Formation Speculation

[Kjbert]

Here's how Villa alone up top can work because the other midfielders are now attack minded:

I'm going to be kind of lazy and let the gif speak for itself. But it shows early how Orlando's defense collapses three guys on Villa, which allows Poku to dribble forward into the space, and Calle to run unmarked. As a result, Villa steps back and receives the ball with space, makes one guy miss and then buries it.

Sure enough, on our next goal, same thing happens. This time Poku hits the wide open running midfielder rather than Villa to his right:

I'm thinking Villa *can* play up top by himself, provided he's not *isolated*. Him drawing 2-3 defenders every play should be a positive, not a negative.

Probably the best post I've ever seen on here.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

I've changed my mind (again!) lol

-----------------------------Villa
-----Calle-----------------------------------------Mix
--------------Lampard---------------Poku
Angelino------------------Pirlo------------------Iraola
-----------------Facey----------------Mena
---------------------------Saunders

Fuck defence, let's win every game 5-3!

Wait! You're on board with the 4-1-4-1, now? Damnit, I knew I was onto something!

Since everyone agrees we won't go to 3 at the back, I've been on this kick. I would change Calle for TMac. He's probably better at keeping the ball, even if we give up a bit of dangerous flair. I also think we are doing better for the club for next year to go ahead and get that lineup on the field. If Lampard keeps lamparding, we could play Calle and TMac in those places.

If we do get FFF, as I said, I'd plug in TMac for Calle. That would likely leave us with a lineup that would stick through this year and next. That's no small thing. As a matter of fact, that would be incredible in modern football.

 

[kun]

Wait! You're on board with the 4-1-4-1, now? Damnit, I knew I was onto something!

Since everyone agrees we won't go to 3 at the back, I've been on this kick. I would change Calle for TMac. He's probably better at keeping the ball, even if we give up a bit of dangerous flair. I also think we are doing better for the club for next year to go ahead and get that lineup on the field. If Lampard keeps lamparding, we could play Calle and TMac in those places.

If we do get FFF, as I said, I'd plug in TMac for Calle. That would likely leave us with a lineup that would stick through this year and next. That's no small thing. As a matter of fact, that would be incredible in modern football.

I would always have been okay with that type of formation, but I have always been working under the assumption that we would play a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond in the long run.

BTW I still think Lampard is best utilised as a number 10 nowadays but I think the best thing for the team would be a number 8 position so others can play their roles.

 

[The Toe]

My qualm with Mac is that he leaves Iraola on an island since he doesn't have the speed to get back and defend to justify some of his late runs. That said, he certainly feels like he's all over the place out there, which is a testament to his work rate.

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

My qualm with Mac is that he leaves Iraola on an island since he doesn't have the speed to get back and defend to justify some of his late runs. That said, he certainly feels like he's all over the place out there, which is a testament to his work rate.

Tmac is a cam and giving him defensive responsibilities is a strategic failure

 

[Gotham Gator]

Here's how Villa alone up top can work because the other midfielders are now attack minded:

I'm going to be kind of lazy and let the gif speak for itself. But it shows early how Orlando's defense collapses three guys on Villa, which allows Poku to dribble forward into the space, and Calle to run unmarked. As a result, Villa steps back and receives the ball with space, makes one guy miss and then buries it.

Sure enough, on our next goal, same thing happens. This time Poku hits the wide open running midfielder rather than Villa to his right:

I'm thinking Villa *can* play up top by himself, provided he's not *isolated*. Him drawing 2-3 defenders every play should be a positive, not a negative.

That's great stuff. All season, teams have been defending us by putting 2-3 guys on Villa and taking their chances with everyone else. Now, with Pirlo feeding the rest of the team, that's a dangerous proposition to execute. When Lampard finally plays, it will be impossible.

 

[gbservis]

I'd like to point out that Pirlo didn't have a successful tackle, interception, block, clearance, or recovery in his 35 minutes.

Jacobson had 10 recoveries, a tackle and an interception.

I'm not saying Pirlo's worthless defensively, but I am saying he needs a partner. Either our mids track back extensively, or just park Jacobson next to him. I prefer the latter.

We were in a pretty honest 4-2-3-1 today, but with our fullbacks playing so high, it looks more like a 2-4-3-1:

(ESPN's heatmap has starters and subs. 23 in for 17, 21 in for 20, and 10 in for 30)

I say stick with it. This game convinced me to give Villa another chance alone up front for two reasons:

1. He got good service, which had him running into space instead of into defenders during the second half.

2. Our three attacking midfielders actually attacked, which meant Villa wasn't as isolated as he usually is in our 1-forward formations. Again, the key to this was having Jacobson back with Pirlo, so our other three mids could focus offensively.

