Three at the Back

[stemark44]

I reckon it will look more like a 3-2-3-2;
---------------Gomes----------------
----Kaboul-----Gallas--------Dawson--
Lennon-----------------------------Bale
-------Hudd---Sandro----Modric-------
---VDV---------------------Pavlyuchenko

 

[YiddoJames]

Very interesting.

I was calling for a 3-5-2 the other day on here although I never expected to see it.

Still seems unlikely, but why not give it a go?

I'd actually put Hudd as one of the 3 CBs, where he can sit deep and spray the ball around. A kind of sweeper position.

 

[TwoSaintsComeMarching]

I think people need to stop taking this supposed ITK as gospel.

Although I do hope we play some form of 3-5-2 as its a formation I have always been fond of, despite it's criticisms.

 

[SpursSince1980]

why not? got nothin' to lose!

 

[sloth]

Except that VDV is a midfielder... or have people forgotten this?

I haven't and in an ideal world we'd have two strikers on top form.

But we haven't.

In the typical 4-4-2 style system (which this 3-5-3 is an alternative to), we play with an extra full-back and still have VdV playing as a second striker, sacrificing one of Sandro or Huddlestone in the process.

Others have suggested we keep VdV but lose Lennon, in which case we're playing our top scorer on the right in favour of Defoe, who atm is rubbish.

There's a further suggestion that we drop Bale to FB, push Modric to the left and keep Sandro and Huddlestone in the centre, but again you're left with VdV as your second striker, so doesn't answer your original observation, plus you've take Modric out of the centre and put more of a defensive burden on Bale (or force one of only 2 CB to cover the space behind, leaving a single CB to cover the centre.).

The final option is the one we discussed in the previous post, where you actually play a basic 4-3-3 where Kaboul is your RB, Bale your LB and you play Modric, Huddlestone and Lennon as your midfield and Pav, Defoe and VdV as your attacking three. Like I say it's a straight up 4-3-3, except you've labelled it 3-5-2.

Anyway, in that suggestion you have a horribly soft centre running from VdV, through Modric and Huddlestone all the way to having only two CBs again. We wouldn't be able to keep the ball long enough to create the chances our extra strikers would need to make a difference, in fact, I'd go as far as to predict you'd end up taking Defoe and Pav out of the game, making them passengers at the same time as encouraging VdV to drop deep and basically leaving yourself in a whole heap of steaming trouble.

If you're going to go three CBs with two wing-backs, you've got to do it the only way which makes sense. The formation isn't so much about all out attack as ensuring we have enough of the ball to let our creatives do their stuff, whilst ensuring we still have two goal-scorers up top to take advantage. For that you lose a FB and put increased responsibility on your wide men, but the trade off is the extra CB to cover for them and the increased liberation they have to get forward and do some damage.

 

[Bowlesinho]

I posted this in the stoke thread the other day. I see it as a 3-6-1.

-------------Gomes------------
--Kaboul---Dawson---Gallas--
-------Sandro-----Hudd-------
Lennon--------------------Bale
--------VDV-------Modric------
---------------Pav--------------

Sandro and Hudd could be a modern day Pirlo/Gattuso and having Modders and VDV further forward should mean more possession in more threatening areas.

 

[mpickard2087]

Would be a 3-6-1 and I think Pav up top could get isolated in this formation.

 

[agrdavidsfan]

Harry done it a lot at Portsmouth if I remember correctly

 

[agrdavidsfan]

Has gallas ever played left back before if so when madrid have the ball we could revert too
GOMES
KABOUL---HUDD--DAWSON---GALLAS
----------------SANDRO----------------
-----------------Modric-----------------
LENNON---------VDV-------------BALE
-------------PAVULYCHENKO-----------

 

[Bails]

Before reading this thread I thought Harry should send the side out 3-5-2 but more like this:
​

Gomes
Kaboul Dawson Gallas Bale
Lennon Modric Hudd
VDV
Defoe Pav
​

With the view that Bale gets forward as much as possible making it a 3-5-2
​

Gomes
Kaboul Dawson Gallas
Lennon Modric Hudd Bale
VDV
Defoe Pav
​

In this way Bale plays like a LB but is told to get forward and back as much as possible and when he is pushed forward the other 3 defenders can all play like 3 CBs

I think for this one off game we may as well give it go- why be cautious from the start, everyone says it CAN happen but we need 2 early goals. To go 2-0 up early we need to take a chance​

 

[TwoSaintsComeMarching]

Everyone in this thread has Kaboul and Gallas the wrong way round. Gallas is more comfortable on the right-side of defence. Likewise, Kaboul plays as a LCB.

 

[Bobbins]

Why?

