My problems with Bastian at CB were 1) we needed a creative presence in midfield and 2) we should not pay $4,000,000-6,000,000 for a CB. We have solved problem one, it appears. If we want to pay that much for one of the two or three best overall players to grace MLS, so be it. We could still get two or three great years out of Bastian at CB. I am okay with that. Still, I would prefer him at CM, with Dax going to the bench.
Depending on the outside backs, the beauty is with Basti at CB we have a hybrid 3-5-2. He floats forward. Instead of an outside back migrating into a winger, we’d have a CB pushing forward as a deep laying attacker. How very Italian! I’d be in heaven. I like it for us because I dont think many if any MLS teams would know what to do with our most attacking formation. They might understand covering an attacking outside back because “everybody’s doing it” but that deep laying playmaker behind two attacking wingers and a #10? I think it would confuse most teams.
We might be in "win now" mode due to the mechanics of funny money, I'm very surprised that we have 6 DP salary players on the roster, that's a neat accounting trick. I'm guessing that it can only work short term, although losing Dax and Basti after this year would no longer be crippling if we can keep Katai, Nico, Niko, Frankowski and Djorde.
Katai and Niko contracts are up at the of the year. I think Dax will be gone next year, as for Bastian who knows. I'm sure he'd like to come back, but I believe he'll have to take a big pay cut to do so. So we could possibly lose 4 of those DP salary players. Gaitan WILL be classified as a DP next year. I wonder if Frankowski will be also.
I do so miss the Libero, and we're set up sort of perfectly to deploy it: -----------Nikolic-Sapong ----------------Gaitan Katai-------------------------Frankowski --------McCarty-Mihailovic ----Santos------------Kappelhof -----------Schweinsteiger ---------------Ousted my only questions would be Djorde's ability to defend, and how good Frankowski and Katai can be tracking back in support, but it sure looks pretty similar to the 3-5-2 Bradley eventually settled on that was so much fun to watch.
This has always bothered me, but MLS roster rules being what they are, it's not like we can just get 3-5 $1-1.5M/year quality players to replace that salary that's being spent on Basti.
I was thisclose to posting something very silimar yesterday. I had a picture of "their" Nico ready, but did not think of the "Suck it, Lou Reed." Well done
What is Djordje's contract situation? My concern is that if he continues to develop as he looks like he will that there will be plenty of better European sides that will have interest in a young (21 YO) player that has a lot of potential and has that talent blossoming.
So this is how it's going to be all year, swapping players back and forth, since we have more international players than international spots. Well done Nelson, well done.....
I love that they switched to your formation against Seattle. We tied 2-2 once we moved to this setup.
When it takes you 35 minutes and the concession of two goals to realize the formation you should have trotted out to begin with...#cf97 pic.twitter.com/LeqYOptlYo— Sziszek (@TrueMartyParty) March 17, 2019
As I replied on the tweeters, I have little confidence without help from the wide attackers that our center backs can defend opposing wide attackers in space any better than Hasler.
1) A 3-5-2 requires help. Frankowski has the pace and determination, Katai perhaps does not. 2) I believe Hasler is a right footed midfielder being asked to play left back. I have no more confidence in that situation than I do a 3-5-2. 3) Kappelhof has played outside back. Half of the field is safe with our current personnel. The Katai side would occasionally need inside support from a D-Mid like Dax or Mo Adams. That’s potentially a necessary risk. Our attack the past two seasons and already so far this season has been a lot of predictable counterattacking. It would be really nice to see a dynamic team that can spontaneously transition from 5-6 people defending to 7 attacking. It requires attacking players to buy into tracking back and defenders being willing and capable of occasionally being left hung out to dry. But it’s a hell of a lot more interesting to watch than Accam running up the wing and crossing it in 20 times a game.
That's why the Fire should be looking towards the Pep Guardiola playbook. With the addition of Gaitan , this team may be set up to play his 4-3-3 style and philosophy. One of the key factors would be Edwards versatility , which I believe he has. Example 4-3-3 Kap ---- Bastian ---- Marcelo -------Edwards -------- Djordje -------Dax--------- Gaitan -------- ----Frankowski ------Niko/CJ------Katai--- At Man City they'll utilize Fernadhino in transitions as a libero type role and he'll be uued in a double pivot - going from their usual 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2. If Edwards can play disciplined for these transitions , Bastian could full fill this role and we could see a pretty dynamic counter from the CBs at times. But this 4-3-3 lineup has more to offer than that. We could see more regularly a 3-5-2 where we wouldn't need the likes of Gaitan or Katai tracking back. They can transition to Frankowski dropping to a wingback and Edwards sliding up ...something like this .. -------Kap-----Bastian-------Marcelo ---------------Djordje-----Dax-------- Frankowski--------Gaitan--------Edwards __-------------------------------------Katai------ _---------------------Niko/CJ--------------------- Katai is best used when he essentially has little responsibility. You cant expect him to flourish as a playmaker or tracking back. Let him loose to Roam outside the box to terrorise CBs with his rifle shot and he is one of the most dangerous players in the league.
Someone willing to tease a 3-4-3? My heart just fluttered a bit! I can’t disagree with much of this. I would worry about Edwards’ discipline but we’re not Man City and we can’t just go buy a top three player to fill a position in a system. We’re obviously built for now so we have to take some risks with the personnel we have. I know the numbering we discuss isn’t really critical. I do think we need KAP/Basti/Marcello in back to give us a chance to unleash our offensive potential. We have no outside backs. Midfielders repurposed as outside backs waste space on the field.