343 - Leicester City's New Tactic takes them Top of the League

[StriderHiryu]

After 8 games, Leicester City sit top of the league! An incredible achievement given our end of season collapse last tine round and the general pessimism it brought out in many fans (myself included!) on the forums. And whilst there are many factors in this turnaround, one of the most obvious ones is the use of a new system from Brendan Rodgers, a 343 system. Here are two examples of lineups using the system, on the left the game against Wolves, and on the right against Braga:

 

 

The hallmarks of this system are:

• Three centre backs.
• Two wingbacks that provide the width in the team.
• A central midfield duo that work together to provide options for one another and to control the game.
• Two attacking midfielders that operate behind the striker. These players and their purpose changes from game to game, which I will cover a bit later.

 

Now just as important, if not more important than the shape of the team is the style the team plays in this system. Here are some very interesting statistics that sum up our new approach to the game this season:

 

• Last season, Leicester allowed the opponents 7.95 passes before making an attempt to win the ball back. That was the fewest in the league, whereas this season that figure has almost doubled to 14.78, the seventh most in England’s top flight. We are very content to sit back in a deep block for long periods and hit the opposition on the break.
• Our xG (expected goals) difference per game is up 0.61 compared to last season. Quite staggering when you consider that this time last season we beat Southampton 9-0 away from home.
• Our average possession this season is 50.4%, the 12th "highest" in the league. Last season we averaged 55.1% possession, the 4th highest in the division.

 

So this means that despite having less possession and pressing the game less frequently as we did last season, we are making more high quality opportunities on goal and have taken more points. Does this sound familiar? I wonder if any other teams in Premier League history have outperformed expectations without playing possession football?

 

In fact our 343 system is very similar to another team who used the formation to win the Premier League title, Antonio Conte's Chelsea team of 16/17:

 

 

Defensive Shape

 

 

When we defend, we drop back into a 541 system, playing a compact deep block. Here we can see similarities to our legendary 15/16 team:

• The gap between our back line and our furthest forward player is around 25 yards.
• You can almost draw a straight line between our midfield 4 and our back 5. Our two attacking midfielders have dropped back to make a narrow midfield 4, and we see our wingbacks are slightly further forward than our back three but also operating on the same horizontal line. 
• No Leicester player is more than 10 yards away from a team mate.
• We are prepared to allow the opposition a wide option if they want it, in this example Ayling of Leeds in in acres out on the right hand side.

 

Just like in 15/16 the net result is it makes the team extremely well protected and hard to break down. Opposition teams have to work really hard to make something happen because there isn't much space for the opposition to operate in.

 

 

^ But there are also some other nuances to our shape too. Playing 3 at the back means we can have a spare man. This means we have a number of good options available to use when we defend:

• Teams that play 3 men up front as is very fashionable these days can be matched up 1v1.
• One of our two centrebacks on either side of the middle man can step out to deny the opposition space without over committing. In the example above Fofana can step out to double up with Justin because Fuchs can cover any danger if the opposition get through.
• We have more options at the back to pass between when trying to play our way out of trouble. Most teams in the Premier League counter press from the front now, so having opportunities to beat the press is very important.

 

 

^ Finally whilst our pressing is way down, that's not to say we don't press. We very much still do! The difference is that we press in our own half but the opposition have it in theirs. Here we see against Braga that from a throw in, we've pressed the opposition 1v1 with Tielemans forcing a turnover. From this pressure we play the ball out of trouble, Under finds Nacho who scored the second of this game.

 

 

Offensive Shape

 

 

• Offensively we push our wingbacks on really high up the field. We also split our centre halves so we have lots of options to play the ball too. Look at how wide Fofana and Fuchs are in the above example.
• Our midfield two work as a tandem, with one player genrally dropping further back than the other. Usually it's Mendy who can even service as a third centre back on the turnover if required.

 

^ Playing three at the back isn't rigid. If the opposition sits back, we can use our spare man to push forwards and support the attack. Against Leeds it was Fuchs, and in the example above against Braga, Justin pushed up very high at times to support the attack.

 

 

^ Offensively our two attacking midfielders drift between the lines. Here Maddison drops deep to receive and then turn on the ball, whilst Praet drifts between Podence and Neves into the half space. This provides room for Leicester to create something thanks to our highly technical players:

 

 

^ Maddison finds Praet who interchanges with JJ, allowing Praet to make it to the byline and whip in a cross. We get a fortunate penalty here, but it's the attacking principal to pay attention to here, which is the deliberate way we've setup and which is very hard to defend against. Wolves are a fanstically setup team defensively, so it's encouraging to see us able to cut through them like this.

