Is 352 the answer to the puzzle?

GersLoyal74

GersLoyal74

Well-Known Member
Clement has always spoken about solving puzzles. Well he has a big one next week to solve.

For me he can't just go in as we've been setting up.

I'd go 352.

2 up top allows you to press their back line which can't handle that pressure.

5 across the middle gives us numerical advantage. I'd have Ridvan and Tav in that 5.

3 at the back gives Tav some cover against Maeda.

I know others will prob disagree with this and I can't see Clement going for it, but I'd love to see him mix it up.

It's a big risky call.

My 11 assuming Balogan fit.

Butland

Souttar
Balogan
Davies

Tav
Lundstram
Sterling
Dio
Ridvan

Silva
Dessers

If Balogan not fit I'd put Sterling at right side of back 3 and Raskin in the middle.

However we line up we need to press like fcuk from the very first whistle.

Win this ... and I'd take a fluky 1 nil right now then we can go top by beating dundee at home and then the pressure is right on them away to killie.

No surrender!!!
 
GersLoyal74 said:
Clement has always spoken about solving puzzles. Well he has a big one next week to solve.

For me he can't just go in as we've been setting up.

I'd go 352.

2 up top allows you to press their back line which can't handle that pressure.

5 across the middle gives us numerical advantage. I'd have Ridvan and Tav in that 5.

3 at the back gives Tav some cover against Maeda.

I know others will prob disagree with this and I can't see Clement going for it, but I'd love to see him mix it up.

It's a big risky call.

My 11 assuming Balogan fit.

Butland

Souttar
Balogan
Davies

Tav
Lundstram
Sterling
Dio
Ridvan

Silva
Dessers

If Balogan not fit I'd put Sterling at right side of back 3 and Raskin in the middle.

However we line up we need to press like fcuk from the very first whistle.

Win this ... and I'd take a fluky 1 nil right now then we can go top by beating dundee at home and then the pressure is right on them away to killie.

No surrender!!!
Click to expand...
Be up for that but if not play Yilmsz and Sterling as Full Backs and tav in front of Sterling and we need McCausland on the wing as we have no width otherwise
 
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The players that started today are far more suited to a 442 diamond with the width provided by full backs than the formation we seem to be sticking to.
 
Unfortunately I think it’s down to the players we have in the squad, not quite good enough.

Maybe a 352 could get an extra 5% out of them who knows.
 
I'd love to see us play two up top, but our managers never seem to fancy it.
We need a statement win, would love to see Phil go for it, but what's the betting on that?
 
Given we have no fit or effective wingers, playing wing backs is absolutely the answer in my opinion. Match their three in the middle, have natural width from the wingbacks and 2 central strikers to work off each other. This formation always caused us the most problems under Gerrard.
 
If Rodgers could pick a formation for us next week, he'd have us playing three at the back. They'd prefer that given the way they use their wide players.
 
It’s actually an interesting idea and something I’d genuinely welcome, but I highly doubt it’ll happen.

We know how next week is going to go - they’ll come racing at us from the kick off to try and unsettle us as they did at Ibrox so that’s the main problem Clement needs to find a solution to.

If it’s allowed to happen again and they take another early lead, you’d be forgiven for questioning what the f**k is going on in training.
 
I don’t think we’ve got anything to lose - a change of formation brings the element of surprise, also wingers are non-existent at the moment, so changing to a 352 would be playing to our strengths and it can morph into a 532 if required
 
Yes mate I think it is,we’ve played a 4-3-3,or a tweaked 4-3-3 since Warburton and the proof that it just doesn’t work at Ibrox,is in our trophy room.
I admit I’m old school but I really truly believe Rangers should always be playing with 2 out and out forwards
 
4321 for me, they have a very good midfield, lunny, sterling and dio flat 3 in midfield, Lawrence and cantwell in the 2s, wing backs give the width, think we're going tonhave to shit house this game
 
Same selection but Yilmaz in at LB. Put Sterling in CM and push Cantwell to the inside right.

4-3-3 won us a lot of games under Gerrard against them and seems like the time to use it again.
 
We aren't suddenly switching to a back 3 at this stage of the season.

