THE new 3-4-1-2 formation looks like it’s going to be sticking around for a while.
Initially I thought that this was just a temporary way of us dealing with a few injuries here and there and I expected us to go back to 4-3-3 pretty imminently.
But that does not look to be the case anymore and it would certainly explain why Martin Skrtel was not sold in the late days of the transfer window, which was widely expected and heavily rumoured. If you intend to play three centre-halves every week, you’re going to need at least one spare on a weekly basis. We have two as we could bring Ilori into the fold whenever we wanted to.
If the new system is to stay, the early signs are encouraging. But the positive thing is that we have yet to see the best of the formation as of yet because we have yet to see two of the key components play.
Both Phil Coutinho and Glen Johnson are out injured at the moment but I am very much excited at the prospect of seeing them in their respective positions. Johnson will of course play in the right wing-back position, which has been a bit of an issue in recent weeks. I don’t think he’s perfect by any means and is in fact sometimes downright infuriating but the drop off in quality we experience when he’s unable to play is very noticeable.
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Coutinho will replace Victor Moses in that roaming role just behind the strikers. The mercurial little Brazilian has thrived when drifting infield from his usual position of wide left and has caused chaos with the understanding he has developed with Daniel Sturridge in particular. This formation is tailor made to get him playing centrally, which is where he does appear to be at his most troublesome.
With such huge improvements to come with these two players, the future does look bright for the system and in many ways it is perfect for us. It enhances our strengths and protects our weaknesses, although no Johnson is a massive weakness.
With Martin Kelly still regaining fitness and Andre Wisdom not impressing in his performances so far this season, we have struggled with the right wing-back position. Sterling was not particularly impressive against Crystal Palace and whilst Henderson is always a willing runner and will work tirelessly as full backs have to, his final ball has not been up to scratch and is wasted when he’s not played in central midfield where he continues to impress.
But the potential with Johnson and Coutinho is enormous. In a strange way my excitement to see Johnson back equals that of Coutinho. Moses has done ok in the advanced midfield position but it’s not somewhere I want to see him play every week. But we’ve had no real replacement for Johnson and whilst we have won games and won them well, that has been a noticeable issue.
Ultimately, it’s nice to be able to be so positive about the return of players and how they will aid our charge towards the top of the table.
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So much for all the tools that said he has no plan b
The tools are tools for a reason, they are short sighted and under football educated.
Nice article DT concise writing
The bottom truth is that we will need a plan B against the likes of westham and Hull etc
I need to watch matin kelly play. Dat guy deserves a chance. At least he was among our best 2 players against united last season wen he got injured!
BR does not have a plan b or plan c.
You are an uneducated fool
He is correct . You are a braindead moron ozred . Stick t your armchair and watch aussie rules . You are clueless
i tink toure should remain @ de rfb,whle johnson with attacking experience play wide de right…with henderson’ perfmance @ the midfield on saturdy,he surely deserve a chance to gve lucas a chase….proudly kopite
Rodgers inability to change a game by using a different formation or tactics is why he will never be a success at a top club
Dennis please leave your thoughts to yourself, no one wants to read your banal comments.
B Rodgers is doing what he can with the squad he has, he has made some shocking buys that are simply average at best: Alberto, Allen, Aspas, Assaidi, Borini. 40m wasted on average players
B Rodgers is a good manager, but he struggles to change games when we are winning 2 1 and opposition are pressing for equalizer, instead of killing of the opposition by bringing on more pace, speed, creativity out wide to catch opposition on the break he waits. This happened twice last season against Man City at the Ethihad and Against Arsenal at Emirates, it also happened this season away at Swansea.
The 3 5 2 formation is best suited with the players we have as in all honesty, G Johnson and L Enrique offer more class, creativity and goals to team than IBE, Moses and Sterling. When B Rodgers brings in better wingers to club, the 3 5 2 would not be used as much. But hopefully In January the owners back B Rodgers well with 55-65M to bring in five class quality players: Amongst them these two class pacey quick quality wingers :
1:M Salah(21) Of Basel for 10-15M to play on right wing as a right winger or a right wing forward
2:B Arfa(26) Of Newcastle for 12-16M to play on left wing as a Left winger or as a Left wing forward
And the other three players needed in January are as follows:
3: CM: Beñat Etxebarria Of A Bilbao for 10-14M to compete with Allen
4: DM: M’Vila(23) Of Rubin Kazan for 10-14M to compete and Cover Lucas Leiva
5: FD: A Hernandez(23) Of Palermo or Konstantinos Mitroglous (25) Of Olympiacos for 5-8M to compete with Sturridge and Suarez