This is the point(although I wouldn't call them scrubs) I was trying to make when I posted the one below few pages ago.
If only it was about centerbacks alone, I have a feeling it's going to be at the expense of our fullbaks. Nagatomo can make the switch to that system and play at the left side of the midfield but Uchida is unlikely, I'd rather see an authentic side-midfielder there, someone like Matsui, Ishikawa, Ienaga, Nozawa, Yoshiaki Ota...They can bring a lot of creativity to the team and contribute a lot more to the attack than someone like Uchida. We would also lose another holding midfielder. I perfectly understand that each coach has its own philosophy, that Zach wants to come out with something of his own. It's ok to test new systems/players and now is the time, but that 3-4-3 is a dead-end. The most important thing to consider before switching to a new system is the availability of the right players who can make it a success, I fully agree with Matsu when he says that not all players are suited to play in this formation, a 3-4-3 considerably narrows the choice of players and that why I think it should be avoided. What's the point of having an under-strength squad (in defense and midfield) just beacuse the coach wants his fetish system. Most importantly, why change a winning system ? Why starting from scratch as if the team screwed it badly ? Zach undoubtedly has a great record so far, but he hardly had the time to make an impact, let's not forget the work of Okada and Hara. The system used in the Asian Cup (a slight improvement over the WC one) fits the strengths of Japanese players very well. If Japan experienced some difficulties at times, that's only due to the injuries of key players and the huge mistakes from referees. (Assuming they were mistakes). If all what he wants is a 3 defenders back line, then a 3-5-2 might be even more suitable, we can retain our two holding midfielders, (Hasebe + Endo/Abe/Kashiwagi) 2 wingbacks (Uchida won't have too many problems to adjust), a playmaker (Honda), a striker (Maeda/Tadanari/Havenaar) teamed up with someone who would just play behind (Okazaki/Kagawa/Usami). It's nice to think about 2014 but it's still far ahead, that's why I am in favor of using experienced elements as much as possible, young players need guidance and leadership.
You put all I wanted to say in a very clear way, thanks I have followed football since all of world's clubs seem like to play with 4 defenders, so I haven't seen much of 3 defenders formation. The only team with 3 DF I have watched well is : This team delivered one of the most sensational performance for a team in all league season in my childhood. The standout points of them i remember: Candela and Cafu were beast of side players Totti was unreal Batistuta AND Montella too, were sensational If Gattuso was gladiator, Tomassi was the champion I don't understand well the different between 352 and 343 but: Can Nagatomo and Uchida play like Candela and Cafu? Honda plays like Totti ? Don't mention Batistuta, I'm happy if someone is 50% like him Hasebe and Endo (or his successor) must play like machine all game. I can understand why Zac wants to convert Ienaga to Endo's successor, his close control is top notch.The problem is his work rate.
- Yes - No, better - Strikers... We need to see how the young ones grow up, at the moment the best we have for post-play is Maeda - Indeed Ienaga in the middle is a good idea, but I always thought that Endo's successor is Ardija's Ueda. I am sure there are reasons, but I don't understand why him and Mike don't get called. PS = Napoli this season played with the 3-4-3 (or 3-4-2-1, if you prefer), and with quite good results. The two lateral players were Maggio and Dossena, a reminder that what you need there is perhaps quantity (=run) and tactical wisdom rather than quality. Ucchi and Nagatomo are good learners. I believe they can learn Zac's tactics rather quickly.
A 3-4-3 needs a very special kind of player to have the sides (Candela and Cafu). In Spanish we call them "carrileros," and they must be superhuman. They have to run the full length of the field and combine the abilities of defender, midfielder and forward, since they'll join the attack, support the defense and complement the mid to give width. Japan didn't have anyone with those characteristics on the field the other day, and that's why the 3-4-3 used puzzled me, much respect to Yasuda and Nishi, they can run a lot and are very fast BUT they don't have the full set of skills needed by a "carrilero."
Napoli fans would tell you (if you could stand talking to them) that the kind of constipation showed by Japan in the first half afflicted Napoli plenty of times as well, and led to some frustrating results that killed their Scudetto bid. That's an issue with three back sets, they are kind of fragile, if things get out of balance or players do not execute their roles fully, the articulation between the lines can seize up. Of course one thing Japan has going for it is much better central midfielders than Napoli. Napoli had no creativity or passing ability in the center of the pitch whatsoever, making it relatively easy to stuff the wings and starve their lethal strikeforce (Hamsik, Lavezzi and Cavani) of service. Which is why many of Napoli's wins came from one of those three guys doing some individually amazing play in the 90th minute or so. Nagatomo is also already a far better player than Dossena will ever be. But a lack of strikers who can create something out of nothing would seem to doom a Napoli-style Japan to a lot of impotence in attack. Which brings me back to my hobbyhorse of Honda as a false nine at the point of the attack, a la Okada. To me, this would go a long ways toward solving the problem... Honda can withstand isolation because he holds the ball so well and can turn a guy and attack the goal. With him as Cavani, Kagawa as Lavezzi, and one of several candidates including Okazaki and Usami as Hamsik, Zac might have an attack that can deal with the peculiarities of the 3-4-3. Other than Honda, Nagai is the only other candidate for the Cavani role. So I would expect the 3-4-3 to fail as an attacking formation unless Zac eventually uses one of those guys. Usami-Honda-Kagawa Nagatomo-Endo-Hasebe-Uchida That still doesn't solve the backline issue but I'm not even going to wade into those choppy waters any further.
