Go back to 3-5-2 to suit SAS

We have been playing like we dont have any fullback in the past few games,
so obviously 3-5-2 without fullback will be our best formation from now on, no fullback still but we will
have an additional CB.

It solves the question about dropping a midfielder to free a space for Strurridge at the same time.

I bet BR also recognises this.

Not for me sorry that set up does nothing for us as shown when we have previously used it. And more seriously leaves us horribly exposed and over run in midfield esp with Gerrard in the team.

And more seriously leaves us horribly exposed and over run in midfield esp with Gerrard in the team.

Depends if he is one of the 3 centre-backs I suppose?

I actually quite like 3-5-2 and I do think it suits our style of play and forwards, but our problem is that we don't have the Dani Alves' of the world to make it a real success.  We certainly shouldn't get overrun in the middle using it.

The problem with playing Sturridge and Suarez together in our current formation is that Henderson will end up getting binned off to the right wing again. 

We'll still play 433.

Suarez and Sturridge will interchange the right side and centre, Coutinho will play wide left and cut inside.
If Sterling is preferred, just change the wide interplay from right to left side.

Depends if he is one of the 3 centre-backs I suppose?

I actually quite like 3-5-2 and I do think it suits our style of play and forwards, but our problem is that we don't have the Dani Alves' of the world to make it a real success.  We certainly shouldn't get overrun in the middle using it.

The problem with playing Sturridge and Suarez together in our current formation is that Henderson will end up getting binned off to the right wing again. 

I like 3 5 2 as well and even in the current set up we kind of go to a three when Lucas/Gerrard move back when the centre backs split so I'm not sure we will see much change.

Mignolet

Skrtel    Sakho

Johnson       Gerrard       Cissokho

Henderson Coutinho

Sturridge  Suarez  Sterling

I wouldn't mind seeing something like this next week.

Def no chance of that as Dagger is out for 4 weeks.

Horribly exposed as a formation against arsenal. You need Enrique and Johnson on top form for it to remotely work. Sturridge can play on the right or suarez can come off the left. I would prefer the latter when everyone fit. Sterling can't play in a 3-5-2 either and he has been playing brilliantly.

The way to solve our defensive issues is Sakho or Agger plus one other. Enrique or Flanagan to come back on the left. And Allen to come back into the team and help press the midfield. and buy Alex Song/Badu/M'Villa

Def no chance of that as Dagger is out for 4 weeks.

My mistake.

Sakho or Toure then if he's not fit.

Sturridge  Suarez  Sterling

I wouldn't mind seeing something like this next week.

Problem for me is that when it's the three up front with Studge and Luis they both want to stay near the centre.  The opposing left back ends up having an easy day and Henderson gets suckered into being a right winger because he always wants to chase the ball.

Horribly exposed as a formation against arsenal. You need Enrique and Johnson on top form for it to remotely work.

It was exposed against Arsenal.  Although that day we did have Flanagan (playing his first game back for two years?) and nobody's favourite left back Aly Cissokho - so there were some major extenuating circumstances.  3-5-2 suits Enrique and Johnson far better than 4-4-2.

                       Mignolet

Kelly------Skrtle------Sakho------Flannagan

---------------Gerrard--------------------

------------ Henderson-------------------
           
Sterling----------------Coutinho----------
--------------------Suarez---------------
---------Sturridge------------------------

That in my opinion would be our best formation, have Gerrard holding with Henderson just infront in a box to box role, have Sterling as a proper wide winger on the right and have coutinho as an inside forward on the left, have suarez be a striker that roams to collect the ball and have sturridge as a poacher.

I agree not your standard symmetrical formation but Rodgers does like players to roam around and press and give options.


Against better teams that will overwhelm us in the middle I would go for:

----------------Mignolet--------------------

Kelly--------Skrtle-----Sakho--------Flannagan

-----------------Lucas-----------------------
Sterling------Henderson-Gerrard---------Coutinho

-----------------Suarez-------------------------

I'd rather we stayed away from 3-5-2 until we have a reliable Right Full Back. Feel quietly confident about Enrique playing in this formation but with him out injured and us having Aly Cissokho on the left and Johnson who is abysmal at the moment on the right it is a recipe for dropping points. I'd be happy to see it when Enrigue is back and Kelly tried on the right but that won't happen because Rodgers for some reason won't grow the back bone to drop Johnson. SAS will score goals regardless of the formation so our main priority at the moment is making sure we are solid defensively because we seem to have a mentality of just trying to out score the opposition in a gung ho manner, obviously the aim is to out score the opposition but we seem prepared to let in 2+ goals just so long as we get 3 or 4 etc. Far too risky of a formation with the current crop of defensive players, especially against the better teams.

