Is 3-5-2 the way to go?

[alias75]

Alonso and Bellamy should be back for the next league game but given the form of our wide players (especially Pennant) surely 3-5-2 is the way to go with Riise and Finnan providing the width. Garcia is so much more effective when he has license to float and Agger has the ability in a back 3 to bring the ball out and start attacks that way.

 

Ive been so dissapointed with pennant and if it wasnt for the complete lack of wide right players and injuries id look to offload in January while we can still get 70% of our money for him, hes on a long contract and at the moment it looks like another Diao, Cheyrou situation where we're going to have a player on big money that isnt good enough and we cant shift. Hopefully he comes good but his poor attitude has surprised me given this was his big chance, i hope im wrong and if he wasnt first choice at the moment it wouldnt be so bad but he shouldnt be in our first 11 at the moment 3-5-2 solves that problem.

 

hopefully Bellamy will start performing now he has all his off field problems sorted out, ive been happy with his effort and i still think he could be a key player for us hopefully now he starts scoring cos when hes confident hes as good as anyone in the league.

[eskton]

3-5-2 is the way forward, at least for the next home game. Look at tonights match, they played one up front. 3-5-2 would have been good tonight

[Rimbeux]

So we're not getting enough bodies into the box, into danger areas, and the answer is putting another defender on the pitch?

 

Not for me. Finnan and Riise are not going to get past fulbacks and whip balls iin. They can both support wingers very well and overlap, but they wont provide width by themselves.

 

All that will happen is the back three having way too much of the ball, and looking to pick out static targets with 40 yard balls, as they oppo sit back and invite it on

[alias75]

Both finnan and riise are more than capable of getting forward and putting good quality into the area, i get the impression they're under orders in some games not to get too advanced.

 

you could see 3-5-2 as playing an extra defender but if its played correctly its really an extra attacking midfielder (garcia) lots of onus on the 2 wing backs but the way pennant and garcia played today and for most of the season as traditional wingers it isnt working. until we have better quality available wide left and right i think 3-5-2 is the best formation for the players we have available.

[Guest Cardie]

3-5-2 is the way forward, at least for the next home game. Look at tonights match, they played one up front. 3-5-2 would have been good tonight

 

What's the point of having 3 defender on one striker?

 

We're the home side yet we'd be commiting far too many players to defence than would possibly be needed.

 

1 up fornt needs no more than 2 centrebacks. The extra player could then be used further forward.

[alias75]

What's the point of having 3 defender on one striker?

 

We're the home side yet we'd be commiting far too many players to defence than would possibly be needed.

 

1 up fornt needs no more than 2 centrebacks. The extra player could then be used further forward.

 

If the opposition only plays 1 up then it gives 1 of the CBs (id say Agger) the license to bring the ball out and almost become another midfielder. I think one of our big problems this season is were getting next to nothing from our wide players, Pennant is clearly lacking confidence and Garcia isnt the same player when hes stuck on one side, 3-5-2 solves that problem plus it also plays Garcia in his best position.

[Guest Cardie]

If the opposition only plays 1 up then it gives 1 of the CBs (id say Agger) the license to bring the ball out and almost become another midfielder. I think one of our big problems this season is were getting next to nothing from our wide players, Pennant is clearly lacking confidence and Garcia isnt the same player when hes stuck on one side, 3-5-2 solves that problem plus it also plays Garcia in his best position.

 

What's the point in having a defender who can step into midfield when you can have a midfielder who can step into attack?

[alias75]

What's the point in having a defender who can step into midfield when you can have a midfielder who can step into attack?

 

Not sure i understand that.

 

Playing 4-4-2 you have one midfielder that supports the forwards (Gerrard) and one that holds (Alonso) you also have your wingers, now if those wingers arent performing you have a big problem.

 

Playing 3-5-2 you have 2 attacking midfielders (Gerrard and Garcia) plus your 2 wing backs. My point is at the moment i think Riise and Finnan are a far better bet than Pennant and Garcia for those wide positions. If we're at home and the opposition are playing 1 up we have Agger who is capable of bringing the ball out from the back.

 

It may sound as if 3-5-2 is a defensive formation but if your wingers are offering virtually nothing going forward you are in effect playing with 2 forwards and an attacking midfielder in a 4-4-2

[Guest Cardie]

Not sure i understand that.

 

Playing 4-4-2 you have one midfielder that supports the forwards (Gerrard) and one that holds (Alonso) you also have your wingers, now if those wingers arent performing you have a big problem.

 

Playing 3-5-2 you have 2 attacking midfielders (Gerrard and Garcia) plus your 2 wing backs. My point is at the moment i think Riise and Finnan are a far better bet than Pennant and Garcia for those wide positions. If we're at home and the opposition are playing 1 up we have Agger who is capable of bringing the ball out from the back.

