System and Formation vs Man Utd

[Rory Fitzgerald]

Right, gents - as Blackburn doesnt always inspire me, I thought I would think of our our line up against Utd and our team. I know people are not in favour of changing the system but just play along.

 

I am first assuming a Man Utd team along the lines of

 

Van Der Saar

 

Neville Ferdinand Brown Heinze

 

Ronaldo Scholes Carrick Giggs

 

Rooney Saha

 

Keep that in mind.

 

------------------------------------------------------

 

I was thinking that if we went 442, our left side would be weak with Neville and Ronaldo getting at Riise. To give him protection we would have to play Aurelio or Gerrard left midfield and that would put a focus on helping Riise out rather than getting forward.

 

I also thought that Utd's strenghts come down the flanks and in the centre of midfield they are not the strongest in the world.

 

I was thinking along the following lines

 

Reina

 

......Carra Hyypia Agger.......

 

Finnan.............................Riise

 

.....Gerrard Alonso Sissoko......

 

............Crouch Bellamy...........

 

Indulge me further by listening to the merits of such system

 

Agger - Playing 442 we need him alongside Carra given Utd's threat on the ground.

 

Back 3 Carra can support Finnan and still have Hyppia and Agger in the centre if Utd come down the right whilst Riise will have Agger behind him when Utd come down the left with Hyypia and Carra in the box.

 

Gerrard He was crucial in my thinking. Putting him down either flank puts the reigns on him given Utd's attacking abilities as he would have responsibility to track Giggs or Ronaldo. Also, Utd have strenght in Neville and Heinze so he may not get as much joy or support going against them in the attack. Also, putting him on the wing reduces his overall effectiveness for a game like this.

 

Counter-attacking through the centre - United's strenght is coming down the wings with Ronaldo and Giggs stretching the play with Neville supporting and Rooney wandering. By playing with the wing backs we have cover behind them. But when we get the ball, we have Gerrard and Bellamy supporting Crouch and going directly through the middle where I believe Utd may be softer. If we attack the flanks then we have to get past Neville and Heinze first and then get the ball into the box and get infront of Ferdinand and Brown next. Maybe if we hit them 1st through the middle, their players would be stretched given the wingers they have. I would fancy Alonso and Sissoko bossing Scholes and Carrick whilst Gerrard's pace and Bellamy's acceleration supporting Crouch would give us some joy through the centre. If you also think of the effect it will have on Utd players. When they attack, they go wide. When they defend they will have to try and tuck in - what if something goes a miss. Lets exploit them using the wings by driving through their centre.

 

If we use 4-4-2, Gerrard could get lost out on the wings and I dont want that to happen. If we play him in the centre then we lose out on Sissoko or Alonso and I dont want that either whilst I dont want Bellamy dropped for him to support Crouch alone from deep.

 

Basically, I dont want us to stand 4-4-2 away from home against Utd with our best player on the wing trying to counter act their talent on the wings. They are better than in terms of wing play, maybe there is a chance to tweak the system like against Newcastle and let Gerrard drive to the center with not as much defensive responsibility, where he great instead of putting the reigns on him and trying to stem the flow of their attacks

 

*Agreed, Man Utd away is more difficult than playing a sh*t team dressed as barcodes

[Koller49]

Play Robbie Fowler.

 

He has to score at Old Trafford.

[Earl Hafler]

-------------------Reina------------------

Finnan-----Carra-------Agger------Riise

-----------Sissoko------Xabi-------------

--Gerrard----------Kuyt----------Aurelio

--------------------Crouch----------------

 

with the intention of using Garcia, Pennant and Gonzalez / Bellamy as subs if things go wrong.

[Mikey]

-------------------Reina------------------

Finnan-----Carra-------Agger------Riise

-----------Sissoko------Xabi-------------

--Gerrard----------Kuyt----------Aurelio

--------------------Crouch----------------

 

with the intention of using Garcia, Pennant and Gonzalez / Bellamy as subs if things go wrong.

Kuyt's injured, we pose little attacking threat with that team.

[Spike]

-------------------Reina------------------

Finnan-----Carra-------Agger------Riise

-----------Sissoko------Xabi-------------

--Pennant------Gerrard----------Gonzalez

--------------------Crouch----------------

 

 

Go at the c****. The mancs are a team capable of destroying most others, but they don't like it up and at them so to me this gives us our best options as long as we go with the right attitude - keep them on the backfoot. However, as with any Rafa selection, it's never the person selected, or the formation but who he feels is the fittest, in the best mental state, and who can react to a multitude of strategim throughout the game.

[Earl Hafler]

Kuyt's injured, we pose little attacking threat with that team.

 

Is it certain how long he's out for ? I saw the thread.

 

If so, then play Garcia

[Internationinteroperability]

They always score on set-pieces against us. Always.

