Squad shape/formations

It's good to have it as an alternative, but it shouldn't be our default formation.

The last two games have shown the same issue - teams just allow Kompany and Otamendi the ball, and they're our weakest players on the ball, so it's making us worse.

We end up not using Fernandinho (Or Yaya or whoever is playing DM) and just going from Kompany or Otamendi straight to the front men. That's cutting out SIlva and KDB who are our two best players - it doesn't make any sense.
 
bin.....every player who gets the ball is not in their natural position....all look uncomfortable
 
Save our Sane - bin.

Pep is in a quandary, 87 systems but only 60 odd matches, how will he keep every system happy?
 
We just can't play 3 right footed centre backs unless one is very comfortable playing on the left. All 3 of them had a go yesterday and none of them looked at ease. It compounds the problem if the left wing back is really an out and out attacking player. If we keep playing that system every opponent will just keep playing balls in behind the left wing back.

I did wonder if Pep played the system to demonstrate why we need jonny evans.
 
It's good to have it as an alternative, but it shouldn't be our default formation.

The last two games have shown the same issue - teams just allow Kompany and Otamendi the ball, and they're our weakest players on the ball, so it's making us worse.

We end up not using Fernandinho (Or Yaya or whoever is playing DM) and just going from Kompany or Otamendi straight to the front men. That's cutting out SIlva and KDB who are our two best players - it doesn't make any sense.

Agree. Thought this was especially obvious last night, and was clearly something that Koeman had instructed them to do.

The other issue of course is that the system nullifies what was our single greatest attacking threat last season - Sane and Sterling running in behind the opponent's full-backs.

As you say, nothing wrong with having it as an option - though to be honest, I probably prefer last season's variation of the 3-2-4-1. Sure, it left us exposed to balls into the channel (thouh no more so than in the first 10 mins last night), but at least it meant that Sterling and Sane could play in their proper positions and we remained a real attacking threat. But in general, three at the back just doesn't really suit our current players and seems - to me at least - to be a system that, at the moment, detracts from, rather than maximises, our attacking potential. I find it all the more frustrating because a back four of Walker, Kompany, Otamendi/Stones and Mendy would be as good as anything in the league - I can't see what it is that Pep thinks the advantage of the extra centre half to be.
 
Agree. Thought this was especially obvious last night, and was clearly something that Koeman had instructed them to do.

The other issue of course is that the system nullifies what was our single greatest attacking threat last season - Sane and Sterling running in behind the opponent's full-backs.

As you say, nothing wrong with having it as an option - though to be honest, I probably prefer last season's variation of the 3-2-4-1. Sure, it left us exposed to balls into the channel (thouh no more so than in the first 10 mins last night), but at least it meant that Sterling and Sane could play in their proper positions and we remained a real attacking threat. But in general, three at the back just doesn't really suit our current players and seems - to me at least - to be a system that, at the moment, detracts from, rather than maximises, our attacking potential. I find it all the more frustrating because a back four of Walker, Kompany, Otamendi/Stones and Mendy would be as good as anything in the league - I can't see what it is that Pep thinks the advantage of the extra centre half to be.

The back 3 just doesnt suit our personnel. Kompany, Stones & Otamendi can all play in a 3, IF they're the middle player. They're 30% less effective playing on the right of the 3, 60% less effective playing on the left.
 
im not convinced it is all down to formation. tempo seems to a bigger problem, especially in the 1st halves of games. we dont give a 'shock and awe' performance until we are losing or its the 75th minute trying to get a win. maybe this is by design and our M.O. is to grind down the oppositions resistance and energy levels.
we ran and harried the everton players more when we had 10 men, yes, i know we were a goal down and were chasing the game but we shouldn't be giving them any time on the ball at any time in the game (unless we are out of sight winning).
the hunting down of the ball in the preseason games is just a distant memory now!! :(
 
im not convinced it is all down to formation. tempo seems to a bigger problem, especially in the 1st halves of games. we dont give a 'shock and awe' performance until we are losing or its the 75th minute trying to get a win. maybe this is by design and our M.O. is to grind down the oppositions resistance and energy levels.
we ran and harried the everton players more when we had 10 men, yes, i know we were a goal down and were chasing the game but we shouldn't be giving them any time on the ball at any time in the game (unless we are out of sight winning).
the hunting down of the ball in the preseason games is just a distant memory now!! :(

I'd definitely agree that this is a big issue, too. It has been for the past five years or so - with the exception of the first half of Pellegrini's first season, we seem incapable of starting games with real urgency, certainly not consistently.
 
to be honest, 3-5-2 is going to be played in most home games as we'll dominate as we did.

it's up at the goal scoring end where we need to improve; Silva scores and it's a different game. Aguero had a great chance. Sterling skied one and scored. Pickford great save. And this is against one of the top defensive units of the league.

honestly, get used to the 3-5-2. They only scored cos we gifted them the ball.
 

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