Nobody else does it, why can't we be the ultra attacking team? Why can't we score loads every game but also conceed loads? We almost got it under Ardiles, and with the quality of defence that we now have I see no reason not to make more players attack.

COYS

Because teams these days will simply sit with 9 or 10 men behind the ball, shut us out, and hit us on the counter. That didn't used to happen.

We've had it done to us enough times at the Lane over the last two seasons (Wigan, Wolves etc) to know that happens.

Football's moved on, playing all-out attack is incredibly naive. There's a very good reason we, and no-one else does it - it doesn't work. I'm sure our Premiership rivals would bloody love us to play like that, though.

 

[dooey123]

Sorry to be a doom merchant but I don't expect Real to leave us any space at all. They do not need to win or even score a goal, all they will be asked is to prevent us from scoring 4.

I think they will barely cross their half way line, thus conserving energy and we will come up against a brick wall in the final third. Plus being away from home they will not have their fans complaining of playing boring football.

In situations like that we do not fair well unless someone can conjure up a bit of magic, e.g. a Thudd missile, Bale volley etc.

I would love us to go all out from the off for the sake of pride.

 

[stevenqoz]

The two players best suited at wing back are Bale and Kaboul. Not that he should start these Two there. I'd go
------Gomes
Gallas Dawson Kaboul
------- Sandro
Huddlestone Modric
Lennon---------Bale
--------VDV
-------------Defoe/Pav

Lennon won't last the 90 so switch Kaboul wide right when needed....BAE/ Bassong into back 3
--------Gomes
Gallas Dawson BAE/Bassong
------- Sandro
Huddlestone Modric
Kaboul---------Bale
--------VDV
-------------Defoe/Pav
As many have said what is the worst that can happen here? Few have much expecttion of us getting thru. I strongly feel that we will get to a first half half 2-0 (15/1) lead and then we will need lots of luck/ a send off etc. COYS!

 

[Kendall]

Looking forward to seeing Marcelo and Ramos ripping us a new one down the channels then.

 

[spursandbarca]

Because teams these days will simply sit with 9 or 10 men behind the ball, shut us out, and hit us on the counter. That didn't used to happen.

We've had it done to us enough times at the Lane over the last two seasons (Wigan, Wolves etc) to know that happens.

Football's moved on, playing all-out attack is incredibly naive. There's a very good reason we, and no-one else does it - it doesn't work. I'm sure our Premiership rivals would bloody love us to play like that, though.

barca play all out attack and rely on puyol and pique to make kamakazi tackles.

barca were down 4-1 from the first leg vs sevilla in a super cup and won 5-0 2nd leg. if spurs get 2 goals in first 20 minutes could be very intresting indeed

 

[Bobbins]

barca play all out attack and rely on puyol and pique to make kamakazi tackles.

barca were down 4-1 from the first leg vs sevilla in a super cup and won 5-0 2nd leg. if spurs get 2 goals in first 20 minutes could be very intresting indeed

Barca have world class players in every position, we... haven't.

 

[ItsBoris]

I posted this in the stoke thread the other day. I see it as a 3-6-1.

-------------Gomes------------
--Kaboul---Dawson---Gallas--
-------Sandro-----Hudd-------
Lennon--------------------Bale
--------VDV-------Modric------
---------------Pav--------------

Sandro and Hudd could be a modern day Pirlo/Gattuso and having Modders and VDV further forward should mean more possession in more threatening areas.

Good shout, even though there is only 1 up front I think that looks very attacking and playing 3-5-2 with Defoe up front is idiotic imo, VDV will position himself better in the box anyway and we need all of Lennon, Sandro, Hudd, Bale, and Modric.

 

[EastLondonYid]

Tonights game is all about a few things coming together if we are to somehow achieve the 'impossible'

1; lots of luck.
2;90 mins of our fans going mental.
3; Real to concede early and shite themselves.
4; our boys to find their goal touch.
5; for us to keep going for the entire 90 mins.

3-5-2- ...4-4-2....1-6-3...2-2-6....whatever .....its all the above we need more than any formation, it will be mental tonight, tactics will go out the window, tactics will never beat jose.....yes we need them, but i think our only real hope is if we do something completely unexpected, we don't want to get done at home on the break, but we really must just go for broke, its whats got us this far and the talk of europe..FUCK IT!!!...we are gonna win 5-0 or lose 3-0.....HOLD TIGHT...

 

[double0]

Lets be honest we're playing Real Madrid one of the best managers in football Mourinho with the worlds most expensive player/squad.

Madrid need one goal with our record its a given we then need 6. The best I'm hoping for is a win for pride regardless if we get through or not its been great we graced the CL hopefully with many more games to come in the near future.

The League should be our main focus.