Jones who played it for England in in a two, not on his own. Big difference.
Thiago has largely played alongside Fabinho rather than instead of. Again, big difference.
It’s more square pegs in round holes. We can make do with that sometimes but it’s more in hope than anything else.
If it’s not working with any one of them then couldn’t we then change to a 2.
Thiago + Endo
Mac + Jones
Right, but that is the role that exists in this team now. Unless we make a change away from what we’ve been doing it isn’t a single pivot anymore.
Play Dominik in the Gakpo Bournemouth role and get Thiago/Mac/jones playing alongside Endo.
I don’t think Gravenberch will be any happier in our bench than he is on Bayern, and I don’t see where he starts a lot of games for us this year - unless we’d have another massive injury crisis.
When we attack, yes it’s two in the middle. When we defend Trent is out at right back again making it one in the middle.
Frankly I think the Trent thing was partly a way to help cover Fabinho and ideally we’d not want to be doing that nearly so much anymore now we have actual midfielders who can pass and run. We leave ourselves a massive gap to be exploited in doing that and we’re going to have to close that up somehow anyway.
There’s also the situation where Trent isn’t going to play or be able to play and we don’t really have another player to come in a do what he does.
As with all these things, we seem happy to try and drop square pegs in round holes or hoping on fitness of players instead of actually addressing our needs and carrying a little more depth. We did it with centre backs and it ended badly. We did it with midfield last year and it ended badly.
There will be plenty of games to go around and we already know Thiago is off next year. No excuse for leaving us short and having to shunt players around. We’re already doing that with Gakpo because we didn’t do business early enough.
It’s two in the middle with Trent even when the opposition does a quick turnover. The issue is what happens when there’s time enough for the ball to be played in the right side and Konate is driven out of position.
I’m not disagreeing with Rab. Increasingly seeing , we need Liverpool and Klopp to make the decision of having a 3 man CB with Trent in midfield. Sooner done the better
All the micromanagement etc is good on paper , doesn’t always work in reality
When we defend in certain situations, typically when we’re pretty deep and flattened out and so the responsibility is very different.
A personal preference for someone in that role who is more combative and primarily defensive is understandable. But that isn’t the only way to play it
Just want to comment on Klopp and transfers. We don’t know that others aren’t giving their opinion, even forcefully, before we decide on pursuing a player.
We do need a permanent DOF, that is clear. But I’m not willing to depict the current situation as Klopp simply getting what he wants, even if some think he is mistaken, with no pushback.
I think more highly of Klopp than that, and I think more highly of the people around him.
As for Gravenberch, the role is unclear for him, hence some of the questioning. Rewind a year, and he was very highly rated indeed. He has spent a year treading water, which isn’t a deal breaker on his quality, but there is a sense that we will either need to reprogram him to what we need, or he will be a rotational option with our 8’s.
Good player though, so I’m chilled no matter what we do.
Man City and Arsenal both use the inverted FB system - Arsenal actually do a double inverted system with both FBs coming into midfield but there doesn’t seem to be any stress by either of them to “fix” it.
Konate is asked to do a lot in our system, that’s because we back him to be able to do it. It’s what the management team have decided is the best fit for us - and since going to this shape we are unbeaten in 12 (we are unbeaten in 13 overall but didn’t use it away at Chelsea last season) with really the only game we’ve been horrendous defensively is when we bizarrely asked Matip to he the athletic RCB against Southampton.
Let’s see. I think the next transfers will have a key note in how we are playing. Get two versatile backline guys and we can well push Trent into a #6 double pivot role.
Need not be something like Arsenal’s double inverted wingback system.
Agree, but does show our vulnerability if Konate gets injured. Hopefully we sign a top CB this window who can do that job
Also I hear a lot about konate’s no#2 being Gomez. That is fraught in danger as well.
Which top CB is going to want to sit behind Konate and Virgil.
Virgil may well be on the decline. He’s 32 now, let’s not forget.
Both Mancity and Ars use very defensive FB for other side. They basically play with 3cb. We plays with Roberson. I think this is different. Need someone more defensive than Roberson, or a number 6 can occupies LCB when we in possessions.
No one should be coming here thinking they’re going to be on the bench. Neither of those two should be considered such a shoe-in as to think someone coming in is just there as cover for them.
Maybe some competition for his place would give Virg the kick up the backside he needs to up his game again.