 

Pass and Move or The Blue RAF?

 

 

Claudio Ranieri once famously likened the Leicester City attack to the RAF given how rapid our breaks were on the transition. And despite that being 4 years ago, we still have that capability in our team. The beautiful thing about the 343 is that it's adaptable. Against teams that play a deep block, we can play our technical players to create opportunities in tight spaces. But against teams that play a high line and aggressive counter press like Man City, Leeds and Liverpool, we can deploy our pace merchants to take advantage of the gaps that are left in behind. In this example we see that Leeds push up a lot more compared to Wolves, which creates chances in behind them. In this case Under exposes that frailty but Harvey Barnes is also extremely adept at taking advantage of teams that play this way.

 

Not Long Ball Merchants

 

 

^In 15/16 there was one stat that defined out season more than any other. The time it took to move the ball from the defensive third into the attacking third. We were the best in the division at it, with Danny Drinkwater often operating as a "Quarterback" spraying passes into space for our team to get on the end of.

 

 

 

^ But the 20/21 team is different. Though we are capable of a longer pass, we are also capable of technical football to play our way out of trouble. Both these examples I have already shared from the Man City game, but they deserve to be shared again! This for me is the final piece of the jigsaw in terms of being a truly top team. Even in 15/16 a weakness we had was that sometimes we couldn't retain the ball for long enough because we punted the ball outfield and lost it very quickly. This was more evident in 16/17 with the loss of Kante but there were certainly examples in 15/16 too. But with our new and improved midfield, we can now play football if we need to, buying us time and space and allowing the team a breather. Ironically one of the key members of this new style is Nampalys Mendy who was originally signed to be Kante's replacement! Perhaps Ranieri knew what he was doing after all and perhaps that's why he envisaged a midfield trio of Mendy / Drinkwater / Adrien Silva as a way to evolve the team, even if things didn't work out that way. (Silva would not sign for another year, but we were linked with him in 15/16 too).

 

Final Thoughts

 

• The biggest change to our play this season is that rather than bossing possession and passing it sideways for 90 minutes, we control the game so it takes place in front of us, and counter press at opportune times. This has made us more efficient and effective.
• We press the ball when in it's our half, but let the opposition pass it sideways when in theirs.
• We make higher quality chances as a result, despite not having as much possession. It's not quite the counter attack from 15/16 because we don't play the ball forwards as quickly and are content to get the ball down and actually play.
• The system represents a watershed moment in the evolution of Brendan Rodgers. Leicester are able to compete without heavy midfield possession. In fact if I had to pinpoint exactly why this system is so good it's because we have greater control over games despite have lower possession, just like in 15/16.

 

Football is always evolving. With so many teams now playing a high counter press in the Premier League, the 343 tactic is a counter to that strategy because we can play out of the first press and then have the players with pace and quality to turn that press into a 1v1 or 2v2 opportunity. With one of those players being Jamie Vardy, this makes us lethal. Additionally with the high technical quality of players like Mendy, Tielemans, Maddison and Praet we don't just have to kick it long, and with players like Under and Barnes also in the team / squad, we also have players whom kicking it long on the break is effective with.

 

For how long this formation remains effective for we don't know. Our next game is Liverpool away, which is probably the hardest fixture we have left in the entire season, so that will be an interesting test of the system. But it's safe to say that the initial signs are very encouraging!

 

What do you think? Do you like the new system? Have you spotted anything I've missed out on here? (Hint, there's lots I haven't mentioned and am looking for the other tactical aficionado's to fill in for me).

 

I've been very impressed! I think the system suits our current squad to a tee and it's allowed some former fringe players to flourish. Justin, Albrighton, Mendy and Praet have all gone from being "OK" players to having a major impact whenever they play. And well, being top of the Premier League and our Europa League group takes some beating! I had us down to finish 9th this campaign, so this start has blown me away. Bravo you brilliant blues! And I'll very much enjoy being

 

 

of the Premier League!

 

 

 

 

Edited 8 November 2020 by StriderHiryu

[Trav Le Bleu]

Our, not out

 

 

 

[fuchsntf]

1 hour ago, StriderHiryu said:

After 8 games, Leicester City sit top of the league! An incredible achievement given our end of season collapse last tine round and the general pessimism it brought out in many fans (myself included!) on the forums. And whilst there are many factors in this turnaround, one of the most obvious ones is the use of a new system from Brendan Rodgers, a 343 system. Here are two examples of lineups using the system, on the left the game against Wolves, and on the right against Braga:

 

 

The hallmarks of this system are:

• Three centre backs.
• Two wingbacks that provide the width in the team.
• A central midfield duo that work together to provide options for one another and to control the game.
• Two attacking midfielders that operate behind the striker. These players and their purpose changes from game to game, which I will cover a bit later.

