FLVillan Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 8 hours ago, TomC said: Playing Nakamba or Donck as the 6 and playing Dougie as one of the 8s would give us more creativity. I'd rather see Donck because we know Naka's limitations and I'd like to see what Donck can do. But I wouldn't mind trying Naka. Anything to break up the current midfield. Well, almost anything. Naka-McGinn-JJ would be a complete disaster. What baffles me is that the loss of Nakamba last season was the catalyst for the drop in form. Gerrard even said as much (on more than one occasion). Getting Kamara was a clear upgrade in terms of technical ability, but Nakamba was doing/will do all the pony work in front of the back-four. It is bizarre as to why it was Luiz who came in as the replacement for Kamara, when it was Nakamba, by Gerrard's own admission, who was the more natural defensive midfielder. His "passing stats" shouldn't even be a factor - getting the ball back and protecting the space is what that role calls for in a 4-3-3 / 4-1-4-1 / 4-3-2-1.....We can live with the occasional misplaced pass from a player who is consistently winning it back for us..... Luiz is a good player, but in that "number six" role his involvement should be limited to the games against weak teams at home who only play with two in the middle (ie. hardly ever). From the outside it looks like the Kamara injury prompted the response of "oh good, I can pigeon-hole Dougie back into the team now without having to drop McGinn." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom13 Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 The way he sets up our midfield is the most baffling thing in football since... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Watkins Ings Bailey JJ Luiz McGinn Young Mings Konsa Cash Tell JJ and McGinn to get forward into the half spaces and have Young and Cash tuck into Midfield and cover them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom13 Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 4 minutes ago, CVByrne said: Watkins Ings Bailey JJ Luiz McGinn Young Mings Konsa Cash Tell JJ and McGinn to get forward into the half spaces and have Young and Cash tuck into Midfield and cover them. We've seen enough of that trio in midfield to know it doesn't work. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 15 minutes ago, Tom13 said: We've seen enough of that trio in midfield to know it doesn't work. They've always been set up wrong by Gerrard. 8s covering full backs instead of getting forward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 2 minutes ago, CVByrne said: They've always been set up wrong by Gerrard. 8s covering full backs instead of getting forward I'm not sure they do that much anymore tbh. They're just not very good. McGinn especially. The midfield three at the start of the season should have been Luiz, Kamara and Ramsey/Coutinho. There is no point signing players like Sanson and Dendoncker if you're simply never going to drop McGinn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Not sure about the idea we look better against better sides. So far under Gerrard against the Sky-6 we've managed a draw against Man C and a draw against Man U. That's it. 2 points out of 30 from those 10 games so far. Some of our obvious flaws might be less exposed in games where we are not expected to do much I guess and maybe that's what people mean? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viivvaa66 Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 6 minutes ago, sne said: Not sure about the idea we look better against better sides. So far under Gerrard against the Sky-6 we've managed a draw against Man C and a draw against Man U. That's it. 2 points out of 30 from those 10 games so far. Some of our obvious flaws might be less exposed in games where we are not expected to do much I guess and maybe that's what people mean? Correct, we are pressed back, so non of Gerrard’s ideas can be put into practice. That makes us looks a lot better, we still loses, but we don’t look so clueless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 4 hours ago, PieFacE said: I just don't understand why we aren't telling our wingers to stay wide to stretch the pitch. With all this narrow rubbish we try, it's so easy for a defence to just remain in a compact block and not allow for any space through the middle. Force the wingers to hug the touchline. This would have stretched the opposition and allowed for space for McGinn and Ramsey to work in in central areas. But nope, stay narrow, and try to put cross into a very compact backline. That will work. Gerrard is so useless. The problem is, we have tried the wingers bit, with Deano.....and they don't beat anyone, to cause damage. The majority of the team lack aggression, aggression to force issues and try things. We are buggered if we do, and buggered if we don't....it seems to me, other systems don't work either. I don't know, where this ends up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 1 minute ago, TRO said: The problem is, we have tried the wingers bit, with Deano.....and they don't beat anyone, to cause damage. The majority of the team lack aggression, aggression to force issues and try things. We are buggered if we do, and buggered if we don't....it seems to me, other systems don't work either. I don't know, where this ends up. yep didnt work at all, 2 seasons ago our four widemen combined for a pathetic 25 goals and 17 assists in a single season 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 15 minutes ago, sne said: Not sure about the idea we look better against better sides. So far under Gerrard against the Sky-6 we've managed a draw against Man C and a draw against Man U. That's it. 2 points out of 30 from those 10 games so far. Some of our obvious flaws might be less exposed in games where we are not expected to do much I guess and maybe that's what people mean? We don't seem to want to take the initiative....we seem to want other teams to do that, and us catch them out, in moments. There is no control in this team, even when we dominate possession, its usually poorer teams surrendering territory and we can't break that down. whan I say we look better, I mean marginally. I don't know what is wrong with this team, it could be many things at once......but it is surely, turgid stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 54 minutes ago, Tom13 said: We've seen enough of that trio in midfield to know it doesn't work. It hasn't worked, whichever configuration we employ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphouneso Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 I think this is probably the shape that allows us the most round pegs in round holes with our current squad. Wouldn't mind seeing us try it post-Stevie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke313 Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 (edited) 14 minutes ago, Delphouneso said: I think this is probably the shape that allows us the most round pegs in round holes with our current squad. Wouldn't mind seeing us try it post-Stevie. Sorry, but you seemed to be missing our captain and talisman, John McGinn. Edited October 13, 2022 by duke313 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 20 hours ago, TRO said: The problem is, we have tried the wingers bit, with Deano.....and they don't beat anyone, to cause damage. The majority of the team lack aggression, aggression to force issues and try things. We are buggered if we do, and buggered if we don't....it seems to me, other systems don't work either. I don't know, where this ends up. Er....we finished 11th with 55 pts. The following season we lost Grealish and Bailey and Traore started the season unfit. Ashley Young and El Ghazi were our starting wingers for the first game and we still looked more dangerous than we have in recent games under Gerrard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphouneso Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 6 minutes ago, duke313 said: Sorry, but you seemed to be missing our captain and talisman, John McGinn. This is OT but I think Ginny is suffering from Mason Mount sydrome at the moment. He's a good player, but he should've been dropped a while ago and the consequence of him not being dropped is fans reactions becoming unnecessarily toxic. Southgate did the same with Mount, both managers probably think they're protecting the player but the reality is you end up just hanging them out to dry. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke313 Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 Watkins, McGinn and Luiz need to be dropped. Archer, Sanson and Nakamba could literally not do any worse and have had practically no game time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom13 Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 20 minutes ago, duke313 said: Watkins, McGinn and Luiz need to be dropped. Archer, Sanson and Nakamba could literally not do any worse and have had practically no game time. Douglas Luiz should not be dropped. He should be the first name on the team sheet in midfield. Followed by Dendoncker or Sanson (ideally both) for balance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke313 Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 Just now, Tom13 said: Douglas Luiz should not be dropped. He should be the first name on the team sheet in midfield. Followed by Dendoncker or Sanson (ideally both) for balance. He hasn't been bad but hasn't been that great either TBH. He should be dropped for the sole fact he clearly doesn't want to be here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom13 Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 1 minute ago, duke313 said: He hasn't been bad but hasn't been that great either TBH. He should be dropped for the sole fact he clearly doesn't want to be here. He'll never stand out in the DM role, but he's a very intelligent player, essential for us. Needs a run as an 8 but Steven is persisting with Captain Fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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