TC Tactics A-Z

That might be hard to do when your playing the same 11 every game though

 

Yep.

Use the squad better and we wouldn’t be knackered throughout December every season.

 

These guys are young athletes and all they have to do is train and keep fit. They should be able to play 3 hrs of football a week. I don't buy the tiredness excuse. The huns pretty much play the same team every week and I don't hear anyone saying they look tired. Mane, Firmino and Salah play a couple of times a week - do they look tired?

 

Forster

Ajer
Jullien
New centre half

Forrest
Soro
McGregor
Boli

Rogic
Christie

Eddy

Would like to see this in some of our home game's especially when Christie is back..

Forster

Elhamed
Jullien
Ajer
Boli

McGregor
Soro
Christie
Rogic

Mo
Eddy

Klimala. Robertson. Shved I'd like to see get some game time...as well as a couple of new faces still to come in..

 

Liking this new setup, think we should stick with it for a bit. Worked well against Hibs at home, and last night.

Forster

Elhamed/Bitton/Jozo
Julien
Ajer

Forrest/Frimpong
Christie/Ntcham
Brown
McGregor
Boli/Taylor

Griff/Polish Paddy
Eddy

That right there should be our setup against the huns, in my opinion. Not discounting 4-2-3-1 as it definitely has its place, but we need to have options or we'll be found out (again...).

 

Forster
Frimpong Julien Ajer Bolingoli
Christie Soro McGregor
Griffiths Kimala Edouard ​

 

I'd love to see that formation. I know people will say it's too many forwards and we'd be overrun in midfield but that's how Liverpool play and they're doing ok. Strange that more teams don't copy the best team in the world right now. We'd still have a strong midfield 3 and teams would struggle to get out their own half with 3 strikers pressing them and our 3 centre mids marking their midfielders.

 

Playing two players out of position though. Griffiths doesn’t work at right wing, we’ve seen it before. And Eddy is far better through the middle with the license to drop deeper or drift wide.

 

I mean that formation not necessarily those players but even with those players they could easily switch positions through the game to make it more difficult for the opposition and make it a bit more fluid up front and we'd have 3 top goal scorers on the pitch when we get into good positions just like Liverpool do.

 

Thinking about the game yesterday I think he is trying to play the Liverpool formation with MJ, Griff/Eddy and Forrest our front 3. FBs providing the width and a strong midfield 3. MJ and Forrest are definitely playing inside closer to the striker more than they're out wide. I'm trying to work out why it's not working - possibly cos teams up here defend deeper and in greater numbers against us denying us space and yesterday I don't think our forwards and midfielders closed them down hard enough allowing them to pass through us creating those chances. I think some of our players ball watch a bit too much at times.

 

Elham—jullien—benkovic
Frimpong—christie-soro-mcgregor-elyounoussi
——griffiths/klimala—eddie—

Providing we do get benkovic on loan, id like to see something like this.
We need our injured players back asap.

 

We need to get midfield players in those half-spaces which are difficult to pick up. Sort of the unmarkable zones which either forces an opposition player to come out of position to try and pick them up which creates space for others to exploit or if they're not picked up there's an opportunity to for them to have time to create something. Also I think the relationship between full-back and winger needs to be better. When the full-back is overlapping, the winger needs to come inside and if the winger is holding the width the full-back needs to come more central. We have to be better at overloading opposition defences and stretching out the opposition back line. Yesterday in the first half it felt like we were literally just attacking with 3 players. Which is the problem with playing Brown-McGregor-Ntcham. They're all similar-ish players, none of them are naturally gonna be getting into those half-spaces because they're more comfortable being a pure centre midfielder.

I'm not even necessarily sure it's a formation issue, though maybe with the options we have a change of formation mightn't be the worst idea if it gets more players in dangerous positions and we're able to stretch out teams a little more.

 

None of our midfield 3 get forward enough. When was the last time a midfielder ran past the striker for a through pass. McGregor used to play that role well but he's playing far too deep now and Ntcham very rarely does it (was going to say never does it then remembered Lazio) . I think he expects more from MJ and Forrest through the middle. I thought MJ tried hard and was a bit unlucky a few times yesterday but Forrest offered very little.

 

Maybe with Soro coming, we can push McGregor up a bit again

 

Can folk stop saying we should be playing like Liverpool when they're obviously trying to play like us.

 

For me, it’s hard to see any sort of identity we have with regards to a playing style. It’s almost as if Lennon sends the team out with the mantra of ‘you’re a superior team so just go out and win’. No link up play between players, not really any consistent patterns to our play.

Another thing that’s worrying is the amount of times we get caught out with a simple ball over the top. A better team would have punished us.

 

Said it on another thread, that Lenny would be better having an experienced coach in the set up. Someone with a bit of a tactical knowledge. Feel as if there's no plan B at times. The lack of subs and squad rotation at times is infuriating. Especially when certain players need a rest and others need up to speed.

As for formation, no idea what Lenny played at Hibs, but don't think he's entirely comfortable with it (4-2-3-1) with the squad he's got but doesn't wanna change it to much due to the run of trophies won by most of the squad and importance of 9 and 10 iar. I think the 4231 has had its time for us just now. A 352 gives us the 2 up top we want and allows us * numbers in defence and transition to attack.

Need a bit more good fortune on the injury front to get the most from the squad though.

 

I can’t disagree with any of that mate. The point about lack of tactical knowledge in Lennon’s team is a good one and one I’ve spoken to my old man about recently. I think Lennon lacks a bit of guidance at times which is saying something considering he is experienced.

The 4231 has obviously been successful for us for the past three seasons but it wouldn’t do us any harm to try alternatives. The biggest issue that I think 4231 poses for us is the number 10 position when we aren’t firing in all cylinders. I often feel the 10 becomes ineffective and offers nothing to the game thus we struggle to feed the striker.

Not the biggest fan of 352 in all honestly. With the players Lennon likes to play, I don’t think it’s the most suitable. Forrest doesn’t track back as a winger never mind as a wing back plus it would mean dropping Frimpong which I don’t think you can do. The midfield becomes too congested and our midfielders play similarly as it is.

 

352 has looked good in recent weeks, some great performances. Today back to a 4231 under tough conditions and a lot of changes. Some brief cameos were made and for me gave some thought to the two potential setups

Forster
Ajer, Julien, Simunovic
Forrest.......................................Taylor
brown
McGregor, Christie
Edouard, Griffiths​

Looks really good the last few weeks and gives a good fluid game to us, able to switch it around when needed as well. Taylor or Boli for more width if needed.

Alternatively, if we are wanting to be more structured at the back and middle, the 4231 could look like:

forster
Elhamed, Julien, Ajer, Taylor
Brown, McGregor
Shved, Rogic, Ely
Edouard
​

The directness and pace of the two wide men in that will be brilliant to support a lone striker while giving us a more structured backline and midfield.

Players such as Klimala, Frimpong, Welsh, Bayo, Soro, Arzani, all should be in and around the squads for these as well and it's a good and healthy match day squad we have, with others in the fringes as well.

We just need to give some of the guys a fair chance to be able to show their worth and change the games at times. Proven today with Shved cameo, he can make a difference and offer something else.

 

Liking the 3-5-2 that we have played recently with both Ed and Griff up front. If we had everyone available then think that this is our strongest line up. A few of the subs could possibly change