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Bielsa 3331 formation

coys200

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May 22, 2017
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I'm pretty sure this is what we played yesterday.Its highly complex and technical.Bielsa was a mentor for poch,maybe poch now feels he has the players total trust and they are so tuned in this is possible.will post a link to interesting article.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
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I'm pretty sure this is what we played yesterday.Its highly complex and technical.Bielsa was a mentor for poch,maybe poch now feels he has the players total trust and they are so tuned in this is possible.will post a link to interesting article.

We've been playing versions of it since the beginning of last season with dier dropping into defence.
We will switch throughout the match.
 

spids

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2015
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We played the same formation we've played for much of the last year. Only difference was our midfield, with Sissoko instead of Dembele, had a different dynamic.
 

coys200

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May 22, 2017
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No I think this is different,before dier would drop into back 4.now he is sitting infront of a 3 .with wing backs filling in it's totally different
 

coys200

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May 22, 2017
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I think it's why dembele was ending up on the left a lot against Chelsea.And I couldn't really work out what was going on.
 

luRRka

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Jul 27, 2008
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No I think this is different,before dier would drop into back 4.now he is sitting infront of a 3 .with wing backs filling in it's totally different
Dier played in a back 3 numerous times last season
 

coys200

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May 22, 2017
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Dier played in a back 3 numerous times last season
Of course that's not what I'm talking about.When we played 4 at back ,dier would drop in when CB split.This is totally different,he's playing like at base of an almost diamond.
 

Hitch

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2012
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Reverting to a system with just one holding player is something Poch has been angling after for a long time, whether 3331, 4141 or whatever. As he's said himself, it is the "future" of this team. I think now with the athleticism and ability of Sanchez to sweep up behind Poch feels more comfortable in freeing up space for an extra midfield runner. Barkley was earmarked with this new system in mind I believe. Yesterday Sissoko took on the role that would have been his.
 
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luRRka

Well-Known Member
Jul 27, 2008
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Of course that's not what I'm talking about.When we played 4 at back ,dier would drop in when CB split.This is totally different,he's playing like at base of an almost diamond.
I know what you are saying, I was just replying to your post saying we didn't play this formation last season as dier played cb
 

cockerel downunder

Well-Known Member
Aug 19, 2008
922
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I don't think that's quite right as the 3331 has inverted wing backs and wide inside forwards.

Yesterday we had wide wing backs and eriksen and sisoko played quite central.

Koeman described our formation as a diamond which I can kind of see. I'd probably call it a 31411 personally but I think the fact it's not obvious to us is because it's so fluid which is the point.

I like the fact we seem to keep evolving and adding new formations each season

My slight concern is it sometimes feels like we switch formations in order to accomodate certain personnel as opposed to what's better suirkted to particular opposition
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
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I think Sanchez is the key.That 3 is so solid,that you really only need one holding.i was worried dier would get out numbered.But we filled in so quickly,the fact they only had one shot on target I think is telling.
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
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Similar but not quite, Bielsa would have had the base formation as something like:

bielsa.png



With wide forwards, Eriksen in behind supplying the front three and then wingbacks coming inside to make a diamond midfield. I reckon.

We played more a 3-5-1-1 or 3-5-2. Just how the game panned out it ended up a very similar shape. The wingbacks had a lot of space to advance into, particularly Davies. Dier held his position whilst Eriksen and Sissoko were free to roam in front/either side of him.

It wasn't perfect by any means, but the cm3 at least had some balance to it and put players in roles that suit them. Dier is much better when he can just sit and screen the defence, he isn't a mobile hunter for the ball who covers ground like our cm2 systems want. Sissoko I said when he signed the only way you would ever get anything out of him (and even yesterday was only ok really, lets not get carried away) he has to play in a cm3... Only took a year for Poch to realise this... And it just allows a better balance of roles and type of players - one anchor, one passer, one runner. You get a bit of everything.
 

Spurs' Pipe Dreams

Well-Known Member
Aug 14, 2011
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It's more a 3, diamond 4, 2 wing backs and 1 up front. A 3,6,1 diamond formation if you're playing FM I guess?

Koeman saw it as a diamond midfield 4 yesterday and I tend to agree
 
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