usually a bit er,,,,,bigger: Costa, Lukaku, Kane et al

But I suppose I was thinking of how successful we were with a very mobile, skilful player like Suarez as the focal point of the attack. And Aguero isn't exactly massive (although he's often supported or playing with another striker)

Perhaps if Mane was more central and therefore could get involved more, it's possible that he could score even more goals than he does from wide left or right?

I thought it was worth a discussion anyway

 

[manwithnoname]

What a great idea. Move our best player from his best position, and where he has scored 3 goals in 3 Premier League games this season to a unfamiliar striker role which wont utilize his strengths in the same way, or benefit the team.

Brent would be proud.

Eh? I didn't say it was 'a great idea'.

I was putting it out there for the Forum to discuss, given it was the subject of a recent article by John Aldridge in the Liverpool Echo

I also gave a few pros and cons to the idea, to get the debate going.

It's not my fault if you respond to all my posts like a hysterical quacking mong, Hansern

 

[Kay Age El]

Yeah, I know the lone striker archetype is usually a bit er,,,,,bigger: Costa, Lukaku, Kane et al

But I suppose I was thinking of how successful we were with a very mobile, skilful player like Suarez as the focal point of the attack. And Aguero isn't exactly massive (although he's often supported or playing with another striker)

Perhaps if Mane was more central and therefore could get involved more, it's possible that he could score even more goals than he does from wide left or right?

I thought it was worth a discussion anyway

I am certain he would also score from a more central position but I do feel he lacks a bit of grit/strength perhaps to really thrive in there. Also he's more reliant on his pace than Suarez/Aguero was/is why I think he's better utilized on the wing overall.

I am not against the thought of a smaller striker/forward type like Aguero/Suarez/Owen but I also do believe they all had better finishing attributes and especially the two former, better balance/upper body strength and probably also better skills.

 

[manwithnoname]

I am certain he would also score from a more central position but I do feel he lacks a bit of grit/strength perhaps to really thrive in there. Also he's more reliant on his pace than Suarez/Aguero was/is why I think he's better utilized on the wing overall.

I am not against the thought of a smaller striker/forward type like Aguero/Suarez/Owen but I also do believe they all had better finishing attributes and especially the two former, better balance/upper body strength and probably also better skills.

And in Owen's case, Heskey to provide ballast

Suarez is harder to categorise, given his unearthly talent, and the fact he didn't really play in a fixed position, just went wherever he wanted.

Plus he had Sturridge playing with him

 

[Silver Sean]

Two sitting mids (Hendo and Win) then Coutinho in front of them, then the same front three. Coutinho is underrated as a midfielder playing behind the front three, I think.

 

[juniormember]

And in Owen's case, Heskey to provide ballast

Suarez is harder to categorise, given his unearthly talent, and the fact he didn't really play in a fixed position, just went wherever he wanted.

Plus he had Sturridge playing with him

He was phenomenal without Sturridge too.
And I think he’s 6 foot at least isn’t he? Not small.
Unless Mane’s tried there we’ll never know, but he looks so comfortable on the left right now, I wouldn’t want to move him. Not unless we got another super quick/good winger. Which is actually possible with Klopp!
Mane started his career as a striker according to him so if our strikers are injured I imagine he’d be given a go there.

 

[juniormember]

Two sitting mids (Hendo and Win) then Coutinho in front of them, then the same front three. Coutinho is underrated as a midfielder playing behind the front three, I think.

Yeah Coutinho is at his absolute best when deeper. He obviously got that assist and goal playing on the left the other day, but he’s so bloody good in tight positions and creates space with ease. Something none of our midfielders can do. If given the choice I’d always play him in midfield. I think Klopp would too.

 

[manwithnoname]

He was phenomenal without Sturridge too.
And I think he’s 6 foot at least isn’t he? Not small.
Unless Mane’s tried there we’ll never know, but he looks so comfortable on the left right now, I wouldn’t want to move him. Not unless we got another super quick/good winger. Which is actually possible with Klopp!
Mane started his career as a striker according to him so if our strikers are injured I imagine he’d be given a go there.