 

Now just as important, if not more important than the shape of the team is the style the team plays in this system. Here are some very interesting statistics that sum up our new approach to the game this season:

 

• Last season, Leicester allowed the opponents 7.95 passes before making an attempt to win the ball back. That was the fewest in the league, whereas this season that figure has almost doubled to 14.78, the seventh most in England’s top flight. We are very content to sit back in a deep block for long periods and hit the opposition on the break.
• Our xG (expected goals) difference per game is up 0.61 compared to last season. Quite staggering when you consider that this time last season we beat Southampton 9-0 away from home.
• Our average possession this season is 50.4%, the 12th "highest" in the league. Last season we averaged 55.1% possession, the 4th highest in the division.

 

So this means that despite having less possession and pressing the game less frequently as we did last season, we are making more high quality opportunities on goal and have taken more points. Does this sound familiar? I wonder if any other teams in Premier League history have outperformed expectations without playing possession football?

 

In fact our 343 system is very similar to another team who used the formation to win the Premier League title, Antonio Conte's Chelsea team of 16/17:

 

 

Defensive Shape

 

 

When we defend, we drop back into a 541 system, playing a compact deep block. Here we can see similarities to our legendary 15/16 team:

• The gap between our back line and our furthest forward player is around 25 yards.
• You can almost draw a straight line between our midfield 4 and our back 5. Our two attacking midfielders have dropped back to make a narrow midfield 4, and we see our wingbacks are slightly further forward than our back three but also operating on the same horizontal line. 
• No Leicester player is more than 10 yards away from a team mate.
• We are prepared to allow the opposition a wide option if they want it, in this example Ayling of Leeds in in acres out on the right hand side.

 

Just like in 15/16 the net result is it makes the team extremely well protected and hard to break down. Opposition teams have to work really hard to make something happen because there isn't much space for the opposition to operate in.

 

 

^ But there are also some other nuances to our shape too. Playing 3 at the back means we can have a spare man. This means we have a number of good options available to use when we defend:

• Teams that play 3 men up front as is very fashionable these days can be matched up 1v1.
• One of our two centrebacks on either side of the middle man can step out to deny the opposition space without over committing. In the example above Fofana can step out to double up with Justin because Fuchs can cover any danger if the opposition get through.
• We have more options at the back to pass between when trying to play our way out of trouble. Most teams in the Premier League counter press from the front now, so having opportunities to beat the press is very important.

 

 

^ Finally whilst our pressing is way down, that's not to say we don't press. We very much still do! The difference is that we press in our own half but the opposition have it in theirs. Here we see against Braga that from a throw in, we've pressed the opposition 1v1 with Tielemans forcing a turnover. From this pressure we play the ball out of trouble, Under finds Nacho who scored the second of this game.

 

 

Offensive Shape

 

 

• Offensively we push our wingbacks on really high up the field. We also split our centre halves so we have lots of options to play the ball too. Look at how wide Fofana and Fuchs are in the above example.
• Our midfield two work as a tandem, with one player genrally dropping further back than the other. Usually it's Mendy who can even service as a third centre back on the turnover if required.

 

^ Playing three at the back isn't rigid. If the opposition sits back, we can use our spare man to push forwards and support the attack. Against Leeds it was Fuchs, and in the example above against Braga, Justin pushed up very high at times to support the attack.

 

 

^ Offensively our two attacking midfielders drift between the lines. Here Maddison drops deep to receive and then turn on the ball, whilst Praet drifts between Podence and Neves into the half space. This provides room for Leicester to create something thanks to our highly technical players:

 

 

^ Maddison finds Praet who interchanges with JJ, allowing Praet to make it to the byline and whip in a cross. We get a fortunate penalty here, but it's the attacking principal to pay attention to here, which is the deliberate way we've setup and which is very hard to defend against. Wolves are a fanstically setup team defensively, so it's encouraging to see us able to cut through them like this.

 

Pass and Move or The Blue RAF?