Sterling's energy is needed in midfield though. Cantwell and Mcausland to fit it out for the wide right slot.
 
GersLoyal74 said:
Clement has always spoken about solving puzzles. Well he has a big one next week to solve.

For me he can't just go in as we've been setting up.

I'd go 352.

2 up top allows you to press their back line which can't handle that pressure.

5 across the middle gives us numerical advantage. I'd have Ridvan and Tav in that 5.

3 at the back gives Tav some cover against Maeda.

I know others will prob disagree with this and I can't see Clement going for it, but I'd love to see him mix it up.

It's a big risky call.

My 11 assuming Balogan fit.

Butland

Souttar
Balogan
Davies

Tav
Lundstram
Sterling
Dio
Ridvan

Silva
Dessers

If Balogan not fit I'd put Sterling at right side of back 3 and Raskin in the middle.

However we line up we need to press like fcuk from the very first whistle.

Win this ... and I'd take a fluky 1 nil right now then we can go top by beating dundee at home and then the pressure is right on them away to killie.

No surrender!!!
Click to expand...
That's a 532 with our players
 
strider said:
If Rodgers could pick a formation for us next week, he'd have us playing three at the back. They'd prefer that given the way they use their wide players.
Click to expand...
This is true. Maeda and that new guy on the other side would run into the wide space behind the wingbacks and have our CHs dragged all over the show. Similar to McCleish when O’Neil was manager for them. Lovenkrands had a field day making them look like absolute diddies. The key is making sure we’re not outnumbered in the middle of the park. Soul destroying that Matondo, Sima and Cortes are out as well. They naturally push opponents full backs deeper.
 
I’ve said before we should try how City sometimes line up with a 3-2-4-1.

Assuming all fit though for that to work:

Davies Balogun Souttar

Dio Sterling

McCausland Cantwell ??? Sima

Dessers.

Although we’d need Tav in there somewhere.

Not sure how we’d work that with all the injuries we have at the moment.
 
With Balogun injured now, I honestly believe we have play Sterling in the right of the 3 where he can also play which also gives Tavernier who’ll be a wing back help and can result in the headless chicken Maeda running straight into traffic. He presses and causes Tavernier all sorts but against Sterling I believe he’d be shown up for the pish footballer he actually is.

Midfield 3 of Raskin, Lundstram and Diomande.

Two up top.
 
BigBadJohn said:
Is next week the time to change formation completely? Seems like complete madness to me.
Click to expand...

It would be. We need to back ourselves.

I'd prefer, just for once, that we didn't change or sacrifice a player just to deal with them. Yeah, we'll need to defend well and cut off passing lanes and all that, but let's not kill Cantwell's game asking him to do a defensive job on McGregor. Let him play.
 
Valley Bluenose said:
He's not going to change shape, for our most important game of the season, having setup in and played that 4-2-3-1 for virtually all of his tenure. Not happening.
Click to expand...

Agree with this, but also agree with the OP.

Something needs to change against them next week, more than just personnel IMO.
 
GersLoyal74 said:
Clement has always spoken about solving puzzles. Well he has a big one next week to solve.

For me he can't just go in as we've been setting up.

I'd go 352.

2 up top allows you to press their back line which can't handle that pressure.

5 across the middle gives us numerical advantage. I'd have Ridvan and Tav in that 5.

3 at the back gives Tav some cover against Maeda.

I know others will prob disagree with this and I can't see Clement going for it, but I'd love to see him mix it up.

It's a big risky call.

My 11 assuming Balogan fit.

Butland

Souttar
Balogan
Davies

Tav
Lundstram
Sterling
Dio
Ridvan

Silva
Dessers

If Balogan not fit I'd put Sterling at right side of back 3 and Raskin in the middle.

However we line up we need to press like fcuk from the very first whistle.

Win this ... and I'd take a fluky 1 nil right now then we can go top by beating dundee at home and then the pressure is right on them away to killie.

No surrender!!!
Click to expand...
So good until you got to Dessers.
 
Hopefully we all turn up in fancy dress for the "Fun Day" that Roger's is arranging.
 