I think Suarez is actually taller than I ever think he is, yeah

 

[Holle]

Luis Suarez is 1,82 m and weighs 86 kg according to Wikipedia.

Whatever this is in feet and pound - no clue.

 

[Halmeister]

It's nearly 6 foot. It's funny because I always recall commentators referring to Suarez as diminutive or the little guy. He's quite tall.

 

[Mystic]

We've played with him in the middle for the latter half of some games last season. I wouldn't like to see him starting in the middle regularly, but it's a good option to have, one we can use against appropriate opposition.

 

[Judge Jules]

It's nearly 6 foot. It's funny because I always recall commentators referring to Suarez as diminutive or the little guy. He's quite tall.

It's just laziness on their part. They know the guy covers every blade of grass on the pitch, assume from that that he's small and nippy and never mind what's actually right in front of them.

 

[rurikbird]

Mane's biggest weakness is that he cannot pass to save his life. On the wing he rarely needs to – it's his job to take the ball and run with it every time, but players who are in the middle have more of a responsibility to link play together and that would break down with someone like Mane there. This is why the front 3 of Mane-Firmino-Salah is almost perfect in terms of balancing each other's strengths and weaknesses. The only possible improvement I can think of is also sticking a top-class #9, someone like Lewandowski, up front and turning this into a front 4.

 

[Squiggles]

I wouldn't want Mane burdened with having to hold up play, link up and run himself into ground, which the central position seems to require in our system. Firmino wins the ball back more than many DMs in the league. Placing Mane there would either make us defensively less stable, which is a scary thought, or reduce his explosiveness through fatigue. I think him and Salah have the perfect roles for their strengths in the side. If I wanted more threat and goals through the middle then bang Sturridge there, especially after his sub performance. In short I think Klopp has the front three pretty spot on and I excited to see Coutinho supplying them from deep.

Sent from my X5 using Tapatalk

 

[beejay]

This might be an option if we are rotating and have fitness issues with our 3 strikers but otherwise I can't see the point, Mane & Salah have shown their effectiveness on the wings and the experiment of Coutinho as the central attacking pivot is far too much in its infancy to abandon now.

 

[Markeh]

Maybe an idea if Coutinho struggles away from his left sided attacking position.

I'm actually pretty interested to see Ings get a chance up front, I like his hard running / pain in the ass for the opposition style along with his strikers instinct.

 

[Modo]

I think I'll pass on that abortion of an idea.

 

[hmmmmm1]

Frim needs a break so this could work except klopp wont drop frim.

 

[manwithnoname]

Frim needs a break so this could work except klopp wont drop frim.

Is that a euphemism for "needs dropping"?

He's been fucking shit for the entire month of September and hasn't scored since the Arsenal game.

 

[juniormember]

Is that a euphemism for "needs dropping"?

He's been fucking shit for the entire month of September and hasn't scored since the Arsenal game.

He’s been poor. But we (not you maybe) know how well he can play. I’ve no idea if he’s carrying a knock or what, but right now I’d be happy to try Solanke. Still would like to keep Mane on the left.

 

[FoxForceFive]

It's just laziness on their part. They know the guy covers every blade of grass on the pitch, assume from that that he's small and nippy and never mind what's actually right in front of them.

It depends on the height of the players around them too.

Most footy players are uncommonly tall, so until you meet them it's easy to think of the slightly less tall players as small.

I remember meeting Jamie Redknapp for the first time close up when he wasn't sat in his car (we used to hang round melwood gates as all kids did then) & being amazed at how tall he was.

He's over 6ft, yet often looked smaller on the pitch cos his teammates were even taller. Fowler is pretty tall too but again that didn't come across when you watched the match.

 

[Judge Jules]

Fair point. I met Redknapp at Melwood once too, when I did the Alan Kennedy tour (when Redknapp was club captain - he was particularly good with the kids on the tour that day) and yes, he's taller than one might expect. Robbie was there as well and didn't look that tall to me TBH, but he was further away when I saw him.