We need full backs. Johnson hasn't been at his best but he's not been as bad as people are saying he's been, and for the fist time I saw the reason why we loaned Cissokho in against Stoke. He played well, got forward, got an assist , and generally looked pretty solid. Maybe he's finally settled down after an unsure start with the injury he got on his debut. But full backs are fundamental to the way we play. So I'd be happy to go back to 3-5-2 to benefit Sturridge and Suarez. Though it wouldn't benefit Sterling who may have been our best player (bar Suarez) over the course of the last month or so. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not bothered about conceding goals as long as we're banging more in at the other end. So I'm not concerned with conceding 3 goals at stoke because we scored 5. They had conceded 7 goals at home all season in 10 games, and we scored 5...  They Kept clean sheets against City and Everton, beat Chelsea and have only lost once there all season and we scored 5... People really haven't been acknowledging how good the positives were from that match. But we've conceded about 5 goals more than anyone else in the league from set pieces, and that's not a formation problem, When we used 3-5-2 before I thought it did work very well we just kept conceding from corners and free kicks. But generally speaking, I'd be happy to go back to 3-5-2 because tactically, we used it really well. Maybe not now though, as we currently we only have about 2 and half fit center backs. Not sure what the situation is with Sakho.

Not for me. Aside from it affording both Sturridge and Suarez to play as out an out strikers I cannot see much else going for it. The reasons being

- If you play 3 at the back you are effectively saying we have three players who will not get involved offensively, they are no threat, they will rarely venture beyond the half way line. Play a traditional 4 at the back and this is only true of 2 players

- Playing 3 at the back means you virtually sacrifice the opportunity to get any overloads/2 v 1s in wide areas because you don't want any of your free centre-halves bombing on in the manner of a full-back.

- Our play became too functional playing this set-up, yes the two boys up front got the goals but we couldn't keep hold of the ball nearly as well andi don't think we created as many chances. And it's not as if there was a noticeable improvement in our shaky defensive record whilst we played it.

- Who plays on the left? There's no getting away from the fact that Cissoko is hapless, being completely carried if were honest. But at least he has a good engine and is able to over lap or provide a pass option for Coutinho at times. The minute you ask him to be your ONLY option out wide your in trouble. And with Johnson's drop in form would you want him as your main option on the opposite side? Not for me.

I don't think we need to do it just to accommodate two strikers. If Brendan wants to play with two up then stick with 4-4-2, it can work against the lesser sides, particularly at Anfield BUT don't make the mistake of trying it against the better sides. You only have to look at Spurs, Sherwood has them playing 4-4-2 and it's working pretty well until they run into the Arsenals of this world. My preference would be to stick with what we've got, we're playing some scintilating stuff as it is let Luis play the 9 and Sturridge can play inside right with Coutinho or Sterling on the opposite side. They are all intelligent players who have all shown chemistry when playing together and the natural interchanges from box to Wing and vice versa will be a bastar...d for the opposition to deal with.

I was a big advocate for the 3-5-2 earlier in the season as it produced some good results, even though the performances weren't vintage.  However, I think Scott has hit the nail on the head.  If we had better wing backs who could patrol the entire flank on their own and be effective on both sides of the ball then I'd think we could really entertain making the switch.  However, Johno has been hapless this season, and Aly is one of the worst defenders I've ever seen at this club (in the same category as Konchesky).  Based on this alone I think we are better off staying with a more practical 4-3-3.

4-2-2-2.

It's been arguably our best formation over the last few seasons.

