Florian Wirtz

[justme]

they are basically the same system 4/3/3..

We have never done well with a number 10 in the team. Under Klopp we had 3 main midfielders with Bobby also playing deep in a false 9 at times.. not an out and out forward thats for sure.

Last season we had 3 main midfielders in Grav/ Dom/Macca.

Macca and Dom are both number 8s. but one drops in to help out Gravenberch.. Even Szoboszlai dropped in to help the defensive side of the game, we had plenty of legs in midfield.

Now we are expecting Wirzt to play in a 3.. Its never going to work.. teams drop very deep.. we over play and then run at us and we are short in midfield and at the back,. It affects our fullbacks. they can;t really push right on, cause then we'll have even less players, when teams break off from our attacks

Weve always played well, when we've been composed and played as a team and kept the ball.. now we try and get forward to quickly and we are playing at a stupid pace. not control at all..Our midfield is running everywhere. I blame this solely on Slot and his set up.

[Insidious]

they are basically the same system 4/3/3..

We have never done well with a number 10 in the team.

Stevie in 08/09 was a 10 - but I'll happily concede that we was "more" - absolutely unique specimen of a football player from 04/05 to 08/09.

Under Klopp we had 3 main midfielders with Bobby also playing deep in a false 9 at times.. not an out and out forward thats for sure.

Last season we had 3 main midfielders in Grav/ Dom/Macca.

Macca and Dom are both number 8s. but one drops in to help out Gravenberch.. Even Szoboszlai dropped in to help the defensive side of the game, we had plenty of legs in midfield.

Now we are expecting Wirzt to play in a 3.. Its never going to work.

There's much of this I am inclined to agree with and it's why I want to see a Diamond or 3-5-2 if we are persisting with Wirtz - which I hope we do.

With the Diamond you can get him in AND have three mids behind him -

.....................GK

RB.........CB...........CB........LB

.....................DM

..........CM................CM

....................Wirtz

..............ST..............ST

- and if one of those miss were to be an energetic destroyer, we could set up something like this if Mac Allister departed and Grav was pushed further up (Macca could be kept for depth obviously, it's purely to demonstrate roles) -

................."Masch type"

....Szoboszlai.......Gravenberch

.....................Wirtz

Which I think would provide a better balance.

Equally if we decided to try a 3-5-2 we could potentially get better out of Kerkez and Frimpong whilst utilising Wirtz, having extra centre-back cover as part of our defensive set-up behind Wirtz and the forwards (rather than an extra midfield body) if we profile the right midfielder, loosely -

..............................GK

..............CB.........Virgil......CB

Frimpong.............."Masch"..............Kerkez

..............Szoboszlai............Wirtz

...................Striker..............Striker

Which gets Wirtz into that left half-space (though mids could of course have instructions for rotation under the right Manager) and the extra centre-back (plus correct profile of destructive midfielder) meaning we can utilise Frimpong and Kerkez's pace a bit more for ball progression whilst getting a better risk/reward balance should they bomb forward.

This is actually partly where I'd love us to profile a different right-back "option" for rotation who could theoretically do more traditionally right-back stuff whilst very occasionally filling in at the right centre-back and if Spurs were to go down (they likely won't now, gah!) I'd have happily taken a punt on Porro.

None of that is to say that either of these two set-ups would work perfectly, but I think we would see improvement from multiple players.

[justme]

I get that formation. BUT the forwards aka 2 strikers still need to keep the width,It would mean Wirzt was a central attacker.

Its the only place where he would fit in. But he needs more end product to play there, But the likes of Isak are not wide attackers,so its complicated

[miller0863]

It’s not rocket science.

Three solid midfielders and get the ball forward quickly to pacey forwards before the opposition get chance to get into their defensive shape.

We are so far away from that right now. We have no pace up front and our midfield is about as solid as a blancmange

[miller0863]

You start complicating formations and tactics for players they start over thinking it and you get slow stagnant football falling between two or three stools

[Ravo19]

Dont see it happening but would love to bring elliot back,would improve bench as back up 10 or on right in slots 4 2 3 1.

[reddownunder]

I'd say Elliott will be here next season as I can't see a lot of takers for someone who has barely kicked a ball in a year

[Steveo]

So sad what has happened to the lad. A Red through and through. Needs some serious management to get his mind back on track after nigh on 2 years in the Wilderness

[jozza800]

I'd say Elliott will be here next season as I can't see a lot of takers for someone who has barely kicked a ball in a year

So sad what has happened to the lad. A Red through and through. Needs some serious management to get his mind back on track after nigh on 2 years in the Wilderness

If both he and Slot are here next season then he wont get a kick.

[Red October]

It’s not rocket science.

Three solid midfielders and get the ball forward quickly to pacey forwards before the opposition get chance to get into their defensive shape.

We are so far away from that right now. We have no pace up front and our midfield is about as solid as a blancmange

Absolutely. I have two hopes for the summer. The big one is that Slot will go. Second hope is to get a couple of quick players in. One or two key signings could really take us up a notch.

Alisson
Bradley (if fit) VVD Konate Kerkez
New DM
Szob Grav
Frimpong/Other Wirtz
Isak

Despite our outlay last summer our attack is massively unconvincing.

[miller0863]

I won’t be surprising anyone by saying along with MacAllister I would be selling Wirtz to Bayern (if possible) and reinvesting to produce the following

Alisson
Bradley Konate VVD Kerkez
DM
Wharton Szoboszlai
Bowen (or other) Isak Diomande

I would seriously go to Chelsea and test the resolve of both club and player for Caicedo for DM

Possibly end up having to look again at FB’s down the line, a Virgil replacement and Kelleher back.

They fucked it up royally last summer.

[teesred]

I'd be looking at that Fernandes at West Ham if they go down. He's a very good player.

[Steveo]

I'd be looking at that Fernandes at West Ham if they go down. He's a very good player.

this^

[miller0863]

Yep that might work