A back three played to our stengths second half

[stevenqoz]

Heard the puzzlement on here at the half time substitutions. People this was Harry doing tactics! Whether you call it 3 5 2 or 3 4 1 2 Harry set us up very well to make a game of it second half. Two goals up Stoke were always going to drop off and as we know a Crouch in any forward line doesn't exactly encourage break away play. Using Bassong as a third centre back meant that Bale and Walker could be used as wing backs....I believe that this is what they truly are anyway but our default system doesn't require them to play as that. It may have seemed harsh on BAE and Lennon but in truth it was the ideal formation against this Stoke team in this second half. 3 5 2 is not a system to necessarily begin games with but did today provide a glympse of Bale and Walker playing as wing backs and almost paid off.

 

[Spurger King]

You can tell it's been at the back of Harrys' mind. He played that formation away to Everton in his first season in charge. It didn't work on that occasion (for various reasons called Hutton), but it sounds like it was more successful today with Walker.

I still wouldn't drop BAE, but as you say, it's a decent go-to plan if needed.

 

[Locotoro]

I think Redknapp made the right choice but I would have gone for Sandro instead of Bassong. Allow Parker to sit as a 3rd CB/DM and get Sandro into the box.

 

[beats1]

We don't have 3 CB's for the next match so don't think we will see it until we are desperate

 

[Davo99]

_________________Freidel________________

_________Kaboul___Gallas___King__________

Walker______________________________Bale

_________________Parker________________

_________________Modric________________

____van der Vaart__________Defoe_________

________________Adebayor_______________


Poor Ekotto though.

 

[Kingellesar]

Although it worked ok, I would not want us to resort to that formation too often, if Stoke had anyone with pace today we would've probably conceeded in the second half. Quite a few times we were caught out and they only had Crouch and Walters to pump it too who were both knackered and couldn't beat a man.

I don't think we'll see it again unless we really need it and have no other choice. It's not as though our 4-4-1-1/4-4-2 formation has harmed us before the Stoke game! So annoying we can't carry on our unbeaten run, we so deserved a point at least against Stoke. Oh well, Sunderland next!

 

[dimiSpur]

It worked well, but it was basically Harry changing the whole formation so as not to upset van der Vaart who was shocking. But taking him off at HT would have caused too much aggro. When you've got a team penned back like that, I think players like Lennon who are razor sharp are important. Keeping Rafa on was pointless. He looked slow, off the pace and didn't look like scoring ever.

Having said that the 3-5-2 worked OK, and the extra CB helped deal with most set pieces, apart from that near post header from Shawcross which was repeated 5 seconds later and had us caught again!

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Unfortunately, I was watching this in my hotel room in Tokyo at 2am and fell asleep around the 60th minute, so until I get home and (as long as I remembered to Sky+) get to watch it all I can't say how successful it was, but I certainly applaud the attempt in it's logic. It makes sense with teams that are sitting back to try to get full backs to come from deep un-marked positions, and three quick-ish CB's is a good compromise, and putting VDV in the role he did was also a great idea.

Personally I think it was inspired thinking that turned a 50/50 possession split into a 64/36 swing and saw us play well (up to the point I nodded off).

I applaud the logic wholeheartedly, and I'm actually impressed that Redknapp made the bold moves he did. Something had to change and I cannot fault the logic at all.

 

[ChristianBaler]

van der Vaart who was shocking. He looked slow, off the pace and didn't look like scoring ever.

Again, VDV had no space to play which is why he was ineffective.......just like Defoe was.

"I don't know why people are so surprised here, the last game he struggled like that was away at Newcastle who, like Stoke did today, played with 2 deep lying CMs shutting off the space where VDV thrives best."

 

[Spurs_Bear]

It worked well, but it was basically Harry changing the whole formation so as not to upset van der Vaart who was shocking. But taking him off at HT would have caused too much aggro. When you've got a team penned back like that, I think players like Lennon who are razor sharp are important. Keeping Rafa on was pointless. He looked slow, off the pace and didn't look like scoring ever.

Having said that the 3-5-2 worked OK, and the extra CB helped deal with most set pieces, apart from that near post header from Shawcross which was repeated 5 seconds later and had us caught again!

Thanks for your inside knowledge. But it was probably more to do with the fact there is no space for Lennon in a 352 if Walker is the WB.

 

[tototoner]

Harry played 352 formation when he was manager at Pompey

 

[tttcowan]

Unfortunately, I was watching this in my hotel room in Tokyo at 2am and fell asleep around the 60th minute, so until I get home and (as long as I remembered to Sky+) get to watch it all I can't say how successful it was, but I certainly applaud the attempt in it's logic. It makes sense with teams that are sitting back to try to get full backs to come from deep un-marked positions, and three quick-ish CB's is a good compromise, and putting VDV in the role he did was also a great idea.

Personally I think it was inspired thinking that turned a 50/50 possession split into a 64/36 swing and saw us play well (up to the point I nodded off).

I applaud the logic wholeheartedly, and I'm actually impressed that Redknapp made the bold moves he did. Something had to change and I cannot fault the logic at all.

This.:clap:

 

[beats1]

Hoddle like the 3-5-2 and mentioned thats how barca played, he was on talksport today, heres the 30min segment, good interview imo

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/richard-keys-and-andy-gray/blog/2011-12-12/glenn-hoddle-chelsea-spurs-and-dropping-gazza?

 

[Spurger King]

Is there any way Benoit could play in a three-man defence? As long as he held his position I don't see why we couldn't have (if all fit):

BAE__King__Kaboul

I wouldn't start with it though.
​

​

 

[ethanedwards]

Heard the puzzlement on here at the half time substitutions. People this was Harry doing tactics! Whether you call it 3 5 2 or 3 4 1 2 Harry set us up very well to make a game of it second half. Two goals up Stoke were always going to drop off and as we know a Crouch in any forward line doesn't exactly encourage break away play. Using Bassong as a third centre back meant that Bale and Walker could be used as wing backs....I believe that this is what they truly are anyway but our default system doesn't require them to play as that. It may have seemed harsh on BAE and Lennon but in truth it was the ideal formation against this Stoke team in this second half. 3 5 2 is not a system to necessarily begin games with but did today provide a glympse of Bale and Walker playing as wing backs and almost paid off.

Good post Steven, and a good response from Harry and the team, pity about the officals.

 

[worcestersauce]

Perhaps if we'd played that formation we'd have won eleven out of the previous twelve games instead of..oh wait?

That wasn't so much to our strengths as to counter Stokes' and to exploit their weaknesses which it did very well.

Still its good to know we can change it around and still be outstanding that flexibility can win titles.

 

[Black]

Keeper

Kaboul---Gallas----King

Walker------------------- Bale
Sandro

Lennon---VDV---Modric

Ade​

Something like that would be nice

 

[vegassd]

Is there any way Benoit could play in a three-man defence? As long as he held his position I don't see why we couldn't have (if all fit):

BAE__King__Kaboul

I wouldn't start with it though.
​

​

I think that part of the success of the 3 CB's was that they were more likely to just clear balls rather than do anything too clever. Whilst I do like BAE I thought he was in danger of playing himself into trouble too many times against the Stoke long ball.

It was great to see Harry do something definitive though. Very much in the style of Mourinho and in normal circumstances it would have won us the game.