De Ligt

From what I’ve read, and rosso’s gone into grate detail on, the central cb isn’t tasked with playing out from the back like the left and right cbs are. Whether that changes as he has to face up against more teams that will press high on the cbs remains to be seen. But it doesn’t sound like high level ball players in the centre have been his preference as of yet.

I think he’ll have to worry about his spot once Maguire is fit because Slabbers is probably still a better defender than him and is better on the ball.

comment by Ruben The King Amorim Tim Tagi Dim (U10026)
posted 22 minutes ago
From what I’ve read, and rosso’s gone into grate detail on, the central cb isn’t tasked with playing out from the back like the left and right cbs are. Whether that changes as he has to face up against more teams that will press high on the cbs remains to be seen. But it doesn’t sound like high level ball players in the centre have been his preference as of yet.

I think he’ll have to worry about his spot once Maguire is fit because Slabbers is probably still a better defender than him and is better on the ball.
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Maguire is better at carrying the ball. I think I like De Ligt's short / medium distance passing better - the timing and crispness.

Alas at this point both De ligt and Maguire are not the most preferred style of defenders. The manager may want to gradually fade away from them. Also Yoro is supposed to ultimately be in improving both.

He's been fine for me. Not amazing but solid enough.

comment by Ruben The King Amorim Tim Tagi Dim (U10026)
posted 8 hours, 23 minutes ago
From what I’ve read, and rosso’s gone into grate detail on, the central cb isn’t tasked with playing out from the back like the left and right cbs are. Whether that changes as he has to face up against more teams that will press high on the cbs remains to be seen. But it doesn’t sound like high level ball players in the centre have been his preference as of yet.

I think he’ll have to worry about his spot once Maguire is fit because Slabbers is probably still a better defender than him and is better on the ball.
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There’s an interesting bit of analysis RR posted last week which looked at a few of the different tactical mechanisms Amorim has used to play out in different situations against different opposition blocks.

The CCB can push out a bit and the wider CBs split for the CBs and CMs to form a rough X shape to help create angles to play out through; or the CCB can push out even further, replacing one of the CMs in the pivot allowing the other CM to advance to threaten (or use) an overload with a longer pass; or the CCB can sit in with one of the wide CBs and let the other one push further wide and up the pitch to offer more options and a potential overload down one of the flanks.

In short, he’s created a useful playbook of several mechanisms (all using the 3-4 of the 3-4-2-1 as the basis) which can be deployed to help his side play out.

Obviously the roles are slightly different in each of these mechanisms in the first phase of play, which might point to different useful attributes and so of course different players, but I think more instructive in terms of the who-plays-where is looking at who Amorim was picking at Sporting.

Whilst Coates was at the club, he played CCB, period. After he left, Diomande played CCB, period. Big, strong, confident, aerially dominant leaders who can pass the ball. In short, it’s De Ligt and Maguire.

The wider CBs he’d rotate, switch (and often invert) and experiment with. But generally speaking, we’re talking about more mobile, more rangey, maybe more incisive players who can link and contribute to build up higher up the pitch, including joining the attack. I can see any of Martinez, Lindelof, Maz, Shaw and Dalot in these roles; but for sure he’ll want to see how Yoro does at RCB and probably a little more quality squad depth in those roles.

The ideal for Amorim in terms of options I think would be to have Shaw get back fully fit (lol) and Martinez and Shaw covering LCB, De Ligt and Maguire CCB, Yoro and Maz RCB, and one other proper CB in the squad who can play the wide CB role, making Maz/Shaw available to play at FB when we want to use a proper back five.

Just on De Ligt, although Bodo Baggins wasn’t his best game, I think he’s been wonderful the last couple of months, putting in a string of very important and underrated performances.

One of our best players this season under both ETH and Ruud, and becoming very important. For me, he certainly has the potential to nail down what is an absolutely key role in Amorim’s setup.

With a high line, some pace would be useful at the back. That favours Yoro.

comment by Ruben's Revamped Reds (U22280)
posted 3 hours, 10 minutes ago
With a high line, some pace would be useful at the back. That favours Yoro.
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It’s more important that the wider CBs have pace. They’re always going to be recovering from higher positions (and sometimes much higher).

It could be Yoro’s position in time. I haven’t seen nearly enough of him to judge, tbh. But for now, I don’t think he’ll be used every week. He’s a kid with very, very little experience of senior football and completely new to the PL, so I think he’ll be rotated in and out and protected by Amorim. That would certainly suit the RCB (or LCB) position better.

The CCB is an absolutely key role in Amorim’s system, with a huge amount of responsibility (which is why it was one of the few positions Amorim didn’t rotate at Sporting). You want a leader in there who the rest of the defence and midfield will listen to and organise around. I’d be very surprised if he gave that responsibility to an 18 year old new to the league.

comment by RRRU-ben a-moo-REENG (U17054)
posted 1 hour, 50 minutes ago
comment by Ruben's Revamped Reds (U22280)
posted 3 hours, 10 minutes ago
With a high line, some pace would be useful at the back. That favours Yoro.
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It’s more important that the wider CBs have pace. They’re always going to be recovering from higher positions (and sometimes much higher).

It could be Yoro’s position in time. I haven’t seen nearly enough of him to judge, tbh. But for now, I don’t think he’ll be used every week. He’s a kid with very, very little experience of senior football and completely new to the PL, so I think he’ll be rotated in and out and protected by Amorim. That would certainly suit the RCB (or LCB) position better.

The CCB is an absolutely key role in Amorim’s system, with a huge amount of responsibility (which is why it was one of the few positions Amorim didn’t rotate at Sporting). You want a leader in there who the rest of the defence and midfield will listen to and organise around. I’d be very surprised if he gave that responsibility to an 18 year old new to the league.
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I have seen some people criticising the wide CBs leaving the backline, but that's their job to press their man, right?

None of us really know what to make of Yoro yet, but for now Maz has made the RCB position his own.

The CCB is an absolutely key role in Amorim’s system, with a huge amount of responsibility (which is why it was one of the few positions Amorim didn’t rotate at Sporting). You want a leader in there who the rest of the defence and midfield will listen to and organise around. I’d be very surprised if he gave that responsibility to an 18 year old new to the league.
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I have noticed Sporting have played Diomande in that position a bit this season - he's 20.