 

It may sound as if 3-5-2 is a defensive formation but if your wingers are offering virtually nothing going forward you are in effect playing with 2 forwards and an attacking midfielder in a 4-4-2

 

We don't have fullbacks with the pace and attacking quality to rely on them forming any decent attacking threat and we have 3 defenders marking 1 striker.

 

Surely it'd make more sense to have an extra striker rather than an extra defender?

[honourablegeorge]

How does playing three central midfielders solve the "one fit central midfielder" problem?

[Billy Dane]

I'd put warnock in at LB and move Riise to LM with Kuyt over on the right. You could then have Bellamy (or Garcia) supporting Crouch. Kuyt doesn't appear to want to stay up front anyway.

[Knox_Harrington]

We don't have fullbacks with the pace and attacking quality to rely on them forming any decent attacking threat and we have 3 defenders marking 1 striker.

 

Surely it'd make more sense to have an extra striker rather than an extra defender?

That's why I'd like to see us play Reina, Hyypia, Carragher, Agger, Finnan, Riise, Gerrard, Alonso, Bellamy, Kuyt, Crouch/Fowler/Garcia with Bellamy ostensibly wide right and Agger at left back but with real fluency between the positions in and out of a back three to a four and with a genuine goal threat from our front five (Gerrard, Riise, Bellamy, Kuyt, C/F/G) and pace on one flank with solidity on the other.

 

I'd put warnock in at LB

Don't think he's fit.

 

And Bellamy needs to play from deep. Up front he's not been able to use his pace.

[crisps]

rather we just tried something like: -

 

----------reina--------------

finnan--carra--agger--riise

-----------alonso---------

bellamy----gerrard-----hamill

-----------garcia-----------------

------------kuyt----------

[Knox_Harrington]

rather we just tried something like: -

 

----------reina--------------

finnan--carra--agger--riise

-----------alonso---------

bellamy----gerrard-----hamill

-----------garcia-----------------

------------kuyt----------

If he fancied Hammill at the moment then you would assume he would have made the bench last night.

[crisps]

If he fancied Hammill at the moment then you would assume he would have made the bench last night.

 

maybe? but with alonso out, perhpads guthrie was a better option should we have needed a CM, I dont think hammill and bellamy on the wings could be any worse than garcia having a wing shocker and pennant in general

 

Rather have garcia behind front man...

Edited November 30, 2006 by mikeyj

[Logic]

Our problem is that we don't score enough goals. Solution? Stop caring about clean sheets and start setting up a team that will score goals.

 

Something like this 3-4-3

 

Reina

Carra - Hyypia - Agger

Pennant - Gerrard - Alonso - Garcia

Kuyt - Crouch - Bellamy

 

Our fullbacks simply aren't good enough in attack. Riise and Finnan aren't players that will run up and down the field all day. They are both great players but simply provide no threat in attack.

 

Pennant has been terrible so far IMO but last night it seemed like he was the only one (except Gerrard) who cared. He got frustrated and should have focused more on how he played but at least he got irritated.

 

We have "easy" games for now so I think we should do this just to score a few goals.

 

Might be a stupid idea but I'm tired of seeing a team put out that is more about keeping a clean sheet rather than scoring more than the other team.

[CarraLegend]

I never understand the moaning about our full backs whenever we're not scoring, Finnan was the highest assisting right back in the Prem last season (And has set up goals this season) and Riise scores a few goals, and the team who have won the title the last two seasons havent had Cafu like full backs either even Ashley Cole barely seems to attack for them. I am more concerned with our actual creators creating for the strikers rather than full backs and our set pieces, last night was the ideal night where you play s**** but nick it off a set piece just like Chelsea do so often.

 

Chelsea's last 3 League results

 

Bolton won 1-0 Header from a corner

Utd 1-1 Header from a corner

West Ham 1-0 Free kick.

 

The amount of game changing/deciding goals they get from set pieces is absolutely incredible, if we can get half as good as that we'd more often than not sneak games like last night 1-0

Edited November 30, 2006 by CarraLegend

[alias75]

Personally i think both Riise and Finnan are good going forward but i get the imrpession in certain games this year they've been told not to be too attacking. Finnan for sure puts in more quality than Pennants managed and Riise is a much better wide left player than Garcia who always plays better in a free role.

 

As for the lack of central midfielders well Alonso should be back for the next league game so the midfield 3 can be Alonso - Gerrard with Garcia in the hole.

 

Surely Finnan and Riise cant offer any less than Pennant and Garcia did last night. Riise in particular seems a perfect wingback to me, in that his game is all about getting up and down the pitch.

[Knox_Harrington]

Chelsea's last 3 League results

 

Bolton won 1-0 Header from a corner

Utd 1-1 Header from a corner

West Ham 1-0 Free kick.

