KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum All this talk of tactics and formations....

....is really doing my head in. Last time I checked tactics and or formation never physically put the ball in the net, or stopped the ball from crossing the line at the other end. In between I don't seem to recall any tactic or formation, no matter how good, pass a football to another player in the same jersey.

Why can we not just put our 11 best players on the pitch, ask them to pass the ball to each other and score some goals. Forget 4-1-3-1-1 or 3-1-4-2 or holding midfielders or defensive cover or any of that stuff for a second. Just play the 11 players who can best pass and control the ball, and just play football?

I dunno what that team would be but maybe something like (and yes I am aware you need a formation to put them in, but let's just pick the tried and tested 4-4-2).

-------------Reina-------------
--Kelly--Cara--Agger--Konchesky--
--Kyut--Gerrard--Meireles--Cole--
-----Torres------Jovanovic-------

I agree Rebel. Men win football matches.I am always amused by the media's eagerness to concentrate almost exclusively on technical and tactical comparisons. Frequently they discuss football in abstract terms, overlooking the reality that it is played by creatures of flesh and blood and feeling. Tactics are important but they don't win football matches. Men win football matches. The best teams stand out because they are teams, because the individual members have been so truly integrated that the team functions with a single spirit. There is a constant flow of mutual support among the players, enabling them to feed off strengths and compensate for weaknesses. They depend on one another, thrust one another.We don't have it.

raffa and his "tactics" (otherwise known as bullsh*t) used to drive me nuts. twitching his hands and fingers like anyone knew what the fck he was talking about.

Rafa

Clever players make there own tactics as they go along and make the game flow, its part of being a footballer.

We must have a pretty dumb squad then.

Theres a difference between a manager's tactics and some wally 'pundit/expert' like andy gray with his subuteo set on sky sports. Most of us wouldn't know what the tactics are. I certainly don't know what Mr Hodgsons tactics are! Maybe he doesnt know either maybe you are right. Hodgson plays roulette to decide postions of players. I agree with most of your post, and I think liverpoool and English teams do better when they adapt to the players and not try to adapt the players to the system because that means hello poulsen. If you picked 11 top performers then poulsen wouldnt be in the squad because he does very litte I know there is an arguement for the 'unnoticed player' who actually does a lot but as a few people have said its like when lucas was on last year and not doing too well , its like having 10 men against 11. (Although I think lucas has improved a little this season). Poulson is unnoticed deservedly so he does little he can't go forward what a nightmare thanks mr hosgson Please admit you made a gaffe and hide him in a cupboard somewhere We wont tell anyone

If men win football, then why aren't we winning?

Face it, you have to have tactics. Just putting a bunch of men on the field and telling them to kick the ball around is perhaps enough for a game in the park, but it doesn't cut in the premier league.

Certainly the importance of the ability to reliably pass a ball to someone on the same team can't be underestimated, but unless you are passing it around with a purpose in mind you're not achieving anything. Formation and tactics go hand-in-hand; without structure you are nothing, and without purpose structure is meaningless.

I can't be arsed getting deep into this buy here's a quick one about formations:-

4-4-2 and your playing against a team that's playing 4-5-1. They've got the extra man in the middle of the park. What do you do? Counter it? Get your forward to drop back and put pressure on there extra man or leave it and watch your 2centre mids get out run and outplayed?

Correct answer: wait until the 75th minute before changing like-for-like, and then tell the press you were beaten by a great team.