My point is that if we play 3-5-2. We can just put in our strongest 11 into the starting line up,
it is very favourable when compared to 4-5-1 with two obvious weak link, the RB and LB.
It is my formation:

      -----------GK-----------

      ---CB------CB------CB---

Sterling-----Gerra/Lucas-----Hendo
                     
-------------Coutin--------------

------ Suarez ----- Sturrig-------

Do Sterling & Hendo suit this formation is the main question but in what I know
these two guys can run all day, their engine is capable of covering the whole sideline,
Sterling is useful in defend over lazy Johnson so it should be an upgrade in right side defend also.

This formation don't requires to sacrify Sterling, suit SAS, make the best use of the two forrest Gump in our team. And most importantly eliminate the worst 2 links in our formation. It will probably worth a try!

I know ppls are against this formation since we were completely outplayed by Arsenal with it but we were using two wrong persons Flana&Aly in the most important spots, so it didnt count.


PS. I tried this in the FM and it works ! ...ok it is just a joke

4-2-2-2.

It's been arguably our best formation over the last few seasons.

I prefer the 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 but it's never been popular,leaves you exposed in wide areas.

Not for me.

Keep 4 at the back and drop Lucas for certain games (Villa this weekend for one) and play Coutinho behind Suarez and Sturridge, I think Sterling at the moment is on top form so has to be included as well. Henderson and Gerrard as the midfield 2.

Doesnt need to be rigid up top either, all 4 can interchange.

No. We're leaky enough as it is without making matters worse and your proposed formation would leave us horribly suceptible to being overrun in the midfield. Remember the Arsenal game?

We're not good enough in the wide areas to justify switching to 3 at the back. We need attacking wing backs with speed, creativity and the ability to tackle when we don't have the ball. IMO, we don't have a single full back that does all that.

No thanks. We have even less chance of keeping clean sheets.

Our best team and formation is this:

-----------------------------Mignolet-----------------------

Johnson---------Agger----------------Skrtel------------Enrique

-----------New DM player signed in January--Gerrard------

Sterling---------------------Suarez------------------Coutinho

----------------------------Sturridge------------------------


Now, that then allows us to swap Henderson/ Coutinho/ Sterling in and out based on tactics, form and fitness. Sakho to provide Agger and Skrtel with competition.

It allows Sturridge to play centrally, and Suarez to do what he always does which is just play where he wants.

It's essentially a 4-2-3-1, but you could call it 4-3-3, with some of the latter 6 in staggered positions, whatever. It's the best set-up. Until we do get a powerful, disciplined CM player to hold the midfield with Gerrard, I'd play Henderson in there. Allen on the bench. Lucas hopefully sold.

If we were going to play 3-5-2 I would do it like this:

                       Mignolet
           Skrtel      Agger      Sakho
  Henderson                            Johnson
                  Gerrard    Lucas
                       Coutinho
                  Suarez Sturridge

With Enrique coming back into the side as soon as he's fit. To be honest though I see no reason at all to change to 3-5-2, I think it exposes our weaknesses and the benefits of getting both into striking positions will be more than lost in the lack of service they'll receive and the goals we'd ship.

Sturridge and Suarez are both incredible players, they should have no problem sharing the striking responsibility and the work load of one of the wider players in the 4-3-3 we more naturally play. Our concern can never be to make sure Luis gets the golden boot or breaks shed loads of records, neither can it to be to keep Sturridge 100% happy playing only as a striker. We should fit the pieces together the best they can and that is a 4-3-3 with alternating strikers/wide-forwards.

No thanks. We have even less chance of keeping clean sheets.

Our best team and formation is this:

-----------------------------Mignolet-----------------------

Johnson---------Agger----------------Skrtel------------Enrique

-----------New DM player signed in January--Gerrard------

Sterling---------------------Suarez------------------Coutinho

----------------------------Sturridge------------------------


Now, that then allows us to swap Henderson/ Coutinho/ Sterling in and out based on tactics, form and fitness. Sakho to provide Agger and Skrtel with competition.

It allows Sturridge to play centrally, and Suarez to do what he always does which is just play where he wants.

It's essentially a 4-2-3-1, but you could call it 4-3-3, with some of the latter 6 in staggered positions, whatever. It's the best set-up. Until we do get a powerful, disciplined CM player to hold the midfield with Gerrard, I'd play Henderson in there. Allen on the bench. Lucas hopefully sold.

I'm with Chats on this plus it's looking increasingly likely that we won't sign anyone in January, let alone a DM.