With our lack of fullbacks and the amount and quality of our center mids, I would not mind going back to the 3-5-2 to counter the favored 4-3-3 variations out there. Force the opposing teams to defend a bit and have their center forward isolated for a change instead of Big Mac trying to hold the ball up with 3 defenders on him like we saw at the end of last season. There are a few teams that do employ a 3 back system. One of my favorites, Udinese has been using 3 in the back in the recent past and they are a counter attacking team as well. -----Big Mac------Rolfe----- ---------Lindpere--------- Alex-------------------Nyarko -------Pause---Big Red------ --Segares--Friedrich---Berry/Anibaba---- Lindpere is a workhorse and is a willing defender and Larentowicz should have free reign to push forward when the Fire are in posession.
Two defensive midfielder lineup must end, we have the players to play a 4-4-2 formation with one defensive midfielder.... PLEASE Frankie stop the two defensive midfielder formation....
I was thinking the same, though maybe our 3 center backs out there, sega as a sub for formational change or as wing back if they went more defensive.though I'm not to comfterable with him in a 3-5-2 as he got toasted when they played that before.I actually wouldn't be suprised if frank did go 3-5-2, also to note juventus dominated series a with a 3-5-2 a few seasons back.
Yeah, Alex and Nyarko as wingbacks in a 3-5-2 is WAAAYY too attacking. The wingers in a 3-5-2 have to be more defensive minded, they generally drop to the back line when defending. My best guess for our formation if the Oduro deal goes through and Pardo retires: Code: Mackie Nyarko Lindpere Rolfe Larentowicz Pause The built in formation graphics went away with the new forum software.
I've never been crazy about 3-man defenses. It just seems like I see them fail more often than succeed. Mostly because the wingbacks aren't good enough to defend wide (and as iron81 pointed out, Nyarko and Alex would fit that bill). Which means they get torn apart by other team's wide play and crossing. The bigger problem though, is we are understocked in CBs for a system that only needs two at a time. We would need 2 or 3 more CBs to ever hope to operate with three at a time, especially with one being Arne. Keep in mind that Frank purposely didn't play him on the turf in NE at the end of last year. I wouldn't be surprised if that is more common this year
It wasn't just Frank deciding to keep Friedrich on the bench in New England. Friedrich said they were practicing on the fieldturf in preparation for that game and his back tightened up. I have to say that a midfield 3 of Larentowicz, Lindepere and Pause is too defensive for my taste. If we have two destroyer types in Larentowicz and Pause, we can afford to put a pure #10 on the field.
Watch the full hour. Two things here. First, there is nothing to "rest." I'm just not a hater. I couldn't have been more ********ing consistent from the middle of Denis last season. I said then that with an experienced team, he needed to win the Cup that year or he should be gone. When we didn't, I was fully on board with making a change. I just didn't know at the time that we would make a change to the worst ********ing coach in the history of MLS. When I bring him up now, it is never in defense of him as a coach, it is simply to point out hypocrisy of people who post on here. Second, it wasn't a minor thing. People on here were screaming that we lost Rolfe to Europe because Denis played him out of position. Of course that was complete horseshit, but such were the times. I think some people were even complaining about Denis playing Pause as a defensive midfielder. I'm not talking about the little formation graphs that people post on Big Soccer. Chris has been my favorite player since his rookie year. You can call him a forward all you want, but the truth is that he simply does not play up top. Ever. When we have tried to play him as an out and out striker, he naturally drops deep. He likes to receive the ball outside of the box. In fact many of his best goals have been bombs from beyond the 18. When he does score inside the box, it is almost always where he receives the ball deep and dribbles a defender or two while making a run. I have said for years that his game is much more Peter Nowak and not at all Josh Wolf or Eric Wynalda. I might be the only one on here who says it, but that would make me the only one who is right. He is a natural central midfielder. If it makes you feel better to call him a "withdrawn forward," have at it but that won't change his game. If you want him to be a classic poacher playing off a big target like Mac, it won't happen. As for Frank's quote, perhaps you can ask him why we saw Chris receiving the ball a good 60-70 yards from goal with regularity. He did not play up top last year (or in Europe, or when he was with us the first time.)
Nor am I and I, too, have been consistent in my opinions. As for the rest of your post, you always make valid points, even when you are not correct.
I would take Reis in a heartbeat. If only so his fat, bald ass could get a locker room hazing like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=TCNqKrX1sx8#t=45s
I'd rather Rolfe play as the 2nd forward, but based on our history and our roster, that lineup was my best guess. And what are you talking about that he's never been a forward? He's never been a midfielder, just asked to play there. His best position is clearly as the 2nd forward, playing off a bigger partner.
Just asked to play there virtually his whole career. The only time he was a true forward in the pros, he would naturally drop towards the midfield. He always has. He is not a guy who poaches goals after a target forward knocks balls down. He's just not. Like I said to Tom, if you feel better semantically to call him a "withdrawn striker" have at it, but it won't change how he plays. His goals are almost all bombs from outside the box, or come from deep runs and longer passes onto him. I would say he is a bit more goal-attacking then Piotr Nowak was, but not much. I've always maintained that they were similar styles.
Arguing the semantics of the in-the-hole role is fine, but where he shouldn't be is out on the wing. CAM v. Second/Withdrawn Striker I agree can become just semantics at a point. Rolfe can play that area of the field and we can call him whatever we want. But if he is out on the wing, he won't be on the top of the box to make htose bombs, or coming from deep to score, he'll be going down the sideline towards the corner flag, looking to cut it. I think that a) that would be putting out expected leading goal scorer to far from goal, and b) make us too narrow on the left side. He wouldn't stay out there, and Sega is not good enough to constantly provide that width, imo.
When Blanco came on board, I recall Barrett and Rolfe starting up top with Blanco playing behind them. I thought they played great attacking soccer. When McBride joined, the style and formation changed and I don't think Rolfe has really been played up top since.