What Roy (May Have) Learned

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In this season of turmoil, nearly everyone has an opinion as to what the club should be doing differently. It is abundantly clear that the status quo can only string a handful of quality performances together before reverting to something that is both offensive to the eye and the soul. In this whirlwind of anger and frustration, lessons can (and must) be learned in order to nurture progression, and stop the current regression…

1. Change is not to be feared.

At the beginning of the season, Roy continued with the system that Benitez had left behind. If the match was not going according to plan he would bring on another striker, setting up our now typical 4-4-2. This would usually add up to an uninspired performance for 75 minutes, and a slightly better final 15 as the two front men opened up more space in the final third. Slowly, Roy realized which he prefers, the 4-4-2. Now he absolutely must accomodate both Gerrard and Meireles (when healthy) in the same midfield without shunting the latter out to the right. The “performance” against Wolves should be Raul’s last out wide, as his time spent alongside Lucas in Gerrard’s absence proved his most useful location is through the middle. Unfortunately, we will not know Roy’s “solution” to this question until Meireles is healthy enough to play again. I will not trot out the oft-overused addage about the definition of insanity, but if Roy’s to stick around, he must not fall into the same holding pattern Benitez did.

2. Width and pace are non-existant.

This seems so obvious that it has been painful for some time. Rafa’s affinity with converting strikers to “wingers” has left us with no true wide men. Unfortunately. this problem has to be fixed with money, and must be done quite soon. It should have only taken Roy one training session – though he probably knew after managing against us – to realise this deficiency, and I cannot bear watching another transfer window pass without an attempted solution.

3. Silence is golden.

Frustration is understandable, but the endless string of press conference faux paus has to end. Roy, your apologies and pandering did not earn the team an ovation against Bolton, an improved performance/mentality and three points did. Feel free to trot out some of the tired, post-game cliches once in a while; you will incur the supporters’ wrath a lot less often.

4. Agger and Aurelio are first-choice.

Surely now Roy’s Konchesky crusade must come to an end. No need to drone on at length here, just express my curiousity as to whether or not he will start them both against Blackburn.

5. Time is running out for you, Mr. Hodgson.

He must realise now, amidst the increased frequency of media publication, that he is on a knife’s edge. Will he keep the faith in the methods that have produced nothing but inconsistency; or ring some changes, feeling he has nothing to lose?

Nothing remarkable here, just a bit of a rant and pontification as to whether or not Roy has learned anything from his months in charge. The beauty of football is we never have to wait too long to find out.

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27 Comments

  1. “This would usually add up to an uninspired performance for 75 minutes, and a slightly better final 25 as the two front men opened up more space in the final third. ”

    That would mean the match was 100mins long… But I get your meaning nonetheless.

  2. “he must not fall into the same holding pattern Benitez did”

    What?

    You may have 2 holding midfielders, but you also have an attacking midfielder and 2 attacking wingers.

    The side we have is suited to a 4-2-3-1. Lucas and Meireles play better together. Gerrard and Torres play better together. The team picks itself, and not in a 4-4-2.

    The notion that Benitez was less attacking than Meireles is ludicrous. If 4-2-3-1 is so defensive, why did Germany score so many goals at the World Cup using it? Why are Real Madrid scoring so many goals using it?

    4-4-2 is an ancient formation that has no place in the modern game.

  3. Oops, math never my strong point. I’ll cover by saying I included added time…yeah, that’s the ticket…

  4. I meant “holding pattern” as they do in aviation. Circling an not progressing from point a to b. Like Benitez’s redundant tactics last season.

  5. Agger and Aurelio have been both out injured for alot of this season. I think the problem was buying Konchesky in first place and letting a promising young player Insua go out on loan.

  6. I think the writer was caught up in overenthusiasm. Rafa’s squad setup and some tactical decisions were indeed baffling, sharing the stubbornness trait with Hodgson, but RB was far more decisive, and overall made infinitely higher quality tactical decisions than RH.