Nagai is not a finished product yet but what he shows makes me think he's our future and if that's the case, shouldn't we build a system wich can use his best qualities ? And it's certainly not 343. What do you think ? And who here likes the idea of playing 343 ?
Nagai and Kanazaki (Yeah don't forget about him, he's talented and very young too) are the biggest satisfactions from Nagoya's side this season, both had solid performances even in ACL. And we also have Ono, Usami and Miyaichi...Damn, I am almost tempted to say its sucks to have SO much talent. The available options for pure strikers and defensive elements are limited however.
This is where we seem to disagree. And maybe thats because you are stuck in the rut of thinking about a 4-4-2, but it may also be because you cant see the players who are available but dont ever get called to the NT. In the list of players in my website poll I actually gave some careful thought to who I listed, so I can lear a bit about the perceptions of general readers. The name that dominates the poll is Nakazawa - a guy who removed his OWN name from consideration, and who will probably be retired by 2014. Meanwhile, there are only two votes for Yoshiaki Ota -and BOTH of them are mine. . . . This is a guy who has turned Vegalta into an actual contender almost singlehandedly. Now dont start going off on wild goose chases - I admit and agree that Ryan is the core of that team. But Ryan was the core of the team last year too. The only guy who really is a "new addition" is Ota (who was on the team last year but only got 8 starts and 20 appearances total). He can play any position on the pitch except goalkeeper, and he could possibly give Nagai a scare in a 100m race. The problem with Ota is that he doesnt fit well into a 4-4-2 position. He can defend, but he can also score. His biggest value comes when he does both, but in a 4-4-2 he doesnt quite fit at right WB and he is wasted at wide MF. Thats only one example. There are dozens of talented players like this who have been overlooked by the NT because they didnt quite fit the mold for Okada. I think the shift to a new formation actually EXPANDS the options, because in Zacks system, you dont necessarily need height and power in every position except MF. And Japan has lots of players who fall into that category. Look at the Sanfrecce assembly line. NONE of those players fit into a standard 4-4-2. Moriwaki, Makino, Aoyama, Yokotake, Sato . . . even Lee . . . are guys who couldnt even get a sniff at a cap for Okada because the guy was so particular about making players fit the system. And yet suddenly here people are tying to bash Zack because he makes players fit the system ? ? ? The guys coming up, too, seem better suited (or at least as well suited) to a 3-4-3 as anythng else. Nagai would be much better suited out wide than in the middle. Usami has the same issues with post plays and crosses from the wing - hed be better suited out wide in a 3-man line. . . . I could go on all day Sorry but to me the complaints just dont make sense.All the complaints Ive read seem (at least to me) to be either the overreactions of people to ONE scoreless draw, or else complaints that are focused strictly on the presence or absence of players that THEY PERSONALLY like or dont like (with no consideration of whether those personal views have any basis in statistics or past performance). Like Cesare said - I think its time for people to give the coach a TINY BIT of credit. I think he has more experience in the matter than you do. So let him do his job for at least a few months before you start complaining.
Actually the most ironically amusing part of this whole thing is that I can recall some almost identical discussions back in 2003, when people who had "discovered" the Japan NT under Troussier kept insisting - with even greater intensity than some of the posts above - that "EVERYBODY KNOWS Japanese players are better suited to a 3-5-2. This is a fact (because Troussier always said it was)! If we switch to a 4-4-2 now, it will be total chaos. None of our players are any good in a 4-4-2! This sucks! Toda, Miyamoto and Myojin will never play another game" (OK.... that one actually turned out to be pretty accurate). Deja vu.
I am wondering if Zac will try again the 3-4-3 but this time with Nagatomo and Ucchi... Also, will we see Ienaga in the middle for Endo, at a certain point?
I would be surprised if that doesn't happen. Okazaki Lee Honda Nagatomo Endo Hasebe Uchida Makino Konno Yoshida Kawashima is what a person at the training session is tweeting. Also Zac said he's not expecting a great performance, just an improvement. Looks like this is gonna be a long experiment.
I heard the same line-up from a colleague I just called, but he also said we'll likely see Ienaga and Usami in the second half.
Would love to see those two play as well. I'm happy with the rumored starting line-up, everything seem solid. I haven't had a chance to view Lee in action alot, only in that spectacular volley in the Asian Cup Final, but been hearing of his heroics in J League. Everyone else sounds perfect in their position. We should also use Morimoto, along with Usami and Ienaga as sub. GAMBARO, Nippon Daihyou!
show some respect to the two times best scorer of the league, pleeease. He's not as hyped as the others, I know ...