Three Into Two

[cobain]

Yeah, Momo is becoming a key player for Liverpool And he's getting more upfield than last season. If he scores a goal he'll be a fcuking menace!!!

[Ryan]

Koptalk still alive and kicking is it?

[mark1975]

Koptalk still alive and kicking is it?

tehe.

[Don Quixote]

*isn't interested in being pulled into some polarising debate*

[Ryan]

Fcuk off then.

[univofchicago]

Rafa likes to play two in front of the back four, so that would be where Alonso and Momo play, and he likes two wide players with a central attacking midfielder, so that's where Gerrard will usually play. I think we're unlikely to see 4-4-2 very often, so will usually have just one up front, as Rafa has done all his career. When asked about his fondness for this formation once he said that it wasn't a question of how many strikers you play, it's more a question of how many players you get into the box at the end of a move, hence his liking for a big man holding play up (John Carew/Peter Crouch) and laying balls off to supporting midfielders. The trick is getting the players coached to do this properly. It's worked for him for years so he's not going to change now.

I see it now. That would be two in the middle, an attacking midfielder, 2 wingers and one striker up front. Right? That was actually a formation that I THOUGHT Rafa would use when he first arrived. Your point about being a "question of how many players you get into the box at the end of a move" is very interesting.

The formation has not been effective over the last two years, in my opinion, because we did not have two quality wingers to make that system work. In order to make the players "get into the box" you need wingers. Chelsea uses a very similiar system with two wingers and a striker up front. It works wonders for them because they had not only two but FOUR quality wingers. We saw how wingers are crucial to this system when we played them last year and this year at the CL/FA Cup semi-finals.

Now that we have Gonzalez and Pennant, it should be interesting how everything pans out...

[Ryan]

*isn't interested in being pulled into some polarising debate*

Which is ironic given your willingness to blabber on in the "polarising debates" in the 'Boardroom'...

[Reina]

For me, I would sample a back three of Carragher, Hyppia and Agger. this would accomadate a midfield of Sissoko as a holding midfield, Xabi and Stevie as central, Pennant on the right and then either Aurelio or Gonzalez on the left.

Sissoko as a holding midfielder? Surely not, he is not a holding midfielder.

[Don Quixote]

I don't know if you read what I actually said about you, but if you did, I don't know why it is so offensive. I didn't say you were a cnut and I can't stand you.

I said you were behaving oddly but were a good guy really.

Did you actually read it?

[univofchicago]

Sissoko as a holding midfielder? Surely not, he is not a holding midfielder.

He is kind of. But there are more to his game that just holding the midfield. Makelele and Vieira are classic examples of a complete holding midfielder. Let's say that Sissoko is a semi-holding midfielder

[Reina]

Rafa likes to play two in front of the back four, so that would be where Alonso and Momo play, and he likes two wide players with a central attacking midfielder, so that's where Gerrard will usually play. I think we're unlikely to see 4-4-2 very often, so will usually have just one up front, as Rafa has done all his career. When asked about his fondness for this formation once he said that it wasn't a question of how many strikers you play, it's more a question of how many players you get into the box at the end of a move, hence his liking for a big man holding play up (John Carew/Peter Crouch) and laying balls off to supporting midfielders. The trick is getting the players coached to do this properly. It's worked for him for years so he's not going to change now.

We played mostly with two strikers last season and it worked quite well.

[univofchicago]

I don't know if you read what I actually said about you, but if you did, I don't know why it is so offensive. I didn't say you were a cnut and I can't stand you.

I said you were behaving oddly but were a good guy really.

Did you actually read it?

Hey Don,

I presume you are talking to Ryan?

If you (like me) find his posts annoying, just put him on your IGNORE LIST. I put Ryan and Brendan on my ignore list after a couple of days here and its working great for me.

Hope this helps.

[Don Quixote]

Hey Don,

I presume you are talking to Ryan?

If you (like me) find his posts annoying, just put him on your IGNORE LIST. I put Ryan and Brendan on my ignore list after a couple of days here and its working great for me.

Hope this helps.

I'll put you on my ignore list, you loony.

[univofchicago]

We played mostly with two strikers last season and it worked quite well.

Yes, playing with two strikers has worked a lot better for us, but I just have a hunch that the ultimate formation for Rafa is the one Redspin just described. And as I said earlier, you need wingers to make that system work.

[univofchicago]

I'll put you on my ignore list, you loony.

Oh dear