 

 

Claudio Ranieri once famously likened the Leicester City attack to the RAF given how rapid our breaks were on the transition. And despite that being 4 years ago, we still have that capability in our team. The beautiful thing about the 343 is that it's adaptable. Against teams that play a deep block, we can play our technical players to create opportunities in tight spaces. But against teams that play a high line and aggressive counter press like Man City, Leeds and Liverpool, we can deploy our pace merchants to take advantage of the gaps that are left in behind. In this example we see that Leeds push up a lot more compared to Wolves, which creates chances in behind them. In this case Under exposes that frailty but Harvey Barnes is also extremely adept at taking advantage of teams that play this way.

 

Not Long Ball Merchants

 

 

^In 15/16 there was one stat that defined out season more than any other. The time it took to move the ball from the defensive third into the attacking third. We were the best in the division at it, with Danny Drinkwater often operating as a "Quarterback" spraying passes into space for our team to get on the end of.

 

 

 

^ But the 20/21 team is different. Though we are capable of a longer pass, we are also capable of technical football to play our way out of trouble. Both these examples I have already shared from the Man City game, but they deserve to be shared again! This for me is the final piece of the jigsaw in terms of being a truly top team. Even in 15/16 a weakness we had was that sometimes we couldn't retain the ball for long enough because we punted the ball outfield and lost it very quickly. This was more evident in 16/17 with the loss of Kante but there were certainly examples in 15/16 too. But with our new and improved midfield, we can now play football if we need to, buying us time and space and allowing the team a breather. Ironically one of the key members of this new style is Nampalys Mendy who was originally signed to be Kante's replacement! Perhaps Ranieri knew what he was doing after all and perhaps that's why he envisaged a midfield trio of Mendy / Drinkwater / Adrien Silva as a way to evolve the team, even if things didn't work out that way. (Silva would not sign for another year, but we were linked with him in 15/16 too).

 

Final Thoughts

 

• The biggest change to our play this season is that rather than bossing possession and passing it sideways for 90 minutes, we control the game so it takes place in front of us, and counter press at opportune times. This has made us more efficient and effective.
• We press the ball when in it's our half, but let the opposition pass it sideways when in theirs.
• We make higher quality chances as a result, despite not having as much possession. It's not quite the counter attack from 15/16 because we don't play the ball forwards as quickly and are content to get the ball down and actually play.
• The system represents a watershed moment in the evolution of Brendan Rodgers. Leicester are able to compete without heavy midfield possession. In fact if I had to pinpoint exactly why this system is so good it's because we have greater control over games despite have lower possession, just like in 15/16.

 

Football is always evolving. With so many teams now playing a high counter press in the Premier League, the 343 tactic is a counter to that strategy because we can play out of the first press and then have the players with pace and quality to turn that press into a 1v1 or 2v2 opportunity. With one of those players being Jamie Vardy, this makes us lethal. Additionally with the high technical quality of players like Mendy, Tielemans, Maddison and Praet we don't just have to kick it long, and with players like Under and Barnes also in the team / squad, we also have players whom kicking it long on the break is effective with.

 

For how long this formation remains effective for we don't know. Our next game is Liverpool away, which is probably the hardest fixture we have left in the entire season, so that will be an interesting test of the system. But it's safe to say that the initial signs are very encouraging!

 

What do you think? Do you like the new system? Have you spotted anything I've missed out on here? (Hint, there's lots I haven't mentioned and am looking for the other tactical aficionado's to fill in for me).

 

I've been very impressed! I think the system suits our current squad to a tee and it's allowed some former fringe players to flourish. Justin, Albrighton, Mendy and Praet have all gone from being "OK" players to having a major impact whenever they play. And well, being top of the Premier League and our Europa League group takes some beating! I had us down to finish 9th this campaign, so this start has blown me away. Bravo you brilliant blues! And I'll very much enjoy being

 

 

of the Premier League!

 

 

 

 

.

 

What Stands out  for me, is the Technical ability of This group of players to be able to hold onto the ball & are comfortable to receive the ball with little space.

I actually believe Mendy feels better on & with the ball than Ndidi,Plus Mendy tends to win & use 2nd or lose balls, where Ndidi seems more comfortable 

when deciding to drive forward..Tackling back Mendy is more than ok,but Ndidi for me has the upper hand...

 

 

 

 

[Fightforever]

For me this tactic is the perfect way to line up against liverpool to press the back 5 they will need to over commit then we can just boot it over the top and let Vardy barnes and under lay waste on the counter. Mendy and tielemans are super composed and won't get tackled either. Play justin at CB to deal with their pace in behind and we could be looking at a win agianst klopp.

