Ive got a feeling that we might be moving to a 3-4-1-2 system next season which can change to a 3-4-2-1, 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 whenever we want. If we sign Barry and Dossena then they would/could both play in the LWB position and Barry could also play as the LCM. _____________Reina_____________ ______Carra__Skrtel__Agger______ Degen___Masch__XA/GB___Dossena __________Gerrard______________ ____________________Babel_____ ____________Torres____________ ...able to change to this ____________Reina_____________ Carra___Skrtel___Agger___Dossena Degen___Masch__XA/GB_________ __________Gerrard_______Babel _____________Torres___________ Degen would effectively fill Kuyt's role as the hard-working attacking and defending right midfielder with Dossena and Babel given more licence on the left...very similar to what we had last season with Carra/Kuyt on the right and Aurelio/Babel on the left. Barry's versatility also made me think about this new formation given that as a LWB he wouldnt have to be as defensive minded as if he as playing LB. Also with us playing with 3 CB's on many occasions last season with Carra at RB it made me think that Rafa couldve been grooming the team for this change. I know we havent signed some of these players and im just speculating but id like to see some thoughts?
Degen is surely nothing more than competition for Arbeloa/Finnan. I doubt he's going to feature in the "this is my strongest eleven for the big games" plans of Rafa. Not until he's actually performed for a while, in any case.
I think it would look more like this if we were going to do what you are proposing. ----------------------Reina---------------------- ---------Carra------Skrtel------Agger---------- Arbeloa------------Masch---------------Dossena --------------Gerrard-----Barry------------------ --------------Torres------Babel------------------- But, TBH, I agree with Matt. I think Rafa is going to try and stick with pretty successful 4-2-3-1, as it was successful both domestically and in the Champions League. Degen, Arbeloa, possibly Finnan, and possibly Darby will fight it out for the right back positions. While Dossena, Aurelio, and Insua will fight it out for the right back positions. On another point, with Rafa purchasing more outside backs, I firmly believe that Carragher will stay at center back for much of the year next year. Save Rafa's tactical changes in big matches. That being said, Carra is gettting older, so I wouldn't be surprised if he gets more chances for a break this season. In the center of our defense I have no clue who will start. I guess it depends on Agger's rustiness and fitness after being out for the majority of the year. But no matter what I think that will be another point of rotation with Agger, Skrtel, and Carragher getting a good number of games, while Sami will be able to fill in during cup games and in an injury crisis.
Right, theres no way Degen will be a starter. My gut tells me that we'll play the same formation we did this season.
There's no doubting in the big games we'll be sticking to our 4-2-3-1 as per the latter part of this season, but against the sides who want to grind it out for a draw we may start to go along Grinner's route and have two up front......
The lineups posted in this thread would all struggle to score goals. While its nice to have wingbacks, you are sacrificing a true attacking player.
Yeah - but that's the level of expectation we should have when a player arrives on a free. It's the Liverpool way - even expensive players used to have to play their way into the team - and then justify it again and again, each week. Degen is a reserve right-back who we're paying nothing for and little to. I found a lot of the barracking that Voronin has had this season distasteful for that same reason. I hope Degen gets the start he deserves: do well in training, get put in the team. Do well in the team, stay in the team. And the fans let it happen, without all this increasingly common and depressingly purile "he's shit, he's not fit to wear the shirt" the first time he misplaces a pass. And who knows ... he might be a really solid acquisition.
Great post Matt, very god points you bought up. Especially the part about Voronin, he had a very solid start to the season... although he has been frustrating to watch at times, there aren't many players in the first team this year who haven't been frustrating to watch at times. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyBSwWidIUg&feature=related
Good observations, Matt. I'm amazed at the vitriol aimed at Degen from mostly, to be fair, Dortmund and Switzerland followers. But let's keep your main points in mind. Even £20 million + strikers have struggled in their first season-- others have simply disappeared-- and I expect Voronin at least to improve on his first season, which because of low expectations allowed us to be pleasantly surprised. I still think the injury took its toll on his form. And as somebody also earlier pointed about Mascherano, some players simply struggle at certain teams and need a change of scenery. *cough* Torres * cough*
I don't care if Voronin stays or goes, does well or does not. He's our fourth-choice striker (even allowing for the bizarre Crouch situation) and if not him, someone else will be brought in for the same peg on the ladder. Giving someone like that grief for either not playing a lot, or not being a superstar when he does play is just daft. Same goes for Degen, until he sets a standard through performances for the team that we can then subsequently use as an appropriate benchmark. Until then, he's welcome to the squad and good luck to him.
I think it is slightly premature to guess the lineups/formations as players will come in and players will leave. At the moment we are in for Barry but may not get him. Who knows who else Rafa will end up signing or promoting from the reserves? And why 3-4-1-2? Have we ever played this before under Rafa? I know we have done 3-4-3 on occasion but what indications are there that we will play 3-4-1-2 next season?
Na. That was 4-4-2. We've played 3-5-2 vs. Newcastle a season ago. A few other games in there as well.
-------------------Reina-------------------- ------Finnan------Carra----Agger---------- Arbeloa------Alonso---Momo---------Riise ------------------Gerrard------------------- ----------Bellamy--------Kuyt-------------- That could either be a 3-4-1-2 or a 3-5-2, depending on how you look at positions.
Okay, so we agree then. It's just about how everyone sees positions, and how the players play in them. That was the lineup from Liverpool v. Barca at the Nou Camp. I am not sure what lineup was played against Newcastle.
Actually, wasn't this was the line-up we played at the Nou Camp. 4-4-2. Arbeloa was LB vs. Messi, right? I don't think we switched to a 3-5-2 until after we had the lead. * 25 Pepe Reina - GK * 2 Álvaro Arbeloa - LB * 3 Steve Finnan - RB * 5 Daniel Agger - CB * 6 John Arne Riise - LM * 8 Steven Gerrard - RM * 14 Xabi Alonso - CM * 17 Craig Bellamy - FW * 18 Dirk Kuyt - FW * 22 Mohamed Sissoko - CM * 23 Jamie Carragher - CB
Yeah, Arbeloa definitely played LB in that game and did a great job against Messi, and Riise played in midfield.
Me...oh, me, me...im still bitter... (wrong one)......bloody left footers. Why is it that left footers seem to always been one-sided yet there are many good right footed players that can use both...Sneijder, Benzema, Farfan, Menez, Torres, Xabi etc
The majority of players are right-footed. Hence it is easier to find some that can use both. Left-footed players are rarer and as such when you get one you cannot afford to be so picky
I'm every bit as good with my left foot as I am with my right ... ... go on, someone's got a tap-in here ...