Change of system

Id be worried that no matter what system we play we will struggle to score goals. I think we will own the ball in the majority of games but lack a killer pass in the final 3rd and a poacher to sniff out half chances

Sounds like last year continued mate.

I love all this talk of tiki taka (not).

F**k me, what's all this bollocks about players not fitting the system?.

For f**k's sake, if a player can't pass a ball, move into space to accept a pass, press hard to win the ball back and tackle then they shouldn't be playing football anywhere in the world.

All this tiki taka bollocks is our 'pass and move' philosophy, it pisses me off when i see other sides and managers passing it off as their own style. It's our style, we f**king invented it for f**k's sake!.

All tiki taka pass and move football requires is players that can pass, can make themselves available to receive a pass, controlling the ball, winning the ball back and putting it in the onion bag.

Why do people have to complicate it?. It really does pain me to see Liverpool supporters on here jizzing over tiki taka when it's just a slightly modified copy of the football we invented, perfected and watched others try to emulate.

I'd bet my bottom dollar that the majority of Brendan's philosophy was gleaned from watching Liverpool when he was growing up. The football side that is, obviously the science side will always be a work in progress due to evolution and technological advancement.

This. It's not Brendan Rodgers system, or some Spanish system. All he's doing is tweaking a system which already existed.

All players at this level should have the technical ability to pass and receive a pass coming in at pace (i'm always surprised at the amount of players who can't though). Where Rodgers is right when he puts forward his own ideas, is that he's looking for players who have the courage to do this in tight spaces, and not sh*t themselves and just abandon their technical gifts if they're under pressure.

It's mental as well as technical, and Joe Allen is the epitome of this system for us at the moment, which is why he should be playing further up, and why Lucas is such a loss to us.

Sounds like last year continued mate.

Yeah, but this year we're more open to counter attacks.

Yeah, but this year we're more open to counter attacks.

4-3-3 ?

Last year we were open to counter attacks.
I don't see a massive change in how we are set out really.

Lucas would have been the holding central midfielder, with Allen and Gerrard ahead.
Allen was sitting deeper than Gerrard. Now Allen is holding with Sahin and Gerrard ahead.

Call it an asymmetric 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 but it revolves around the same three core players.

                    Lucas/Allen

                                                 Allen/Sahin

                    Gerrard/Shelvey

Swansea under Brendan had the same layout.
Call it 4-3-3 cause we need a label but defensively it appears more like a 4-2-3-1.

Given we would probably keep lining out that way for the season, when Lucas comes
back it gives us the option of a Gerrard False 9. Until then I'd continue with Allen, Sahin, Gerrard
and then, if we are to utilise Suarez as a front man, I'd consider dropping Borini.

Let's see how Assaidi performs. Surely himself or Sterling can perform an inverted winger role on the right.
Currently we have nobody to come on upfront and change things. Borini seems wasted out wide and
we don't want to burn out Suarez. I'd have Borini on the bench as an option.

Given our lack of squad depth we could also have Suso on the right for some of the Europa League games
and also look to the likes of Pelosi, Ngoo and Yesil. We know Brendan likes Morgan's workrate but Ngoo had
the better form last season. Suso gives us an option on the right. Given Pelosi is in the same role as Sterling
and Pacheco he probably wont get much game time, but then Pacheco mustn't figure in Brendan's plans either.

I don't think switching between 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 affects our system much. It would be much better to have the
ability to change between the two when needed. 4-2-3-1 would suggest that 2 midfielders have the responsibility
of the holding roles, where in 4-3-3 the responsibility is on 1 primarily with the other 2 interchanging.

I don't think the system is the biggest decision we have to make. I think we need to take stock of the players we
are left with to execute it and how best to involve them all. We are also going to need youth to dig us out of a hole
here. Sterling, Shelvey, Kelly are all up to the task. Robinson, Morgan, Ngoo I think have a lot more work to do before
they are anything more than Cup players. Hard to gauge Suso as he has been sitting out a 4 game ban. The obvious
contenders on top of that then to help out our attacking options are Assaidi and Yesil, but we will now need to temper
our enthusiasm for these players to perform.

