The Lone Striker

[Earl Hafler]

What's it all about ? Is it a tactic we're using in an attempt to make us defensively stronger because there's often a lack of forward running from midfield to compensate for only playing one up top.

Ings and Origi have barely played. Ibe is getting chalk on his boots when he starts.

Benteke won a header in their area when we were 2-0 down. Knocks it back to...no one. Benteke should be the ideal striker in such circumstances and yet we failed to get players around him when it mattered.

 

Go 4-2-3-1 ( or variations of it ) and support for the 1 is essential.

 

Its almost as if Rodgers doesn't want anyone playing the second striker role until Sturridge is fit.

[The_Adder]

A diamond suits us, just play that with two up top, it's f***ing obvious.

[Bogman]

Seems to be our default setting.

 

Didn't work last season, ain't working now.

[Cheesecake]

.................Mig.................

Gomez Skrtel Sako Clyne

...............Lucas..................

 

That should be enough at home against most teams to allow some stability at the back without compromising the attack

 

add Can and Millner to that and you're not going to create much and none of those are going to help Benteke at all.

[Molby]

On yesterday's showing, Benteke doesn't hit the channels enough to be the one striker on his own up front

 

4 games on and I'm still waiting for him to collect a ball on the half turn and face up his man

[smithdown]

Or get a proper through ball, a near post header, far post header or a cut back to the penno spot. Hasn't taken a free kick or been picked out at a corner.

[Bootle Buck]

Rodgers has us set up like a man desperate not to lose games and put pressure on himself. The problem is at home we are going to struggle. especially if teams sit back and get men behind the ball. Teams will have no fear doing that as we are toothless going forward and succeptable to the quick counter attack. Putting Benteke up as an isolated striker obviously isn't working and can not be continued. Defensively we continue to chose to stand off players and give them way too much time. Our CB's still continue to make silly challenges 40 yards from goal when the don't need to yet stand off their man in their own box. We keep hearing BR say we need to work on this and that but he never does. I have no problem keeping the same starting line up after a decent result against Arsenal but at least change the way we play. Yesterday BR had that look on his face like what the feck do I do now, very much like the end of last season. What has happened to the high tempo starts of 2013-14? We all talked about the "Brendan Rodgers Way of Playing" when he first arrived. Now no-one could possibly know what that really is. It seems more like lets try not to lose and hope we may have a moment of magic from Coutinho or someone else. That might work away from home but at Anfield we will struggle.

[Gunga Din]

On yesterday's showing, Benteke doesn't hit the channels enough to be the one striker on his own up front

 

4 games on and I'm still waiting for him to collect a ball on the half turn and face up his man

 

he's not good enough. won't score enough. he's a 1 in 3 striker at best. we need a 1 in 2 to be getting towards 20 a season.

[Molby]

 

he's not good enough. won't score enough. he's a 1 in 3 striker at best. we need a 1 in 2 to be getting towards 20 a season.

Now he's a one in four striker

[ThewaytoRome]

 

he's not good enough. won't score enough. he's a 1 in 3 striker at best. we need a 1 in 2 to be getting towards 20 a season.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Beardsley]

Rodgers has us set up like a man desperate not to lose games and put pressure on himself. The problem is at home we are going to struggle. especially if teams sit back and get men behind the ball. Teams will have no fear doing that as we are toothless going forward and succeptable to the quick counter attack. Putting Benteke up as an isolated striker obviously isn't working and can not be continued. Defensively we continue to chose to stand off players and give them way too much time. Our CB's still continue to make silly challenges 40 yards from goal when the don't need to yet stand off their man in their own box. We keep hearing BR say we need to work on this and that but he never does. I have no problem keeping the same starting line up after a decent result against Arsenal but at least change the way we play. Yesterday BR had that look on his face like what the feck do I do now, very much like the end of last season. What has happened to the high tempo starts of 2013-14? We all talked about the "Brendan Rodgers Way of Playing" when he first arrived. Now no-one could possibly know what that really is. It seems more like lets try not to lose and hope we may have a moment of magic from Coutinho or someone else. That might work away from home but at Anfield we will struggle.

 

 

Hear, hear.

[Flight]

It's clear as day we're doing the same this term as last - playing one up front using a forward who isn't a lone striker. We didn't use Lambert or Balotelli properly and we're doing the same thing here.

 

Bentekes biggest strength is in the air, largely knocking it down for people to get on to. If we don't play to his strengths he's a waste of £30mill. Nothings is changing except the players we are buying and misusing are getting more expensive.

 

What we really need to be doing is playing forwards that can link up with Coutinho and work on that. He's our best player and biggest threat. We aren't beginning to do that. I agree with the lads saying two up front and Coutinho at the tip of the diamond.

