*Official* English Football Season 2014-15

[GIMH]

All I was really getting at is something Sledger referred to a few weeks back, players don't play as lined up on TV before KO

4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 are both 4-5-1 in old money. A top quality team could be designated to any one of the three but realistically would transition between the three throughout the game.

I had too many rums to discuss further tonight but that's all I was getting at really

 

[Cabinet96]

With a team like Chelsea they can be quite similar as the '2' are usually somewhat solid defensively and Oscar is a ****ing gun but there's no way Arsenal would ever go into a game with a midfield '3' of Arteta-Ramsey-Özil for example.

Yeah, Özil would have to go out wide like he did for Germany. Which is why Owen labelling Arsenal's usual system a 4-3-3 is stupid.

I'd say a 4-1-4-1 is more similar to a 4-3-3 tbh. Only differences depend on how advanced the wide men are relative to the central midfielders.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Yeah, Özil would have to go out wide like he did for Germany. Which is why Owen labelling Arsenal's usual system a 4-3-3 is stupid.

I'd say a 4-1-4-1 is more similar to a 4-3-3 tbh. Only differences depend on how advanced the wide men are relative to the central midfielders.

Yep agreed with all of this. Mata for instance fits perfectly into a 4-2-3-1 as a number 10. In most conceptions of 4-3-3 there isn't really a role for him apart from out wide.

 

[Uppercut]

I think it is far too open to be stating this as "surely". 38 games isn't very many.

I don't think the variance in a 38-game season is THAT big. But the fact that the transfer window is still open probably makes it a stupid thing to say anyway.

 

[GIMH]

Just hope Gerrard plays every game and they don't sign any fullbacks still.

Just on this. I mean obviously he won't, with the CL and all, but do people think he's done? He was pretty ****ing awesome from around December to April, then this slipped despite it must not followed by the World Cup.

Terminal? Or devo'd after throwing the title away? Wouldn't be surprised to see him come back strongly but equally wouldn't be surprised if he didn't really perform this season.

 

[Jarquis]

Yeah, the most common guise of a 4-3-3 is the old Chelsea 4-1-2-2-1

 

[Jarquis]

Just on this. I mean obviously he won't, with the CL and all, but do people think he's done? He was pretty ****ing awesome from around December to April, then this slipped despite it must not followed by the World Cup.

Terminal? Or devo'd after throwing the title away? Wouldn't be surprised to see him come back strongly but equally wouldn't be surprised if he didn't really perform this season.

Doesn't have the legs he used to and if he's playing every game then it probably means Henderson and Can are and there's no way all 3 can handle that workload all through the year, especially when the former gives the latter pair so much more to do - in theory.

 

[Tangles]

I don't really think this is true. In the 4-2-3-1 the player in the middle of the 3 is the number 10 role. In a lot of 4-3-3 systems that role is moved behind the other midfielders to a DM/anchorman type role.

There are obviously similarities in some instances though. Van Gaal is interesting on this topic as his conception of the 4-3-3 is definitely similar to a 4-2-3-1, with what he terms as the "point" of the midfield trio played in advance of the other two midfielders as opposed to behind. I don't think most people would consider this 4-3-3 as van Gaal does though, most would just term it 4-2-3-1.

The USA friendlies had 3 cb's and 2 wing backs from what I saw. A 3-4-3 in attack with 5 across the back in defense. Unless your more talking about what he's done at other teams?

 

[GIMH]

Doesn't have the legs he used to and if he's playing every game then it probably means Henderson and Can are and there's no way all 3 can handle that workload all through the year, especially when the former gives the latter pair so much more to do - in theory.

I imagine he'll play as many games as he did last season, meaning they'll rest him a fair bit (in theory)

 

[Tom Halsey]

I don't think the variance in a 38-game season is THAT big.

Nah I have modeled football results quite a bit for betting purposes. That said you'd only need to run a fairly simple Excel simulation of a 38 game season to see that the variance is actually pretty huge.

 

[GIMH]

Nah I have modeled football results quite a bit for betting purposes. That said you'd only need to run a fairly simple Excel simulation of a 38 game season to see that the variance is actually pretty huge.

Can you run an excel simulation to tell me how the whites will go this season?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I imagine he'll play as many games as he did last season, meaning they'll rest him a fair bit (in theory)

He looked done during the world cup, be interesting to see if after a short break he still has it or is totally shot. Can't see him playing any domestic cup matches all season unless they reach a semi final as he will be needed for champions League and as many league games as possible. Hope he comes back but think he may done.

 

[Tom Halsey]

The USA friendlies had 3 cb's and 2 wing backs from what I saw. A 3-4-3 in attack with 5 across the back in defense. Unless your more talking about what he's done at other teams?

He's not playing 4-3-3 at the moment though. Those are just his thoughts on 4-3-3.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Can you run an excel simulation to tell me how the whites will go this season?

Lose next week.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Can you run an excel simulation to tell me how the whites will go this season?

Haha although I realise this isn't in all seriousness, in the lower leagues the skill differential is quite often small enough that at the start of any given season for a team roughly in the middle of their division ability wise, just about anything is within the realms of possibility.

Disclaimer is I don't follow Tranmere enough to know exactly where they fall within League Two ability wise, but judging from the bookies odds they are roughly in the middle.

 

[GIMH]

Haha although I realise this isn't in all seriousness, in the lower leagues the skill differential is quite often small enough that at the start of any given season for a team roughly in the middle of their division ability wise, just about anything is within the realms of possibility.

Disclaimer is I don't follow Tranmere enough to know exactly where they fall within League Two ability wise, but judging from the bookies odds they are roughly in the middle.

Haha IMO the reason we are in the middle is because nobody has a clue how good we are

 

[GIMH]

Lose next week.

Did Robbo play yesterday

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Did Robbo play yesterday

Not even in squad we are so strong.

 

[Ikki]

Just on this. I mean obviously he won't, with the CL and all, but do people think he's done? He was pretty ****ing awesome from around December to April, then this slipped despite it must not followed by the World Cup.

Terminal? Or devo'd after throwing the title away? Wouldn't be surprised to see him come back strongly but equally wouldn't be surprised if he didn't really perform this season.

Was excellent against Dortmund and looks to be where he was last season in pre-season. Gerrard will still be one of the best midfielders around for at least another season. The season after is most likely when his successor starts getting introduced. For now, he'll probably start all the league games that don't conflict with important CL matches. Could see him not playing in the League cup at all and until the latter stages of the FA cup. He's still as key as any player in the team, really.

 

[Nate]

Lovren and Manquillo give me hope.

Bring on Moreno!