We're going to have to throw some of these youngster in at the deep end and hope they can swim.
Some of us have been talking them up, myself included, for a few years now.
Guess we're going to see how far they have come pretty soon.

Just play with a false #9 and a false #10.


Problem sorted.

Last year we were open to counter attacks.
I don't see a massive change in how we are set out really.

Lucas would have been the holding central midfielder, with Allen and Gerrard ahead.
Allen was sitting deeper than Gerrard. Now Allen is holding with Sahin and Gerrard ahead.

Call it an asymmetric 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 but it revolves around the same three core players.

                    Lucas/Allen

                                                 Allen/Sahin

                    Gerrard/Shelvey

Swansea under Brendan had the same layout.
Call it 4-3-3 cause we need a label but defensively it appears more like a 4-2-3-1.

Given we would probably keep lining out that way for the season, when Lucas comes
back it gives us the option of a Gerrard False 9. Until then I'd continue with Allen, Sahin, Gerrard
and then, if we are to utilise Suarez as a front man, I'd consider dropping Borini.

Let's see how Assaidi performs. Surely himself or Sterling can perform an inverted winger role on the right.
Currently we have nobody to come on upfront and change things. Borini seems wasted out wide and
we don't want to burn out Suarez. I'd have Borini on the bench as an option.

Given our lack of squad depth we could also have Suso on the right for some of the Europa League games
and also look to the likes of Pelosi, Ngoo and Yesil. We know Brendan likes Morgan's workrate but Ngoo had
the better form last season. Suso gives us an option on the right. Given Pelosi is in the same role as Sterling
and Pacheco he probably wont get much game time, but then Pacheco mustn't figure in Brendan's plans either.

I don't think switching between 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 affects our system much. It would be much better to have the
ability to change between the two when needed. 4-2-3-1 would suggest that 2 midfielders have the responsibility
of the holding roles, where in 4-3-3 the responsibility is on 1 primarily with the other 2 interchanging.

I don't think the system is the biggest decision we have to make. I think we need to take stock of the players we
are left with to execute it and how best to involve them all. We are also going to need youth to dig us out of a hole
here. Sterling, Shelvey, Kelly are all up to the task. Robinson, Morgan, Ngoo I think have a lot more work to do before
they are anything more than Cup players. Hard to gauge Suso as he has been sitting out a 4 game ban. The obvious
contenders on top of that then to help out our attacking options are Assaidi and Yesil, but we will now need to temper
our enthusiasm for these players to perform.

We're going to have to throw some of these youngster in at the deep end and hope they can swim.
Some of us have been talking them up, myself included, for a few years now.
Guess we're going to see how far they have come pretty soon.

Think I've missed something here.

Think I've missed something here.

Namely me talking about our system and the players at our disposal.
Whats to miss?

Namely me talking about our system and the players at our disposal.
Whats to miss?

Just look at the sentence in bold. Didn't hear anything about that...

Just look at the sentence in bold. Didn't hear anything about that...

Can't scroll down the quote on my phone.

Can't scroll down the quote on my phone.

It was on Suso racer, about the ban and such.

It was on Suso racer, about the ban and such.

Yeah...

Four match ban for two reds last season.
Thats why he hasn't featured in any games since the season started.

Four match ban for two reds last season.
Thats why he hasn't featured in any games since the season started.

Sure hope we see him get some time this year, he could be very important to our future.

Imagine a proficient Suso and being able to convince Sahin to stay?

Even when Stevie retires...Sahin-Allen-Lucas-Shelvey-Suso-Henderson

Midfield sorted buy forwards!

Sure hope we see him get some time this year, he could be very important to our future.

