3 Up Front Cud B The Key??

[Barnes]

i think 3 up front cud reli work with lennon carrick and huddlestone behind them and behind them ghaly king dawson and ekotto that is pretty gd to me although yes i know that leaves zokora, jenas, tainio out but oh well id gd team!!!

Robinson

Ghaly King Dawson Ekotto

Lennon Carrick Huddlestone

Keane
Berbatov Defoe
Bench:
Fulop
Lee
Jenas
Zokora
Barnard

[suBerb]

Zokora on the bench??? think not a good idea...

[highlander]

not too sure if id agree with Ghaly at RB considering none of us have seen hijm play there or play at all

[SurreySpur]

i think 3 up front cud reli work with lennon carrick and huddlestone behind them and behind them ghaly king dawson and ekotto that is pretty gd to me although yes i know that leaves zokora, jenas, tainio out but oh well id gd team!!!

Robinson

Ghaly King Dawson Ekotto

Lennon Carrick Huddlestone

Keane
Berbatov Defoe
Bench:
Fulop
Lee
Jenas
Zokora
Barnard

In order to play that system the three midfielders need to be very strong and dynamic. Lennon Carrick and Huddlestone wouldn't suit the formation at all, also it would waste aaron lennons talent. zokora, tainio/jenas, carrick would work but it raises the question of where lennon fits in. Behind the front two perhaps.

I just cant see it being a formation that would benefit us at all.

[choda]

i think 3 up front cud reli work with lennon carrick and huddlestone behind them and behind them ghaly king dawson and ekotto that is pretty gd to me although yes i know that leaves zokora, jenas, tainio out but oh well id gd team!!!

Robinson

Ghaly King Dawson Ekotto

Lennon Carrick Huddlestone

Keane
Berbatov Defoe
Bench:
Fulop
Lee
Jenas
Zokora
Barnard

Sorry mate... but I think that would be a total disaster. Huddlestone isn't mobile to play on the left in a diamond, and lennon is an out and out winger, he isn't physically strong enough on play on the right of a diamond. He'd be drawn in field into the battle. And it wouldn't put him into the positions where he is very good, which is getting the ball in space and running at people. We've also tried Keano there (behind Kanoute and Defoe) and it didn't work at all, it is a waste of his talents. It's not his position, too deep. Is Ghaly a good player, never seen him play, is he a right back? Is Ekotto ready for the first team? Is he any good yet?

[Danishspurs]

Can't see it happen either, but what about Keano in a left wing position allowed to move around a run channels.. And JJ/Zokora and Carrick centraly with Lennon on the right..

[Welsh Spur]

I touted Keane as a possibility for the left side on here about a month ago, and got completely slated for the idea.

[Spur]

The only problem with people suggesting things like this is that we are trying to play our best players, not our best team.

[Welsh Spur]

Yes, but we have no one who has laid claim to the left side, I think Keane could do a job there. I'm not just trying to accomodate him into the side.

[Gregzy]

I think we all know that 4-3-3 may dazzle against the likes of Birmingham, but for the vast majority of our Prem and cup games we will need the rigidity that a 442 provides. Having said that, it becomes a potentially match-winning option to revert to, so I expect to see us switching between the two formations.

[highlander]

it becomes a potentially match-winning option to revert to.


thats exactly what i think it was tried out for

[choda]

Yes, but we have no one who has laid claim to the left side, I think Keane could do a job there. I'm not just trying to accomodate him into the side.

Keano's abilities are all in and around the box. He's got a quick brain, great skill in tight areas and an eye for getting a yard of space. He would be totally wasted on the left wing.

Just because he's got more to his game than Defoe you want to move him. I don't know why you'd want to do that, you need your best strikers playing up front.

We don't want Keane doing a job or filling a hole, we want him producing the magic he did last season. He's not a midfielder. Shunting him out to the left would be crazy.

[Chinaman]

I think we all know that 4-3-3 may dazzle against the likes of Birmingham, but for the vast majority of our Prem and cup games we will need the rigidity that a 442 provides. Having said that, it becomes a potentially match-winning option to revert to, so I expect to see us switching between the two formations.


You're absolutely right. Jol is just now trying to work on the 433 option, knowing that he'll have no problem with 442 with the personnel at his disposal.

