Our Midfield

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Give over, he doesn't have that defensive discipline.

How do you know? And you’re acting like Rodri added to our defending. I’ve just given you the facts!

Would Tommy Doyle have done any worse?

Doyle? Maybe wouldn't but again, that lack of experience in a game like this would be a big risk.

[City64]

In the not too distant past under Pep we used to blow teams away week in week out . We are currently a million miles away from those performances just two years ago .

[carl_feedthegoat]

In the not too distant past under Pep we used to blow teams away week in week out . We are currently a million miles away from those performances just two years ago .

We have been for a while now - lets face it , most great managers eventually lose form...it happens to all of them and IMO PeP offers very little these days , instead relying on what he has and hopes for the best outcome , and his tactical nous from yesteryear seems to be somewhere hidden in a box.......Thats how it looks to me anyway.

[carolina-blue]

In the not too distant past under Pep we used to blow teams away week in week out . We are currently a million miles away from those performances just two years ago .

We have been for a while now - lets face it , most great managers eventually lose form...it happens to all of them and IMO PeP offers very little these days , instead relying on what he has and hopes for the best outcome , and his tactical nous from yesteryear seems to be somewhere hidden in a box.......Thats how it looks to me anyway.

Spoke to a mate of mine the other day
A Livershite fan but not a Scouser good lad to talk football with , Anyway for the last couple of years he has dreaded playing us , But the the other day he had no worries and genuinely believed they were going to turn us over ,

[Hazy2]

In the not too distant past under Pep we used to blow teams away week in week out . We are currently a million miles away from those performances just two years ago .

We have been for a while now - lets face it , most great managers eventually lose form...it happens to all of them and IMO PeP offers very little these days , instead relying on what he has and hopes for the best outcome , and his tactical nous from yesteryear seems to be somewhere hidden in a box.......Thats how it looks to me anyway.

Spoke to a mate of mine the other day
A Livershite fan but not a Scouser good lad to talk football with , Anyway for the last couple of years he has dreaded playing us , But the the other day he had no worries and genuinely believed they were going to turn us over ,

We saw typical fast start from the dippers we got going and dominated the game for an hour without taking advantage again of a penalty. We lack cutting edge. If we can get that we are in with a chance of winning it. The defending was better than it’s been for years. Keep the faith.

[Outcast]

Give over, he doesn't have that defensive discipline.

How do you know? And you’re acting like Rodri added to our defending. I’ve just given you the facts!

Would Tommy Doyle have done any worse?

FIBD
Are you just being stubborn? I think what everyone is trying to say, the Rodders and Gundo combo doesn't work, we are weaker with that combination, other options would have put us in better stead, playing those two put us on the back foot, it was ineffectivene offensively and defensively. To answer your earlier question, no, we shouldn't have gone gung-ho, however we should have put them under more pressure, I'm pretty sure they would have crumbled with their shitty backline. We showed them too much respect, we are the home side for crying out loud. I'll ask the question again, do you see us putting a formidable run? Are you really confident we'll beat the chavs, arseholes, spuds, vermins and rags away?
The above are not even great sides, they are average at best which says alot about our state

[City64]

It seems most of us agree that playing Rodri and Gundogan together puts us on the back foot and generally slows us down . The other aspect is that KDB has to run twice as far instead of doing the world class stuff he does best , it’s no wonder he is burnt out !
It was almost effortless stuff 2 years ago so why has Pep changed to this pedantic set up that is crippling us ?

[Mase]

If Sanè played and made 0 passes and 0 crosses and 0 shots in 90 mins he’d be dropped. We’ll see what Pep is about next match.

[PeterParker]

Can Gundo do what Fern did?

We can't see that Rodri can't.

[City64]

Can Gundo do what Fern did?

We can't see that Rodri can't.

Gundogan is technically very good and is far better and more effective playing slightly further up .

[Hazy2]

Can Gundo do what Fern did?

We can't see that Rodri can't.