Imagine a proficient Suso and being able to convince Sahin to stay?

Even when Stevie retires...Sahin-Allen-Lucas-Shelvey-Suso-Henderson

Midfield sorted buy forwards!

If they sort out Suso's contract.
Not just Agger who needs a new deal.

I think we don't need to change the system but only the players' position. 1.Swap Borini and Suarez. 2.Drop Reina and Gerrard when needed, 3.play Henderson/Pacheco just for competition and I'm sure we'll be more than fine.

Downing is definitively of no use to our team as a winger/striker. I've never seen a player in a red shirt having so little influence on our team.

 I do understand your worrying, against Arsenal we gave good players to much time and space in our own half, if we continue to give good players that much time and space it will be a long difficult season.

 My own personal feeling is when we play the better teams we should go 4 5 1 and control the midfield or at worst nullify the opposition, it would not be the most attractive option but it is an option which should get us some points

 When we play the lesser teams 4 3 3 is the right formation, it should give us the most attacking options and we are good enough to beat most teams using simple pass and move tactics.   

I think we don't need to change the system but only the players' position. 1.Swap Borini and Suarez. 2.Drop Reina and Gerrard when needed, 3.play Henderson/Pacheco just for competition and I'm sure we'll be more than fine.

Downing is definitively of no use to our team as a winger/striker. I've never seen a player in a red shirt having so little influence on our team.

Have to agree with Alex here. We should sell Downing as soon as possible. He looks out of sorts recently, and maybe a bit unsettled as well due to the fact that Sterling is currently playing very well and showing great potential.

Just play with a false #9 and a false #10.


Problem sorted.

As long as FALSE can put the ball in the opposition net I am not worried if he wears number 9 or number 10.How did Brendan Rodgers manage to sign this striker False and where did we get him from.Mind you if we have got 2 strikers named FALSE on the pitch at the same time it could be a bit confusing.

As long as FALSE can put the ball in the opposition net I am not worried if he wears number 9 or number 10.How did Brendan Rodgers manage to sign this striker False and where did we get him from.Mind you if we have got 2 strikers named FALSE on the pitch at the same time it could be a bit confusing.

We're already playing with a false no 1 (no25)

I'm suggesting 4-2-3-1 because it gives us two midfielders sitting deep protecting the 2 center backs when our full backs are up field, the majority of the seven goals that we have conceded is because our center backs have been left exposed and in my opinion that will continue to happen.

Wouldn't be so bad if we were creating a hat full of chances and we had a clinical center forward that was putting them away but we haven't, I know its only 3 games in the league but we've conceded 3 times more than what we have scored, that's a pretty frightening and damning statistic.

I'm suggesting 4-2-3-1 because it gives us two midfielders sitting deep protecting the 2 center backs when our full backs are up field, the majority of the seven goals that we have conceded is because our center backs have been left exposed and in my opinion that will continue to happen.

Wouldn't be so bad if we were creating a hat full of chances and we had a clinical center forward that was putting them away but we haven't, I know its only 3 games in the league but we've conceded 3 times more than what we have scored, that's a pretty frightening and damning statistic.

As much as people we laud this 4-3-3 system, Rodgers often used 4-2-3-1 at Swansea.

               Britton
                                 Allen
     Sigurdsson           

Can easily be seen as
 
        Britton          Allen

             Sigurdsson

That would be fine for us if Lucas was still fit.

        Lucas           Allen

               Gerrard

Not so sure on how well it works with Sahin and Shelvey.
Obviously Sahin will need more games before we can see his true worth.

Gerrard and Shelvey should be the attacking options.
With that in mind I'd have no problem with a change of system with a
diamond or false 9

                Allen

Shelvey                Sahin

              Gerrard

^ That was my point earlier. It depends on how you line up the 4-3-3. Sahin is naturally a deep CM, so it's like playing 4-2-3-1 with the wingers/wide forwards pushed up a little bit higher.