442 from now on please.

[Baldemort]

442 is the way to go. If we are to win the league this season, we can't afford to keep playing squad members who just aren't performing at the moment, such as Lucas and Mash. I know there are folks who think Lucas will come good, as will Mash once again, but they aren't doing it right now and haven't been for most of the season. That leaves us with Alonso and Stevie as our only two top notch central midfielders. If we are to win the league we cannot afford to have a team carrying poor performers. Play Stevie and Alonso in the middle of a 442 and it also allows Keane and Nando to finally click as a pair up front. Whack Riera on the left and Dirk on the right and just go for it.

I'd rather pick our strongest 11 and find a formation that they fit into, in this case 442. As opposed to sticking steadfastly with 4231 and making do with the personnel required to make that formation work.

442 please, Rafa.

[Norbs]

442 is the way to go. If we are to win the league this season, we can't afford to keep playing squad members who just aren't performing at the moment, such as Lucas and Mash. I know there are folks who think Lucas will come good, as will Mash once again, but they aren't doing it right now and haven't been for most of the season. That leaves us with Alonso and Stevie as our only two top notch central midfielders. If we are to win the league we cannot afford to have a team carrying poor performers. Play Stevie and Alonso in the middle of a 442 and it also allows Keane and Nando to finally click as a pair up front. Whack Riera on the left and Dirk on the right and just go for it.

I'd rather pick our strongest 11 and find a formation that they fit into, in this case 442. As opposed to sticking steadfastly with 4231 and making do with the personnel required to make that formation work.

442 please, Rafa.

4231 is fine, just so long as Kuyt is the one on the right, Torres is up front and Mascher & Lucas aren't paired together in midfield.

[Craig_H]

4231 is fine, just so long as Kuyt is the one on the right, Torres is up front and Mascher & Lucas aren't paired together in midfield.

If Torres is the 1, then 4231 is fine, i agree.

442 is the way to go. If we are to win the league this season, we can't afford to keep playing squad members who just aren't performing at the moment, such as Lucas and Mash. I know there are folks who think Lucas will come good, as will Mash once again, but they aren't doing it right now and haven't been for most of the season. That leaves us with Alonso and Stevie as our only two top notch central midfielders. If we are to win the league we cannot afford to have a team carrying poor performers. Play Stevie and Alonso in the middle of a 442 and it also allows Keane and Nando to finally click as a pair up front. Whack Riera on the left and Dirk on the right and just go for it.

I'd rather pick our strongest 11 and find a formation that they fit into, in this case 442. As opposed to sticking steadfastly with 4231 and making do with the personnel required to make that formation work.

442 please, Rafa.

I'm afraid you cant say they arent doing it at the moment and drop them because of it, and then at the same time pick Keane. He isnt doing it either.

[Baldemort]

Keane is different though as when he does score he gets dropped. Has he even played since scoring 3 in 2 games? He is a confidence player so in my eyes he has been mismanaged. The other reason for playing him is that he will compliment torres very very well. He is not a lone striker which is how he has been played but is more suited to playing just behind torres.

[rudedog]

Keane is different though as when he does score he gets dropped. Has he even played since scoring 3 in 2 games? He is a confidence player so in my eyes he has been mismanaged. The other reason for playing him is that he will compliment torres very very well. He is not a lone striker which is how he has been played but is more suited to playing just behind torres.

Yes - he played the cup game and was absolutely shocking in front of goal - missed about 5 sitters.

[Marky]

Aye it is.

------------ Reina -----------

Carragher --- Hyypia --- Agger --- Aurelio

Gerrard -- Mascherano -- Alonso -- Riera

--- Keane --- Torres

[wiw]

At home yes, I agree. Away, Stevie off Nando is the way to go

[Slinky Skills]

Who gives a **** what formation we play in. I couldn't care less to be honest. The players on the pitch can play in any position, they're more than good enough.

What's the point on saying drop Lucas, get rid of him and drop Mascherano, what a crock of ****. Lucas has played well these last few games and he wasn't the worst player last weekend.

Mascherano hasn't been that bad either so I don't see the point in dropping him. Monster is savage and has been brilliant for us. It baffles me why as soon as we have a **** performance everyone is on the players back. I know it's a forum and all but try and put some positive thinking into it, the negativity on this site is ****ing unreal!

We're top of the league, I know Utd are closing in but **** it. If we're going to be a bunch of pussies then we may as well throw the towel in now and hand it to Utd. It's going to be ages before we get another opportunity like this again so ****ing enjoy the challenge and the battle with those scum bag cunts, and back every single player on that team whether you think they're ****e or not and have some confidence in Rafa and his selections and formations.

[Baldemort]

So let them just play in any position, eh? Cracking riposte. Yeh i know, lets pick two centre backs and play 352. Ok.

and just how is it a crock of ****? Over the course of a season, stevie and alonso have been by far our best centre mids. If alonso and and stevie are fit, they are by far our best option in the middle. Playing 442 allows us to finally use our £20 mill signing in the position he plays best in.

actually nah, maybe you are right after all. Lets have stevie at right back and torres next to sami, after all as you say, the players can play in any position, they are more than good enough.

