Chelsea (A) 13/08/23 - 16:30 BST

[SB]

Play him in midfield and sign a proper RB.

Or play 3 CB’s maybe ?

[RedReet]

That’s what we’d all like - go back to what we are good at. This inverted full back **** us a new fad which leaves massively dependent on Konate covering the whole right flank. 4-3-3 at full throttle like we used to - if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The process was still good but the players couldn’t do it anymore

433 at our peak had Hendo and Gini as enablers, allowing Trent and Robbo to do their thing.

Can Mac and Szoboszlai do this same role and will that be the best use of their talents?

If we did go 433, think I'd prefer our FB's to be more orthodox and play a bit deeper. I'm sure we could get close to a similar setup that Klopp wanted when he thought we we're getting Naby and Fekir, but has the game moved on from then?

[Irishnev]

And leaves Robbo exposed in a position he’s not accustomed to, making him the fall guy and this seasons potential “Hendo”.

It’s started already and it’s a shame - so many legendary players getting rinsed before they’ve been run into the ground and been used as square pegs!

[Buzzo]

It’s started already and it’s a shame - so many legendary players getting rinsed before they’ve been run into the ground and been used as square pegs!

The thing is I watched Robbo in games vs Spain, Norway and Georgia and he was putting in MotM performances. He is still a top level athlete no let up in pace or energy, and still putting in ridiculous numbers for assists (as he continues to do for us) so it is a system failure.

I didnt even think he was bad vs Chelsea, just caught out a few times when they broke.

The formation doesnt work for me either, and it is changing and risking way too much to try and fit in one player. Smarter teams will play right through it, leaving us over reliant on our attack.

Whats the truism, 'attacks win you matches, defences win you titles'.

[rudedog]

I love Robbo but after Jota, he was probably our worst player against Chelsea. Constantly out of position, leaving massive gaps and then losing most of his duels.

I hope he can recover but it looks like he's lost that zip/energy that made him so good.

[Doc_Piptorious]

It’s started already and it’s a shame - so many legendary players getting rinsed before they’ve been run into the ground and been used as square pegs!

The Robertson stuff is just dumb.

Anyone with half a brain should be able to see what is happening with Robertson and how it is impacting how he plays. He is still a top left back, he is just not a centre back.


He is another that I think would look a hell of a lot better if he were to be used as an attacking left back again and not being mashed between two roles and two set ups at the same time.


Shame is that Roberston is starting to approach the end of his time with us , imo of course, as he is shoving towards 30 and it could well be that his final couple seasons sees him wrongly scapegoated as one of the reasons our backline looks so disjointed at present.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I love Robbo but he was probably our worst player against Chelsea. Constantly out of position, leaving massive gaps and then losing most of his duels.

I hope he can recover but it looks like he's lost that zip/energy that made him so good.

How much of that is down to the guy being used as an attacking Left back whilst at the same time being expected to get back to act as a LCB?


Our full backs are getting totally different treatment imo.

TAA is constantly out of position, leaves spaces, looks sluggish at times yet continues to be accommodated by a formational change that forces other players out of their natural positions.


Robertson is being expected to do what he always did but also to be one of those players being forced out of position to accommodate TAA.

Get Robertson putting in his usual shift and you would see a very different player imo. Having to do his own shift and also be picking up a chunk of the slack left by TAA going central is going to have a big impact on how much energy the guy has each game.

[Tribute]

How much of that is down to the guy being used as an attacking Left back whilst at the same time being expected to get back to act as a LCB?


Our full backs are getting totally different treatment imo.

TAA is constantly out of position, leaves spaces, looks sluggish at times yet continues to be accommodated by a formational change that forces other players out of their natural positions.


Robertson is being expected to do what he always did but also to be one of those players being forced out of position to accommodate TAA.

Get Robertson putting in his usual shift and you would see a very different player imo. Having to do his own shift and also be picking up a chunk of the slack left by TAA going central is going to have a big impact on how much energy the guy has each game.