[spurs61]

How would Lennon fit into a 4-3-3 formation? We also lack the quality full backs to play that formation. In fact it is only really our central midfield who would be suited to that line up (Jenas, Zokora and Carrick/Taino). I can't really see MJ putting Keane, Berbatov and Defoe on the pitch at the same time unless we are losing with 20 mins to go. Playing all three leaves us with no options on the bench to change the game or bring a striker off if neccessary. Nice idea but we are three or four player awasy from being able to play 4-3-3. How about 3-5-2 with no full backs and Lennon and a leftie raiding forward? Carrick or Zokora can cover the back three giving licence to the wingers and other midfielders to push on.

[Danishspurs]

I'm pretty sure that Jol in one of the matches in france tried a 4-2-3-1 formation with Defoe on the left of the three, Keano just behind Berba and router on the right... Could be an idea...

[suBerb]

in an interview to a Bulgarian newspaper, Berbie said that he is very impressed by Router's technical skills...So, this lad may do something really important this season...

[spurs61]

I'm pretty sure that Jol in one of the matches in france tried a 4-2-3-1 formation with Defoe on the left of the three, Keano just behind Berba and router on the right... Could be an idea...

That is exactly what I'm driving at, the formation basically allows the team to attack and defend in waves. It ensures that at least one of the holding midfielders arrives late in the box. I'm not convinced that Routledge won't be anything more than a back up to Lennon this season unless we can't recruit a left winger.

[Danishspurs]

That is exactly what I'm driving at, the formation basically allows the team to attack and defend in waves. It ensures that at least one of the holding midfielders arrives late in the box. I'm not convinced that Routledge won't be anything more than a back up to Lennon this season unless we can't recruit a left winger.
Yeah, I know... But Lennon wasn't returned from vacation when we played this formation...

But maybe router could play on the left, as I can't really see Defoe play as a left winger..

[Spur]

Defoe drifts out mainly to the left. So it could be possible.

[choda]

Defoe drifts out mainly to the left. So it could be possible.

It is a possibility, but Jol would have to be careful with the balance. Liverpool play a kind of 42211 system which would maybe suit our players. This wouldn't move Keane from what he was doing last season.

I think Defoe could work out there because you don't need a football brain to play on the wings. He's quick, he can run at players and he'd be able to flash crosses across goal or shoot, and that's all you need out wide. But of course it could also be a dismal failure, he's only ever played up front and he is maybe only naturally a striker too.

[DarlinginJapan]

The 433 has to be a backup plan to utilise if and when we need it. So the question is if we're going with 442 (seems likely) who are the 2 up front?

On current form Berby and Defoe, but Keane was great for us last season.
Ah! The trouble of having so many great players to choose from!

[Welsh Spur]

I Know, It worries me that some of our players will want to leave because they aren't playing enough, but at the same time the fact I can't even decide on a starting eleven says a lot about how far our squad has come....

[DonJolSpurano]

i dont think its going to be a rigid 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 we play this season.

i see it being more like this:

a three man midfield then keane in 'the hole' and two up top.

OR

a midfield made of three central midfielders and lennon on one wing. then keane dropping deep and left with berbatov up front.

OR

a three man midfield, berbatov upfront and two support forwards or wingers.

we wont be playing a flat four with 2 wingers and then 2 strikers, it would make us weak defensively.

jol doesnt belive in this formation and reading his WC summaries in the times this summer, believes a rigid 4-4-2 to be "dead" and with more and more teams playing the dire 4-5-1, we'll need more central midfielders to make us competitive in the middle. then we'll probably have a variation of one or two support forwards behind the main striker(s).

[suBerb]

i dont think its going to be a rigid 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 we play this season.

i see it being more like this:

a three man midfield then keane in 'the hole' and two up top.

OR

a midfield made of three central midfielders and lennon on one wing. then keane dropping deep and left with berbatov up front.

OR

a three man midfield, berbatov upfront and two support forwards or wingers.

we wont be playing a flat four with 2 wingers and then 2 strikers, it would make us weak defensively.

jol doesnt belive in this formation and reading his WC summaries in the times this summer, believes a rigid 4-4-2 to be "dead" and with more and more teams playing the dire 4-5-1, we'll need more central midfielders to make us competitive in the middle. then we'll probably have a variation of one or two support forwards behind the main striker(s).


totally agree

[DarlinginJapan]

with more and more teams playing the dire 4-5-1, we'll need more central midfielders

More midfielders? We've got about 40, especially in the middle! I'd be happy for us to get rid of one or two (but not Carrick)

[Welsh Spur]

I'd be happy to get rid, especially Carrick!

[JJ]

It will be 4-4-2. The ability to switch to 4-3-3 if needed is a very good one. It makes it very difficult for opposition to defend against if it's a system change we can naturally make.