slystallone Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 (edited) One of my criticisms of Dickov has been his tactics - or more to the point - lack of them. I still stand by that; and is still one of the main reasons I'd like him replaced as manager. BUT - credit where credit is due, yesterday was a very big step in the right direction for him. He set his side up and played to its strengths. M'Changama has shown that whilst it's not ideal, he can do a very decent job wide left - and whilst he was on; he was definitely playing that position. Once he went off, and his replacement was Winchester; instead of square peg/round hole as he has done countless times; PD made a very definite tactical change - and clearly told Winchester to tuck in and make it a narrow midfield on that side. It was a risk; and I'm still amazed Rodgers & Liverpool didn't exploit it….but, it played to the strengths and abilities of the players we had out at that time. And it worked. I'm still amazed that Ground wasn't exposed more because of it - but he did the job of basically 2 players really well down that left side, and with Winchester playing inside more; it filled out the midfield; gave support to Wes and allowed Baxter to raid further forward. We also noticeably played Matt Smith the way he should be. To his head; with proper passes; not just hoofs. Simpson did what we've needed to do whilst playing Matt Smith; namely running off him to get to his flicks, and with Simpson also having a good game up there; Smith wasn't as isolated as he has been in the 4-4-1-1 formation. I don't think it'll work every game; and to be fair - it'd be madness to just not line up with a left side at all; but I think it can be adapted into a formation that would suit who we have now. it's a 4-3-1-2 with the midfield 3 nice and tight in & narrow - with Baxter then in front in the advanced midfield role; and then a genuine front 2. the midfield 3 would be, based on yesterday and who we have available, exactly the same - Winchester Wes Croft. It leaves Mellor, Sutherland, Millar and Hughes there if we need to drop back to wide players - but being honest; even though we've lined up with wide players for most of season, we've just not used them; and the tactics haven't deployed them properly. Do away with them, and use what worked yesterday into a more structured formation. It looked good, and with the players showing how to play it yesterday, I think it might just see us actually earn some points from League games (and save PD job too) Edited January 28, 2013 by slystallone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razza699 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 It did, I was arguing with a bloke behind me who was moaning when we was 1 up that we didnt have a left hand side. he couldnt understand we was covering their midfield Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrown23 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 totally agree Sly. I was amazed that Brenton Rodgers never clocked on that we had no left midfielder and didn't overload that side but tucking Winchester inside certainly made it harder for them to break through the centre. As you say, Smith was used properly for a change, getting bodies around him for the knock downs and flick ons. I've said it before but when he's played on his own upfront, what do people expect him to do, bring it down and skin his man, 40 yard bicycle kick?! If we use him right he could be a very useful player for us, if he can bully Martin Skrtel he should cause some worse defenders in our league plenty of jip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losesome Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 That's how we should be playng most home games , Teams arrive at BP these days and walk away with an easy 3 points. I have always said that i don't mind losing at home as long as the other team have had to work bloody hard for it. Playing this way at home would achieve that and hopefully gain far more points than we have done so far. Our away record isn't a disaster so improve at home and we will get out of trouble . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slystallone Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 totally agree Sly. I was amazed that Brenton Rodgers never clocked on that we had no left midfielder and didn't overload that side but tucking Winchester inside certainly made it harder for them to break through the centre. As you say, Smith was used properly for a change, getting bodies around him for the knock downs and flick ons. I've said it before but when he's played on his own upfront, what do people expect him to do, bring it down and skin his man, 40 yard bicycle kick?! If we use him right he could be a very useful player for us, if he can bully Martin Skrtel he should cause some worse defenders in our league plenty of jip! Smith is pretty poor in the general sense of being a 'professional footballer'. He's not great at all with the ball at his feet and he's very slow on the pitch; in thought and actual pace. BUT - again; credit where it's due. I've said he needs to 'punch his weight' and impose himself on games - and he's done just that given this run of games he's had. For the last month; bordering on the last 2 months - he's been a right pain in the arse to opposition CB's and has really got about them. We played him exactly right yesterday - we got decent service to him; not merely hoofs but actual aerial passes (and there is a huge difference) and we got Simpson up near him; and Baxter closer than he's been in the 4-4-1-1 formation. To me, the most pleasing part of yesterday's game in terms of Smith was seeing him rattle Skertl and make a £5million+ International in Coates look ordinary. They hated playing against him, and it showed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP1960 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 (edited) Smith is pretty poor in the general sense of being a 'professional footballer'. He's not great at all with the ball at his feet and he's very slow on the pitch; in thought and actual pace. BUT - again; credit where it's due. I've said he needs to 'punch his weight' and impose himself on games - and he's done just that given this run of games he's had. For the last month; bordering on the last 2 months - he's been a right pain in the arse to opposition CB's and has really got about them. We played him exactly right yesterday - we got decent service to him; not merely hoofs but actual aerial passes (and there is a huge difference) and we got Simpson up near him; and Baxter closer than he's been in the 4-4-1-1 formation. To me, the most pleasing part of yesterday's game in terms of Smith was seeing him rattle Skertl and make a £5million+ International in Coates look ordinary. They hated playing against him, and it showed. Smith is pretty poor in the general sense of being a 'professional footballer'. He's not great at all with the ball at his feet and he's very slow on the pitch; in thought and actual pace. BUT - again; credit where it's due. I've said he needs to 'punch his weight' and impose himself on games - and he's done just that given this run of games he's had. For the last month; bordering on the last 2 months - he's been a right pain in the arse to opposition CB's and has really got about them. We played him exactly right yesterday - we got decent service to him; not merely hoofs but actual aerial passes (and there is a huge difference) and we got Simpson up near him; and Baxter closer than he's been in the 4-4-1-1 formation. To me, the most pleasing part of yesterday's game in terms of Smith was seeing him rattle Skertl and make a £5million+ International in Coates look ordinary. They hated playing against him, and it showed. Coates is now rated £7 million Sly, perhaps clubs in the Brazilian leagues might bid for Matt Smith, nothing less than £8 million would be acceptable though. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfers-sebastian-coates-is-a-7m-1558018 Edited January 28, 2013 by BP1960 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlossopLatic Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 The way Liverpool play playing a narrow midfield was the right thing to do if the sturridge and Suarez like the ball into feetand they like to pass through teams the best was to deal with that is to be compact. This might mean surrendering space outside but I'd rather reduce them to swinging in crosses from deep but I would back Mvoto and Byrnne to deal with those types of delivery we restricted suarez getting the ball and turning and going at us the only time he did he scored we played a compact midfield in the second half and didn't allow him to get the ball to feet and completely nullified the threat of one of the best strikers in the world at the moment. He's been accused of being "out managed" this season (the latest owtbism to rival "happy clappers" "talks a good game" and "no end product" well he out managed Rodgers yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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