Rodrigo

There’s really very little difference between 4-1-4-1 and 4-3-3 in practice anyway. Our wingers get as high up the pitch as they would in a 4-3-3.

Our formation changes weekly. It’s not a case of having a new formation to accommodate Rodrigo because we set up based on what the opposition are doing. That’s never going to change.

Rodrigo will be in the side soon. I think Bielsa got it wrong not playing him from the start yesterday. Had he dropped Alioski and moved Dallas to left back we would have been able to control possession more with Rodrigo offering a lot lot more than Dallas did in the middle. I understand why we played Dallas there to improve us defensively but we really needed more control of game.

Difficult to believe there was much we could have done to get anything out of the game though. Their players are a level above.

I also think that Raphinha is a problem for getting Rodrigo back into the side. He needs to get better at keeping track of his man. Which will take the pressure off Dallas as a central midfielder to cover so much. And allow Rodrigo to play as a more attack minded 8

we didn't sign him for £27m to be a bench warmer, he will get his chance soon enough

I read today that Southgate is toying with our formation for England - 3 3 3 1. Not sure we set up that way though do we?

It’s such a fluid system we use though and England have the players to utilise it.

comment by Stoopo (U4707)
posted 3 minutes ago
I read today that Southgate is toying with our formation for England - 3 3 3 1. Not sure we set up that way though do we?

It’s such a fluid system we use though and England have the players to utilise it.

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comment by Stoopo (U4707)
posted 5 minutes ago
I read today that Southgate is toying with our formation for England - 3 3 3 1. Not sure we set up that way though do we?

It’s such a fluid system we use though and England have the players to utilise it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

We set up in that formation almost every time we play against 2 forwards.

comment by HaveFaithInLeeds (U8688)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Stoopo (U4707)
posted 5 minutes ago
I read today that Southgate is toying with our formation for England - 3 3 3 1. Not sure we set up that way though do we?

It’s such a fluid system we use though and England have the players to utilise it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

We set up in that formation almost every time we play against 2 forwards.
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So who’s the third man at the back?

I look on us as 4 1 4 1 with Phillips covering the two centre backs when our two wing backs move forward. We aren’t strictly 3 at the back really.

Ayling often shifts over into a back three for games like that, or Phillips drops back slightly deeper. Then Dallas/Ayling at RB and Dallas/Alioski at LB.

Surely Covid related at least in part.
I work amongst Covid everyday and it leaves a lot of people struggling for their normal fitness levels

comment by Stoopo (U4707)
posted 4 hours, 7 minutes ago
comment by HaveFaithInLeeds (U8688)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Stoopo (U4707)
posted 5 minutes ago
I read today that Southgate is toying with our formation for England - 3 3 3 1. Not sure we set up that way though do we?

It’s such a fluid system we use though and England have the players to utilise it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

We set up in that formation almost every time we play against 2 forwards.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So who’s the third man at the back?

I look on us as 4 1 4 1 with Phillips covering the two centre backs when our two wing backs move forward. We aren’t strictly 3 at the back really.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

That’s when we are playing 4-1-4-1 obviously. But when against 2 forwards we have played 3 at the back every time. Interestingly this season we have actually lined up 3-5-2 against Sheff Utd who played 2 up front. First time we had under Bielsa. But against 2 forwards it has always been 3 at the back.

It’s all to do with the man marking system. Bielsa will always go man to man with the exception of a spare CB on each side. So our centre forward (Bamford) ends up having to press two players. But we have a CB spare to mop up or move onto a player should an opponent beat his man.

When playing 3-3-3-1 we play a back 3 and usually have Ayling as the RCB. Often Bielsa likes to play a central midfielder on the right of the second 3. He can then tuck in if Ayling has an opportunity to overlap and go forward. Phillips would then drop to CB. Fordham played that position a few times in pre season last summer.

Bielsa used this formation a lot more often before his Leeds days. Especially while at Chile & Argentina. Then he would have come up against 4-4-2 a lot more often though. The best thing about the formation is the way it allows players to rotate positions so fluidly throughout the game.