Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has scrapped the 352 formation for today's Premier League match with Fulham, and based on the players selected, it looks like the team will revert to 433 (or variations thereof).
FULL TEAM: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Cissoko, Lucas, Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho, Suarez, Sturridge.
SUBS: Jones, Enrique, Alberto, Moses, Sakho, Allen, Sterling
FULHAM: Stekelenburg, Zverotic, Senderos, Amorebieta, Richardson, Dejagah, Sidwell, Parker, Kacaniklic, Kasami, Berbatov
As predicted, Steven Gerrard is in the starting line-up, despite the fact it would've been the ideal time to rest him after his injury against Arsenal last week.
Daniel Agger also returns to the team, which means both Kolo Toure and Mamadou Sakho drop to the bench. So, that's three big changes from last week: two defenders dropped/rested, and 352 abandoned.
POSSIBLE FORMATIONS
4222
------------------- Mignolet
Johnson ------ Skrtel --- Agger ------- Cissoko
--------------- Lucas -- Gerrard
---- Henderson
------------------ Coutinho
------------- Suarez ---- Sturridge.
4132
------------------- Mignolet
Johnson ------ Skrtel --- Agger ------- Cissoko
-------------------- Lucas
------- Gerrard -- Coutinho -- Henderson
------------- Suarez ---- Sturridge
4231
------------------- Mignolet
Johnson ------ Skrtel --- Agger ------- Cissoko
--------------- Lucas -- Gerrard
----- Henderson -- Coutinho -- Suarez
------------------ Sturridge
I still don't understand why Gerrard couldn't be rested for this game, at least for the first half. The guy is 33 and LFC *still* can't field a team without him. It's ridiculous, really.
Author: Jaimie K
FULL TEAM: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Cissoko, Lucas, Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho, Suarez, Sturridge.
SUBS: Jones, Enrique, Alberto, Moses, Sakho, Allen, Sterling
FULHAM: Stekelenburg, Zverotic, Senderos, Amorebieta, Richardson, Dejagah, Sidwell, Parker, Kacaniklic, Kasami, Berbatov
As predicted, Steven Gerrard is in the starting line-up, despite the fact it would've been the ideal time to rest him after his injury against Arsenal last week.
Daniel Agger also returns to the team, which means both Kolo Toure and Mamadou Sakho drop to the bench. So, that's three big changes from last week: two defenders dropped/rested, and 352 abandoned.
POSSIBLE FORMATIONS
4222
------------------- Mignolet
Johnson ------ Skrtel --- Agger ------- Cissoko
--------------- Lucas -- Gerrard
---- Henderson
------------------ Coutinho
------------- Suarez ---- Sturridge.
4132
------------------- Mignolet
Johnson ------ Skrtel --- Agger ------- Cissoko
-------------------- Lucas
------- Gerrard -- Coutinho -- Henderson
------------- Suarez ---- Sturridge
4231
------------------- Mignolet
Johnson ------ Skrtel --- Agger ------- Cissoko
--------------- Lucas -- Gerrard
----- Henderson -- Coutinho -- Suarez
------------------ Sturridge
I still don't understand why Gerrard couldn't be rested for this game, at least for the first half. The guy is 33 and LFC *still* can't field a team without him. It's ridiculous, really.
Author: Jaimie K
good team, I just prefered moses in for either gerrard or lucas and very disappointed cissokho starts again, hopefully he will be better this time otherwise theres enough quality out there to win the game, but I have a feeling it wont be as easy as people are predicting!
ReplyDeleterubbish! still we can't afford to rest gerrard..this is the perfecttime to give him break..home game with struggling team with coutinho making comeback..negative!!! really negative from BR!!
ReplyDeleteWe are playing Fulham who are really s**t at the moment and we are at Anfield.
ReplyDeleteDraw or a loss quite honestly would be unacceptable.
I am just glad to see that a back 3 has been axed.
ReplyDeleteHere is hoping we can keep a clean sheet today...
ReplyDeleteProbably a midfield diamond. been looking forward to this formation!
ReplyDeleteDitto. We need this kind of mentality.
ReplyDeleteWhat was it you were saying in the other thread about not being able to understand my argument for scrapping the 352 formation?
ReplyDeleteObviously, Rodgers doesn't think it's working effectively. He admitted as much last night when he specifically stated that LFC have to 'improve defensively'.
IMO, it's been obvious for weeks that 352 has to go, and now, thankfully, it has.
I would like to see Allen and Moses get a chance to play today instead of Lucas and Gerrard. They could have been used as subs instead. Concerned about Cissokho playing today.
