Different approach for the Arsenal game?

[snez1]

Been thinking about it and our lack of goals has led me to believe that the system we are playing is restricting us in the final 3rd of the pitch. Sounds stupid i know as it's a 4-4-2 with Kewell and Gerrard (both attacking players) wide, but as we're not scoring from crosses at all (and we should be due to the quality we have out wide and having Crouch and Morientes in the middle) and the problem is, we have absolutely no thrust from the centre of the park as an alternative. Earlier on our run we have Stevie playing in the centre (or drifting in far more frequently from wide) and supporting Crouch and Nando which worked well because the knock downs the 2 big men we're providing we're being gobbled up by Stevie as he regularly burst forward and beyond them both. However, since Luis' injury Stevie has been staying further wide recently and as a result we've lost a major goal threat. He still manages to get inside and influence the play from time to time (e.g. his goal v Brum) but far less than before.

Don't get me wrong, Rafa is completely right to play Stevie on the wing at the moment because we have no one else good enough to play there but is it necessary to have a right winger at all? Of course in a flat 4-4-2 it is, but what about if we went with a diamond formation in midfield?

Think about it:

Crouch, Nando, Djib and Robbie are not lone strikers and we have an abundance of talent in the middle of the park where as out wide we may have quality, but what is the point of having wide players capable of great delivery if you have a 6ft 7 striker who can't head for toffee and another striker who is always 5 yards outside the area at the crucial moment? As I’ve said, a lat 4-4-2 with our central midfielders offers absolutely no thrust from the centre of the park unless Stevie plays there. At the moment, with this formation, that's not possible because we don't have a fit enough/good enough right winger to play out wide and leave Stevie in the middle. If you look at the possible central midfield combinations for the Arsenal game none are threatening in an attacking sense.

Xabi and Didi is defensively sound but there's no attacking presence at all or anyone who can support the front two. Didi and Momo has no goals in it and Momo and Xabi is exactly the same. We need Stevie in the middle and seen as we don't have another option for the right at the moment, i think switching him inside and playing a diamond would be the perfect solution. We'd lack width of course but Kewell and Gerrard would add creativity, speed and a goal threat through the middle.
They could interchange and at times, if needed we could easily revert to a flat 4-4-2 if Arsenal we're threatening a lot down the wings.

------Didi
Stevie---Xabi
-----Kewell

Crouchie-Robbie

Looks pretty decent to me. Xabi's fucked at the moment and Stevie too, but if they had Didi behind them they could play their natural game a lot more - Stevie could concentrate on attacking safe in the knowledge that Didi and Xabi are behind him and Xabi wouldn't have to worry about getting forward as much as when he's in a middle two with Didi or Momo because we'd have 2 major threats in the middle of the park supporting the strikers anyway.

Just a crazy idea like, but i'd rather see that than 5 in midfield with Cisse wide right or Morientes and Crouch up top this Tuesday.

[coop]

Wont get far without a defence or goalie.

[Cardie]

Playing a diamond against Arsenal leaves our full backs exposed, not the best idea with Henry, Pires, Reyes, Ljungberg, Van Persie etc especially given the number of times Arsenal have done us down the wing in the past.

I'd be tempted to play Riise and Kromkamp on either wing with Kewell playing off a striker.

[Nunavut Patrick]

Dudek

Finnan Agger Carragher Traore
Kromkamp Sissoko Alonos Kewell
---------Gerrard----------
-----Hyyppia---------

[snez1]

Originally Posted by Cardie Playing a diamond against Arsenal leaves our full backs exposed. Not the best idea with Henry, Pires, Reyes, Ljungberg, Van Persie etc

Reyes is injured, they have a dire midfield at the moment. Van Persie isn't a wide player, Ljungberg and Pires are as good as finished. They even play Hleb out wide they are so desperate .

Plus, we're at home, they are having a very bad time, we should look to attack them as much as possible, not worry about the threat of has beens and Henry.

[Cardie]

Originally Posted by snez1 Reyes is injured, they have a dire midfield at the moment. Van Persie isn't a wide player, Ljungberg and Pires are as good as finished. They even play Hleb out wide they are so desperate .

Let's not bother with fullbacks either then if they're so shit out wide.

[Nunavut Patrick]

Originally Posted by snez1 Reyes is injured, they have a dire midfield at the moment. Van Persie isn't a wide player, Ljungberg and Pires are as good as finished. They even play Hleb out wide they are so desperate .

