Let’s talk tactics.
This season we we fairly predictable with our tactics/starting line up. We used a 4-4-1-1 in most games, and 4-2-3-1 in the tougher away games, and also if the personnel available leant itself to the 4-2-3-1 formation. With our strongest eleven all fit and available, this 4-4-1-1 works very well. Solid back 4, Modric & Parker work perfectly in the middle, two out and out wide men, then Rafa in behind a striker capable of leading the line of his own. But the problems really arose when either Bale, or particularly Lennon became unavailable. Redknapp seemed unwilling, or just incapable of changing his approach, and would simply straight swap in Rafa to RM and put Defoe up top in a 4-4-2. Or Modric would play the wider role in a 4-2-3-1 to cover Lennon’s absence. This is when we started showing cracks. Modric is our best player. He’s our best passer, and our most creative player. He needs to be in the middle pulling the strings. Playing him out wide is the same issue as playing Bale in the middle – it just doesn’t suit their strengths.
I think Redknapp needs to be more willing to be flexible with his tactics, and here’s a few things I would like to see next season:
Lennon out: This season we would just shift Rafa out wide and out of position and give Defoe a game. It’s too simple, too predictable, and means we have no real RM who will track back and cover Walker. With someone like Corluka at RB who does very little attacking this could be OK, but with the attacking Walker, we need someone at RM who will happily fill in when necessary, like Lennon does. This is what I would go for:
This team does mean that Lennon being out means Benny loses his place, which seems a bit harsh, but hear me out. The reason this formation would work relies heavily on the fact that both Kaboul and Vertonghen are flexible and can play LB/RB as well as centre back. Parker and Sandro would sit deeper than Modric. When Bale bombs forward as he inevitably will, and would have full license to do so, Vertonghen would simply shift left to cover the LB area, and Sandro (the left side CDM) would drop deep and slot into LCB. On the other side, when Walker bombs forward, Kaboul shifts over to RB (where he is very capable of playing) and Parker goes back into the RCB position to cover until Walker gets back. Ultimately then, this formation would end up looking a bit like this when we are going forward:
I just think that would suit the strengths of all of our players. You have Walker and Bale bombing forward with reduced defensive duties compared to a standard LB/RB pair. We keep Modric and VDV in their best positions, and providing we sign 2 strikers good enough to start, I think this could work.
Play Bale LB and Assou-Ekotto LM – Again, sounds crazy, hear me out. Every time I think about this, it just seems more and more sensible. Benny loves to beat a man. When I actually think about him, he is probably the player in our team most capable of beating a man one on one. He does it when he’s last man and still very, very rarely loses the ball. He’s got a fantastic eye for a pass - second only to Modric in our team in my opinion. Only Ashley Williams completed more passes last season out of every single defender. Get him in a wide position one on one with an opposition right back and he will almost always beat that man and find a pass. Secondly, the most important run for a wing-back to make is the overlap. Who better to overlap than Bale? He’d be running from deep, so he’d in theory be unmarked, he would get past Benny and give him the option. Then as usual he’d get to the byline and get a ball in to the box. Thirdly, Assou-Ekotto, as good as he is, still has his occasional lapse of concentration. If he’s playing further up the pitch, these lapses in concentration may well cost possession, but they won’t cost goals. Bale is less prone to these lapses and so makes more sense that he is given more responsibility to defend our goal. Bale has the best engine in our team (up there with Parker) and up there with the best in the whole league. So who better to ask to run up and down the touchline for 90 minutes?
It’s just a thought..
5 (or is it 3?) at the back??
This is actually quite a similar formation to the 4-3-1-2 I mentioned earlier. The three centre backs are flanked by Walker and Bale who will have full license to get forward. When Walker and Bale are both bombing forward, Sandro or Parker will just drop in and play the role of 4th defender. So like other formations, this would end up looking similar to a 4-4-2 with Walker RM and Bale LM. And again, it leaves no room for Benny which is very harsh! I do love Benny, I promise! It’s just these formations leave no room for him.
I’m not necessarily saying we should dump the 4-4-1-1 and use these more “exotic” formations all the time, I’m just asking Redknapp to show a bit more variety in his use of tactics, so that we can keep our opponents guessing and so it’s harder for them to set up to shut us down.
