4-4-2 / 4-4-1-1

[Guest LFD]

Some questions...

 

Is everyone liking this formation that we have used in the first two games?

 

Do you think we should stick with it when Suarez comes back into the team?

 

Are we liking Henderson out wide?

[Jairzinho]

I'd prefer to see Henderson central. I think part of the problem is not having a single player at the club good enough to play wide right in a 4-3-3 formation.

 

Our strongest team probably has Lucas, Henderson, Gerrard, and Coutinho all in it, but they all need to play in some sort of central position.

 

We might need a narrower formation.

[Guest LFD]

Our strongest team probably has Lucas, Henderson, Gerrard, and Coutinho all in it, but they all need to play in some sort of central position.

 

True and Sturridge and Suarez would get in our best team as well and both of them like to be central.

 

But it is about the team and if that means Coutinho or Suarez or Henderson need to play wide, then so be it!

 

The question is which player should be wide? I personally think it would be better for the team if Suarez did play wide, as I don't want all our play play going through him, like it did last season. If our play has to go through someone, then it should be Coutinho, who will play the right passes, rather than try to do everything himself.

 

The good thing about Henderson in the team is not only does he do the obvious in giving the side energy, plugging the gaps Coutinho, Sturridge or Suarez (currently Aspas) might leave and helping Lucas / Gerrard defensively. He also enables Rodgers to tinker formations during the game, as we can start off playing 4-4-1-1, with Henderson wide, but that could change easily to a 4-3-3, Henderson tucking in and then having Coutinho on the left, Sturridge central and Suarez on the right (where he was so effect at Ajax).

 

I know Rodgers wants another attacking player and at times maybe we could drop Henderson (such as at home against the weaker sides) and be more attacking. However I do worry we might lose the balance of the team if that happened.

[fowler9]

We play a very fluid game imo and it goes to show there is actually very little difference in between 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1, 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 with the way we play you could actually call it any of those

 

I do think Henderson is at his best in a more central role or on the left if he is going to play out wide to be honest but I think he is doing a better job on the right of this side than he was when he played there regularly in the 11/12 season.

 

When Suarez comes back (with the squad as it stands) I think he'll take either Henderson's or Aspas' place depending on the opposition and home/away etc and it'll look more of a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 than it currently does

[Barrington Womble]

I think in modern football you need to be flexible, what 4 we've had in midfield can easily move Henderson inside, push Aspas right and all of a sudden is a 433 or 4231. Providing we keep showing that flexibility I don't mind where the counters are on the board before we start.

 

As for Henderson on the right, we need someone to plug the gaps now downing is gone, he's probably the most suited player we've got for that, although not sure it's best for him as an individual.

[Elite]

Henderson needs to play central, he's not quick or skillful enough for the wing.

 

-------Lucas----Gerrard

 

Suarez------Coutinho-----Aspas

 

-------------Sturridge

 

But then again would prefer Suarez more central but I suppose it's all interchangeable. Need an improvement on Aspas though.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I don't think we have been playing a 4-4-2 really. Yesterday was a bit of a one-off. The first game was fluid as hell.

[Guest LFD]

Henderson needs to play central, he's not quick or skillful enough for the wing.

 

But his job isn't to be the main match winner. He's like a right midfielder as were Ray Parlour or Ray Houghton for us. The other side of the pitch there is a Overmars or Barnes (Coutinho for us now) as a more attacking threat. But the right midfielder tucks inside and can help the midfield two and give the midfield balance.

 

I also think he gives Johnson good protection and Johnson needs more protection than Enrique does, as he is not as solid defensively for me.

[Guest LFD]

I don't think we have been playing a 4-4-2 really. Yesterday was a bit of a one-off. The first game was fluid as hell.

 

Fluid in possession yes. But looking at the average positions on the official site chalk boards, the players were mainly 4-4-1-1:

 

Opta chalkboards - LFC 1-0 Stoke - Liverpool FC

[ODZ]

I really like the fact that Rodgers has stopped obsessing over the 4-3-3. We don't have the dynamic central midfielders to make it work, and 4-4-2 is the only way to get the best out of both Suarez and Sturridge. Neither of them should be playing wide.

[moof]

Rodgers has never been obsessed by a 4-3-3. He prefers a playmaker in the number 10 role.

[GJM]

We did look a little lop-sided at times yesterday, with Henderson occupying the wide right area, but Coutinho playing far more centrally, albeit with a bias towards the left side. This meant that Enrique often had to push on and act as the wide left player, at least until Cissokho came on. It worked well, particularly in the first half, so no complaints really.