Next week:

I'm not completely sold on Poku being better as a starter than a second half sub, but let's ride him in the CAM spot until Lampard finally plays. You could also make a case for McNamara over Calle.

This looks good to me. Mix should provide more cover for Iraola than Tmac did. Nothing against Tmac his work rate is really high but as others have said he doesn't have the speed to adequately cover. The Calle/Angelino pairing on the left side is really promising. They have the speed and the defensive skill to get some nice overlapping runs going without completely exposing the wing on a counter. Hopefully Kries will keep them out there together to allow them to develop some chemistry.

 

[dannd23]

---------Villa--------Villa----------
Pirlo------Pirlo----Pirlo--------Pirlo--
Pirlo-----Pirlo-----Pirlo--------Pirlo--
---------------Pirlo---------------------

Probably our best lineup, IMO

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

Amazing what happens when you play with 11 players. Thank god for Grabavoys red card.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Prediction for this weekend, with what should be a full set of players (minus Ballouchy due to yellow cards).

I think we stick with the 4-2-3-1. The question becomes which of our gaggle of attacking midfielders get to play, with Calle, TMac, and Poku all looking good on Sunday and only one starting spot to offer them. Also which 2 center backs get the start. Here is my prediction.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Villa - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - Mix - - - - - Lampard - - - - - Poku - - - -

- - - - - - - Jacobson - - - - - - - Pirlo - - - - - - - -

- Angelino - - Facey - - Hernandez - - - Iraola -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - Saunders - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I think Mix and Pirlo are locks to start, as well as Lampard, assuming he is healthy. I think Jacobson is close to a lock given how well his talents match our need for someone alongside Pirlo. That leaves one spot in midfield, and I think Poku showed such great chemistry with Pirlo and then others that he gets the nod. I look for Lampard to get subbed off in the 2nd half for McNamara, with Poku sliding to the middle. Other possible subs would be Calle for Angelino or one of the midfielders (Poku, Mix), Mena for one of the DBs, or Mullins coming on for Poku or Lampard.

 

[sbrylski]

Prediction for this weekend, with what should be a full set of players (minus Ballouchy due to yellow cards).

I think we stick with the 4-2-3-1. The question becomes which of our gaggle of attacking midfielders get to play, with Calle, TMac, and Poku all looking good on Sunday and only one starting spot to offer them. Also which 2 center backs get the start. Here is my prediction.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Villa - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - Mix - - - - - Lampard - - - - - Poku - - - -

- - - - - - - Jacobson - - - - - - - Pirlo - - - - - - - -

- Angelino - - Facey - - Hernandez - - - Iraola -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - Saunders - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I think Mix and Pirlo are locks to start, as well as Lampard, assuming he is healthy. I think Jacobson is close to a lock given how well his talents match our need for someone alongside Pirlo. That leaves one spot in midfield, and I think Poku showed such great chemistry with Pirlo and then others that he gets the nod. I look for Lampard to get subbed off in the 2nd half for McNamara, with Poku sliding to the middle. Other possible subs would be Calle for Angelino or one of the midfielders (Poku, Mix), Mena for one of the DBs, or Mullins coming on for Poku or Lampard.

I think Poku is better in the middle, same with McNamara. Calle and Ballouchy (suspended) are better for the outside mid spot along with Mix.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lampard miss 2-3 more games. They said his strain was pretty serious. I would stop penciling him into lineups until he actually sees the field. Therefore, my midfield is Calle-Poku-Mix for next week, with McNamara potentially in there or coming on as a sub.

 

[gbservis]

I think Poku is better in the middle, same with McNamara. Calle and Ballouchy (suspended) are better for the outside mid spot along with Mix.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lampard miss 2-3 more games. They said his strain was pretty serious. I would stop penciling him into lineups until he actually sees the field. Therefore, my midfield is Calle-Poku-Mix for next week, with McNamara potentially in there or coming on as a sub.

After this weekends game I almost hope Lampard stays out for a bit or atleast has to come off the bench for a few games while he works his way back. I'd really like to see what the Calle-Poku-Mix line up can do together over a few games with Pirlo.

 

[Kjbert]

Also possible against offensive challenged teams you see a diamond with Pirlo at the base and no jacobsen. That allows you to play Poku.

But in a 4-2-3-1 Poku just doesn't have a position. sorry guys, he's not a wide player. He's miserable defensively and can't use his best assets out wide.

 

[kun]

Also possible against offensive challenged teams you see a diamond with Pirlo at the base and no jacobsen. That allows you to play Poku.

But in a 4-2-3-1 Poku just doesn't have a position. sorry guys, he's not a wide player. He's miserable defensively and can't use his best assets out wide.

