At **16.00pm** Sunday: Liverpool vs Arsenal (H) Build Up 21st Dec. That's **16.00pm**

[dww]

Here's my team for the Arsenal game:

Jones
Manquillo - Toure - Sakho - Moreno
Henderson - Lucas - Can
Lallana - Sterling - Markovic

However, I think Rogers will line up with:

Jones
Toure - Skrtel - Sakho
Henderson - Gerrard - Allen - Markovic
Coutinho - Sterling - Lallana

I'd quite like the somewhat combi-team:

Jones
Toure - Skrtel - Sakho
Henderson - Gerrard - Lucas - Moreno
Lallana - Sterling - Markovic

Although having not invested any personal capital in dropping Mignolet I'd probably put him in there too if it were me.

[cream]

Last two games we created a lot of chances so why change the system ?

[dww]

Last two games we created a lot of chances so why change the system ?

Some football theorists have considered that Arsenal may provide a different challenge to Bournemouth? Armchair statisticians might note that the aggregate of our last two matches is a 4-3 defeat?

[BigChief]

Rodgers' has hit lucky that Johnson and Lovren are both out. Or he would have played one/both and we'd have been screwed before the game even started. As it happens Sakho will now fill the obviously exploited gaps we had on the left (as he did yesterday). So for that reason I'd stick with Markovic as wing back who seemed to enjoy attacking from deep.

That leaves one spot in the team, and controversially I'd put Allen next to Lallana behind Sterling. He's not flavour of the month but he will certainly offer some running and cover for Gerrard while allowing Lallana to do his stuff. Coutinho is not right for this game:

Jones
Toure Skrtel Sakho
Horrenderson Gerrard Lucas Marko
Lallana Allen
Sterling

[cream]

Some football theorists have considered that Arsenal may provide a different challenge to Bournemouth? Armchair statisticians might note that the aggregate of our last two matches is a 4-3 defeat?

We're gonna concede whichever way we play, might be good to balance that out by scoring a few as well.

[Rich]

Some football theorists have considered that Arsenal may provide a different challenge to Bournemouth? Armchair statisticians might note that the aggregate of our last two matches is a 4-3 defeat?

[kubrickscube]

Don't think 3 at the back helped our defending - Sakho and Toure could easily be exploited down the flanks -but I don't get the sense that Brendan fully trusts Moreno and Manquillo against a decent team.
I'd play:
Jones
Manquillo Skrtel Sakho Moreno
Lucas Henderson
Lallana Gerrard Markovic
Sterling

But I reckon it'll be:

Jones
Toure Skrtel Sakho
Hendo Lucas Gerrard Markovic
Lallana Sterling Coutinho

[danperkins]

I'd prefer to see this:

----------- Jones/Mig ---------
Manquillo-Skrtel-Toure-Moreno
---------Lucas--Can-------
Markovic--Gerrard---Lallana
-----------Sterling-----------

Would have liked to see Sakho from the start vs Bournemouth but i think the Arsenal game might be bit too soon for him. Skrtel and Toure with Lucas in front have looked good together & both are fitter than Sakho at the moment. Sakho looked very rusty last night...albeit in a slightly different role. We conceded 3 vs United but created alot & could have conceded 3 vs Bournemouth if they were more clinical. Arsenal will punish us if we are that open.

The 3 at the back will work vs some teams but IMO it would leave us too open down the flanks against a quality Arsenal side. I thought the CB's looked very uncomfortable when isolated out wide & unfortunately I think Rodgers will play Gerrard beside Lucas & that partnership just doesn't seem to work. We concede to much space infront of the CB's when Gerrard plays the holding role. I don't like the idea of conceding space infront of the CB's & those CB's also getting dragging out to the flanks like last night.. just doesn't sound good to me.

At least in the above formation we have 4 at the back with pace on both sides, Lucas and Can provide a solid base & Can can break forward. Markovic won't have to break his bollox defending. Gerrard will be out of the defensive side of things & can concentrate on picking out runs from Sterling & Lallana....which is what he does best playing closer to opposition goal.