ReplyDeleteThe midfield know they've got to put in a shift. There are good players pressing for involvement behind them. Let's hope we can profit from that pressure today.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Cissokho is not up to it so far, but to be fair, he's been played out of position in a 352. Hopefully, in his natural position, he'll feel more comfortable, and perform better.
ReplyDeleteAgree, but realistically, Gerrard is never going to be dropped, and Lucas probably won't miss out unless he's injured. There may be players pushing, but when you have two untouchables in midfield, that pressure to play doesn't really mean anything.
ReplyDeleteDid I say there was anything wrong with the 352 system? We are 3rd in the league playing with that formation so what exactly is you point?
ReplyDeleteIf Gerrard and Lucas do not perform today then I reckon one or both will get the boot but we are facing Fulham who do not have the most exciting midfield so hopefully L & G will be ok.
ReplyDeletewe were top with the 253...
ReplyDeleteI agree. We were only playing 5-3-2 cos we signed so many centre backs.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing about resting Gerrard is does he need a rest right now? We only play once a week. I agree we should be comfortable picking a team without him starting at home to fulham, but I can't imagine he's not desperate to play today
Why play 3 CBS against 1 striker?
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy that we have two undroppables in an area of the pitch that most people regard as our weak spot....
ReplyDeleteMy point is obvious: you facetiously dismissed my argument for dropping 352, and now Rodgers has done exactly that.
ReplyDeleteThe atmosphere at Anfield sounds dire. No real noise at all.
ReplyDeleteNo I did not. I was being sarcastic as you were were assuming that Rodgers cannot see that he is using the wrong formation when he is the one with the coaching badges.
ReplyDeleteThis Fulham side would be raped with the 3-5-2 formation.
ReplyDeleteSo who's going to be first to apologise to Steven Gerrard? Immense.
ReplyDeleteImmense? Please, don't exaggerate. It's this kind of exaggeration that makes him undroppable. He's had an adequate game so far (IMO) - nothing special.
ReplyDeleteCissokho brings absolutely nothing to the team. 9 times out of 10, he gets it on the left and just passes it backwards.
ReplyDeleteLook, we are playing a Fulham side which clearly look like they are going to be relegated.
ReplyDeleteback to our best formation when jose is back we will be firing again
ReplyDeleteAgree. Fulham are poor and struggling, and LFC *should* be hammering them. Problem is though that when this game is won comfortably, all the backslapping and ego massage will start up again; everyone is 'world class' and blah blah blah. And then we'll play a decent team like Arsenal and be shown up again.
ReplyDeleteSemantics. Rodgers obviously could see that 352 was wrong (finally), which is why he's changed it.
ReplyDeleteBS. He got the best out of Sturridge and Suarez?
ReplyDeleteCare to prove me wrong?
He was extremely good in that first half. His passing to both wings was exceptional, his set piece delivery was outstanding, and his work rate was exemplary. His midfield performance destroyed Fulham. He dominated Parker and Sidwell completely and wrecked their shape.
ReplyDeleteAlright, maybe a bit of exaggeration involved -- this is football after all -- but it was a reminder to me that he's still a player to be reckoned with.
Agree. Hope BR does not jinx it. We have the derby game next.
ReplyDeleteFulham are awful. What on earth is Jol doing during training sessions? He has a decent squad, not world beaters, but last week against United and now this ... they're really really bad.
ReplyDeleteTactically this is worst way to try and play against Liverpool. Only one up front, no pressing at all, just allowing lots of deep possession which translates so easily into something more advanced. The space that Coutinho and Gerrard are getting is astonishing. We're playing well, it's good to see, but even apart from the own goal this is like playing a championship team on an off day.
Absolutely nothing might be an exaggeration... ;)
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, he doesn't look right for this level of football, does he. He can't beat his man, doesn't have express pace, and we haven't seen anything of his crossing to suggest he's any better than Enrique in that respect.
We were in for Ryan Bertrand at the end of the window, weren't we. But he's not getting a kick at Chelsea. Might be worth another look: left back is clearly going to need some investment. Probably our weakest position now.
He's had space and used it well. With that much possession it's the perfect game for him. Fulham have 6 players back watching Suarez and Sturridge and Gerrard is just waltzing around like it's a light training session. I think it shows that Gerrard still has all the same skills and ability to control a game but perhaps when he has to do it all himself it's a step too far. When everyone else on the team is doing brilliantly and the opposition are tripe then Gerrard is in his element and can rule.
