It depends a bit on the length of Ndidi's injury, but with him out and Choudhury looking like he has a long way to go before he can be a proper replacement for him, I wouldn't be surprised if Rodgers has the team training with a 3-4-1-2 all this week.
We'd get to see Praet and Tielemans together in the 4, and particularly against Man City that would involve a lot of defensive work. Maddison we'd assume would take the 1 but have defensive responsibilities, while Barnes, Iheanacho or maybe Perez would join Vardy up front.

A 3-4-3 / 5-4-1 is also a possibility with Maddison on the left wing (don't start, I'm just saying), although that might be asking a lot of a central midfield pairing who sometimes look a bit short on stamina.

Perhaps something like:

—————————-Schmeichel

—————Bennett—-Evans——Soyunchu

Ricardo——————-———————————Chilwell

————————Tielemans—Praet

——Barnes—————————————Maddison

—————-—-————Vardy

Yes, exactly that. Just without all the Morse code.

Although our goalkeeper might enjoy being known as MoonSchmeichel.

Never thought of swearing in morse to get around the algorithms 🤬😂
------------ chilwell

FOR .._. .._ _._. _._ ' ... SAKE CHILWELL

comment by The_Dungeon_Master (U4830)
posted 1 hour, 45 minutes ago
Although our goalkeeper might enjoy being known as MoonSchmeichel.
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I bet MoonSchmeichel sometimes wishes he was 'wider than a mile'

And with Crosses claimed in style.

That team ends up as
Schmeichel
Ricardo Bennett Evans Soyuncu Chilwell
Barnes Tielemans Praet Maddison
Vardy

ensuring we defend for the whole game, lose any creativity from Madders, expose Chillers to Mahrez when Maddison drifts in off the wing, isolates Vards (even more than he has been recently).

Also is Brendan going to throw Bennett in at the seriously deep end against Man City? Much more likely to see Fuchs on the left. How about this instead to try and address some of those concerns?
Schmeichel
Ricardo Bennett Evans Fuchs Chilwell
Albrighton Tielemans Praet
Maddison
Vardy

Barnes (and maybe Perez) to come on in the second half.

Always assuming Wilf isn't fit of course. Apparently James has been looking good (now I'm desperate!).

I think 3-5-2 is the best formation to keep all of our round pegs in round holes.

Naturally you have Tielemans, Maddison and Praet central, and then you have the choice of Perez or Nacho I’m behind Vardy.

I like the idea of 5-4-1 against Man City and play pure counter attack, but I just don’t think that works with our personnel. Same for 3-4-3 as Maddison is wide and utterly pointless.

So I agree with the OP. I think we need to go 3 at the back and I can’t see a sensible formation other than 3-5-2.

So watch us play 3-4-3 with Perez and Maddison wide of Vardy, and Chilwell exposed with no protection and no footballing ability right now!!!

I think that's more or less what I've got Mersey, except I've got it as a more realistic 5-3-2 formation rather than your wildly optimistic 3-5-2 (remember who we're playing !).

comment by Nuneaton_fox (U7936)
posted 46 minutes ago
I think that's more or less what I've got Mersey, except I've got it as a more realistic 5-3-2 formation rather than your wildly optimistic 3-5-2 (remember who we're playing!).


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Yeah, I was agreeing Nuneaton. I desperately tried to find a way of getting 3-4-3 or 5-4-1 to work but I don’t think it does.

I agree that we’ll be more on the counter and 5-3-2. With that in mind, would it be better to play Fuchs?

comment by Nuneaton_fox (U7936)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
That team ends up as
Schmeichel
Ricardo Bennett Evans Soyuncu Chilwell
Barnes Tielemans Praet Maddison
Vardy

ensuring we defend for the whole game, lose any creativity from Madders, expose Chillers to Mahrez when Maddison drifts in off the wing, isolates Vards (even more than he has been recently).

Also is Brendan going to throw Bennett in at the seriously deep end against Man City? Much more likely to see Fuchs on the left. How about this instead to try and address some of those concerns?
Schmeichel
Ricardo Bennett Evans Fuchs Chilwell
Albrighton Tielemans Praet
Maddison
Vardy

Barnes (and maybe Perez) to come on in the second half.

Always assuming Wilf isn't fit of course. Apparently James has been looking good (now I'm desperate!).


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Doesn’t the issue concerning Maddison, Mahrez, Chilwell only become relevant if we are playing 4 at the back. I think playing 3 is for the purpose of having your full backs going forward. We play with attacking full backs anyway, so (with no real DCM option) it makes sense to provide support with 3 CBs. Maddison’s position is left AM as opposed to wing but really it’s much more flexible. It’s ultimately having Maddison and Barnes behind Vardy, drifting in, dropping out, switching over and gives Vardy the space to drop back and pull some players out of position. I sometimes think 4 attacking players behind Vardy is OTT and ends up stifling the space.

I think the only different between 3 at the back and 5 at the back is defence or attack

The set up you mention is exactly what we’d be looking for when defending deep and looking to counter

LOL, lots of options but anyone remember the last time we played City.

No intent to attack, defeat was almost admitted by the line up and the tactics, do you expect BR to go for it, I don't, more of the same with some excuses regarding missing players.

TB - I don’t mind if we don’t go for it against the likes of Liverpool and a Man City, but as long as we set up to ask them questions.

Now, against Man City you can invite them on and try to play on the counter. Liverpool are too good for that.

But what we need to do before anything is not leave our back 4 as exposed as they were in the last game. We created some chances but for every one Man City created 10!!

I just want to see us have some shape and a way of involving Vardy. Otherwise don’t play him!

If he’s seen what’s worked well against Man City it’s either back 3 or a right footed left back to stop Mahrez cutting in. Also pressuring their defence from playing out. Based on that I’m going with a wild 5 3 2 of:

Schmeichel

Pereira Bennett Evans Soyuncu Justin

Tielemans Praet

Maddison

Vardy Barnes

hi guys i'm on holiday in Bali not words i ever expected to hear me say or write.
i think we are still a team transition next season i can only see Vardy of the invincibles as a starter.
As for Man city they will want to win to push us back i will take a draw and statues Quo or what ever you want

The problem is that Rodgers only really has one way of playing - to try and dominate the ball and play with your full backs as wingers essentially, basically the pep way. That’s fine if your players are on top of their game and miles better than the opposition - doesn’t work if not

So against sides like Liverpool and City we get ruthlessly exposed because there’s no plan b. Chilwell will spend half the game trying to run to the oppositions corner flag before losing the ball or playing a pass backwards. Ricardo will play as an inside forward, leaving the centre backs horribly exposed etc etc

That is how it's seemed this season. Logic dictates that we'd be best served against Man City by setting up to hit them on the counter instead of trying to be a lesser version of them, a bit like in tennis how Rafael Nadal squashed David Ferrer pretty much every time they played.

Instead we seem to be set up to deliberately avoid playing on the counter because we won't have enough possession.

comment by True Blue (U9486)
posted 1 day, 2 hours ago
LOL, lots of options but anyone remember the last time we played City.

No intent to attack, defeat was almost admitted by the line up and the tactics, do you expect BR to go for it, I don't, more of the same with some excuses regarding missing players.
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Thimble always half empty!

We will win! I said 4 points from these two games....

Man City have more issues than us? I am just glad that Pep will still be there!

Raise your thimble lady.... 2-1 go for it!