So dumb.. why run the wingers Pioli... just go 4312 or 3412
-----------Maignan-----------
-----Fik----Kjaer---Roma----
Cal----Kess-----Tonal----Theo
-------------Diaz--------------
------Ibra/OG---Leao/Reb----
Seems obvious to me to just not run wingers. Puts Rebic and Leao in ideal positions to be threats and also benefits our backup "side backs" as they would be a lot better as wing backs (Florenzi, Ballo-toure). And it keeps Pioli's precious double pivot. Limited coach.
How do you propose we press them high with this formation? Are Theo and Calabria going to press their fullbacks? What if the opposition breaks the press, we need Fik and Romagnoli to cover their wingers? Doesn't that isolate the defense? Will Kessie or Tonali have to drop back during our press to accommodate for that? Does that mean that Brahim and Kessie are the only midfielders to cover the central spaces?
A 352 is great for width in attack to overload on the outside, but it doesn't really make much sense for the way we play (high press, quick build and direct up from the back). It's great for defending deep because you have 3 centerbacks, and the wingbacks can close off any danger from the wings, and you still have 3 midielders in front and 2 attackers to try and make something out of any counterattacks. But it doesn't really have the right spatial organization to maintain the sort of high press we need, especially with one of your two attackers being non-existent in that regard.
The simple answer is when we press we need someone to press the CB's to stop them getting enough time to think and then force them into a sideways pass (Ibra) we need someone to close off the central channel (Brahim) we need a player to press their fullbacks when they are about to receive the ball (Rebic and Saelemaekers) and we need our backline to push up and midfielders to track anyone dropping back to receive the ball.
A 352 has one key ingredient missing and that is you can't afford to push your wingbacks so high up during the press. It's suicide if they break it. In a 4231 or similar you have the failsafe of your fullbacks to cover for that.
Of course with the right tweaks and practice and time you can make anything work, but why force something like that to work when we have a squad that's used to the way we play and that works?
Saying Theo is better as a wingback is not true. He needs the space to run into and he needs our winger to occupy the fullback so he can exploit the space. We just need to protect the space behind him, and we do that.
I mean, I'm an amateur and I don't think I know everything but I can at least understand the way we play and what makes it work and how it works. Pioli is a professional and he sees the players every day and knows exactly what he's doing. It's been a pleasure to see the constant progress being made to the way we play, slowly improving what works and finding solutions to the problems that get exposed. To say 'he should play 352' without considering all the different variables, options and risks is just completely asinine. We've been adapting and evolving the way we play pretty much since January 2020 when we made the big change.
For example early on in 2020 Kessie was playing as the RCM, a position that he was playing with us for years, but in a midfield 3. We switched him to the left side against Lazio in order to track Sergej. Since then he's always been on the left, why? Because he protects Theo on that side. It allows Theo to take more risks knowing that Kessie is behind him to clean up. Fik on that side also makes it even more likely for Theo to take more risks, and even deeper in our half.
Now Pioli is experimenting with inverted fullbacks. Notice in the next few games how often you'll see Calabria and Theo tuck into midfield when we have the ball high up. They'll alternate this depending on where the ball is, but the idea here is that instead of Calabria always being the RCB when we have the ball (which is predictable and can be exploited) we sometimes drop Tonali into defense and have Calabria move up into midfield. It's very fluid but it wasn't an accident. So try to notice it next time.
I'm writing all this because I find it really sad that people don't see how intricate and well drilled this team is and it makes me sort of angry to read stuff like 'lets throw all the work we've built over a year and a half, and all the advantages that consistency brings, in order to try something completely different because Pioli is an idiot and I know better'.
and we got Adli & Pobega on loan too!