    I know about the oft criticized use of holding midfielders against teams that opted for damage limitation, a.k.a. parking the bus. In truth, our 4-2-3-1 was far more dynamic and gave us better structure (shape) than Roy’s patented 4-4-2.

    Our “two” could charge forward, Alonso giving us far more than Masche, but the Argentine also created a few goals himself. Kuyt might have been a reincarnated winger, but he always gave us goals in double figures. Our backs were also able to bomb more, Insua, GJ, even Kelly. Our goal threats came from more outlets than currently.

    No playing formation is offensive or defensive per se, each is adapted. We were, courtesy of Rafa, among the first to employ 4-2-3-1 in England, which was also the chief formation used in the last World Cup. It’s clear that financially undermined Rafa was still far ahead of his coaching peers, but far less heralded and fairly covered by the English media.

    It’s not really an anti- or pro-Rafa argument, but I think the tactical game pits these two coaches at very far from each other, with Benitez far ahead. We have regressed visibly under Hodgson and that last point above is the most critical. Hodgson’s time is actually up and we shall continue our descent to mediocrity under his managerial tenure.

    All in all a good piece.

  7. How preposterous to suggest that a successful manager of 35 years with pedigree clubs like Malmo and Neuchatel Xamax, not to mention former LMA Manager of the Year, should still have things to learn!

  8. Oooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
    Finally I recognize my fellow kopites.
    Best Fans in the World..
    Finally We’re talking about football.
    And Liverpool Fans are the most competent in the World when They talk about football.
    Totally agree with your tactical points.
    Wake Up Roy!!!!

  9. I don’nt know why people are lauding Insua now as ” a player with potential”. He was the worst left back we’ve had in years. He was tactically naive ,terrible positionally,too slow and bombed forward leaving the team exposed and was top of the league on Soccer AM’s nutmeg files. He was over-indulged by Benitez and saw no reason to up his game as he was unchallenged in his position. Sure he can’t even get a game at Galatasary!!!

  10. insua was crap, dossena was crap,riise was crap (sami carried him), konchesky is crap, three right legs for standing only.

  11. I don’t think Rafa was too rigid at all, the team was suited to 4-2-3-1 as we pressed high up the pitch. The way Roy plays is to have the team sitting far too deep, so it looks less effective. The FLAT 4-4-2, is not as dynamic and the way Roy plays it is intentionally to have no width. He likes to play wingers on the opposite side and cut in, e.g. Duff at Fulham rarely played on his natural side.

    The 4-2-3-1 formation allows the team to dominate possession as well, and means one or two holding players can win the ball back rather than the team rushing back to get back behind the ball leaving us with an 8-0-2 formation when we try to build attacks.

    And all this long ball, and Pepe booting it upfield has to stop.

  12. He can learn whatever he wants at another club not at ours. I hope this week is his last because i just cant take it anymore.Seeing the picture of him and purple face together makes me sick. Get lost roy. Get lost

  13. The ‘addage’ about the definition of insanity wouldn’t contain an adage, would it?

    Your ability to spell is not ‘non-existant’, rather non-existent.

    Rafa was not the only one with an ‘affinity with converting strikers to “wingers”’.
    Houllier also had an affinity FOR this practice, never really getting the best out of Vladimir Smicer.

  14. Did anyone see Inuas debut for Argentina? Flippin woeful! He tried to clear the ball in the box with a BACKHEEL. The other team picked the ball up and stroked it home. Insua wasn’t picked for the next squad.

  15. There’s lot of talk on formations but I for one miss the zonal marking that Rafa much flac from everyone. We were the tightest defence in the league for seasons on end. Now I don’t even know what the defence is doing. I think they don’t know what they’re doing. Zonal… man on man…. either way we have deteriorated and are woeful. I think with Raul’s injury why not stir it up a bit by playing Agger as a partner to Lucas. He is comfortable on the ball. Able to move up with it and see the pass. We also have to play Maxi who seems to be influencing things a little of late. He looks for the killer pass. That would let the team play higher up. If I had a chance I would try Pepe, Kelly, Skrts, Soto, Fabio, Johnson, Stevie, Agger, Maxi, Kuyt and Torres playing 4-2-3-1 with Ngog, Pacheco, Ecclestone, Lucas and Cole on the bench.

