₦airaland Forum

nateevs:
What is wrong with the 3-4-3?

343 is a counter attacking formation, not a creative one. You cannot press higher up the pitch with 3 men at the back otherwise you open yourself up to counterattacks down the flanks.

So by default, a 343 team has to defend in a low block, Now because you have to defend in a low block, you cannot commit too many men forward in attack. The fewer men you can commit to attack, the fewer chances you can create.

Because, you can't commit to many men to your attack,there's no point holding on to the ball for too long.

You can't afford to probe your opponent's defences, because you literally have one man less at the back than your opponent, so any turnover could be catastrophic, as we saw for Rashford's goal today. Essentially playing 343 means you cede posession immediately.

So it doesn't really matter the players you have. If you cannot send men forward, you cannot create enough chances. If you cannot hold the ball, you can't build wave after wave of effective attacks. You can only hope that your wingers dribble 10 men and score sweet goals like Hazard has been doing for us. Once you mark Hazard and Sanchez/Mbappe/Whoever, the game is up straight.

Lets look at the Stats. According to whoscored:


Chelsea have the lowest possesion stats of the top 6 as at start of this weekend.
Chelsea have taken the fewest shots in the top 6
Chelsea have made the fewest key passes per game in the top 6
Chelsea have made the most dribbles per game in the entire league.

https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/6335/Stages/13796/TeamStatistics/England-Premier-League-2016-2017

So you can see from the stats that we are heavily reliant on individual dribblers(also known as Hazard) to bail us out offensively, simply because 343 as a system cannot create enough chances.

nateevs:
I agree with the last point and this is why I insist it is the personnel and not the formation. Imagine we had Sanchez/Bernado Silva instead of Pedro. Mbappe instead of Costa, Verratti instead Matic and Joao Cancelo instead of Moses. Then you have a near perfect situation, still in a 3-4-3, where marking out a single player is an impossible defensive tactic.

So 3-4-3 is not the problem. As a matter of fact, Conte has performed magic getting us this far, with the little creativity the team possesses. Imagine what he could do with better players?

Which is why I said earlier:

Nihilist:
Even Juve the Owners of 3 at the back, switched to a back 4 against Barca to cope with superior midfield numbers. If we must continue with 3 at the back next season, we may need to go out and buy a new 11, because we will be exposed against the big boys in Europe.

Is the 343 formation viable if we have to spend money on Alexis, Veratti, Mbappe etc?

How much do you reckon we will need to spend to get these players? 100m? 200? 300?

TapDance:
Nihilist and Pro-Lukaku ultra here's a reason why your Lukaku is trash truth be told he's one-dimensional,
Anybody with decent soccer knowledge knows this.

https://mobile.twitter.com/SomeEvertonFan/status/853277514030075904/video/1

Did you watch the clip you posted?

dubylhover:
I havent downloaded it yet just listened to the heart part 4 and humble..pls cud you send it

It's not on the album

nateevs:
I am not sure you got that right. It wasn't about numbers in midfield. Herrera wasn't playing predominantly in midfield, he was tasked with policing Hazard. Because everyone knows, without Hazard, we struggle. Neither were Young and Herrera. Those were deployed to stop the advance of our wings backs.

The problem was a combination of Conte's decision to play Zouma, (which meant playing Pili at LWB and as such, no outlet for attack. Bear in mind that Moses on the other end does not attack efficiently as well so we were blunt), Hazard being marked out of the game and Costa just being well. . . Costa

Exactly, with Hazard marked out, we lost the only creative player we have in the team. Alonso is not a creative player, he does not take on other players, he does not make defence splitting passes. His main strength is his off the ball movement.

But what good is your movement off the ball, if the guy that should be passing you the ball has been marked out of the game?

Pedro and Costa are in the same category as Alonso. They are runners off the ball. They don't create nada. So even if Alonso was fit, with Hazard taken out the game, it's likely to have been the same story.

So what are the alternatives? Play Fab instead of Matic in a 343? Maybe...but the superior midfield numbers from Manyoo will still choke everywhere. See Man City game for reference.

The real play here should have been 433/451. That way you can accomodate 2 creative players and still stay defensively sound. That's just it.

