markbmcfc
Well-Known Member
People seem to forget oppositions will analyse any formation we use and look at how to exploit it. That's the job of their manager. There isn't a formation that cannot be exploited or leaves us weaker in certain aspects. The trick is to become better at managing the threat. People on here also see a bad individual performance meaning a change in shape is needed because a player is out of position.
It was clear last night Everton's method of exploiting us was in the channels, mainly on our left between Sane and Otamendi. Just because it's a weakness, doesn't mean you abandon the formation. You just become better at it. Pep tried mid game by swapping Otamendi and Kompany but the goal came through that side anyway with Kompany there.
At home, with such domination, 3-5-2 is good for us. LWB/RWB are basically wingers and could be the fullbacks or Sane/Sterling, we have options for how the game is going. 442 or 433 with a midfield three of Silva, Silva & KDB would be a complete nightmare and you'd have to play inverted fullbacks to come into the middle for the counter. Then you lose their attacking threat. A back three gives us enough protection through the middle and wide for the counter and allows us to use the WB's as wingers.
There is an argument in some games to sacrifice Fernandinho if we had a back three, and ask Stones to drop into those positions, but it all depends on the circumstances of the game. Everton had the ability to move the ball from their No 10 position so we needed Ferna in there. Other teams won't have that and so Stones can do that job and drop back into the three when defending. That allows us to play Kdb, Silva and Silva and two strikers which I think we need unless we get another more clinical forward.
I don't see how you get Sane, Sterling, Silva, Silva, KDB, Jesus, Aguero, in a starting XI unless you play 352 and Stones does Ferna's job. I actually think they'd all get in each others way and a more solid team would be the back three, mendy, walker, Silva's, Kdb and the two strikers. There's more than enough creativity and goals in that team but it boils down to execution.
The key thing for me is Mendy, he solves a lot of the problems we had against Brighton and Everton. Against Brighton, Danilo kept coming inside and gave us no threat, so Pep used Sane last night who had a dire night. He won't always be dire at WB but with Mendy, we have a player in a natural position with ability at both ends of the pitch, at that point we can judge 3-5-2 as a shape but if the strikers don't score, the shape is irrelevant. We create more than enough chances. We need a clinical forward. Jesus is great for link up play but he isnt a natural finisher yet, and Aguero needs 5 chances for every goal.
It was clear last night Everton's method of exploiting us was in the channels, mainly on our left between Sane and Otamendi. Just because it's a weakness, doesn't mean you abandon the formation. You just become better at it. Pep tried mid game by swapping Otamendi and Kompany but the goal came through that side anyway with Kompany there.
At home, with such domination, 3-5-2 is good for us. LWB/RWB are basically wingers and could be the fullbacks or Sane/Sterling, we have options for how the game is going. 442 or 433 with a midfield three of Silva, Silva & KDB would be a complete nightmare and you'd have to play inverted fullbacks to come into the middle for the counter. Then you lose their attacking threat. A back three gives us enough protection through the middle and wide for the counter and allows us to use the WB's as wingers.
There is an argument in some games to sacrifice Fernandinho if we had a back three, and ask Stones to drop into those positions, but it all depends on the circumstances of the game. Everton had the ability to move the ball from their No 10 position so we needed Ferna in there. Other teams won't have that and so Stones can do that job and drop back into the three when defending. That allows us to play Kdb, Silva and Silva and two strikers which I think we need unless we get another more clinical forward.
I don't see how you get Sane, Sterling, Silva, Silva, KDB, Jesus, Aguero, in a starting XI unless you play 352 and Stones does Ferna's job. I actually think they'd all get in each others way and a more solid team would be the back three, mendy, walker, Silva's, Kdb and the two strikers. There's more than enough creativity and goals in that team but it boils down to execution.
The key thing for me is Mendy, he solves a lot of the problems we had against Brighton and Everton. Against Brighton, Danilo kept coming inside and gave us no threat, so Pep used Sane last night who had a dire night. He won't always be dire at WB but with Mendy, we have a player in a natural position with ability at both ends of the pitch, at that point we can judge 3-5-2 as a shape but if the strikers don't score, the shape is irrelevant. We create more than enough chances. We need a clinical forward. Jesus is great for link up play but he isnt a natural finisher yet, and Aguero needs 5 chances for every goal.