World class players or "the system"?

There is a reason that top managers pay fortunes for top players and it is because no matter how good the system, it can always be improved by better players.

Indeed.

I think world class is banded around to often, I mean they said Torres was world class with us which was nuts in my opinion. Torres benefitted from a team set up just for him with a WORLD CLASS Stevie G feeding him. He leaves for the chavs and you can see how dire he can be in a different system. I believe we have two world class players in Stevie and Suarez at the moment which is why we went so close this season. I also believe in Sterling, Sturridge and Couthino we have players with the potential of stepping up in class as well and if the do it with us I will be happy.

Edit, forgot to add Henderson to the list of players who can make the step up to the next level still young and still learning.

A good manager, will play the best system, to suit the players he has...
Whether its the managers "preferred" system is another story.
With that said, i think decent teams, will change the system to counter the oppositions strengths...
But if you have a good system and world class players, to don't have to worry about opposition tactics, as you play to your own strengths...
Devils advocate.

Neither are present here, but you cannot have a good system that'll win you trophies without world class players. You need best of both worlds - we have neither.

I think Dortmund and Atletico have shown the strength of the collective. The easier answer is great players make a system better. The truth is most managers play the same tactics and so of course better players make it more effective. If you could truly shape a collective like Barcelona did a few years back you can see the benefits.

I think Dortmund and Atletico have shown the strength of the collective. The easier answer is great players make a system better. The truth is most managers play the same tactics and so of course better players make it more effective. If you could truly shape a collective like Barcelona did a few years back you can see the benefits.

Great players and great footballers has become an on going discussion at work lately, to go a little off tangent.  I think that although some overlap exists, they are two distinct types.  Great footballers are individual talents and they, for mostly for good reasons, get most of the glory, press and attention but they tend to need players of a similar ability around them.  Great players don't get the attention they deserve, whilst sometimes not as talented as the other group, they make players around them look better, they work not only within their strengths but utilise the strengths of the players around them, Peter Beardsley springs to mind.

I don't know why you would even consider world class players that don't suit the system. That's as bad as our current transfer policy and not one any manager anywhere in the world would employ. You bring in world class players that slot straight in to your system. The issue is that when we try we're turned down. Excuses have ranged from Liverpool not being London to not being in the Champions League which leads many to believe it's to do with the wage structure. Whatever it is, it needs to change.

Everything starts with the quality of the players.

I don't know why you would even consider world class players that don't suit the system.
That's as bad as our current transfer policy and not one any manager anywhere in the world would employ.

You bring in world class players that slot straight in to your system.

The issue is that when we try we're turned down. Excuses have ranged from Liverpool not being London to not being in the Champions League which leads many to believe it's to do with the wage structure. Whatever it is, it needs to change.

.... but "World Class"  Box Of Frogs Balo signed for us ... after an alleged three hour convincing conversation from Brendan.

 

World Class players.
To suit the system.

QED.

World Class players.
To suit the system.

QED.

Problem is I am not sure anyone knows just what our system is any more.

Last season the idea seemed to be to win the ball back quickly, get it up to Suarez and Sturridge as fast as possible, throw players forward to support them and wait for the goals to flow.

This season we don't seem to know whether to play it around at the back, whether to press or drop back and whether to support the striker or run past him to get in the box.

Not sure if the teams in transition or in need of a total rebuild.

Problem is I am not sure anyone knows just what our system is any more.

Last season the idea seemed to be to win the ball back quickly, get it up to Suarez and Sturridge as fast as possible, throw players forward to support them and wait for the goals to flow.

This season we don't seem to know whether to play it around at the back, whether to press or drop back and whether to support the striker or run past him to get in the box.

Not sure if the teams in transition or in need of a total rebuild.

Or we fu**ed everything up by not signing players that were suited to the attacking style.

I suppose we could also argue that last season Brendan put a system together to suit our two best players and now we are seeing what he wanted as a system. This argument would explain our youth teams remaining 4231

Or we fu**ed everything up by not signing players that were suited to the attacking style.

I suppose we could also argue that last season Brendan put a system together to suit our two best players and now we are seeing what he wanted as a system. This argument would explain our youth teams remaining 4231

I agree mate. I think Brendan's original intention was to play with only one striker with Sturridge coming in off the wing and that Sturridge wasn't bought as a partner for Suarez, but when he saw how prolific they both were he changed his ideas and went with two.

As Brendan said :-

They're both different types of players. I wouldn't say they're a partnership. They both have a goal-scoring mentality. They'll arrive in the same areas, but how they get there is different. They have different qualities.
Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/281127.html#dzfrUXdduhWdg1D3.99

 

For me it is the system. Our DM is weak and that results in an imbalanced formation. Every new player has under performed compared to their previous season, including MB.

Neither are present here, but you cannot have a good system that'll win you trophies without world class players. You need best of both worlds - we have neither.

Disagree, the system was fine last year with a healthy Sturridge and Suarez.

Problem is I am not sure anyone knows just what our system is any more.

Agree.

I'm convinced the manager isn't even too sure right now.

I think he's caught between last season's style, trying to play to a 'target man's' strengths and going back to his more familiar style.

With the exception of not having S&S up front,  there's no reason why we can't still play positive attacking football like last season.
Our wing backs still like to get forward and get involved in the attacks,  Lallana is a great link up man,  and  is the perfect guy to play alongside Coutinho,  Can looks like he fits well into an attacking team, Sterling is still Sterling,  and although he won't score many, Fabio will make the runs.

For whatever reason our attacks are very slow in comparison to last season,  maybe Brendan is trying to show that he's not a one trick pony, but it's not working out.
I say go back to last seasons tactics,  if it ain't broken.......