He does, it just happens to be the same one as Lampard's.

 

[gbservis]

He does, it just happens to be the same one as Lampard's.

Who's Lampard? Never seen the guy.

 

[cardinal511]

I'd do the lineup like this.
-------------------- Villa
-------Lampard---Poku---Mix
------------Jacobson---Pirlo
Angelino--- Facey--Mena---Iraola
----------------Saunders
I'd play it more narrow because I don't think Lampard would be great wide and our fullbacks overlap well outside anyway. In this lineup, Mix is in the perfect position to track back if Iraola is too far forward, which I think we need. It also gets both Poku and Lampard on the field together. Since Angelino covers wide left so well in the attacking third, it gives Lampard the ability to cut in more. Finally, it gives Pirlo some defensive cover as long as we tell Jacobson not to go forward (get on this Kreis).
Subs: Mullins, Shelton, Calle, Ballouchy, Hernandez, Wingert/Brovsky, Johansen
Calle immediately slots in on the left if Lampard needs a break, or Lampard can move centrally for Poku in some games. If we need to press the attack more, we can put Calle or Shelton in at left or right mid and drop Mix to Jacobson's position.

 

[Kjbert]

I'd do the lineup like this.
-------------------- Villa
-------Lampard---Poku---Mix
------------Jacobson---Pirlo
Angelino--- Facey--Mena---Iraola
----------------Saunders
I'd play it more narrow because I don't think Lampard would be great wide and our fullbacks overlap well outside anyway. In this lineup, Mix is in the perfect position to track back if Iraola is too far forward, which I think we need. It also gets both Poku and Lampard on the field together. Since Angelino covers wide left so well in the attacking third, it gives Lampard the ability to cut in more. Finally, it gives Pirlo some defensive cover as long as we tell Jacobson not to go forward (get on this Kreis).
Subs: Mullins, Shelton, Calle, Ballouchy, Hernandez, Wingert/Brovsky, Johansen
Calle immediately slots in on the left if Lampard needs a break, or Lampard can move centrally for Poku in some games. If we need to press the attack more, we can put Calle or Shelton in at left or right mid and drop Mix to Jacobson's position.

I too like this. I think Lampard can play as a shuttler provided the defensive cover. I think Iraola is the better defender so he could play RM, but Angelino is faster and has shown the ability to get back and provide the cover consistently for the LM. I just don't know if it's realistic.

I will say this - if you have watched enough of us this year, our 3 or 4 most forward midfielders move around a lot.

 

[Gavin23]

Where the fuck did all this "we need jacobsen" shit come from. The dude is useless. He goes up too far to be useful defensively. He cant conplete a pass. His distribution is utter shit. Hes a waste of a starting spot. We played him essentially as a 5th cb and our defense showed no signs of improvement. He will most likely get carded. With our improved backline the maestro doesnt "need" fucking jacobsen. I rather use the spot to squeeze in Calle or McNamara or a second striker for Villa depending on coicumstances (poku should start regardless) Jacobsen is not our unsung hero he is shit and overrated surprisingly. Hes a ghost most games unless hes getting carded.

 

[KyleWilkinson]

Where the fuck did all this "we need jacobsen" shit come from. The dude is useless. He goes up too far to be useful defensively. He cant conplete a pass. His distribution is utter shit. Hes a waste of a starting spot. We played him essentially as a 5th cb and our defense showed no signs of improvement. He will most likely get carded. With our improved backline the maestro doesnt "need" fucking jacobsen. I rather use the spot to squeeze in Calle or McNamara or a second striker for Villa depending on coicumstances (poku should start regardless) Jacobsen is not our unsung hero he is shit and overrated surprisingly. Hes a ghost most games unless hes getting carded.

All the journalists/analysts have been saying that Jacobson is killing it statistically (number of defensive recoveries, quality dribbles, passes completed, etc) and will stay in the lineup even with Lampard, so I think you're wrong here. Also, Pirlo has always played with these sorts of players that like to get stuck in (Gattuso on AC Milan and Italy, Vidal last year with Juventus).

 

[sbrylski]

All the journalists/analysts have been saying that Jacobson is killing it statistically (number of defensive recoveries, quality dribbles, passes completed, etc) and will stay in the lineup even with Lampard, so I think you're wrong here. Also, Pirlo has always played with these sorts of players that like to get stuck in (Gattuso on AC Milan and Italy, Vidal last year with Juventus).

Yup. He's an effort player that definitely lacks technical ability, but if you removed him from the lineup without replacement, I bet you would notice pretty quick with pressure on the CB's doubling.

I do think we should look to upgrade his role though. BlueWarrior suggested going after Conor O'Brien in another thread, he would be a perfect non-DP candidate to replace Jacobson with.

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