GersLoyal74 said:
Clement has always spoken about solving puzzles. Well he has a big one next week to solve.

For me he can't just go in as we've been setting up.

I'd go 352.

2 up top allows you to press their back line which can't handle that pressure.

5 across the middle gives us numerical advantage. I'd have Ridvan and Tav in that 5.

3 at the back gives Tav some cover against Maeda.

I know others will prob disagree with this and I can't see Clement going for it, but I'd love to see him mix it up.

It's a big risky call.

My 11 assuming Balogan fit.

Butland

Souttar
Balogan
Davies

Tav
Lundstram
Sterling
Dio
Ridvan

Silva
Dessers

If Balogan not fit I'd put Sterling at right side of back 3 and Raskin in the middle.

However we line up we need to press like fcuk from the very first whistle.

Win this ... and I'd take a fluky 1 nil right now then we can go top by beating dundee at home and then the pressure is right on them away to killie.

No surrender!!!
Click to expand...
3 5 2 against a team that plays with width and has pace is never a good option. The wingers get far too much space and you get destroyed on the counter. Plus due to the defence being narrower you end up with more one on one's in the box which brings its own risks. For me 4 5 1 would be better with 2 holding mids as old firm games are won in midfield. Our problem is we don't have the striker to play that way. Peak Alfie was perfect for it.
 
Normally I'm against this but, with the lack of wide options, I think it's a shout.

I'd play Lundstram as the sweeper though like he would drop back and play in the Seville run.

Butland

Souttar Lundstram Davies

Tavernier Diomande Sterling Yilmaz

Cantwell

Dessers Silva

All three cbs are "comfortable" stepping forward with the ball. I'd arguably play Balogun rather than souttar if fit though for his recovery pace.
 
I’d go a 5-4-1, try and absorb the pressure to half time, then change it up and go more offensive in the second half
 
No.

We remain one of the few top flight teams who only seem capable of playing with one formation, with the occasional subtle tweak to the positioning of our ‘number ten’ so to speak.
 
GersLoyal74 said:
Clement has always spoken about solving puzzles. Well he has a big one next week to solve.

For me he can't just go in as we've been setting up.

I'd go 352.

2 up top allows you to press their back line which can't handle that pressure.

5 across the middle gives us numerical advantage. I'd have Ridvan and Tav in that 5.

3 at the back gives Tav some cover against Maeda.

I know others will prob disagree with this and I can't see Clement going for it, but I'd love to see him mix it up.

It's a big risky call.

My 11 assuming Balogan fit.

Butland

Souttar
Balogan
Davies

Tav
Lundstram
Sterling
Dio
Ridvan

Silva
Dessers

If Balogan not fit I'd put Sterling at right side of back 3 and Raskin in the middle.

However we line up we need to press like fcuk from the very first whistle.

Win this ... and I'd take a fluky 1 nil right now then we can go top by beating dundee at home and then the pressure is right on them away to killie.

No surrender!!!
Click to expand...
I don't imagine this will happen next weekend but tbh I agree with all points you make about how a system like this would work with the personnel we have. Good post.
 
We need to ask Arteta for the blueprint to how they won the North London derby…

Drill that into them in 5 days…Easy!
 
We basically do play a 3 at the back because of the amount of times lundstram drops in between the centre half’s which leads to us getting over ran in the middle. It kills us. We 100% need Sterling in the middle with his aggression and energy.
 
Play Cantwell and Lawrence as inside 10s, Sterling, Lundstram and Diomande midfield 3. A stuffy midfield 5, win it in the middle of the park. If we manage to get a hold of the ball and push them back, Tav and Ridvan give you the width.

One thing's for sure, we rock up to parkhead with the same old formation that hasn't earned a meaningful league OF win in close to 3 years now, things won't be changing any time soon. That old Einstein quote about insanity comes to mind.
 
Clement isn’t going to change the shape imo, however I’ve always felt that Tav and Borna or Yilmaz would be better in a 3 or 5 at the back system and giving them the run of the wings and proper protection defensively.
 
It's been the answer for years. We've not had a RW since candeias left, yet continually shoehorn someone out there and wonder why it don't work
 
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