[Tielemans63]

2 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

After 8 games, Leicester City sit top of the league! An incredible achievement given our end of season collapse last tine round and the general pessimism it brought out in many fans (myself included!) on the forums. And whilst there are many factors in this turnaround, one of the most obvious ones is the use of a new system from Brendan Rodgers, a 343 system. Here are two examples of lineups using the system, on the left the game against Wolves, and on the right against Braga:

 

 

The hallmarks of this system are:

• Three centre backs.
• Two wingbacks that provide the width in the team.
• A central midfield duo that work together to provide options for one another and to control the game.
• Two attacking midfielders that operate behind the striker. These players and their purpose changes from game to game, which I will cover a bit later.

 

Now just as important, if not more important than the shape of the team is the style the team plays in this system. Here are some very interesting statistics that sum up our new approach to the game this season:

 

• Last season, Leicester allowed the opponents 7.95 passes before making an attempt to win the ball back. That was the fewest in the league, whereas this season that figure has almost doubled to 14.78, the seventh most in England’s top flight. We are very content to sit back in a deep block for long periods and hit the opposition on the break.
• Our xG (expected goals) difference per game is up 0.61 compared to last season. Quite staggering when you consider that this time last season we beat Southampton 9-0 away from home.
• Our average possession this season is 50.4%, the 12th "highest" in the league. Last season we averaged 55.1% possession, the 4th highest in the division.

 

So this means that despite having less possession and pressing the game less frequently as we did last season, we are making more high quality opportunities on goal and have taken more points. Does this sound familiar? I wonder if any other teams in Premier League history have outperformed expectations without playing possession football?

 

In fact our 343 system is very similar to another team who used the formation to win the Premier League title, Antonio Conte's Chelsea team of 16/17:

 

 

Defensive Shape

 

 

When we defend, we drop back into a 541 system, playing a compact deep block. Here we can see similarities to our legendary 15/16 team:

• The gap between our back line and our furthest forward player is around 25 yards.
• You can almost draw a straight line between our midfield 4 and our back 5. Our two attacking midfielders have dropped back to make a narrow midfield 4, and we see our wingbacks are slightly further forward than our back three but also operating on the same horizontal line. 
• No Leicester player is more than 10 yards away from a team mate.
• We are prepared to allow the opposition a wide option if they want it, in this example Ayling of Leeds in in acres out on the right hand side.

 

Just like in 15/16 the net result is it makes the team extremely well protected and hard to break down. Opposition teams have to work really hard to make something happen because there isn't much space for the opposition to operate in.

 

 

^ But there are also some other nuances to our shape too. Playing 3 at the back means we can have a spare man. This means we have a number of good options available to use when we defend:

• Teams that play 3 men up front as is very fashionable these days can be matched up 1v1.
• One of our two centrebacks on either side of the middle man can step out to deny the opposition space without over committing. In the example above Fofana can step out to double up with Justin because Fuchs can cover any danger if the opposition get through.
• We have more options at the back to pass between when trying to play our way out of trouble. Most teams in the Premier League counter press from the front now, so having opportunities to beat the press is very important.

 

 

^ Finally whilst our pressing is way down, that's not to say we don't press. We very much still do! The difference is that we press in our own half but the opposition have it in theirs. Here we see against Braga that from a throw in, we've pressed the opposition 1v1 with Tielemans forcing a turnover. From this pressure we play the ball out of trouble, Under finds Nacho who scored the second of this game.

 

 

Offensive Shape

 

 

• Offensively we push our wingbacks on really high up the field. We also split our centre halves so we have lots of options to play the ball too. Look at how wide Fofana and Fuchs are in the above example.
• Our midfield two work as a tandem, with one player genrally dropping further back than the other. Usually it's Mendy who can even service as a third centre back on the turnover if required.

 

^ Playing three at the back isn't rigid. If the opposition sits back, we can use our spare man to push forwards and support the attack. Against Leeds it was Fuchs, and in the example above against Braga, Justin pushed up very high at times to support the attack.

 

 

^ Offensively our two attacking midfielders drift between the lines. Here Maddison drops deep to receive and then turn on the ball, whilst Praet drifts between Podence and Neves into the half space. This provides room for Leicester to create something thanks to our highly technical players:

 

 

^ Maddison finds Praet who interchanges with JJ, allowing Praet to make it to the byline and whip in a cross. We get a fortunate penalty here, but it's the attacking principal to pay attention to here, which is the deliberate way we've setup and which is very hard to defend against. Wolves are a fanstically setup team defensively, so it's encouraging to see us able to cut through them like this.

 

Pass and Move or The Blue RAF?

