Tactics and Formations (8 Viewers)

pitbull

Senior Member
Jul 26, 2007
11,045
Honestly, I really don't like the concept of Mandzukic playing left wing. I don't care how good his workrate is. A winger should be able to dribble past opponents and create chances, first and foremost, something Mario can't do.

You can make him backup striker, you can even start him if Higgy is in bad form. I just don't want to see him out wide anymore. He's not a winger, period.
It's what makes him very unique in that position. He's very good defensively, adds the extra height at both ends of the pitch, he's a good finisher (for a winger) and he's got a huge physical advantage over most of the fullbacks. In basketball terms, it's like we've got ourselves a PF capable of playing as a SG, that's a big advantage for us. Imagine if he was playing for another team, I'd be shitting my pants seeing de Sciglio trying to defend against Mandžo and Sandro
 

Hust

Senior Member
Hustini
May 29, 2005
93,335
But we also can't rely on him as a creative outlet which means we have only one side to attack down or throw it all on Sandro. Double up on cuadrado and you force Dybala to drop way back. Having two natural wingers only gives more space for Dybala.

For goodness sakes teach a winger to track back as you can teach them tactics easier than you can teach Mario technique to beat his man.

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It's like we try to be the epitome of Italian football...always defending. We are finally progressing into an attacking team. Hopefully we make that final step.
 

pitbull

Senior Member
Jul 26, 2007
11,045
But we also can't rely on him as a creative outlet which means we have only one side to attack down or throw it all on Sandro. Double up on cuadrado and you force Dybala to drop way back. Having two natural wingers only gives more space for Dybala.

For goodness sakes teach a winger to track back as you can teach them tactics easier than you can teach Mario technique to beat his man.

It's like we try to be the epitome of Italian football...always defending. We are finally progressing into an attacking team. Hopefully we make that final step.
Last season Mandžukič, our backup CF, had 11+8 while playing out of position. Cuadrado, the very definition of a winger, had 3+10. I wouldn't say that Mario isn't useful attacking, he still creates and scores wherever he plays, just in a different style than you'd expect from a classic winger, I don't get why so many people have a problem with how he does it. We don't have enough grinta with Mandžukič on the field, if we take him off we turn into a fairy team with Chiellini looking like a crazy gorilla next to the others.
Besides, this season we have Matuidi in the center, who seems capable of breaking up play and bursting forward with the ball, which gives us another option
 

Hust

Senior Member
Hustini
May 29, 2005
93,335
Last season Mandžukič, our backup CF, had 11+8 while playing out of position. Cuadrado, the very definition of a winger, had 3+10. I wouldn't say that Mario isn't useful attacking, he still creates and scores wherever he plays, just in a different style than you'd expect from a classic winger, I don't get why so many people have a problem with how he does it. We don't have enough grinta with Mandžukič on the field, if we take him off we turn into a fairy team with Chiellini looking like a crazy gorilla next to the others.
Besides, this season we have Matuidi in the center, who seems capable of breaking up play and bursting forward with the ball, which gives us another option
Grinta doesn't necessarily win you the CL. Attacking prowess does.
 

Hust

Senior Member
Hustini
May 29, 2005
93,335
here we go again...

Play him as a fucking striker. Get him the service DC & Bern will give Higuain and you will see what he brings to the table in the box.

Love Mario...as a striker.

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May as well play him in the center where Dybala is and have Dybala as the lone striker then. @Fr3sh will die a happy man
 

Fr3sh

Senior Member
Jul 12, 2011
36,938
Play him as a fucking striker. Get him the service DC & Bern will give Higuain and you will see what he brings to the table in the box.

Love Mario...as a striker.

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May as well play him in the center where Dybala is and have Dybala as the lone striker then. @Fr3sh will die a happy man
Mandzo 4 life.:heart:
 

pitbull

Senior Member
Jul 26, 2007
11,045
Yea, what grinta do Real have? Marcelo, Ramos? :lol: Casemiro? All those are probably gay (you heard it first here).
What? Real physically destroyed Juventus, we could keep up for 45 minutes and that was it. Their attackers outpaced our defenders, their defenders abused our attackers so bad they gave away every ball that came their way and lets not even get started about the midfield. Real always have had attacking talent but they've been dominating since they are inssane athletes as well
 

Nedved96

Senior Member
Sep 1, 2017
7,184
The midfield of Isco, Modric and Kroos is not physically gifted at all. They are very technically gifted. They destroyed Juve because they kept the ball so well and we were left chasing shadows. The same strategy Barcelona used from 2008-2012 to destroy opponents. The reason to why we could only keep up for 45 minutes is because eventually our players were tired of pressing midfielders that simply don't lose the ball (Modric, Kroos, Isco).

