Liverpool FC Forum

by **david wayne** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 11:44 pm

rafa will definately play 4-2-3-1 in any game that matters, somebody said we do not have the attacking players to pull this off, but i disagree. With alonso and sissokko sitting, breaking up and passing it would leave gerrard, gonzalez, a new right winger in a more attacking mode.Also Zenden, kewell and garcia are suited to this role. Am a bit surprised if didi leaves, expect a young new player to sign to cover the sissokko role. I expect only one new striker to arrive and half expect it to be one with a physical prescence like kujt. Also with new full backs areulio and alves goals will be coming from all over and just like valencia our strikers will be nowhere near the top of the goalscoring charts. However, expect the boys to be very very close to the chelski next year, maybe maybe even pipping them

by **stmichael** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 2:20 pm

With all the attention over Englands sleep inducing performances under Sven, it got me thinking about liverpool..

While we probably do the most exciting cup finals EVER, as a team in the league and generally, we're pretty efficient if unspectacular. Partly because of Gerard's influence over half the current playing staff and arguably due to Rafa's own ethics. First and foremost he likes us to be a sound defensive unit, the next step is the one that Houllier struggled to achieve.

Turning us into an equally sound attacking unit...

We saw more glimpses of this in his first season. That friendly against Celtic was like a breath of fresh air after Ged's reds had lost their way, games in the CL against Monaco and Leverkusen also showed signs that Liverpool were trying to turn into something resembling Rafa's Valencia..

So with the introduction of wingers and more attacking fullbacks this Summer, many sense that we're now going for the jugular. Making that final step in becoming more of a complete side. Yet, Gonzalez has played left back before, Alves is equally comfortable at right back and right midfield, and Aurellio is just as versatile. So none of these new lads look likely to shirk their defensive responsibilty..

The Premiership's a different kettle of fish to La Liga, which "could" make it harder to impliment those attacking tactical adjustments, though United and Arsenal don't seem to have any problems blowing teams away with attacking panache..

So which is the way under Rafa?? Will we ever see the brilliance we saw from Valencia at Anfield?? Or will we continue to be just that "bit" more easy on the eye than Houllier's Liverpool?

by **007** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 10:54 am

david wayne wrote:rafa will definately play 4-2-3-1 in any game that matters, somebody said we do not have the attacking players to pull this off, but i disagree. With alonso and sissokko sitting, breaking up and passing it would leave gerrard, gonzalez, a new right winger in a more attacking mode.Also Zenden, kewell and garcia are suited to this role. Am a bit surprised if didi leaves, expect a young new player to sign to cover the sissokko role. I expect only one new striker to arrive and half expect it to be one with a physical prescence like kujt. Also with new full backs areulio and alves goals will be coming from all over and just like valencia our strikers will be nowhere near the top of the goalscoring charts. However, expect the boys to be very very close to the chelski next year, maybe maybe even pipping them

Yup..I got to agree with you there my mate...

4-2-3-1 is the prefered formation and I don't think Rafa will change it into 5-3-2. It is too risky because teams like Chelsea will rip us apart with thier wings play.

I prefered we play 4-3-3.

Reina

Alves/Finnan Agger/Hyypia Carragher Riise/Warnock

Gerrard Alonso Sissoko

Kewell/Garcia Crouch/Bellamy Gonzalez/Kewell/Zenden

I remember Kewell used to play on the right wing in Houlier era and did pretty well. He might do a job for us again if given a chance.

I just hope we can be more adventurous in attacking. We must be more inventive...creating more chances with short passses, wing plays and a more direct approach.This would please the fans because everyone like to see attractive football. Hopefully Rafa won't followed Sven's Plan C (hitting long balls to Crouch).

Let us just hope that there will be more positives changes in the future.

by **PCG77** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 2:12 pm

Why do people still get so caught up on formations as the be all of football?

Rafa in my humble opinion is after more versatile players. With Auerilo and Alves, he is after wide players who can play both as full backs and in the midfield. Players that he can adapt to the situation. Very similar in style to the management guru Sir Aussie Guus Hiddink.

Football has progressed to become a very fluid game unlike the rigid, unimaginative game many English teams play. I know people are going to take the :censored:

because English teams have done very well in Europe in recent years... However besides the scum and the borough who have had british managers. both have had a large foreign influence....

Any way... bring on more attractive football...

by **Alonso14** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:25 am

Well since reading the Pennant deal is done, I thought it might be useful to bump up this old thread. I don't no if it was mentioned in the Pennant thread too many pages to read through.

But the natural width and pace we will now have do you think we will be hitting teams on the counter? We should definitely be more efficient in killing off teams this season, something we struggled with a lot last.

by **wee_boi888** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:59 am

Pennant can't really be used as a wingback either as he does not have enough defencive capabilities. We might end up reverting to the 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 with Stevie on the right and Pennant as an option. But 6.7 Mil just for a bench player is a bit steep.

However, a 4-3-3/4-5-1 With the trio in the middle and two wingers(Pennant and Kewell/Speedy) is my favoured formation with the current players. With Xabi, Momo and Stevie in the middle, we can easily control the game, and it will also allow Stevie to push up cos we have the Xabi and Momo to cover if we lose possession. If this is the formation we use the most, I think we will probably see Garcia mostly as a sub if we ever go to 4-4-1-1 in a game.

All in all, with the ability to play Stevie G in the middle more often with the arrival of pennant, we finally have a huge array of options to play. I'm very excited for the coming season.

by **LFC #1** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 7:54 am

If we ever reach the level Valencia reached under Rafa we will be very very formidable. I remember when we played them a few season back, and it's the only time I've felt we had no chance of beating a side. The loss at the Mestalla was the best perforamcne I've seen against a Liverpool side in my time as a fan, they were immense. They weren't half bad at Anfield either.

It's a testament to Rafa how quickly it fell apart under Ranieri.

by **Judge** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:08 am

stmichael wrote:One of the biggest differences so far - and something that will come when the right players are introduced - is the ability to really hurt teams on the counter. Valencia were, and still are to a certain extent, deadly on the counter attack.

We've notched a few - Riise, Xabi and Stevie seem to often be involved, but i think Rafa would like to see it more often, and with a more clinical end product also. I expect that to be something we'll be seeing a lot more of over the coming years.

Mr Gonzalez could well be the next step for this aspect of our game to progress.

i think with the signings of bellamy, gonzalez and now pennant, we have real pace. That wa somewhat lacking, as stevie gerrard was the only one willing to run at folk with pace.

but we have that pace in more quarters of the field i feel now, and for me i believe it will seriously worry our opponents.

if we dont suffer a mid-season blip again, then i feel we can seriously win the title :nod

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