 

And whilst Henderson isn't really a winger, he does have the energy/stamina to put in the miles needed to go up and down the line, and is, I think, along with Gerrard, the best crosser of a ball that we have at the club. There was one superb ball that he delivered yesterday that was crying out for a team mate to run onto and side foot into the goal, but alas. He has the ability to do good work from that position.

[MOGLET]

Must just be me who isnt seeing Henderson as anything but a passenger in the first two games?

 

Pretty ineffectual generally, barring the very odd bit of interplay, but by and large an invisible number on the park.

 

He is one of those who should have been taken off and replaced by virtually any of our subs, preferably Ibe or Sterling.

[Bjornebye]

Must just be me who isnt seeing Henderson as anything but a passenger in the first two games?

 

Pretty ineffectual generally, barring the very odd bit of interplay, but by and large an invisible number on the park.

 

He is one of those who should have been taken off and replaced by virtually any of our subs, preferably Ibe or Sterling.

 

I thought he did well against stoke

[Guest LFD]

Must just be me who isnt seeing Henderson as anything but a passenger in the first two games?

 

It is just you.

[moof]

 

I thought he did well against stoke

 

Yeah he was decent against stoke. Did he touch the ball against Villa?

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Fluid in possession yes. But looking at the average positions on the official site chalk boards, the players were mainly 4-4-1-1:

 

Opta chalkboards - LFC 1-0 Stoke - Liverpool FC

 

Ah, but formations aren't average positions. They're starting positions, and Coutinho was on the left to start, running central. Those average positions are much closer to 4-2-4. I'm not sure how much the average positions tell us, really. If we're going by that, Johnson is a right midfielder, advanced of Gerrard.

 

Really, it's all about the roles the players play in the side isn't it. I certainly wouldn't say we've got two standard wide central midfielders like you'd have in a four man midfield.

[Guest LFD]

Ah, but formations aren't average positions. They're starting positions, and Coutinho was on the left to start, running central. Those average positions are much closer to 4-2-4. I'm not sure how much the average positions tell us, really. If we're going by that, Johnson is a right midfielder, advanced of Gerrard.

 

Really, it's all about the roles the players play in the side isn't it. I certainly wouldn't say we've got two standard wide central midfielders like you'd have in a four man midfield.

 

You can be pedantic all you like and could say we don't play any formation as players move around, but it is not really the point!

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

You can be pedantic all you like and could say we don't play any formation as players move around, but it is not really the point!

 

When the thread's about formation, and you reply about average positions, I don't really think it's pedantry to talk about formations or go into a little more detail. I was just conversing, that's all. People on the forum have started to take themselves a bit seriously all of a sudden.

[Guest LFD]

When the thread's about formation, and you reply about average positions, I don't really think it's pedantry to talk about formations or go into a little more detail. I was just conversing, that's all. People on the forum have started to take themselves a bit seriously all of a sudden.

 

No you're just being annoying. You're slagging off Reina in another thread to praise Mignolet when there is no need.

 

This thread is about formations and the average positions show we mainly played like a 4-4-1-1 vs Stoke and you disagree because players move positions - no shit sherlock! You could say that about nearly any team, they move positions when they have the ball, but defensively when the players are set it mostly looked like a 4-4-1-1.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

No you're just being annoying.

 

I don't care if it annoys you or not. I've given my opinion on what you've said.

 

You're slagging off Reina in another thread to praise Mignolet when there is no need.

 

Oh dear. I've never once slagged off Reina. There's absolutely no need to drag another thread into this.

 

This thread is about formations

 

Well, it was until you stopped replying to what I was actually saying and started having a pop, you tetchy fucker.

 

and the average positions show we mainly played like a 4-4-1-1 vs Stoke and you disagree because players move positions - no shit sherlock!

 

What? That's no it at all. I disagree because 1) Average positions don't show what the formation is. 2) Even if they did, it's not a 4-4-1-1. Nothing to do with moving about. That's what 'average positioning' shows, you know? Players having moved around from their starting positions - the formation.

 

You could say that about nearly any team, they move positions when they have the ball, but defensively when the players are set it mostly looked like a 4-4-1-1.

 

Nah.

[Guest LFD]

Well done though, you've ruined another thread!

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

If only you'd actually replied to my on-topic comment with something other than insults and nonsense about Reina. Yet, yes, I've ruined the thread. And what a terrific thread it was.

[Torvald Utne]

Gotta love it when a thread descends into multi-quoting

[Guest LFD]

If only you'd actually replied to my on-topic comment with something other than insults and nonsense about Reina. Yet, yes, I've ruined the thread. And what a terrific thread it was.

 

Yeah showing all of Reina's mistakes last season in a thread about Mignolet is really classy!

 

You keep up the good work. I'll wait for Allen to come good and for Sahin to be boss for us just like you said!