[Slinky Skills]

So let them just play in any position, eh? Cracking riposte. Yeh i know, lets pick two centre backs and play 352. Ok.

and just how is it a crock of ****? Over the course of a season, stevie and alonso have been by far our best centre mids. If alonso and and stevie are fit, they are by far our best option in the middle. Playing 442 allows us to finally use our £20 mill signing in the position he plays best in.

actually nah, maybe you are right after all. Lets have stevie at right back and torres next to sami, after all as you say, the players can play in any position, they are more than good enough.

I meant formations not positions, sorry.

Stevie and Alonso are class together but it's not fair to say that when Stevie has Mascherano and Lucas alongside he doesn't as good a job.

Lucas was alongside him when we played Newcastle and we destroyed them. If anything it was Gerrard who had a poor game last weekend. He is the main man in the team but it doesn't just mean that because Alonso was missing Lucas played ****e, he didn't.

Saying that players such as Lucas and Mascherano can't play in central positions is bollocks to say the least. If Alonso or Stevie aren't there then they have to play in that position, we have to rely on them to do the job and not a lot of Liverpool fans have the confidence in them to do so.

[Baldemort]

I think you have misunderstood my post my friend. Its not a lucas and mash bashing exercise. I am a huge fan of mash and feel that once he finds form again he will retain his status as the best defensive mid on the planet. Its more to make a point that i feel that rafa seems to have a penchant for playing 4231 away and possibly 442 more often at home. 4231 necessitates 3cms which means either mash or lucas need to play? Taking the season so far into account, i see a gulf in quality between those two and stevie and alonso. So stick with the better pairing and play only other players who have performed well this season. Dirk has improved this season and riera has made the left side his own. Keane has had a mixed start but has been played out of position and has been in and out of the side. He has a proven prem track record so should come good once alongside nando. They need time to forge an understanding as a pair. They would do so best in a 442.

[Slinky Skills]

I think you have misunderstood my post my friend. Its not a lucas and mash bashing exercise. I am a huge fan of mash and feel that once he finds form again he will retain his status as the best defensive mid on the planet. Its more to make a point that i feel that rafa seems to have a penchant for playing 4231 away and possibly 442 more often at home. 4231 necessitates 3cms which means either mash or lucas need to play? Taking the season so far into account, i see a gulf in quality between those two and stevie and alonso. So stick with the better pairing and play only other players who have performed well this season. Dirk has improved this season and riera has made the left side his own. Keane has had a mixed start but has been played out of position and has been in and out of the side. He has a proven prem track record so should come good once alongside nando. They need time to forge an understanding as a pair. They would do so best in a 442.

Sorry if I've misunderstood you. I see your point now. You say Rafa has a penchant for playing 4-2-3-1 away from home, it has served us quite well though to be fair.

I think Rafa wants more goals from midfield hence why he plays this formation in the first place. He has this idea that with this formation he'll swamp the opposition defence and midfield which does happen most of the time. I do feel sorry for Keane a bit but this team is built around Torres at the end of the day, this is the reason why Crouch has gone. Torres can handle the 4-2-3-1 formation fine and is used to playing the lone striker role.

He spent most of last season playing as a the only striker and thrived in the role, in saying that I can't understand why he bought Keane if he wasn't going to play him.

[Scratch]

When was the last time a team playing a 4-4-2 formation actually won the league?? Was in back in the Yorke/Cole days?

[MrMichael]

That in itself doesn't mean a lot though Scratch. The question is what formation best suites the players we have at our disposal this season, and allows us to play as many as possible in their best position, not what others are doing now, or in the past.

Personally I think that's still 4231 mind. I've never been completely convinced by a Gerrard/Alonso pairing in a 442, and if that pairing is Mascher/Alonso instead I struggle with the idea of Gerrard back on the right (although we really don't have anyone else could effectively do that job, Kuyt is far better out there in a more advanced role than the flat 4 allows).

IMO by far the biggest issue with us playing 4231 this season has been Torres' lack of fitness, and although I can see that it will be very difficult to accommodate Keane without switching to 442 I'm not convinced that we should be changing what can be a winning formula simply for one player who, although expensive, and although talented, has not shown that a worth to the side big enough to be doing that for.

[Scratch]

I don't know, i think it has some bearing on it...football has evolved, and the 4-4-2 formation is a thing of the past, as it has been surpassed by other formations. What other top teams play with a 4-4-2? There's a reason the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Utd, Barca, Madrid have all dispensed with the formation, no matter what "purists" like Gray may believe.

4-4-2 and man-to-man marking are a thing of a different era, a different game altogether i think. The flexibility offered by our current formation, the 4-2-3-1 allows it to be manipulated easily within the match, without the need to change personal.

Just my opiniion like, but i honestly think that 4-4-2, especialy with out players, would be a step back...in fact, i'd rather see it as more of a 4-3-3 than 4-2-3-1, altho they are similar, it would give us a more attacking dimension.