Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 3:39 pm**

H_K_LFC wrote:3-5-2 could work and is worth a shot but a dont think finnan could cut it playin as a winger....now he is a gd player who plays well for us at RB but am not sure about him as a winger.

reina

carra hyypia traore

finnan riise

alonso sissoko

gerrard

crouch ciise

By playint that it would give gerrard moer chance to get forward and get onto knock on from crouch and with ciise's pace he should aswell.alonso and siisoko would be solid in the midfield and our defence looks gd.

That looks pretty solid to me and also has great attacking 'possibilities' to use rafa's favourite word. Even though that's more of a 5-3-2 with wing backs. I think Finnan puts in some good crosses and from what somebody else said, this could be the most effective way of accomodating sissoko, gerrard and alonso in the same team without losing our effectiveness up front.

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 3:45 pm**

we won the champions league using 3-5-2 in the 2nd half :buttrock

.......

It would be a good formation if a plan B is needed....

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 3:52 pm**

stmichael wrote:we really need kewell fit and firing down the left. if we could then buy a quality right sided player in january we could then play 4-3-3.

what an awesome looking team this will be....

1)When defending
Reina
Finnan Carra Hyppia Risse
Alonso
Joaquin Sissoko Gerrard Kewell
Crouch/Moro/Cisse

2)When on Attack
Reina
Finnan Carra Hyppia Risse
Alonso
Sissoko Gerrard
Joaquin (Crouch/Moro/Cisse) Kewell

But kewell has to be back to his leeds "form".

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:14 pm**

Good argument for the 3-5-2 LIVERPOOLANYTIME, but to be honest I'm just not a fan of it.

We're struggling for centre-backs as it is at the moment without having to find 3 that are good enough and fit enough to play every week, that's the first problem.

Wingbacks - probably the most important aspect of an effective 3-5-2. We have one natural one in Riise, but after that we're struggling.

In Houllier's early days he played 3-5-2 a few times and Hyypia didn't look happy at all, I don't think it's a formation that'll suit him as there is more ground for him to cover in that formation and he's not the quickest.

Even if the 3-5-2 did suit our personnel (which I don't think it does), I just think it's too one-dimensional. Unless you have say Cafu and Ashley Cole as your wingbacks (who can both get up and down the pitch all day and are as good at attacking as defending), then almost everything ends up getting played through the centre.

4 at the back for me every time, ahead of that I'm not quite sure what suits us best at the moment.

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:57 pm**

3-5-2 is a flawed system and does not bring relative success,the only time it works is in germany and german national team where the formation was created,the only successful teams play it are bayern munich and the german national team ,non of the big teams from england spain italy holland portugal france use it

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 7:53 pm**

Personally i dont give a damn if were not playing sexy football or whatever you want to call it. Were improving by every game and results are showing this. We have not lost a game yet home or away and compared to last year that is some improvment considering we have played teams like Betis and Utd so far.

With regards to formation i think 3-5-2 could work with us. Cisse would be happy up front as usual and it would give us a chance to play Sissoko, Alonso and Gerrard all at once whom in my opinion, if they work hard together can make our midfield unstoppable.

The thing is though to trust three defenders at the back you need solid men at the back who never slip up. The only team ive ever seen play 3-5-2 well is Brazil. I think Carra and Sami could definatley hodl their own at the back but this is why we need one more accomplished CB. Only January will who that player will be but i think the slow but sure improvments made by Warnock and Whitbread may just be enough. Barragan could also fit in as he is a natural CB.

3-5-2 would give us a stronger midfield but more importantly still hold 2 up front. The only trhing about 3-5-2 is that the midfield cannot let anything slip through becasue the defence will struggle immedietly. So far Rafas 4-5-1 hasnt led to any defeats yet this season so im not disatisfied but i do feel that here should always be 2 up front so i think 3-5-2 would work.

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:10 pm**

I have always been a fan of the 3-5-2 formation, its a real attacking sort of move to make, but unfortunately I think our defence would suffer,

------------Reina--------------
Finnan---Carragher--Traore-----

makes more logical sense, as our defence would be under attack, and I see Hyppia more as a clean up guy, and his pace would leave alot of ground for the other 2 defenders to cover, Traore and Finnan seem to have a fair bit of pace, and Carra is a rock in the back.