 

 

Claudio Ranieri once famously likened the Leicester City attack to the RAF given how rapid our breaks were on the transition. And despite that being 4 years ago, we still have that capability in our team. The beautiful thing about the 343 is that it's adaptable. Against teams that play a deep block, we can play our technical players to create opportunities in tight spaces. But against teams that play a high line and aggressive counter press like Man City, Leeds and Liverpool, we can deploy our pace merchants to take advantage of the gaps that are left in behind. In this example we see that Leeds push up a lot more compared to Wolves, which creates chances in behind them. In this case Under exposes that frailty but Harvey Barnes is also extremely adept at taking advantage of teams that play this way.

 

Not Long Ball Merchants

 

 

^In 15/16 there was one stat that defined out season more than any other. The time it took to move the ball from the defensive third into the attacking third. We were the best in the division at it, with Danny Drinkwater often operating as a "Quarterback" spraying passes into space for our team to get on the end of.

 

 

 

^ But the 20/21 team is different. Though we are capable of a longer pass, we are also capable of technical football to play our way out of trouble. Both these examples I have already shared from the Man City game, but they deserve to be shared again! This for me is the final piece of the jigsaw in terms of being a truly top team. Even in 15/16 a weakness we had was that sometimes we couldn't retain the ball for long enough because we punted the ball outfield and lost it very quickly. This was more evident in 16/17 with the loss of Kante but there were certainly examples in 15/16 too. But with our new and improved midfield, we can now play football if we need to, buying us time and space and allowing the team a breather. Ironically one of the key members of this new style is Nampalys Mendy who was originally signed to be Kante's replacement! Perhaps Ranieri knew what he was doing after all and perhaps that's why he envisaged a midfield trio of Mendy / Drinkwater / Adrien Silva as a way to evolve the team, even if things didn't work out that way. (Silva would not sign for another year, but we were linked with him in 15/16 too).

 

Final Thoughts

 

• The biggest change to our play this season is that rather than bossing possession and passing it sideways for 90 minutes, we control the game so it takes place in front of us, and counter press at opportune times. This has made us more efficient and effective.
• We press the ball when in it's our half, but let the opposition pass it sideways when in theirs.
• We make higher quality chances as a result, despite not having as much possession. It's not quite the counter attack from 15/16 because we don't play the ball forwards as quickly and are content to get the ball down and actually play.
• The system represents a watershed moment in the evolution of Brendan Rodgers. Leicester are able to compete without heavy midfield possession. In fact if I had to pinpoint exactly why this system is so good it's because we have greater control over games despite have lower possession, just like in 15/16.

 

Football is always evolving. With so many teams now playing a high counter press in the Premier League, the 343 tactic is a counter to that strategy because we can play out of the first press and then have the players with pace and quality to turn that press into a 1v1 or 2v2 opportunity. With one of those players being Jamie Vardy, this makes us lethal. Additionally with the high technical quality of players like Mendy, Tielemans, Maddison and Praet we don't just have to kick it long, and with players like Under and Barnes also in the team / squad, we also have players whom kicking it long on the break is effective with.

 

For how long this formation remains effective for we don't know. Our next game is Liverpool away, which is probably the hardest fixture we have left in the entire season, so that will be an interesting test of the system. But it's safe to say that the initial signs are very encouraging!

 

What do you think? Do you like the new system? Have you spotted anything I've missed out on here? (Hint, there's lots I haven't mentioned and am looking for the other tactical aficionado's to fill in for me).

 

I've been very impressed! I think the system suits our current squad to a tee and it's allowed some former fringe players to flourish. Justin, Albrighton, Mendy and Praet have all gone from being "OK" players to having a major impact whenever they play. And well, being top of the Premier League and our Europa League group takes some beating! I had us down to finish 9th this campaign, so this start has blown me away. Bravo you brilliant blues! And I'll very much enjoy being

 

 

of the Premier League!

 

 

 

 

I'd have liked a bit more detail Strider but this will have to do

 

[Collymore]

Awsome post @StriderHiryu

[StriderHiryu]

5 minutes ago, Paddy. said:

I'd have liked a bit more detail Strider but this will have to do

 

[Foxes96]

Great post and examples! Think the point about the forward options is very interesting, depending on who we are playing and who out of Barnes, Maddison, Praet and Ünder start. They will all have a part to play but think Rodgers got it spot on today, with the more technical Maddison and Praet as we would have more possession and would need to break them down. 

