Antonio Conte (166 Viewers)
- Thread starter Dostoevsky
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It's not the formation per se. Our movement off the ball has been lacking this season. We don't attack spaces anymore. We also don't attack in numbers. Our attacks have become very predictable, as our build up play is slow. All this is different to last season. We showed glimpses of it in some matches, i.e. against Chelsea home, but were not as consistent with it as before.
Problem is he has 5 good central midfield players, so it's the most suitable formation from that perspective to allow Asamoah to play. He does a fair job there, but we are still imbalanced as an attacking force, with him and Lichtsteiner. I'd also rather Asamoah played there than face what Isla does, as he is a very good player.
The 3-5-2 also allows Barzagli-Bonucci-Chiellini to play, which works very well for those players and the team, especially Bonucci. In a central two you lose half of his better attributes and expose his weaknesses.
So I don't see how the 3-5-2 is being used because of coach preference, especially considering it's not a system he had used before. Now there is an argument to go with the 4-3-3, with the entire left side of the team missing, but then you are also missing two key components for the front three; a fit Vucinic and Pepe.
The 3-5-2 also allows Barzagli-Bonucci-Chiellini to play, which works very well for those players and the team, especially Bonucci. In a central two you lose half of his better attributes and expose his weaknesses.
So I don't see how the 3-5-2 is being used because of coach preference, especially considering it's not a system he had used before. Now there is an argument to go with the 4-3-3, with the entire left side of the team missing, but then you are also missing two key components for the front three; a fit Vucinic and Pepe.
Not only attacking but defending too, when we lose the ball our lines stay where they were. Go watch the goal Parma scored and observe the space between the defenders and the midfielders. Go watch the second goal Inter scored against us, Buffon saved and Milito took the ball on rebound, the same situation, tons of space left between the lines.
We are no longer compact or balanced and we lost lots of last year's grinta.
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Me too but during our first drop of form we were just being lucky.
We are no longer compact or balanced and we lost lots of last year's grinta.
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Me too but during our first drop of form we were just being lucky.
The 4-3-3 doesn't eliminate the fact that mistakes happened, but it could give us a better chance to make up for those mistakes. The 3-5-2 is essentially nothing without the wingbacks and with people like padoin playing, while marchisio, asa and chello are out, our current formation may not be our best option.
We're certainly not playing with the same intensity we showed last season. People might say that now we're competing on all fronts, and I'd agree, but that's no excuse if you're not getting results that way.Possibly, there's not much between it. You're basically swapping 3 comfortable players for 3.5, considering Bonucci. It balances out with Lichtsteiner not being an outright right wing back if you look at the team picture.
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I think your brain might explode if we lose a game playing 4-3-3.
Personally I see little difference with how we were last season, we lose Pepe and gain Giovinco. We had plenty of draws last season with the front three. Maybe we can just look better drawing.
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I think your brain might explode if we lose a game playing 4-3-3.
Personally I see little difference with how we were last season, we lose Pepe and gain Giovinco. We had plenty of draws last season with the front three. Maybe we can just look better drawing.
Bonucci is a sweeper, not really a CB.
If you try and play with a 4 man backline and put any pressure forward (ie. the fullbacks attacking) you are left with Bonucci seriously exposed and that is not his game. He is more out of position as a CB in 4-3-3 than in 3-5-2. Chiellini is out of position as a LB in 4-3-3.
Bottom line: In our last 2 games we have like 60% possession, 16 shots on net, over a dozen corners, and we have 2 goals. The other team barely has the ball, 7 shots on net and they scored about half the time.
Sometimes that's just the game, sometimes that's a loss of concentration. If Buffon makes that first save on Icardi are we even talking in this thread? Probably not.
If you try and play with a 4 man backline and put any pressure forward (ie. the fullbacks attacking) you are left with Bonucci seriously exposed and that is not his game. He is more out of position as a CB in 4-3-3 than in 3-5-2. Chiellini is out of position as a LB in 4-3-3.
Bottom line: In our last 2 games we have like 60% possession, 16 shots on net, over a dozen corners, and we have 2 goals. The other team barely has the ball, 7 shots on net and they scored about half the time.
Sometimes that's just the game, sometimes that's a loss of concentration. If Buffon makes that first save on Icardi are we even talking in this thread? Probably not.
3-5-2 is what made us the team we are in the first place. There is no point in leaving it. But, we could obviously improve it. What we lack in order for this formation to work is more offense from our wingers. Licht and Asamoah are great but not so much offensively. Isla getting back to his Udinese form would be huge for us and would be like a new 20m top player signing.
Also I love Gio and Vucinic but you can't expect those two to carry the offensive load on their shoulders. 3-5-2 doesn't offer you offensive midfielders or wingers to help out offensively so basically it comes down to Gio and Vuci having to do things all by themselves since they are basically the only offensively minded players we got. The rest are either regular central midfielders or defenders.
So in order to take the 3-5-2 to the next level we really need to invest heavily on two new strikers, an SS and a goalscorer who are good enough to carry the offense themselves. Suarez/Jovetic playing next to Villa/Dzeko would give this formation what it deserves. But we can't cheat and go cheap on offense. You can teach defense, you can motivate your players to run their lungs out but you can't teach offense and scoring goals.
Also I love Gio and Vucinic but you can't expect those two to carry the offensive load on their shoulders. 3-5-2 doesn't offer you offensive midfielders or wingers to help out offensively so basically it comes down to Gio and Vuci having to do things all by themselves since they are basically the only offensively minded players we got. The rest are either regular central midfielders or defenders.
So in order to take the 3-5-2 to the next level we really need to invest heavily on two new strikers, an SS and a goalscorer who are good enough to carry the offense themselves. Suarez/Jovetic playing next to Villa/Dzeko would give this formation what it deserves. But we can't cheat and go cheap on offense. You can teach defense, you can motivate your players to run their lungs out but you can't teach offense and scoring goals.