I would think we would play more like

-----------Reina-----------------
Finnan---Carragher-----Traore----
---------Sissoko-----------------
---Gerrard --- Alonso-------------
Sinama-------------Zenden/Risse
----Crouch-------Cisse-----------

I see Crouch playing on the right just so Sinama can make up the pace, although in reality this is almost like playing 4-4-2 anyway because Sissoko would be sitting back to make sure things don't get out of hand.

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:15 pm**

with a 3-5-2 system would suffer Liverpool and any other defence IMHO. You can afford that if you have FAST - GOOD DEFENDING - RESISTANT Left and right backs (who go up and down all the game), and a brilliant team over all, say Barcelona of the nineties or something.

Sabre

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:20 pm**

You undersetimate this formation. I think fro training Rafa knows best what suits the players strenghs. you say we have no one in defence who goes up and down, what about Riise? Surley this formation would bring out the best in him. Hes one of the best crossers in our team and can attack and defend.

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:40 pm**

"It aint what you do its the way that you do it- and thats what gets results." the wise words of the funboy 3 there, but do they stand up in the world of football jiggery pokery? is it possible to combat 4-5-1 with 3-5-2( Roy Evans anyone?) would 4-4-2 conquer the sweeper system? the fifties 4-1-5 against the 5-3-2 wingbacks system? Is there a formation to guarantee success? no. Its all about ability, belief and organisation. Most players in the Liverpool team have grown up playing 4-4-2 so its easier for them to understand. 2 banks of 4 is solid enough, ask the geat Liverpool teams or say the AC Milan team of the late eighties/early nineties. 2 forwards in tune to each other and a midfield dynamo bursting late into the box. We read this and have our own views on who those forwards/midfielders are, sweet as a nut. Jumpers for goalposts.

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 10:11 pm**

Neil: excellent point! (IMO) ALthough I do think that the sweeper tendency won't come to be seen often again. At least in Europe.

bablondon: Didn't mean to disrespect Riise. It's only that I find him "ok" and for a bold 3-5-2 You'd need world class. Needless to say Rafa knows better than anybody his squad, and I'm just a humble football supporter

About 4-4-2. It's not that only Liverpool are used to it and would understand better. It's that 4-4-2 has always worked, eighties, nineties, 2005, Rainy England, Sunny Spain, Grassy Ireland. Also, there are so many variants of the 4-4-2... so many that we could have a thread with more than 56 posts about it. (I'd love to)

Sabre

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2005 11:34 pm**

dont think finnan and riise give us real great attacking width. Also if counter attacked at pace then we would be outmanned and hyppia is too slow and traore's positional play leaves a lot to be desired. It worked in istanbul, but the situation was different we aren't always going to be able to produce that sort of display.

However, come january, if we get simao or joaquin and a very good centre half then maybe this is an option. Even if kewell comes back to some sort of form then only the right sided attacking place will be a grey area. Because, even though joaquin looks brilliant he very seldoms defends. So him and simao would probably suit rafa's 4-5-1 formation. Here's hoping anyway!

Reina
Finnan Carragher New CB Riise

Alonso Sissoko
Joaquin Gerrard Kewell/Garcia

Crouch/ Nando

We have many options and rafa will utilise these over the season. 3rd place at best last eight in CL. Fa Cup Winners

Posted: **Tue Sep 27, 2005 11:13 am**

Screw the 3-5-2. Lets play the good ol fashion 1-1-8

Posted: **Wed Sep 28, 2005 5:59 am**

want to hear more views... read another topic about the same issue that I raised here in -General Discussion...."3-5-2 will this work"

Posted: **Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:39 am**

The_Rock wrote:
stmichael wrote:we really need kewell fit and firing down the left. if we could then buy a quality right sided player in january we could then play 4-3-3.

what an awesome looking team this will be....

1)When defending
Reina
Finnan Carra Hyppia Risse
Alonso
Joaquin Sissoko Gerrard Kewell
Crouch/Moro/Cisse

2)When on Attack
Reina
Finnan Carra Hyppia Risse
Alonso
Sissoko Gerrard
Joaquin (Crouch/Moro/Cisse) Kewell

But kewell has to be back to his leeds "form".

Would love to see Joaquin come to us in Jan think he's quality.

The only thing i'd change is swap sissoko and alonso around or even flip the pyramid so it looks like

Alonso Sissoko
Gerrard

Liverpool FC Forum

3-5-2 - Will it work for us?