Summer Mercato 2011

[Siregar]

4-2-3-1 need fresh DMs especially if the formation uses strikers as forward-wingers. We can't use both 34-35 years old DM combo. We will be attacked easily. In addition our forward-wing are weak at defensive duty. We can't hope Cassano to track back. Pato is better than Cassano but still very weak while Robinho is hardworker and likes to track back but he can't track back all time. He is just too forward minded. We only have Flamini there as fresh DM. We need at least one great DM or should be two DMs. For forward wing we don't have backup. I won't play Cassano as winger except a quality DM like Silva plays in the two DMs. Pirlo is not a winger. If we play him on leftside, it will be than a 3 midfield formation (4-3-2-1 or 4-3-3, not 4-2-3-1). As for fullback, we need very strong one defensively. Contraoe type of player won't be enough.

Plus as has been said, it will takes pretty long time to adapt to new system since many players have to be introduced to the formation.

I think you're restricting your viewpoint as to how 4-2-3-1 can be played, as you're saying we would need wingers for the system, which I really don't consider to be the case. In reality, the variation we've seen of the 4-3-1-2 in recent weeks is closer to what I was suggesting compared to what others are playing when playing 4-2-3-1. We've been playing 2 holders in Van Bommel and Gattuso, with Seedorf given freedom to push forward down the left. This results in Boateng often moving to the right to add greater balance and one of the forwards (normally Robinho or Ibra) pull back to get involved in our central play.

Essentially what I'm saying is while our defensive shape is:

---------------------Abbiati-----------------------
Abate-------Nesta--------Thiago-------Zambro
----------Rino-------MvB-------Seedorf---------
----------------------Boateng--------------------
---------------Ibra-----------Pato----------------

Our offensive shape is often looking like this (fullbacks push up and overlap):

----------------------Abbiati--------------------
Abate------Nesta-----------Thiago-----Zambro
--------------Rino---------MvB-----------------
---------Boateng-----------------Seedorf------
-----------------------Ibra----------------------
-----------------------------Pato---------------

When you consider Ibra's freedom he drops into the hole behind Pato (although moves around the pitch) and Seedorf and Boateng tend to move to either side of him, making something akin to a 4-2-3-1.

Now what I'm suggesting isn't hugely different as I want one balanced midfielder on one side (i.e. Boateng) who will drop into the midfield make make our line of 3 like in our defensive system above. The difference in my variation is I'd like Ganso (or the player in the middle of the 3 in 4-2-3-1) to start pressing early, with the players at his side pressing intelligently, knowing when to drop back or when to stay high to press, unlike Seedorf at the moment who will always drop back.

Just as we used Pirlo on the left earlier this season, he can be asked to play on the left in a 4-2-3-1, dropping back into midfield to make a 4-3-2-1. Likewise, having a wide forward on the opposite side of the 3 will mean they have the freedom to attack intelligently down the side, but with opportunities to cut in towards goal, with a fullback overlapping to maintain our width. We've seen Robinho and Cassano often come out into wide areas this season, and Pato did it last season along and also moved into wide areas this season against certain opponents (e.g. Napoli recently).

About Van Bommel and Ambro, despite their age I think they are both capable as DM's as they have both shown this season (at times on their own in midfield with the midfielders either side of them pushing up). However, I did stress to make the point that either way I think it's good to bring in a fresh face in midfield (irrespective of whether we change system).

The system I propose may be considered a 4-2-3-1, but the reality is it's a small evolution of our current system. In the end, whatever we play a system is pretty much just a number, it's the qualities of the side and how the coach uses those qualities is what determines whether the system is successful or not.

I do think the formation decides how the team play (not bad or well but the way the game played). Like your description above, I don't agree. Our core is 3 midfielder which if we do focus, it is Bommel. It is like 4-1-2-1-2.

------------Bommel-----------------
Gattuso--------------------Seedorf
------------Boateng---------------
-----Pato----------------------Ibra

With the movements of Boateng Ibra and Pato, the core of the formation is still the same, lies on Bommel covered by two midfielders. Boateng and Ibra can be as AMs there behind Pato. The variation of the formation on the field would be 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1. It won't be 4-2-3-1 which means Gattuso and Bommel won't be in line in two DM-partnership behind Baoteng, Seedorf and Ibra. Bommel will be almost of the time in the centre of the field or in the centre of midfield of normal play (when the ball is our and starting to build the play, the time we can see the original formation of a team).

It is totally different with 4-2-3-1. The core of the formation is the 2 midfileders (the 2 DMs partnership). The formation can't be turn to 4-3-1-2 since its different core. The centre of the midfield is the difference. One uses 1 player (Bommel) covered by two players, the other one 2 player/DMs in 4-2-3-1 formation.

That is why it is not easy even hard to change the system (from 4-3-1-2 to 4-2-3-1). It is much easier to change 4312 to 4321 or to 433 since the base are the same using 1 centred player (Bommel). Because of the different system, I said in previous post that we need many players since 4231 need different characteristic player compared to 4321 if we do want to have good play both defensively and offensively (good and fresh DMs and forward/wingers that can defend, close the space, etc well). We can play now with 4-2-3-1 but it would be pretty easy for opponent to destroy us IMO since we are very week in the centre of our formation cos we have only two good players defensively on the centre of our formation (the two DMs). Robinho, Pato, Cassano can't defend. Robinho is better but he is not the one who can play wide defensively (not the forward or striker that can defend or help defend well).