If you play 343 against the big boys, you will lose the midfield. If your defence and attack are on point, then you will get away with it. If they get the lesson teachers out to mark out your best player, then you're fvcked...as we were today.

nateevs:
Again, it's not the formation, it's the players in it. It's not like 4-3-3 makes it any better suddenly. This is we why need to make major upgrades in the summer.

I still think that we might have lost this game today even if Alonso was fit. Our front 3 were marked out of the game, and then they swarmed midfield with 5 players - Pogba, Young, Lingard, Fellaini and Herrera. We had no chance today.

Even Juve the Owners of 3 at the back, switched to a back 4 against Barca to cope with superior midfield numbers. If we must continue with 3 at the back next season, we may need to go out and buy a new 11, because we will be exposed against the big boys in Europe.

This Rashford with all his money no fit shape up before this game ni. See his hairline looking so unkempt. Shey Pogba no dey introduce clients to him barber i?

That 343 formation no be am at all.

With Alonso out, it meant 8 of our 11 players were defensive minded players with less than 10 goals between them them this season

Emaprince:
dudes near me said " this one no be leg-over, na hang-over".

Na wa for Zouma legover o

Jose has got the whole Manyoo squad lined up in a Rugby defensive line.

My God

Rashford is an excellent footballer when played in his natural position

Costa needs to go mehn. Jesus.

I'm just wondering how Batshuayi must be feeling everytime he sees the fool keeping him out of the squad

Griffon:
Cesc have been on for a while now and i'm yet to see a significant change in our approach.

These boys are psychological fvcked.

After we're down 2-0 and with Hazard missing, what do you expect really? Cesc was subbed in as damage limitaton. We lost this game since first half

neighy:
we are playing 1 man down(Costa).. Now we re playing more of a 4-2-1-3.. I still think willian Pedro hazard will do something considering fab in on now .. And carrick in..

Willan no dey pitch. We're more than one man down bro. have you seen Hazard today? or Pedro?

Me neither

Oloriburuku ni bobo Matic yii sha.

Jose is a tactical bastard if he sends Carrick on

I hope Griffon can see what Numerical advantage in midfield can do to you...before we start hearing stories of player X plugging the gap

We're done

neighy:
exactly maybe hazard as a false 9 will produce something

Hazard is in trouble especially because he continues to stay in central areas, making it easy for Herrera to mark him. Conte should instruct him to stay out wide at all times

lordfalcao:
Who noticed kante isn't playing anything for this match.. This referee is a suspect...

Kante dey try in my opinion. He wins the ball and looks up but theres nobody to pass to because he has 6 Blue Shirts behind him at all times. Kante just dey drive aimlessly forward because Hazard, Costa and Pedro are out of the game.

Carragher just pointed out that Darmian is also Marking the soul out of Pedro.

Azpi chei

Emaprince:
Honestly, Alonso's absence is showing big time. Zouma in this game is just rubbish.

Regretfully, I must agree. That guy's biggest strength is his movement. Azpi and Mose are not making any sensible runs off the ball..

Meanwhile Gary Neville is savaging Hazard in the commentary.

Just look at Costa tori Olorun

I suspect Costa's football money is what's keeping his madness manageable. If not for ball, the guy for don pull cloth enter market long time ago

Emaprince:
Is Herrera man-marking Hazard or what?

He's been following him around like a lost puppy

Leyqute:
Mr. man will you keep kwayet!

This one don show up now

nateevs:
Conte's switched Moses to LWB.

Rashford has come to look for him on that wing

I genuinely hope that we don't persist with a 3 at the back next season

Emaprince:
I expected Luiz to intercept and go to the ground to push the ball away from Rockford...before the later could get to it Luis and maybe cahill musta returned fully.

That's the problem Luiz had. Damned if he did and damned if he didnt.

That ediot in front of him put Luiz in an impossible position by giving the ball away so high up the pitch.

If Luiz gambled and missed his interception, then Rashford was well in. He was hoping to try and track Rashford's run and hope that Herrera scuffs the pass, but that pass was SUBLIME.

There was really nothing Luiz could have there if I'm being honest in my opinion.

Ref! Ref!! Rojo don start o

I'm quite grateful for Lingard's stupidity