Men's Soccer (Football) Thread [Archived] Soccer • Page 185

May not have been a problem area but I'd definitely call this an upgrade. If I'm remembering correctly, he has experience playing on the wing before this past season at Dortmund.

 

Yeah that would make sense I suppose. I don't watch Dortmund regularly / at all, but my understanding was that he plays primarily as a striker now, and that's where he'd been excelling for the past few years. Pep's formations and positions are a bit more loose than other managers, but it does strike me as maybe a little odd to pay a hell of a lot of money for somebody and then play him in a different, and maybe less effective position.

All ifs and buts at the moment though!

 

I'm really bored at work and looked into his numbers at CF and on the wing.

15/16: 93% at CF (37g, 10a), 7% at RW (2g, 2a)

14/15: 56% at CF (17g, 7a), 36% at RW (7g, 4a)

13/14: 73% at RW (14g, 4a), 20% at LW (2g, 0a)

So he obviously picked up production once he went to CF full-time but he also developed as a player in general.

As I've said in here before, I'm still learning how certain systems work, but would it make sense to say Pep would list him as a "RW" but have him play more towards the center with Aguero? Aguero seems like a player who can drop back a tad and be in more of a secondary striker role.

 

4-4-1-1 with Aguero behind Aub up-front would be a great system for them... but it's not a system Pep ever uses.

 

A narrow 4-3-3 with De Bruyne and Auba either side of Aguero would potentially work. The only problem with that is seeing as all three like playing centrally, the centre of the pitch would be way too congested and easy to defend against. You need people stretching the opposition team, and dragging them wider, not allowing them to tighten up and be compact. Without that stretching of the opposition, Guardiola's game plan doesn't really work, because spaces and gaps in the back-line don't appear.

Guardiola loves his weird and wonderful formations, so maybe this width could come from the full-backs, but I think there'd be a few issues with a formation like that.

 

Now that Koeman is confirmed for Everton, stones would be a fool to not to stick around at least another year learn under him, right?

 

This ref looks jacked.

 

Maybe half of our players sing the national anthem :(

That's cool that Jurgen does though.

 

No changes hmmm

 

It's kind of amazing that Nike managed to ruin an all-black kit.

 

USA looks bad to start

 

We should pass it to our team.

 

Who even takes our penalties anymore?

 

Good couple minutes capped by a pen

 

Very clear penalty

 

DEUCE!

 

Weak PK but I'll take it. 1-0

 

I can't say I've ever said "wow what play/move/shot/soccer act by Bedoya!"

I don't watch every game though so take that as you will.

 

I'm not sold on Bobby Wood as a starter yet.

 

Who do ya like there?

I think Bobby would be more effective as the center forward in a 4-3-3 or would be better with a forward next to him in a 4-4-2.

Playing on the outside of a 4-3-3 requires great 1v1 play and being able to create your own chances. Probably not yet his strong suit at this point of his career.

 

Need to settle down

 

We are at our best on the counter. Classic US soccer.

 

To hop on the hype train, I'd at least like to see Pulisic there, maybe? Zardes played on that side when Landon was still at LA, so maybe put him on the left and try... Shit. Do we even have a second RW?

 

Zardes wtf