19 Sep 2016 12:05:35
A thought experiment I wondered if the Eds or other posters may like to weigh in on. I've been thinking about formations recently and how they may evolve in the future. The CB partnership is a staple of modern football, normally two tall strong players that play horizontally whose job is to win the ball. This makes perfect sense when playing against two strikers but it could be considered that the second CB is under utilised when playing against a lone striker.

My idea would be to lose the second CB and give him the role of dedicated defensive midfielder man-marking the midfield runner or the opposing no.10. This role is effectively a sweeper who plays in front of defence instead of behind it (think 3-1-3-3 or 3-1-4-2), I'd imagine the key skills needed would be mobility, stamina and awareness. The key advantage of this system would be to give a player advantage in midfield and if you can win the midfield battle you go a long way to winning the game. The disadvantage is a narrow defence with no redundancy, if one defender is beaten then the opposition attack will have an overload.

What do people think, could a loan CB with a floating defender in front of him work?

1.) 19 Sep 2016
19 Sep 2016 12:49:26
I would think more having the one CB as the ball winner and the other acting as cover that's how I feel hypia and henchoz worked. Now you need one defender with the ability to play the ball out/ carry ball into midfield if the space is available. if the full back gets caught on a quick counter attack you've got hardly any cover at back if you play one dedicated CB.

2.) 19 Sep 2016
19 Sep 2016 12:55:38
A long ball over the top with a striker playing on the line CB's shoulder and he'd be in a one on one situation. Any team that played that way would be murdered.

3.) 19 Sep 2016
19 Sep 2016 14:05:03
I have always anticipated the day where centre backs become more like midfielders by playing a very high line, and being better on the ball than they are defensively.

Most centre backs nowadays are already auxiliary full backs, so that they can cover the forward runs of their wing backs!

It will be interesting to see how the game changes over the next decade, though I don't think it is easy to predict how it will change.

4.) 19 Sep 2016
19 Sep 2016 14:13:21
Diablo, In such a system the fullbacks would have to be pure defenders to ensure they're not caught out up field, their attacking responsibilities would be taken by the extra player in midfield or attack.

Swish, a ball over the top leaves a one on one with the keeper whether you've got one CB or two so I don't think that's the problem. The danger is that it's a one on one defensive system with no cover if a defender loses his individual battle. The advantage it should bring though is that the opposition will be squeezed in midfield restricting their ability to provide their attack with decent balls. If they can be reduced to doing nothing but long balls over the top then that's pretty easy to deal with.

{Ed001's Note - you are just talking about going back to the old days, the WM etc, when it was 3 defenders.}

5.) 19 Sep 2016
19 Sep 2016 14:21:48
how about a 1-4-4-1 with a sweeper playing behind the CBs? i know alonso was always interested in playing in that position.

6.) 19 Sep 2016
19 Sep 2016 15:08:15
Well, they do say trends are cyclical Ed.

7.) 19 Sep 2016
19 Sep 2016 15:31:15
M k scouser, I see what you mean, I did mean it to say that in today's age of attacking fullbacks losing that 2nd proper CB would reduce cover even more. You have to have the tools to defend against the main counter attacks, ball over the top, through the middle, quick ball to a quick winger, quick passing up pitch or the high pressure klopp favoured, which can make the other four listed hard to defend against, as we've found out plenty of times.

8.) 19 Sep 2016
19 Sep 2016 18:46:44
Isnt that just a 3-4-3 with a dedicated dm who can drop back into defence if needed?

9.) 19 Sep 2016
19 Sep 2016 20:11:16
Sorry, I think I replied to mk scouser comment, when it should have been muscat red, interesting topic though, getting differing views. Better than the stuff that can be seen on here sometimes after a loss, or the complaints about players, justified or not.

10.) 19 Sep 2016
19 Sep 2016 20:33:05
Cheers Diablo, I hoped it may interest some.

11.) 20 Sep 2016
20 Sep 2016 01:54:27
different game eds with the back 3 because they wer mostly flat the modern game i feel is when your 2 CBs are told they have to defend not call in a LB or RB to do their job the onus is on the DF to be disciplined to be in front instigating the play and filling in when needed. the other 2 mids take a higher line with the LB and RB and so allows the wingers to engage with the fullbacks and a striker engaging the 2 CBs of course your goalie will have to play a higher line too which is why all goalkeepers are trained as defenders as well as goalies. teams are under pressure to play from the back so have to go long and your goalie should snuff that danger out. but i'd rather live on the chance of closing having more possession than losing the odd goal to a long ball. the only thing i can see wrong with some teams playing today is they don't get the ball in the box enough from wide areas because that's fundamental to the system.

{Ed001's Note - sorry but you are talking a load of nonsense, like an FA coaching manual. This is gibberish, no one even plays wingers any more. Sadly.}