ReplyDeleteWow! I haven't posted on here for a while. Why is it so many people have a propensity towards inverted complacency? Come on Jaimie, I think you are lost in the intensity of your passion for the club. A win is a win is a win; I can't see the negative myself.
ReplyDeleteAgree so far. struggling again going forward even with no winger to mark. Must do better, or we should buy another decent attacking full back to challenge /replace Enrique
ReplyDeleteNicely put. I will sit down, replace my monocle, and continue to watch the game more coolly from now on.
ReplyDeleteWhat do Suarez and Sturridge have to do with this particular discussion? Nothing, so stop trying to change the goalposts. Suarez and Sturridge were scoring lots of goals last season in a 433. It's not the formation that gets the best out of them. They're good players, so they'll score in whatever formation is used. I don't have to prove you wrong; you do a good job of displaying that all by yourself.
ReplyDeleteHopefully this half the likes of Allen and Alberto will get decent run outs; at least 30mins. The team is 3-0 up and cruising, so no excuse not to use the squad really.
ReplyDeleteIt's up to other players to out-do them and force the managers hand. What I'd guess is that Gerrard is a monster in training and always operates at close to 100%. It's hard to match that, so although Gerrard might not be so great lately, no one else is performing better than him during the week. That's just his experience and quality, and even after all these years a desperate determination to do well. You could just imagine he'd never let up and no matter what anyone else does in training, Gerrard will always be that level above. For Allen to force his way into the side he has to match that.
ReplyDelete4-3-3 will not see us getting full use of Sturrdige and Suarez and that has been shown today.
ReplyDeleteYou have your opinion and i will have mine..Is that ok with you?
Physical presence:)
ReplyDeleteAs Adam says, Fulham are awful. We may not want Hodgson back but surely the Fulham fans would!
ReplyDeleteWhen you need to battle and times are hard, one player you don't play up front is Berbatov and don't play him at all in any formation unless you got the team and the form to back it up. I like Berbatov but in the right team.
Great to see us winning but Fulham are in a mess and I hope there the plaudits we get reflects that as I don't want us getting carried away over such a win. Don't get me wrong, great to win and hope we carry on the momentum.
My word, that was terrible defending for the fourth goal.
ReplyDeleteI think today it's personnel rather than formation that has Cissokho being relied on less in attack. Johnson and Henderson on that right side is simply the better option, so Cissokho is the wing back to retreat into defence. In theory we could still use Cissokho in the same way as previous weeks but you can see it's obvious that the team are not looking to do that this week. The real problem we had was when Johnson was out of the team, we have no other wingers with that kind of quality. 3-5-2 with Johnson in the team would be pretty much the same.
ReplyDeleteBut dear God, Fulham are terrible.
Oh so now you delete my post again?
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly was wrong with what I said?
How many times do I have to say this? Stop going on about having 'opinions' (you know what I'm talking about) You're really beginning to irritate me now. Seriously, if you persist, you'll get a ban.
ReplyDeleteI made a valid point.
ReplyDeleteHow is the current system getting the best out of Sturridge and Suarez?
Were you not able to answer that?
The last part of your comment is why it was deleted, and you know that.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool are 4-0 up; Suarez scored 2 goals. Sturridge is getting plenty of chances. The formation is about getting the best out of the team, not just one or two players.
Apologies but Fulham have been so bad that I'm more excited about Chelsea losing as it benefits us
ReplyDeleteand that is why Rodgers was using the 352 formation. To get the best out of Sturridge and Suarez and it worked so I do not know how you can be questioning me when you have just admitted it!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Good win, but such a pedestrian game.
ReplyDeleteCan't remember the name of the poster but we having a debate in pre-season, I was very doubtful that Southampton and West Brom would prove to be much of a pest this season and that poster was confident they would be. I take my hat off to him. Still time in this Chelsea game for the result to be Chelsea's favour but those two sides have been really good thus far
ReplyDeleteYou do not know that Rodgers used 352 specifically to get the best out of SAS. He never said that. It's far more probable that he used 352 to utilise all the central defenders at the club. If he wanted to use that formation to get the best out of SAS, he would've used it last season, and he didn't.
ReplyDelete"It's about exploiting the strengths of our players and I think this does it well for us," he said.
ReplyDelete"What I've found is that if I play one up top and one wide, I take a little bit away from them. They work better as a proper front two.
"In Suarez and Sturridge, I've got what I call two 'nine-and-a-halves'.