 

Think it will be interesting to see how we do once we get a few of our injured back fit. As well as Justin, Thomas and Albrighton have done in those wing back roles, Ricardo (if he can get back his previous form) and Castagne should be different level and offer us even more from those wingback positions. 

 

Will also be interesting to see if Ndidi and Söyüncü come back in as I’m not convinced they will suit this new system as naturally but a great problem to have. 

[Leicester_Loyal]

For me we now have 2 or 3 ways of playing, by using 3 or 4 formations. We could try and press from the front for the majority of the game, but with a depleted squad and all the extra games this season, come January/February all the players will be absolutely knackered, that's why having different tactics is vital IMO. As it is, we can sit back for long period of the games, look to counter and let the other team have possession, something it feels like we never did last season at all.

 

A couple of other points which are important too:

• Barnes is more clinical this season, or so it feels anyway. He's definitely a lot more direct, which means team don't just have Vardy to think about.
• Under has a lot of pace, again, giving opposition something to think about. With Perez out on the wing, full backs know he won't speed past them, so can just stay with him as he isn't going to get away using his speed.
• Maddison looks like he's getting back to his old self, much different to what he looked like at the start of the year.

[blueharmie]

Good post brendan. 

I thought you liked walking in your free time. 

[StriderHiryu]

9 minutes ago, Foxes96 said:

Great post and examples! Think the point about the forward options is very interesting, depending on who we are playing and who out of Barnes, Maddison, Praet and Ünder start. They will all have a part to play but think Rodgers got it spot on today, with the more technical Maddison and Praet as we would have more possession and would need to break them down. 

 

Think it will be interesting to see how we do once we get a few of our injured back fit. As well as Justin, Thomas and Albrighton have done in those wing back roles, Ricardo (if he can get back his previous form) and Castagne should be different level and offer us even more from those wingback positions. 

 

Will also be interesting to see if Ndidi and Söyüncü come back in as I’m not convinced they will suit this new system as naturally but a great problem to have. 

Ndidi I could agree with as his passing isn't as good as Mendy's, although his passing has come on leaps and bounds. You could argue that this system has come about because Ndidi got injured and we looked too vulnerable without him, and that perhaps we will go back to 4141 when he's back. Regardless he is still the best CDM in the division and will definitely get games. He won't be an immediate first team choice when he's back from injury though based on the form Mendy's shown.

 

But Soyuncu will fit in no problem as at Freiburg they played a back 3. He would fit in very well as either one of the centre backs either side of Evans as he's great on the ball and can carry it forwards, whilst also having the pace to get back on the turnover.

[UpTheLeagueFox]

Excellent as always @StriderHiryu

 

Here's a take from fellow tactics man Dominic Wells from Twitter

 

 

[dylanlegend]

Great analysis but I really hope Klopp doesn’t read this forum  

[nwl fox]

1 hour ago, Paddy. said:

I'd have liked a bit more detail Strider but this will have to do

 

I feel like there's a lot of stuff you've deliberately missed out @StriderHiryu so on that basis I'm giving you a D- for effort! 

 

[Genesis1]

It's good that Praet looks better in this position further forward but you have to remember and this is unfortunate to say but that is unlikely to be the starting 11 within the next couple of months.

You'll likely have Cags in the back 3, Castange out right and Justin left, potentially Castagne out left and Ricardo out right with Ndidi in with Youri, Praet benched and Barnes in.

You can't justify it but you can just see it happening. So we'll see if that team can play this formation.

[StriderHiryu]

14 minutes ago, Genesis1 said:

It's good that Praet looks better in this position further forward but you have to remember and this is unfortunate to say but that is unlikely to be the starting 11 within the next couple of months.

You'll likely have Cags in the back 3, Castange out right and Justin left, potentially Castagne out left and Ricardo out right with Ndidi in with Youri, Praet benched and Barnes in.

You can't justify it but you can just see it happening. So we'll see if that team can play this formation.

I think it will be more “horses for courses” and so will see quite a variety of players used. Next up is Liverpool and my predicted lineup there will be Barnes and Maddison instead of Praet. Why? Because unlike Wolves, Liverpool leave acres of space in behind if we can play out the first press which is ideal for Barnes as we saw against Man City. So why not go for *both* our pace merchants in Under and Barnes? Well Liverpool are the best pressing team in Europe and playing Maddison gives us another player who can play out of the press and take some pressure off our team. 
 

But all that said we’ve seen numerous times this season that subs make a big difference so Praet and Under can still affect a game. We are also playing every 3 days being in Europe so whilst they might not be first team they will certainly be key squad members. On current form I’m sure we will see a lot of Praet as he’s been great so far this season. 
 