 

Stop them in the air and keep Ronaldo from running with the ball. Then we'll be fine, I reckon

 

Would really love to se Kuyt in a game like this. He would relish the chance of running at the Utd defence. Kuyt against Brown would be great

[Guest Kev]

We have Blackburn on Saturday, one game at a time please.

[surf]

kev, the voice of reason

 

[Spike]

voice of reason? Nah, he's just the voice of Anfield

[Guest Kev]

[Guest Greasy Belcher]

Our Strongest Line up without the injured Dirk Kuyt is based on my belief that its best to play your best players. This 3 - 4 - 3 could work wonders because with the wing backs of gerrard and riise we could pose a huge threat, whist sissoko and xabi keep us soild through the middle it allows for 3 fowards on the field at once. with Fowler in the role of King Kenny. (who was slow but also clever)

 

 

--------------------Reina------------------

-----Finnan-----Carra-------Agger-----

Gerrard-----------------------------Riise

-----------Sissoko------Xabi-------------

------------------Fowler-------------------

----------Crouch------Bellamy-----------

[Ginu]

Our Strongest Line up without the injured Dirk Kuyt is based on my belief that its best to play your best players. This 3 - 4 - 3 could work wonders because with the wing backs of gerrard and riise we could pose a huge threat, whist sissoko and xabi keep us soild through the middle it allows for 3 fowards on the field at once. with Fowler in the role of King Kenny. (who was slow but also clever)

--------------------Reina------------------

-----Finnan-----Carra-------Agger-----

Gerrard-----------------------------Riise

-----------Sissoko------Xabi-------------

------------------Fowler-------------------

----------Crouch------Bellamy-----------

 

you want to play gerrard as a wing back? are you mad?!

[Rimbeux]

UTD will play the usual 4-3-3 thing with Fletcher or Oshea doing the running for Carrick and Scholes, I only see 442 if they drop Carrick. Personally I would never play three at the back against a genuine winger, either the wingback can never get forward or a centre half is pulled way out of shape. Any two of ours in central midfield should be plenty

Edited October 12, 2006 by Rimbeux

[fred milne]

I'd probably go with this:

 

Reina

Finnan Carragher Hyypia Riise

Gerrard Sissoko Alonso Gonzalez

Crouch Bellamy

[IgPig]

Our Strongest Line up without the injured Dirk Kuyt is based on my belief that its best to play your best players. This 3 - 4 - 3 could work wonders because with the wing backs of gerrard and riise we could pose a huge threat, whist sissoko and xabi keep us soild through the middle it allows for 3 fowards on the field at once. with Fowler in the role of King Kenny. (who was slow but also clever)

--------------------Reina------------------

-----Finnan-----Carra-------Agger-----

Gerrard-----------------------------Riise

-----------Sissoko------Xabi-------------

------------------Fowler-------------------

----------Crouch------Bellamy-----------

 

Gerrard at wing back? You'll be saying you want to play Xabi on the wing next......

[_00_deathscar]

Methinks Garcia has to feature somewhere.

 

I'm still not sure why he was dropped for the Chelsea game.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

I'd probably go with this:

 

Reina

Finnan Carragher Hyypia Riise

Gerrard Sissoko Alonso Gonzalez

Crouch Bellamy

 

nice and traditional. I like it. Maybe throw in agger for sami. Saha and rooney are pretty fast and not all that likely to be dominant in the air.

 

Times like these I miss Danny Murphy.

[Internationinteroperability]

nice and traditional. I like it. Maybe throw in agger for sami. Saha and rooney are pretty fast and not all that likely to be dominant in the air.

 

Times like these I miss Danny Murphy.

 

Oh yes, "the Murphy years"

[Andy @ Allerton]

Liverpool should have a third team of thugs and murderers and play them all one game a season against Manchester United.

 

[KD07]

And rapists too. For The Tache.

[Lee W]

I'd probably go with this:

 

Reina

Finnan Carragher Hyypia Riise

Gerrard Sissoko Alonso Gonzalez

Crouch Bellamy

 

I'd only swap Crouch for Kuyt, if he recovers from the ankle injury. Ferdinand is particularly prone to error when put under the sort pressure that Kuyt puts on central defenders.

[Phil236849]

if all available i'd expect the team to be

 

reina

finnan JC Agger Riise

Gerrard Momo Alonso Aurelio

Kuyt Bellamy

 

Subs Dudek, Hyppia, Pennant, Crouch, Garcia

[Rory Fitzgerald]

if all available i'd expect the team to be

 

reina

finnan JC Agger Riise

Gerrard Momo Alonso Aurelio

Kuyt Bellamy

 

Subs Dudek, Hyppia, Pennant, Crouch, Garcia

 

Thats what I also expect