"They both like to move, they like to drift and they both like to go into the half-positions in between the lines.
"You've got two great players as your front two and then you build the structure around that.
"I'm not the traditional 4-4-2 man and with the players we've got we can make this system work
I rest my case.
That doesn't prove your point in any way, shape or form. He's also made countless other comments stating different things about the formation. Plus, if that's really the case, why is he not using 352 today? And if he sticks with 433 for the rest of the season, what are you going to argue then?
ReplyDeleteDoes not prove my point? Rodgers must be lying then.
ReplyDeleteNot losing anymore I'm afraid; penalty
ReplyDelete:(((((
ReplyDeleteWest Brom should have scored on the counter a few minutes ago.
Not sure if that was a pen
Whatever. I'm not wasting further time on pointless cul-de-sac 'debates' with you.
ReplyDeleteDid you see how crap Fulham was? Any team would have kept a clean sheet against them today.
ReplyDeletecul-de-sac 'debates'? I beg to differ.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't LFC play this way last week....madness... last week they were stationary but today they were pressing and pressing and pressing....my clothes got ironed!
ReplyDeleteThat was an outrage; awful decision
ReplyDeleteDid you see how utterly rubbish the team was we played against today? Please name another team which has given us that much freedom this season.
ReplyDeleteDitto. Just seen the reply again. That was awful
ReplyDeleteGreat result from us. Chelsea should have lost today, absolutely disgraceful decision from none other then the one and only Andre Marriner. Pathetic.
ReplyDeleteSturridge was very ineffective today I wonder why...
ReplyDeleteBecause Arsenal is first place for a reason...they're better than Fulham. As opposed to last week, this week there were acres of space in mid-field that were filled by L'pool players.
ReplyDeleteWe are second in the table!!!. Chelsea meekly escaped from the side we thrashed... Seriously this stupid ,pointless, thrash Internationals killing me now...
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing wrong with celebrating another good win. Fulham were terrible but there were times in the past we may not have beaten them so convincingly. At least the team is showing their quality when given the opportunity. Teams have to play well against us to beat us, where as in the past it wasn't always like that. We're no longer beating ourselves, we're going out there with the players and the tactics to control possession and score goals. Only when the opposition have their own game in top gear do we struggle and although we still need to be better, we're already miles ahead of this time last season.
ReplyDeleteClear 2nd in the league is nothing to be sniffed at, no matter who we've played, and we've played plenty of tough teams already if everyone admits that Southampton are quality and not just an early season fluke. We've lost to genuinely good teams and beaten everyone else. If we can compete against Chelsea, City and Spurs, take draws rather than loses, and continue to beat the lower teams then everything will be set up for a top 4 finish.
All this and we're still not at our best and still chasing a top class attacker in January ... who cares how rubbish Fulham were, you can only beat the team that comes to play on the day. Good win.
Well said.
ReplyDeleteIf we're to finish top four then these are the games we have to win. Great job by all!!!
ReplyDelete*I'm so happy BR told the lads to keep the pressure on the whole game. We have so many bugs to work out in mid-field that we need all the game speed we can get.
*I thought the SG sub was at the right time and with the right guy. Allen needed game time and he didn't disappoint. He looked better today than I have ever seen him play.
*I'm glad we went back to 4-4-3.
*Coutinho was great, but some of his decisions were a bit shaky.
*I know DS is a little disappointed, but he shouldn't be. He had his chances...at least three beauties I remember.
*One shot was perfect and headed in only to be palmed away in desperation at the last possible second. He'll get his goals.
*LS...what else needs to be said?
Terrible Fulham, it was like playing against reserves.
ReplyDeleteDisagree...he may not have scored, but he was a far cry from ineffective. He had a beautiful shot denied by a great save and he was constantly drawing defenders away from the ball. I'd say he was very effective.
ReplyDeleteOK, but teams have been rolling over for Utd for years then playing their hearts out against us.
ReplyDeleteIf we're one of the teams those sorts of side gives up on then I'll be more than happy
Not as affective as he has been alongside Suarez in a front 2.
ReplyDeletePffft. Any win in the BPL is a good win. You can only play the team that's on your schedule. 4-0 is hammering in any sport. Two titanic saves kept it from being 6-0...(Sturridge and Coutinho).
ReplyDeleteWe did good, am just saying Fulham were terrible
ReplyDeleteAll this coward referees who support United, Chelsea, Spurs!!! And then discriminate Suarez!!! What a joke Chelsea got a draw today! If i was disgusted i wonder how poor WB fans feel.