  16. This is my first visit to this site, and may i say that it feels good to know that i’m not the only one that is thinking these things.
    Why was Insua loaned out in the first place? Why would we ever get rid of Agger especially when Carragher is injured? WTF are we going 4-4-2? How hard is it to bring in a natural wide player?

    I think our current struggles are more of a result of the Gillett Hicks regime rather than Rafa’s shortcomings. As long as we stay in the league, we’ll be generating profits, rather than paying off debts. Rafa was not the most reasonable manager when it came to handling players. He practically chased off Masch, Alonso, and Benayoun. I think what we are missing most is his zonal marking philosophy and his overall defensive pressure. This season we’re getting killed on set pieces. It’s hard to watch those two banks of four sit there as the opponents chip away at it.
    I do think that people are being a bit harsh on Hodgson. After the holes of Rafa’s reign had surfaced, he fled. Anyone managing this squad would have been screwed. Especially with Torres not regularly back to 100% and Gerrard and Carragher out with injuries. Until we get players that can create goals other than Nando and Stevie G, no one should be upset with Roy. Yes, i’d like to see less 4-4-2 and have Gerrard playing behind Torres, but our squad as a whole is lacking. Look at our bench. We are a mid-table team. Between Gillete/Hicks and Benitez, we don’t have Champions League caliber players. If NESV handle LFC like the Red Sox, we should be in better shape in a few years, no matter who is manager.
    YNWA

  17. very good points and I agree with all of them but NESV say they like statistics and also like to buy wisely . If this is true then Roy should be replaced by a genius – ian holloway – great character – great football – bit wild but so was SHANKS.

  18. what amazes me at this stage, we(fans and Hodgson) still have not seen the weakest link in our defence which cost us 18 million pounds. I know Konchesky has not had a good start to his season in Anfield and with all the drama of his mum and facebook, he has become the whipping boy of Liverpool. but he is new and hardly cost us any money. for a god sake, have a good look at Johnson, who cost loads more and had been here for more than 18 months and he had done nothing but moan and making mistakes in defence.
    I never wanted Benitez to go and i know hodgson has made mistakes but getting rid of manager now is nothing short of suicide. I give credit to hodgson for dropping poulson and konchesky as they were his buys and that is somthing Rafa would not do with his buys…. even if they didnot perfom

  19. The author has made the classic English football fans mistake of deciding how negative a team is by looking at how many play up front and whether there are 1 or 2 holding midfielders.
    Rafa recognised the beneift of attacking with pace from the full back position – just like Brazil, Barcelona, real madrid, Germany etc. Playing 2 “holding” midfielders allowed them to do this. Look at the assists Johnson and Insua had last season. It also allowed Gerrard absolute freedom to cause havoc without the defensive responsisbilities. It also allows the ball to be played through the midfields and aroung the pitch to retain possession and tire the opposition.
    Roy’s formation means we have 4 defenders who barely cross the half way line and we are invariably outnumbered in midfield. We are exposed up front as ball after ball is hoofed forward in the hope Torres or Ngog can get on the end of it and by passing midifeld.
    Please don’t believe that just because you name 2 strikers it is more attacking. It isn’t. The facts back it up. Check out the amount of goals scored under Rafa’s system. Torres and Gerrarrd benefited enormously from Rafa’s style and they should never forget it!!

  20. the statistic they need to look at is, 19 games and a negative goal difference, you could get a trillion to for that pre season, it takes a special kind of hopeless ineptitude to achieve it. ancellotti said today he is lucky to still have his job after chelsea’s recent results ? roy thinks supporters no nothings for wanting him out.

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