 

 

 

It's so f***ing obvious I can't believe Gary Mac and O'Driscoll aren't telling Rodgers this. But him and his ego, he'll do it his way. Can see O'Driscoll being caretaker manager sooner rather than later. And knowing FSG he'd get the job permanent in the summer.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Flight

[Gunga Din]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

its true though. and will be shown to be true.

It's clear as day we're doing the same this term as last - playing one up front using a forward who isn't a lone striker. We didn't use Lambert or Balotelli properly and we're doing the same thing here.

 

Bentekes biggest strength is in the air, largely knocking it down for people to get on to. If we don't play to his strengths he's a waste of £30mill. Nothings is changing except the players we are buying and misusing are getting more expensive.

 

What we really need to be doing is playing forwards that can link up with Coutinho and work on that. He's our best player and biggest threat. We aren't beginning to do that. I agree with the lads saying two up front and Coutinho at the tip of the diamond.

 

 

 

It's so f***ing obvious I can't believe Gary Mac and O'Driscoll aren't telling Rodgers this. But him and his ego, he'll do it his way. Can see O'Driscoll being caretaker manager sooner rather than later. And knowing FSG he'd get the job permanent in the summer.

we look a much better side with 2 up top in a diamond formation. but at the minute, well for most of the last 12 months, we seem to trying to shoehorn players into a formation that doesn't suit most of them

[Earl Hafler]

On yesterday's showing, Benteke doesn't hit the channels enough to be the one striker on his own up front

4 games on and I'm still waiting for him to collect a ball on the half turn and face up his man

Why hit the channels when there's no one coming in from the other side or rarely through the middle from deep ?

[Conrad]

 

4 games on and I'm still waiting for him to collect a ball on the half turn and face up his man

he isn't that type of player. he doesn't have that. he's good at what he does, but what he does is very specific - limited even. You play Benteke, the team has to be set up to make the most of his strengths.

[realtarragona]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Daft isn't it. Everyone was full of praise before this game. Now he's crap. It's not even his fault either.

[Gunga Din]

Daft isn't it. Everyone was full of praise before this game. Now he's crap. It's not even his fault either.

 

i think you'll find i was never and have been ever full of praise for Benteke. i don't rate him and have never rated him

[ThewaytoRome]

 

i think you'll find i was never and have been ever full of praise for Benteke. i don't rate him and have never rated him

His goal scoring record in England belies your so called facts

[realtarragona]

 

i think you'll find i was never and have been ever full of praise for Benteke. i don't rate him and have never rated him

Sound. I think you're wrong

[Gunga Din]

His goal scoring record in England belies your so called facts

 

i don't really care what the stats say, he isn't mobile enough, Villa played to his strengths. we won't. he doesn't give the creative platers we have an outlet. we don't really play wide and cross the ball. he just won't suit our system at all

[Florist Cinema Pond Goal]

 

i don't really care what the stats say, he isn't mobile enough, Villa played to his strengths. we won't. he doesn't give the creative platers we have an outlet. we don't really play wide and cross the ball. he just won't suit our system at all

That's not an unreasonable school of thought. It could work out but I don't get why we made the gamble when there were better suited strikers out there.

[Lark]

i dont get brendan at all. At Swansea he had some success with a big lump upfront and two out and out wingers. Promotion for a start. Swansea have stuck with the system, michu, then bony, then gomis and on either side of them two wingers. Always.

 

I think benteke would benefit from two out and out wingers who's sole purpose is to get the ball into the box.

 

We don't have them though. We have jordan ibe, who's 19, and barley a handfull of games under his belt. Thats it.

 

Not having genuine width was the downfall of houllier, the downfall of rafa, kenny wasn't given time, and i think it will be the downfall of brendan. He couldnt replicate suarez, sturridge, sterling last season and doesnt have the personnel to replicate what brought him success at swansea, two wingers to feed the big lump upfront.

[Molby]

Why hit the channels when there's no one coming in from the other side or rarely through the middle from deep ?

Because nature abhors a void

[100LITes]

I don't get why we made the gamble when there were better suited strikers out there.

 

Considering we already had the likes of (Sturridge, Origi, Ings, Balotelli, Lambert, Borini, Lallana, Markovic) us not being in the CL and unlikely to shell out 50-60m + 200k pw on wages i would be very interested to know which strikers were available who wouldn't be a gamble? names pls.

[Molby]

 

Considering we already had the likes of (Sturridge, Origi, Ings, Balotelli, Lambert, Borini, Lallana, Markovic) us not being in the CL and unlikely to shell out 50-60m + 200k pw on wages i would be very interested to know which strikers were available who wouldn't be a gamble? names pls.

Bolassie

 

Mistake to think only of big names

After all, we should be building a team, not collecting players

Still time though, but it's time to act

 

 

Act now, to avoid disappointment