Really the two players that have fallen by the wayside are Gray and Perez. Gray will leave at the end of the season so that’s understandable but Perez was not in the 18 at all today so needs to up his game. And actually I’d suggest that playing as one of the attacking midfielders would suit him better than as a wide forward so it’s up to him to show it. If he doesn’t I can see him being sold at the end of the season. 

[Tom12345]

1 hour ago, dylanlegend said:

Great analysis but I really hope Klopp doesn’t read this forum  

I have not had the time to review but @StriderHiryu always delivers! Thanks!

 

I wonder though if we should have a restricted section on FT for things like this? We don’t want Klopp and other managers coming on here to steal secrets ...

Edited 9 November 2020 by Tom12345

[Keiriel]

Excellent post. The beauty of playing this formation is that it's adaptable to the players we have. It also means we can play Tielemans, Maddison and Praet at the same time without shoehorning the latter two into positions they're not suited. With 2 AMs, whose roles would no doubt change depending on the opposition, we can impose ourselves in the final third either by patient buildup and dominating possession (Maddison/Praet) or by direct OTB running and brute force (Barnes/Under). It's a very fluid system and allows for players all over the pitch to contribute to both attack and defense, leading to more varied attack patterns and combinations; it makes us far less predictable. I daresay that it could very well prove more effective than our 4141 as we'll be less likely to be undone by opponents overloading the flanks, players can be swapped out without nullifying their qualities, fewer specialised roles are required and it enables us to play both possession and counter attacking football.

[DeepSouthFOX]

3 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

Ndidi I could agree with as his passing isn't as good as Mendy's, although his passing has come on leaps and bounds. You could argue that this system has come about because Ndidi got injured and we looked too vulnerable without him, and that perhaps we will go back to 4141 when he's back. Regardless he is still the best CDM in the division and will definitely get games. He won't be an immediate first team choice when he's back from injury though based on the form Mendy's shown.

 

But Soyuncu will fit in no problem as at Freiburg they played a back 3. He would fit in very well as either one of the centre backs either side of Evans as he's great on the ball and can carry it forwards, whilst also having the pace to get back on the turnover.

Imagine that back line of Fofana-Evans-Soyuncu.

 

😎

[Sooper Steve's shin]

The technical quality of this team (and their training) is quite evident when we start to get a head of steam with the quick, one/two touch passing moves that can really cut through teams. You can see it in some of the clips on this first post (eg. v Man City) and it was bery much in evidence during the first half v Wolves. It’s noticeable that we restrict it to bursts, though, rather than trying to play full games that way. Sensible, as it doubtless requires a lot of mental concentration as well as physical effort. 
 

I’m also enjoying seeing the different and complementary skills of our CBs. Evans can knock the short passes quite tidily, Soyuncu (like Maguire before him) has the extravagant crossfield ball in his locker. Now Fofana seems to favour the mid-range, fast low ball played directly forward - cutting out the attacking players of the other team very quickly. I also like how aggressive he is coming to meet the ball and make a tackle or interception closer to the halfway line than our penalty area. Being in a back three means there is cover if he does this, but it was a feature of his game even in a central pair. 

[Danny Clender]

Perfect post.

 

I know we've been playing this system for a number of games now, but it was only yesterday that I noticed how in control of it we were.

It was unsettling at times, as the super tight space we are prepared to work in now is a little scary, but as Stryder has pointed out, the players are technically comfortable to play like that. 

Also, when seeing Fuchs, Fofana, Thomas/Albrighton and Justin all so high up the pitch, it's edge of the seat play.

 

I think my only gripe with it would be, at times yesterday, there was not enough support in the box when we had made a quick break/counter attack. Maddison, Praet and Tielemans lurking outside the box, but not advanced enough to give an attacking option inside the box, especially relevant when Vardy had made the move. 

I'm sure that will change as we develop more into it as it worked better with Braga. 

[King of Gipsy Lane]

Waking up top of the league not had a pre-Breki like the one I had this morning In years 🤣🤣 

[dayday]

Can’t wait to see this sort of team, Quality all the way through.

 

1.  Kasper

2   Ricardo

3.  Fofana

4.  Evans

5.  Cags

6.  Castagne

7.  Wilf/ Mendy

8.  Under

9.  Barnes

10 Maddison/Tielemans 

11. Vardy

 

[Guest Fktf]

So 4141 as soon as ndidi is back, yeah?

[KIRBYFOX93]

Bielsa’s definitely going to take this away for analysis.