This mentality that physicality and workrate should be valued more than technical ability is a very English way of thinking, and English teams don't do well in the CL.

Technique > Grinta
 

spurdo

Senior Member
Jun 4, 2016
1,877
The midfield of Isco, Modric and Kroos is not physically gifted at all. They are very technically gifted. They destroyed Juve because they kept the ball so well and we were left chasing shadows. The same strategy Barcelona used from 2008-2012 to destroy opponents. The reason to why we could only keep up for 45 minutes is because eventually our players were tired of pressing midfielders that simply don't lose the ball (Modric, Kroos, Isco).

This mentality that physicality and workrate should be valued more than technical ability is a very English way of thinking, and English teams don't do well in the CL.

Technique > Grinta
You need both though. Casemiro is the one doing the dirty work for Real, Busquets was/is the one doing the dirty work for Barca. We had no one who has the stamina and work ethic to win balls from those technical mids.
 

Lapa

FLY, EAGLES FLY
Sep 29, 2008
19,943
What? Real physically destroyed Juventus, we could keep up for 45 minutes and that was it. Their attackers outpaced our defenders, their defenders abused our attackers so bad they gave away every ball that came their way and lets not even get started about the midfield. Real always have had attacking talent but they've been dominating since they are inssane athletes as well
I still think that "grinta" is the wrong word to describe Real's midfield (or other players).
 
Apr 19, 2007
3,954
Real have a lot of quick players to be able to press after losing the ball quickly to win it back but most of their defense comes from winning the positional battle on the field. Our problem was that we didnt have the technical ability to keep the ball in the second half or win it back and we had no speed to get behind real to keep them honest. Their defense wasnt afraid of our counter at all in the second half and that got us bad. Not saying that Cuads should have started but him not being in form was our biggest loss of the season. Alves and Mandzukic were pressed and had no way out. Hopefully we solved this with technical option as well as speed options. Adding Matuidi helps a lot as well.

This is why im not to upset about Alves leaving. While he was incredible....we switched to a 3-4-3 and he wasnt going to be as good in that position IMO
 

Hust

Senior Member
Hustini
May 29, 2005
93,335
The midfield of Isco, Modric and Kroos is not physically gifted at all. They are very technically gifted. They destroyed Juve because they kept the ball so well and we were left chasing shadows. The same strategy Barcelona used from 2008-2012 to destroy opponents. The reason to why we could only keep up for 45 minutes is because eventually our players were tired of pressing midfielders that simply don't lose the ball (Modric, Kroos, Isco).

This mentality that physicality and workrate should be valued more than technical ability is a very English way of thinking, and English teams don't do well in the CL.

Technique > Grinta
perfectly said :tup:

+rep
 

pitbull

Senior Member
Jul 26, 2007
11,045
The midfield of Isco, Modric and Kroos is not physically gifted at all. They are very technically gifted. They destroyed Juve because they kept the ball so well and we were left chasing shadows. The same strategy Barcelona used from 2008-2012 to destroy opponents. The reason to why we could only keep up for 45 minutes is because eventually our players were tired of pressing midfielders that simply don't lose the ball (Modric, Kroos, Isco).

This mentality that physicality and workrate should be valued more than technical ability is a very English way of thinking, and English teams don't do well in the CL.

Technique > Grinta
Real's midfield was Kroos, Modrič and Casemiro not Kroos, Modrič and Isco, the latter was playing AM and while I agree that Modrič isn't a midfielder that likes to get his hands dirty, Kroos and Casemiro definitely can take care of themselves on the pitch, especially the latter which is built like a tank, it's like having Alex Sandro in the center and on drugs.

I don't care who gets valued more between technique and grinta, but the fact is that the best teams have both, Real that won 3 CL's out of 4 have it and Heynckes Bayern that steamrolled everyone had it. I agree that Barcelona 2008-2012 had a unique approach and were able to win without being physically superior to everyone, but imo that footie got figured out, look at Spain-Italy this summer or Pep's failures f.e.
 

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