Best starting XI

[Rousseau 9,370]

17 hours ago, BlackSocksRedTops said:

Or Fabinho. They do change it sometimes. 

You bring up an interesting comparison, which perhaps highlights our problem. 

 

Both Liverpool and Man City morph into a 2-3-5 in attack. Essentially, they always want wide players hugging the touchline, two players in the half-spaces, and a forward (creating the 5). 

 

Whereas Liverpool create this with wide FBs and inside forwards (Liverpool have quite a rigid midfield three), Man City have touchline-hugging wingers and free 8s in the half-space (Man City's FBs are inverted and play quite deep, creating the '3' with the #6). 

 

We're caught in the middle: Wingers hugging the touchline, getting in the FBs way, and no free 8s. It's like Man City's wingers and Liverpool's rigid midfield-three. It doesn't create the ideal 2-3-5 line-up. 

 

We need to keep the rigid midfield-three and get our wingers playing in the half-spaces, and high FBs; or keep the wingers wide and get some free 8s (which we technically have, in Tillman, Hagi, Lawrence, Jack at a push) to support the forward more closely. 

[BlackSocksRedTops 3,476]

14 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

You bring up an interesting comparison, which perhaps highlights our problem. 

 

Both Liverpool and Man City morph into a 2-3-5 in attack (or 3-2-5). Essentially, they always want wide players hugging the touchline, two players in the half-spaces, and a forward (the 5). 

 

Whereas Liverpool create this with wide FBs and inside forwards (Liverpool has quite a rigid midfield three), Man City have touchline-hugging wingers and free 8s in the half-space (Man City's FBs are inverted and play quite deep). 

 

We're caught in the middle: Wingers hugging the touchline, getting in the FBs way, and no free 8s. It's like Man City's wingers and Liverpool's rigid midfield-three. It doesn't create the ideal 2-3-5 line-up. 

 

We need to keep the rigid midfield-three and get our wingers playing in the half-spaces, and high FBs; or keep the wingers wide and get some free 8s (which we technically have, in Tillman, Hagi, Lawrence, Jack at a push) to support the forward more closely. 

Brilliant post. Was going crazy on Tuesday shouting for Matondo to tuck inside slightly to give Tav an angled option as opposed to simply hugging the touchline Tav was already hugging...

[Devil's advocaat 1,275]

Aye, spot on Rousseau. 

[gisabeer 409]

It's the same problem with kent.  Hes shackled to the left wing.  But our slow build up is our biggest enemy.  Our forwards are easily marked out the game due to our own game play.  The constant dithering in our own half has me tearing my hair out.  Goldson is the biggest offender.   He struggles to see a pass never mind make one.   

[stewarty 1,876]

20 hours ago, Malangsob said:

No.

 

It's like this.

 

Would you go to a proctologist for a problem with your toe?

 

Well, he is a doctor, he understand anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics so he could probably get you close...but would you trust his opinion over that of a pediatrist? 

 

No...you wouldn't

 

We have positions in sport, and the commensurate specializations associated, for a reason.

 

These things matter at Ranger's level...at CL, and EL levels...these things are highly important.

 

Why?

 

Because of competition...high level competitors can sniff out a team's weaknesses like a fart in a Fiat...that quick...it's your ass.

 

Tuesday?

 

Horses...for courses. 

 

"Like a fart in a fiat"  🤣

[stewarty 1,876]

23 minutes ago, gisabeer said:

It's the same problem with kent.  Hes shackled to the left wing.  But our slow build up is our biggest enemy.  Our forwards are easily marked out the game due to our own game play.  The constant dithering in our own half has me tearing my hair out.  Goldson is the biggest offender.   He struggles to see a pass never mind make one.   

I fluctuated from agreeing to disagreeing and back in just 7 short sentences.  

 

Slow build up is our enemy in some respects, but its more about movement in front of play to create spaces that can be exploited, or drawing the opposition into areas they are weaker.  Its not so much Goldson dithering, but him having a lack of runners, or players moving into spaces.

 

I thought also that essentially USG did to us, what Gerrard had us doing in Europe particuarly.  Compact defensive and midfield lines to frustrate our build up, cutting off passing lanes, pouncing on slack passes with really quick transitions.