the Valencia formation

[Molby]

Today wasn't the Valencia formation was it? did they play 3 at the back ever?

 

up front it looked as if it WAS the Valencia formation

 

it was actually 3-4-2-1, with Cisse and Kewell being the 2

 

what I liked about the way it worked with Crouch being the 1, is that the 4 in midfield quickly became 6 when we were defending, thus blocking out the perennial danger of getting exposed down the flanks when playing 3 centre backs, especially by teams like Newcastle that rely on width - then when we break up the attack we can either have an 'escape ball' to Crouch with the 2 other forward buzzing around him or a counter attack with the ball passed rapidly through the midfield

 

So effective, because we had exactly the right kinds of players to cope with it (in essence that is, Cisse is of course, 'the right kind of player' but in reality his lack of brain simply makes it impossible to stay a Rafa player - so infuriating, because even with today's performance you could see what he COULD bring to the team)

 

anyway, I thought it was ace; Rafa is a genius

[Ste M]

The Valencia formation was:

 

Canizares

 

Angloma (later Curro Torres)

Ayala

Pellegrino

Carboni (or Fabio Aurelio)

 

Rufete

Albelda/Marchena

Baraja

Kily Gonzalez (later Vicente)

 

Aimar (Baraja played there for a while)

 

Carew (later Mista)

 

Basically a 4-4-1-1, or a 4-5-1, with real penetration down the flanks and with Aimar being the link between a mobile hard working midfield and a good traget man.

 

Rafa's tried it with us, using Garcia, Kewell and Stevie in the hole at different times, but it hasn't really worked. Not sure it can over here either.

[Clay Davis]

Not sure it can over here either.

 

very true, shows how good Benitez is - able to adapt to new formations from formations he's been playing for years.

[Benitez]

Marchena = central defender no?

 

He was the one who partnered Ayala most of Rafa's last season there.

[libero]

For what its worth(ie feck all) I think the reason that Rafa changed it was more to do with the way Newcastle play with very little width,with Shearer and Ameobi playing straight down the middle 95% of the time.

If he had played 2 center halfs in an orthodox back four both our full backs would be sucked in to cover and would cut down on our attacking options from full back.

By playing with a back 3 we always had a spare defender thus freeing up our two "wing backs".

There are very few teams who play with two big center forwards so cant see Rafa using this system too often but its good to have it as an option and he may use it on Tuesday if he is expecting Brum to play with Heskey and Sutton.

[Molby]

The Valencia formation was:

 

Canizares

 

Angloma (later Curro Torres)

Ayala

Pellegrino

Carboni (or Fabio Aurelio)

 

Rufete

Albelda/Marchena

Baraja

Kily Gonzalez (later Vicente)

 

Aimar (Baraja played there for a while)

 

Carew (later Mista)

 

Basically a 4-4-1-1, or a 4-5-1, with real penetration down the flanks and with Aimar being the link between a mobile hard working midfield and a good traget man.

 

Rafa's tried it with us, using Garcia, Kewell and Stevie in the hole at different times, but it hasn't really worked. Not sure it can over here either.

I thought Valencia attacked with one striker and two pacy wide playeres just behind/along side....must have got mixed up

 

 

anyway, Libero what's this about Newcastle's lack of width? we didn't let them get any and I didn't know Dyer would be injured but they've relied on wide men for most of the season (s), to varying degrees of success obviously - our system today is built to turn attack into defence vey quickly against a team with wingers by effectively getting 6 into midfield when we lose the ball and covering the spaces that might appear if you have only 3 at the back

[Benitez]

I thought Valencia attacked with one striker and two pacy wide playeres just behind/along side....must have got mixed up

 

 

they did tend to have one striker a lot of times, and Vicente and Rufete on the wings, and Aimar in the 'ole roaming about as it where. It was pretty much like having 4 forwards at times I guess!

[Molby]

they did tend to have one striker a lot of times, and Vicente and Rufete on the wings, and Aimar in the 'ole roaming about as it where. It was pretty much like having 4 forwards at times I guess!

so again, flexilbility must be the key

 

means that a system is only as good as the players who play it and in a way, explains why Morientes is trusted by Rafa and Cisse is not - so much can be achieved by by players who can quickly understand the managers instructions and follow them for the whole game; sounds obvious but look at how many managers seem to have a special knack of achieving this and how many do not

 

GH in his pomp

Rafa

Mourinho - the ultimate systems man

Allardyce

 

 

and then look at Souness..even if he had the tactical nouse he seems to be too crap a man manager to get his instructions followed

[Ste M]

Marchena = central defender no?

 

He was the one who partnered Ayala most of Rafa's last season there.

 

I missed sticking Marchena next to Pelle with the brackets etc.

 

In Rafa's first couple of seaons, Marchena wasn't really first choice, mainly a back up for either Ayala or Pelle (as he was the night they took us apart at Anfield), but he did come through later.