This season we we fairly predictable with our tactics/starting line up. We used a 4-4-1-1 in most games, and 4-2-3-1 in the tougher away games, and also if the personnel available leant itself to the 4-2-3-1 formation. With our strongest eleven all fit and available, this 4-4-1-1 works very well. Solid back 4, Modric & Parker work perfectly in the middle, two out and out wide men, then Rafa in behind a striker capable of leading the line of his own. But the problems really arose when either Bale, or particularly Lennon became unavailable. Redknapp seemed unwilling, or just incapable of changing his approach, and would simply straight swap in Rafa to RM and put Defoe up top in a 4-4-2. Or Modric would play the wider role in a 4-2-3-1 to cover Lennon’s absence. This is when we started showing cracks. Modric is our best player. He’s our best passer, and our most creative player. He needs to be in the middle pulling the strings. Playing him out wide is the same issue as playing Bale in the middle – it just doesn’t suit their strengths.
I think Redknapp needs to be more willing to be flexible with his tactics, and here’s a few things I would like to see next season:
Lennon out: This season we would just shift Rafa out wide and out of position and give Defoe a game. It’s too simple, too predictable, and means we have no real RM who will track back and cover Walker. With someone like Corluka at RB who does very little attacking this could be OK, but with the attacking Walker, we need someone at RM who will happily fill in when necessary, like Lennon does. This is what I would go for:
Friedel
Walker Kaboul Vertonghen(?) Bale
Parker Modric Sandro
VDV
TWO STRIKERS
Walker Kaboul Vertonghen(?) Bale
Parker Modric Sandro
VDV
TWO STRIKERS
This team does mean that Lennon being out means Benny loses his place, which seems a bit harsh, but hear me out. The reason this formation would work relies heavily on the fact that both Kaboul and Vertonghen are flexible and can play LB/RB as well as centre back. Parker and Sandro would sit deeper than Modric. When Bale bombs forward as he inevitably will, and would have full license to do so, Vertonghen would simply shift left to cover the LB area, and Sandro (the left side CDM) would drop deep and slot into LCB. On the other side, when Walker bombs forward, Kaboul shifts over to RB (where he is very capable of playing) and Parker goes back into the RCB position to cover until Walker gets back. Ultimately then, this formation would end up looking a bit like this when we are going forward:
Friedel
Kaboul Parker Sandro Vertonghen
Walker-----Modric-----Bale
VDV
TWO STRIKERS
Kaboul Parker Sandro Vertonghen
Walker-----Modric-----Bale
VDV
TWO STRIKERS
I just think that would suit the strengths of all of our players. You have Walker and Bale bombing forward with reduced defensive duties compared to a standard LB/RB pair. We keep Modric and VDV in their best positions, and providing we sign 2 strikers good enough to start, I think this could work.
Play Bale LB and Assou-Ekotto LM – Again, sounds crazy, hear me out. Every time I think about this, it just seems more and more sensible. Benny loves to beat a man. When I actually think about him, he is probably the player in our team most capable of beating a man one on one. He does it when he’s last man and still very, very rarely loses the ball. He’s got a fantastic eye for a pass - second only to Modric in our team in my opinion. Only Ashley Williams completed more passes last season out of every single defender. Get him in a wide position one on one with an opposition right back and he will almost always beat that man and find a pass. Secondly, the most important run for a wing-back to make is the overlap. Who better to overlap than Bale? He’d be running from deep, so he’d in theory be unmarked, he would get past Benny and give him the option. Then as usual he’d get to the byline and get a ball in to the box. Thirdly, Assou-Ekotto, as good as he is, still has his occasional lapse of concentration. If he’s playing further up the pitch, these lapses in concentration may well cost possession, but they won’t cost goals. Bale is less prone to these lapses and so makes more sense that he is given more responsibility to defend our goal. Bale has the best engine in our team (up there with Parker) and up there with the best in the whole league. So who better to ask to run up and down the touchline for 90 minutes?
It’s just a thought..
5 (or is it 3?) at the back??
Friedel
Kaboul Dawson Vertonghen
Walker-----------------------------Bale
Sandro Modric Parker
VDV STRIKER
Kaboul Dawson Vertonghen
Walker-----------------------------Bale
Sandro Modric Parker
VDV STRIKER
This is actually quite a similar formation to the 4-3-1-2 I mentioned earlier. The three centre backs are flanked by Walker and Bale who will have full license to get forward. When Walker and Bale are both bombing forward, Sandro or Parker will just drop in and play the role of 4th defender. So like other formations, this would end up looking similar to a 4-4-2 with Walker RM and Bale LM. And again, it leaves no room for Benny which is very harsh! I do love Benny, I promise! It’s just these formations leave no room for him.
I’m not necessarily saying we should dump the 4-4-1-1 and use these more “exotic” formations all the time, I’m just asking Redknapp to show a bit more variety in his use of tactics, so that we can keep our opponents guessing and so it’s harder for them to set up to shut us down.