[calvoboy]

I'd quite like the somewhat combi-team:

Jones
Toure - Skrtel - Sakho
Henderson - Gerrard - Lucas - Moreno
Lallana - Sterling - Markovic

Although having not invested any personal capital in dropping Mignolet I'd probably put him in there too if it were me.

I think it's going to be slightly different to all of them - Moreno at wing-back, but Allen in for Lucas.

I worry a little about going three at the back against Arsenal though, as they love to get round the side and in behind the defence, and a lack of proper full-backs might let them in. That said, we've looked much more fluent and creative in the last couple of games, and without a decent striker that might be our best chance of winning it.

[dww]

I think it's going to be slightly different to all of them - Moreno at wing-back, but Allen in for Lucas.

I worry a little about going three at the back against Arsenal though, as they love to get round the side and in behind the defence, and a lack of proper full-backs might let them in. That said, we've looked much more fluent and creative in the last couple of games, and without a decent striker that might be our best chance of winning it.

I just don't see the way we play a back four being an improvement. Both our fullbacks push on, so if anything we are more exposed in wide areas with a back four. I don't actually like formations with a back three (unless its Guardiola-style midfielder plus two people who are vaguely capable of heading back three with zero intention of conventional defending) but at the minute it seems a useful stop gap to doing something sensible about defending.

[danperkins]

If we are going to three at back with Markovic/Hendo wingbacks, I'd much rather we have Lucas/Can together, rather than Lucas/Gerrard. But i just can't see Rodgers dropping Stevie for this one. Not only can Gerrard not play that position, but Lucas really seems to suffer playing beside him too.

[BigChief]

If we are going to three at back with Markovic/Hendo wingbacks, I'd much rather we have Lucas/Can together, rather than Lucas/Gerrard. But i just can't see Rodgers dropping Stevie for this one. Not only can Gerrard not play that position, but Lucas really seems to suffer playing beside him too.

In a nutshell. The way to 'break' a back three is fullbacks/wingers to spread the two outer central defenders out wide. Leaving the last central defender isolated. Huge amounts of cover required by tireless midfielders to ensure the middle remains unexposed. That's what we don't have when Gerrard plays next to Lucas.

Its pretty much how Gosling scored. Arsenal have better exponents to exploit that route.

[DannyMan2006]

In a nutshell. The way to 'break' a back three is fullbacks/wingers to spread the two outer central defenders out wide. Leaving the last central defender isolated. Huge amounts of cover required by tireless midfielders to ensure the middle remains unexposed. That's what we don't have when Gerrard plays next to Lucas.

Its pretty much how Gosling scored. Arsenal have better exponents to exploit that route.

When an attacker goes wide, one central defender may go across, still leaves two in the middle. Said CB can also get help from the wide midfielder and central defensive midfielder, as well as from one of the central attacking midfielders. At various points last night, Sakho/Lovren has assistance from Gerrard, Markovic, Lallana.

What annoys me, is the most experienced CB in Toure, and the most energetic & better equipped defensive Wide player in Henderson got put next to our best defensive midfielder in Lucas.

I can not understand why either Gerrard & Lucas aren't switched, or Markovic & Henderson aren't switched. That for me, gives it a far more even balance.

[danperkins]

If we are to play the same system, IMO it is vital that the deepest midfielders should be either Lucas/Henderson or Lucas/Can. Personally it would be Lucas/Can for me as IMO Henderson hasn't looked anywhere near the player he was last season. Gerrard can't play there & Lucas/Gerrard has been tired several times & has never looked a good combination.

[Lecter]

In theory, there isn't too much difference between the 343 and a diamond.

In a diamond, the CB's split & Gerrard drops on. The full backs push on becoming wide players, the two central midfielders push forwards and press up. Only difference is the front three triangle is flipped.

If anything, the 343 can be just as defensive, but stronger centrally. I've never know Arsenal to whack crosses in too much, so a 343 is better IMO.

The fullbacks / wingbacks is the difference

Henderson / Markovic dont offer anywhere enough protection imo but offer a greater threat going forward

Not sure what I would do really, going forward the system is more creative so I would probably gamble on that