Gundogan is technically very good and is far better and more effective playing slightly further up .

My lad reminds all the time we were played off the park by Dortmund with Gundo like a dervish in a 10 role running rings around us. He is on a leash we could get more from him. Rodri is an Athletico player dour abd used to being a grind you down shape.

[Clowncrete]

It seems most of us agree that playing Rodri and Gundogan together puts us on the back foot and generally slows us down . The other aspect is that KDB has to run twice as far instead of doing the world class stuff he does best , it’s no wonder he is burnt out !
It was almost effortless stuff 2 years ago so why has Pep changed to this pedantic set up that is crippling us ?

If any of you are wondering why we play with the double pivot, the answer lies with Arteta's replacement: Juanma Lillo.

He is a huge inspiration for Pep and has been regarded as an inventor for the 4-2-3-1 formation.

Some articles about him if you are interested:

https://www.coachesvoice.com/coach-watc ... %20popular.

He is often credited with favouring the 4-2-3-1 – a shape that encourages a team to consistently occupy attacking spaces with four players who remain options between and beyond opposing lines – before it became popular. The use, therein, of four attacking players contributed to the foundations of the positional play that Guardiola and Sampaoli are among those to have also since used; the numbers offered often lead to numerical or positional advantages. As can also be seen with Guardiola’s teams, Lillo’s often use short passes to draw opponents out of position and to create spaces elsewhere, often towards a free man; their focus becomes moving opponents to create increased spaces to advance into.

https://totalfootballanalysis.com/artic ... ue-formula

Lillo has spent over 30 years in management. While he has never found great success, he is seen as one of the brightest minds in football. His intense research into football tactics brought him to his patented 4-2-3-1 formation. The reasons behind his adoration for this structure was due to the ability it gave to the players in front of the ball, the three advanced midfielders along with the striker, to be able to get closer to the opposition’s goal with the defensive cover this formation provides. Using this ideology, Lillo used a lot of principles of positional play with these players. The focus of the tactics are allowing the front four to attack the defensive line of the opposition very high, as this was originally designed to break down the typical 4-4-2 structures of Spanish sides in the 1990s.

https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/article/brain-spain-B5

For some reason, Pep doesn't trust Bernardo to play a deeper role so we are going to see a lot more of Rodri + Gundo in a double pivot.

[Mase]

Lillo's a prick. If Pep is that easily manipulated then it’ll be his downfall.

[sheblue]

Double pivots my hole, what utter shite.
Play your best players in their correct positions especially for the bigger games.
It's not that difficult.
Double pivots.

[Nickyboy]

We used to play Barry & DeJong as a double pivot but they never looked so slow and labored. They used to bite into tackles and actually offered protection.

Gundo should be further foward and Rodri should only play on his own there against weaker teams when we dominate possession.

[zuricity]

It is not about who, what , why , how ,when or where we play players like Gundo / Rodri in midfield.

It's about how do you try to get through eleven players packing their area and thereabouts every week. Week in week out ?

Try getting a pin point accurate pass to the one player pushing through the lines.

One tiny error by Walker, Mane clatters to the ground like he's been shot in the back by some Milwaukee Cop for prancing around. Changes the game .

Tin Tins bloody awful penalty and we get three days debate about players in midfield.

I'm no pro footballer but even as a youngster , in Gündo's position and having received the ball, even with my back to their goalie , i would turn and go forward . Definitely not a characteristic of Gündo's - he is even frustrating me now with his crab like sideways movement and
unnecessary back passing.

[City64]

So the reason KDB is totally burnt out because he has to run twice as far during a game is because of Lillo,s bullshit double pivot that doesn’t work and will never work ? Lillo Bill the old cunt needs to fuck off ASAP he is destroying us !!!!!!!!

[Green & Blue]

Pivots?

We talking basketball or football here lads?

[Mase]

[sheblue]

Pivots?

We talking basketball or football here lads?

You would wonder sometimes.