Our left hand side.

Blue Llama said:
What's wrong with playing Diaz there?
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Small, lightweight and not a natural wide man. Even if defenders get initially thrown by his feints and dummies, they’re invariably able to recover and muscle him off the ball as he hasn’t got the out and out power or pace to surge past them. He thrives in a no.10 role with decoy runners either side of him, going straight at centre halves who don’t have the same time and space to corral him. Got a lovely weight of pass on him as well. If he fills out he’s going to be a magical talent, but it won’t ever be as a left winger.
 
Ric said:
Interestingly, in his interview with Gary Neville on Sky last week, Sterling said how much more he prefers playing on the left, rather than the right.
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Bizarre, cos he’s fucking hopeless at it. I always feel when he gets the ball wide on the left, he’s got too much time to think (his Achilles heel) instead of playing instinctively and at pace as he does on the right. He’ll occasionally wriggle in behind on the left, but far more usually he recycles it backwards or overruns the ball straight into the defender. The loss of Sane really unbalances us (given that we’re also missing Mendy), cos Bernardo is far better suited to the right for different reasons as well, as I would argue is Diaz. Need Leroy back sharpish
 
Ric said:
Interestingly, in his interview with Gary Neville on Sky last week, Sterling said how much more he prefers playing on the left, rather than the right.
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Players like coming inside on their preferred foot. It is easier to get a shot off and easier to play one-twos, etc... Out and out wingers obviously prefer to be on the same side as their preferred foot, so they can get around the defender and get the cross in. However, as we saw with Sané, when he comes inside from the RIGHT, we see that he likes to pull the trigger. That goal against Liverpool is one of the best of the season for me, because it showed us all what he is about when he comes inside. He can be devastating.

Sterling on the left and Bernardo on the right is ideal with overlapping full backs, because it allows Sterling and Bernardo to come inside and allow us to not be too narrow. However, you have seen when SAS/SJS play upfront, our current FBs often tuck into midfield, because S&S hug the touchlines.

Sometimes, I think we miss the subtleties of the different formations we use, sometimes multiple times in a game, as we seek to unlock the 11 man defenses.
 
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Drives me mad when Sterling is on the left hes so much less effective, especially when Bernardo is so one footed. That ball he put in for Raheem was an absolute peach against Cardiff would love to see him have a go on that side
 
Don't see a big problem tbh. Sterling less effective in what way? As a goalscorer? As a provider? As making the players around him more effective in a way he offers his abillity to the good of the team? It's all these one player-one position perspectives. We don't play less better without Sane, we play different. Same with whatever player is out tbh.
But I understand, it's a quiet week with all the players and staff AWOL.
 
Sterling on the left means he cuts in and doesnt cross, same with Bernardo on the right. Frustrating as hell because sometimes I wish they would cross rather than hold it up. Anyone know what /why Pep does this?
 
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