 

The amount of game changing/deciding goals they get from set pieces is absolutely incredible, if we can get half as good as that we'd more often than not sneak games like last night 1-0

Everything we moan about not having that UNited have Chelsea haven't got either (and choose not to use) and yet are getting results. The feeling persists that we are overcomplicating things. Lash the ball into the box for corners into an area where it's fifty-fifty between Agger, Crouch and Hyypia and their biggest three lads. Have more shots and hope to get sneaky deflections - which can result in corners or better and therefore capitalise, sniff around for dirty chances...just pile the pressure on to have that fifty-fifty opportunity.

 

If the ball is dropping in a crowded eighteen yard box ten yards out almost anything can happen. So it might be headed away a few times. So f***ing what. Just keep putting it in and a chance will come. Score the perfect goal when we are 2-0 up, not at 0-0.

[CarraLegend]

Everything we moan about not having that UNited have Chelsea haven't got either (and choose not to use) and yet are getting results. The feeling persists that we are overcomplicating things. Lash the ball into the box for corners into an area where it's fifty-fifty between Agger, Crouch and Hyypia and their biggest three lads. Have more shots and hope to get sneaky deflections - which can result in corners or better and therefore capitalise, sniff around for dirty chances...just pile the pressure on to have that fifty-fifty opportunity.

 

If the ball is dropping in a crowded eighteen yard box ten yards out almost anything can happen. So it might be headed away a few times. So f***ing what. Just keep putting it in and a chance will come. Score the perfect goal when we are 2-0 up, not at 0-0.

 

Yep, spot on that mate.

[hideNseek]

Everything we moan about not having that UNited have Chelsea haven't got either (and choose not to use) and yet are getting results. The feeling persists that we are overcomplicating things. Lash the ball into the box for corners into an area where it's fifty-fifty between Agger, Crouch and Hyypia and their biggest three lads. Have more shots and hope to get sneaky deflections - which can result in corners or better and therefore capitalise, sniff around for dirty chances...just pile the pressure on to have that fifty-fifty opportunity.

 

If the ball is dropping in a crowded eighteen yard box ten yards out almost anything can happen. So it might be headed away a few times. So f***ing what. Just keep putting it in and a chance will come. Score the perfect goal when we are 2-0 up, not at 0-0.

Agree.

[Rimbeux]

Both finnan and riise are more than capable of getting forward and putting good quality into the area, i get the impression they're under orders in some games not to get too advanced.

 

you could see 3-5-2 as playing an extra defender but if its played correctly its really an extra attacking midfielder (garcia) lots of onus on the 2 wing backs but the way pennant and garcia played today and for most of the season as traditional wingers it isnt working. until we have better quality available wide left and right i think 3-5-2 is the best formation for the players we have available.

 

 

But it's not. All the oppo have to do is play one up front, 4-5-1, and our spare man is useless. Finnan and Risse will have a wide midfielder and fullback to get past, so there's no space out wide. Their three in the middle can go man for man with our three, so no easy route through the middle of the park with six players there crowding things.

 

What we end up with, Man C being case in point, is our defenders with way too much of the ball (even more than usual) in non threatening areas, with no short pass on, trying make the play, and ending up looking for Crouch knockdowns on the edge of the box with long balls.

 

We dont have the sort of players to go dancing through the middle like an on song Arsenal, we have forwards who need crosses, they come from width, width comes from proper use of shape, 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 whatever, and getting wide men into space to deliver.

[Jim D]

I never understand the moaning about our full backs whenever we're not scoring, Finnan was the highest assisting right back in the Prem last season (And has set up goals this season) and Riise scores a few goals, and the team who have won the title the last two seasons havent had Cafu like full backs either even Ashley Cole barely seems to attack for them. I am more concerned with our actual creators creating for the strikers rather than full backs and our set pieces, last night was the ideal night where you play s**** but nick it off a set piece just like Chelsea do so often.

 

Chelsea's last 3 League results

 

Bolton won 1-0 Header from a corner

Utd 1-1 Header from a corner

West Ham 1-0 Free kick.

 

The amount of game changing/deciding goals they get from set pieces is absolutely incredible, if we can get half as good as that we'd more often than not sneak games like last night 1-0

 

 

Yes, I can remember reading from somewhere that since Mourinho has been at the club, Chelsea have scored the majority of their goals from set plays......I think it was something like 70%. We need to improve our delivery drastically, bring back Gary Mac!

[Rimbeux]

imo Lampard puts in the most consistent quality from dead balls in the premiership, pace and accuracy, nowt fancy

[Knox_Harrington]

imo Lampard puts in the most consistent quality from dead balls in the premiership, pace and accuracy, nowt fancy

Is the point. Even in terms of accuracy he just puts them into a pretty big area and knows someone will contest it well. His style of taking them is little to nothing like Beckham who really did place them. It's percentage football at its most effective.