It's very obvious this system is the one killing Robbo's form.
He's caught between a rock and a hard place - trying to keep bombing forward when there's the opportunity, then finding he needs to spring back to cover the LCB position when out of possession...

When he was 'just' a marauding left back his decision making was so much better, his crosses and corners were on point and his general play was attacking and getting up the pitch.

Watching him towards the end of last season and again against the Chavs, his first touch is followed by a sideways or backwards pass... he never goes off on a mazy run, unless we're chasing the game. We need Robbo 2019 back..

[Doc_Piptorious]

It's very obvious this system is the one killing Robbo's form.
He's caught between a rock and a hard place - trying to keep bombing forward when there's the opportunity, then finding he needs to spring back to cover the LCB position when out of possession...

When he was 'just' a marauding left back his decision making was so much better, his crosses and corners were on point and his general play was attacking and getting up the pitch.

Watching him towards the end of last season and again against the Chavs, his first touch is followed by a sideways or backwards pass... he never goes off on a mazy run, unless we're chasing the game. We need Robbo 2019 back..

We just need to play to his strengths and 2023 Robertson will prove to be more than equal to the task imo.

[Craig_H]

Or play him at RB and sign a proper DM.

I don’t think he’s good enough at RB & I don’t think the rest of the team is strong enough to cover for those deficiencies anymore.

[Craig_H]

Jacko

Agree with all

He’s one of if not the best right back in world football. He wasn’t last season, because our system fell apart for whatever reason

Get a 2019 Fabinho clone in at DM and reap the whirlwind

It goes beyond the DM. That’s part of it of course but the frontline isn’t the same pressing machine as it was when it was Mo/Mane/Bobby.

I think all of those things came together collectively in the past, to cover over Trent’s defensive frailties.

Now we don’t have a DM covering the ground and space, and we don’t have the superb trigger press initiated by the front 3. The combination of all that which we’re now missing, makes Trent at RB a bit of a liability, for me.

The problem now is that his “hybrid” role still brings some defensive duties. I’d take them away from him entirely & just let him be the creative in midfield.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I don’t think he’s good enough at RB & I don’t think the rest of the team is strong enough to cover for those deficiencies anymore.

The rest of the team are currently trying to cover even more deficiencies when he is being a square peg in a round hole in midfield and exposing/creating more deficiencies of their own in doing so.

[danperkins]

Play him in midfield and sign a proper RB.

Bingo

[Craig_H]

The rest of the team are currently trying to cover even more deficiencies when he is being a square peg in a round hole in midfield and exposing/creating more deficiencies of their own in doing so.

That’s because:

a) he’s not really playing in midfield, not properly

b) there’s no actual right back playing in our side now

Trent’s being used as this “hybrid” and the net sum of this is that he’s neither a solid right back that helps our defence be effective at minimising chance concession, nor is he a player that’s getting into advanced areas of the field where he can impose his creativity on the game and make meaningful contributions in the opposition half or final third.

He’s basically somewhere in between the two and not performing either function to any meaningful or impactful effect.

[Doc_Piptorious]

That’s because:

a) he’s not really playing in midfield, not properly

b) there’s no actual right back playing in our side now

Trent’s being used as this “hybrid” and the net sum of this is that he’s neither a solid right back that helps our defence be effective and minimising chance concession, nor is he a player that’s getting into advanced areas of the field where he can impose his creativity on the game and make meaningful contributions in the opposition half or final third.

He’s basically somewhere in between the two and not performing either function to any meaningful or impactful effect.

A team can justify carrying a guy who is still a regular game changer but we are carrying a guy that is not a game changer in his current role or rarely is.


All I know is when he is central he looks bang average most of the time with a few nice glimpse. Might as well be Ward Prowse there. High reel player that needs to be carried by others.


But in the past when he played at right back he was one of the best, if not the best, attacking right backs in the game for four or the last five seasons.


So hmmm let's try to shoe horn a guy into midfield that has never consistently looked great there when tried and needs other players to cover for what he is poor at when in midfield (basically everything off the ball in the centre and when pressured) or let's see if he can regain the sort of form at right back that he showed for four out of five years.