Our style of play

[I, Ravel Morrison]

As well as his 'defending', I worry about Lovren on the ball. Having Can and Sakho flanking Skrtel, with their excellent use of the ball, is a big plus. Lovren is ****e on the ball.

He's been ****e on the ball for us but I thought he's supposed to be a ball-playing defender? Touted to be at least.

[Shaggy]

Never looked it to me. Clogger.

[little dave hedgehog]

3 at the back is working so well. why are we so convinced we'll be switching to 4?

[~LFCHistory~]

3 at the back is working so well. why are we so convinced we'll be switching to 4?

I honestly can't think of any team who have had real success with that formation over a long period of time, can you or anyone else on the board ?
BTW I'm really enjoying watching us since we went to 3-5-2 but long term I would be very surprised if we stuck with it.

[Red_Polo]

I honestly can't think of any team who have had real success with that formation over a long period of time, can you or anyone else on the board ?
BTW I'm really enjoying watching us since we went to 3-5-2 but long term I would be very surprised if we stuck with it.

Barcelona under Cruyff is probably the best example.

[The_weatherman]

I honestly can't think of any team who have had real success with that formation over a long period of time, can you or anyone else on the board ?
BTW I'm really enjoying watching us since we went to 3-5-2 but long term I would be very surprised if we stuck with it.

I guess it's dependent on the players in it. I worry that this formation relies on Can at the back, he is sometimes like an extra midfielder, if Lovren comes in we might see a whole different proposition. Would like to see that change at the weekend to test it. Markovic and Ibe also seem very suited to it and ready to work their arses off.

[Mark79]

I honestly can't think of any team who have had real success with that formation over a long period of time, can you or anyone else on the board ?
BTW I'm really enjoying watching us since we went to 3-5-2 but long term I would be very surprised if we stuck with it.

Barcelona under Cruyff is probably the best example.

Juventus. Won the last 3 Serie A in a row playing 3-5-2 under Conte.

[The_weatherman]

Technically aren't we playing more of 3-4-2-1 of 3-4-3? Not sure many teams play like that though.

[Shaggy]

Definitely a 3-4-2-1.

[wiw]

I honestly can't think of any team who have had real success with that formation over a long period of time, can you or anyone else on the board ?
BTW I'm really enjoying watching us since we went to 3-5-2 but long term I would be very surprised if we stuck with it.

Juventus. Won the last 3 Serie A in a row playing 3-5-2 under Conte.

Barcelona under Cruyff is probably the best example.

Good shouts Guardiola teams tend to play 3 at the back as well don't they? I know the personnel and roles differ slightly but Barca would effectively play 3 at the back with Busquets dropping back. We played that way with Gerrard dropping back, his instinct was to drift forwards out of the line though. Depends who you play in which position i suppose as to how effective it is. If it keeps working i see no reason to change it

[Shaggy]

Likewise. Everyone I've spoken to (IRL) has assumed we'll soon be reverting to a back four. I just don't see why we would.

One argument for switching to a back 4 is we've played only two of the top sides with this back 3 (United and Spurs) and we've let in 5 goals. Granted, we've leaked far fewer goals against lesser sides. Anyway I hope we keep it. It gets the best out of Coutinho, Lucas, Skrtel, Sakho, Can, Henderson. Half a team at least, why change it?

[wiw]

We also played 3-4-2-1 in the second half of Instanbul

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

Likewise. Everyone I've spoken to (IRL) has assumed we'll soon be reverting to a back four. I just don't see why we would.

One argument for switching to a back 4 is we've played only two of the top sides with this back 3 (United and Spurs) and we've let in 5 goals. Granted, we've leaked far fewer goals against lesser sides. Anyway I hope we keep it. It gets the best out of Coutinho, Lucas, Skrtel, Sakho, Can, Henderson. Half a team at least, why change it?

I'd rather Can just step out more against smaller side than change this season, maybe next year if we sign the right players but this year I don't see it.

[Rich]

Without wishing to sound all Hodgson about this... its just positions on a field.

It isn't as if we're playing three technically limited centre-halves which I associate with the traditional and old fashioned 3-5-2 or 5-3-2, instead you've got the debonair Can who has all the traits of a midfielder, just sitting deeper. By having that ball player further back it is actually giving us more room to play attacking football. Then there's Sakho who is also not afraid to play progressive stuff. As others have pointed out it isn't dissimilar to last season in that Gerrard (the ball player) would drop back and split the centre-halves and attempt to launch attacks that way.

Unless we get taken to the cleaners consistently then we need to stick with this formation; and for those saying we've conceded when playing against strong opposition would appear to be forgetting the two legs against Chelsea; when we matched them in just about all departments and only our finishing let us down. Defensively we were very strong.

[Shaggy]

I forgot those Chelsea games

Anyway I agree we should stick with it.