Hleb is cack warmed over. Arsenal are there for the taking.

[snez1]

Originally Posted by Cardie Let's not bother with fullbacks either then if they're so shit out wide.

If you dont think the best defense in the lague can handle Pires and Ljungberg at Anfiled without the massive protection that comes from HARRY KEWELL and Gerrard then you are increadibly negative.

[Cardie]

Originally Posted by snez1 If you dont think the best defense in the lague can handle Pires and Ljungberg at Anfiled without the massive protection that comes from HARRY KEWELL and Gerrard then you are increadibly negative.

No, I'm looking at the number of times we've conceded goals against Arsenal by a combination of Reyes/Pires/Ljungberg/Henry/whoever bombing down the left/right and cutting it back for the winger on the opposite side/whoever is playing central popping up with a goal.

Riise/Kromkamp have sufficent attacking AND defensive skills to do both jobs down either side so Gerrard can play centrally and hopefully conserve a little energy.

you've suggested a tactic yet in both posts ignored the fact that Henry does most of his work starting outside and drifting in meaning at any point Finnan has potentially two players to track (the centrebacks could drift out to support but it leaves a nice gaping hole for any willing runner).

[snez1]

Originally Posted by Cardie No, I'm looking at the number of times we've conceded goals against Arsenal by a combination of Reyes/Pires/Ljungberg/Henry/whoever bombing down the left/right and cutting it back for the winger on the opposite side/whoever is playing central popping up with a goal. Riise/Kromkamp have sufficent attacking AND defensive skills to do both jobs down either side so Gerrard can play centrally and hopefully conserve a little energy.

So you'd play Kromkamp and Riise as our wingers at home to a team who have one of the worst away records in the league, are low on confidence and have Cole, Toure, Campbell, Lauren all missing from their backline?

[Cardie]

Originally Posted by snez1 So you'd play Kromkamp and Riise as our wingers at home to a team who have one of the worst away records in the league, are low on confidence and have Cole, Toure, Campbell, Lauren all missing from their backline?

Is Garcia fit?

You see we're kind of lacking in the right wing department so you're looking at Gerrard/Cisse/Finnan/Sissoko(?)/Kromkamp.

I've already said why I'd prefer to see Gerrard central so you're now down to Cisse/Finnan/Sissoko/Kromkamp

Seem to remember a similar ploy being used against Newcastle as well with Riise and Vignal down the left that was far from defensive.

[snez1]

Originally Posted by Cardie Is Garcia fit?

Wsn't even in the squad today, but even if he is thats hardly going to protect Finnan is it? . Seriously though, understand your caution and i'm not suggesting for a minute it won't be a difficult game but i think we need to really get at them and start scoring again. In my opinion the above formation offers more than having Stevie stuck wide with no threat through the middle. In a perfect world with all 4 on top form we'd have Garcia, Stevie, Xabi and Kewell across the middle but that's not possible right now. Anyway, you have a point but i'd be inclined to try and caitalise more on their inexperinced defence rather than be cautious about how they can hurt us, after all we're at home and lets not forget last season, through being positive with a VERY weak side we still managed to get at them and beat them.

[Cardie]

You'd be suprised at the amount of defensive work and back tracking Garcia does.

It's not about being cautious, the idea is only as defensive as you want to make it. I'm certainly not saying we need two left backs and two right backs which is why I said Kromkamp rather than Finnan as he's a more than capable attacking threat (much the same as Riise). but we do need to combat the threat Arsenal have outside which playing Didi, Gerrard and Alonso centrally doesn't do.

It also free's up Kewell to run at the Arsenal defence andexploit the inexperience which should create space for the other striker/Gerrard going through the middle.

[coop]

We are playing a team who are supposed to be shite in midfield, not the force they once were. Where have i heard that lot before, oh yes thats it it was against Manure when we lost 1-0.

We should treat this game as if we are coming against a Arse team on the top of the their game. If we go at them from the start with Gerrard and Alonso in the middle then we should win but all this talk about them been a spent force is a load of shite and they should be treated with respect.

[Stu Monty]

Decent suggestion. It may work in some games and it may fail in others. With Henry's penchant for hugging the left touchline then swooping inwards I wouldn't be using it against them though.

[cochcaer]

If we go at Arsenal from the off we'll run out of steam and get stung late on again. Think it calls for that European away professional approach.