ReplyDeleteShameful stuff from coward referees. This guy should be banned for 10 games.
Hope time makes this right this season, we should be 3 points above Chelsea and about 6 above 'penalties Tottenham' by now.
these are the type of games which will get us top 4....beating utd and co wont get us top 4 if we lose to the lesser teams.....fulham where either poor or we made them look poor ...ill take that perspective against every team we play
ReplyDeleteat least doesn't give the ball to opponents as Enrique often does, and Enrique crosses is at least the same sh*** as Cissokho's, the difference my friend is the physical superiority that Aly has comparing to Enrique :)
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that Suarez stayed on after the 4th goal. He has a game in Jordan on the 13th. The guy has unlimited energy but I wish he would have been able to come off sooner. Yes I am being selfish for my home country......but I figured if they scored 3-4 early enough he would come off.... and sure enough it happened. Barring any more injuries....and help during the next transfer window...I see no reason this team cannot make Top 4. No one besides Arsenal has looked remotely dominant.
ReplyDeleteI thought Chelsea would........and they had to get some bad ball handling from WB near the end....where one simple pass to the left would have either bagged a goal or maintained longer possession. Then the ref realized which pitch he was on and gave a penlaty that only Real Madrid...Barcelona or Milan would have received. I thought i was watching a La Liga game.
If you're judging a striker as ineffective by whether he scores or not, you're going to be disappointed more often than note.
ReplyDeleteI thought the team played well overall today, including Sturridge. A shame he didn't score, but his hold up play was superb as is usual. And I do believe that he helps Suarez by creating space.
If the opposition only had to worry about Suarez, we'd have to play differently. Sturridge provides us with a terrific option alternate to Suarez.
Totally agree. Sturridge won't score in every game, and it's unrealistic to expect him to do so. Plus, Both Suarez and Sturridge didn't score last week with LFC playing 352, so does that then mean they're both ineffective? Of course not.
ReplyDeleteWe've played poor teams and made them look good by going with 5 defenders in recent weeks (irrespective of results)
ReplyDeleteWe've made many decent/good teams look poor while imposing our own football on team in recent years though.
The entire team was very ineffective last week - I wonder why...
ReplyDeleteReally - we got 2 goals and a hatful of shots from the partnership today and you call that ineffective?
ReplyDeleteWest Brom
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot easier for a midfielder to press the ball than a defender, just as it is easier for midfielders to move into space to receive the ball. Having an extra midfielder at the expense of a defender (with no striker to mark) just makes sense all around.
ReplyDeleteWe've played worse teams in Sunderland and Crystal Palace recently, but made those teams look better (even though we beat them) with that change in formation.
ReplyDeleteFor a manager so enamoured with controlling games through possession, it is surprising that Rodgers went so long with a formation that saw us concede so much possession and shots on goal.
I agree. I was glad he took him off when the game was won. I don't see Lucas as untouchable - I suspect part of his appeal to Rodgers is his commitment and he sets a good example (and he's mates with our number 7!)
ReplyDeleteI don't see any problem with congratulating the team/players when things are going well.
ReplyDeleteI do have an issue with overlooking obvious failings though, as was going on with previous weeks, where everybody was pretending the 532 was some massive innovation that was perfectly suited to our squad and would propel us to success.
Continue to play as we did today and we can realistically harbour outside dreams of glory. Continue to play as we have in recent weeks and we're just waiting for the inevitable slide down the table.
At the very least Cissokho has provided an effective outlet on the left and helped to build play into the final third, even if he isn't creating chances himself.
ReplyDeleteIf he's not going to deliver a telling cross/pass on the edge of the box, I'd much rather he just laid it off for a teammate rather than just knocking the ball into the keepers hands/a defenders shins for the opposition to launch a counter-attack from.
We've played worse teams than Fulham already and failed to keep a clean sheet against them.
ReplyDeleteToday we barely conceded a shot at all. With the 532 we were conceding more shots than most teams in the Premier League!
Who was playing out wide out of Sturridge and Suarez today then?? They both looked like they were playing the same roles as in previous matches tbh (as were the 'wing-backs' that are supposedly only released by an additional centre-back).
ReplyDeleteThe only difference is that they were supported by more teammates joining them in and around the box in today's formation
Crystal Palace are a worse team than Fulham yet were able to avoid being raped with the 5-3-2...
ReplyDeleteCalling Gerrard's performance immense may be an exaggeration, but calling his performance 'adequate' is understating it to an even greater extent...
ReplyDeleteBest performance of the season...and in a 433 formation haha (even though it's rather a 442 + we played an extremely weak team, but hey, who cares).
ReplyDeleteGreat to see Coutinho and Johnson back and Gerrard get 3 assists. I think that's the reason he wasn't rested :p
I want to see Everton giving us the amount of freedom we had on the pitch today. Fulham were rubbish.
ReplyDelete352, 433 or whatever formation you wanted today, Fulham are s**t.
great game so unlucky wanted score line to be 6-0 but yh seeing like 4-3-3 is our best formation
ReplyDeleteIt's not as easy to press when we've got players moving and presenting themselves as options ahead of the ball/behind the pressing forwards though
ReplyDeleteTbh I don't know why every manager isn't training his team to aggressively press the ball in every game though. Pretty much every time a plucky underdog outplays a bigger/richer team, the common thread tends to be the aggressive nature of the underdog forcing the opposition into mistakes and out of their proper game plan.
Loved the game. That being said, I question why our guys attempt so many volley shots/passes...to poor effect. Seems we waste a lot of good effort by trying to look sensational when controlling the ball and making a good incisive shot/pass would be the much better play.
ReplyDeleteWell guess what. Fulham have the fewest shots on goal out of any team in the EPL this season.
ReplyDeleteGoal vids plz :)
ReplyDeleteWe beat them 3-1.
ReplyDeleteI was very happy to see L & G linking with PC a lot today. I thought the link kept the offense flowing and it kept SAS up front where they needed to be. There wasn't much back-tracking by SAS to get an attack going. However...I can't understand why we seem enamored with the quick volley pass/shot. I know I saw PC do this 6-8 times at least. We do all this work to play the ball forward, link it through the middle third, start a good pass and flow attack and somebody, with time, uncorks a gruesome volleyed pass/shot that goes pinging off into nowhere and the attack is busted. Seems like a titanic waste of effort for no payback.
ReplyDeleteFulham were so bad that Cissokho hardly even had to defend, and was unfortunately made to look bad because of it, because all of his opportunities in the game came in attacking positions...but he's a defender.
ReplyDeleteI know a poor Fulham made things easier but Gerrards contribution was far more than adequate. Watch his performance again!
ReplyDeleteI made thay comment in the first half, and it was an assessment of his first 30 mins, not the entire game.
ReplyDeleteSent from Samsung Mobile
-------- Original message --------
3-1 vs 4-0
ReplyDelete61% vs 67% possession
13 vs 32 shots on goal
11 vs 4 shots conceded
And Sunderland & Palace have scored the fewest goals out of any team in the EPL this season
ReplyDeleteYou make a point - based on this one game. When you look at the formation and how we played it ends up that we are stacked on the right side. Henderson and Johnson are a brilliant combination on that flank and it's where most of our link-up play happened. That's actually bad news for Sturridge who also tends to drift right. He's not going to get as many touches and most of the football will be played between Henderson, Johnson and Coutinho. Sturridge ends up being the guy on the end of that which means two things for him:
ReplyDelete1. He'll get fewer touches
2. When he does get the ball it will be in a more advanced position and he'll have to take advantage of it.
It's a double-edged sword sometimes for strikers. You want the midfield to do their job and advance the ball, but when you're not involved in the build up then you can get caught out and if your touch fails you then the play breaks down. When Rodgers talks about Suarez and Sturridge a "9 and 1/2" players that's what he means: being involved in the build up. They both prefer to get plenty of touches and then run into space. It's also what Aspas talks about when he says it's "hard" and he's required to come "deep" more often.
If we revert back to a 3-5-2 then one of Johnson, Henderson and Coutinho tends to miss out. When Johnson was injured Henderson took up the wing role. If Coutinho is out then Henderson will play more centrally. All of that is good news for Sturridge who is now free to take up that extra space on the right hand side and be a bigger part of the build up. The whole team is then a bit more ambidextrous because there is no left or right side domination. Johnson is still the better winger but if they don't use Cissokho/Enrique then defences will simply close down one side.
So I'd say that a 3-5-2 gets the "most" out of Suarez and Sturridge. Note that I didn't say the "best". Getting them to do more work and have more touches is not automatically better for us, but if they're playing well together then the result is usually very good. However with different players these systems can work out entirely differently. A better left wing back would mean more play down the left side, even playing 4-4-2 with Henderson favouring the right. Both systems are flexible and change even during the game. A single substitution can make a huge difference so trying to nail it all down to a fixed system of X players in each role ultimately doesn't work.