Match Day 4 - Miami @ TFC Saturday March 18 7:39 pm - Its Like every Moment

[Kamp Berg]

What is our best lineup and formation?

I really don't feel like we have found it yet (outside the back 4).

I’d say a 4-4-2, with Kerr and Berna up top. Unfortunately the problem of what subs to make persists. The team doesn’t seem to have a useful plan b once the game starts.

[SenorDingDong]

I’d say a 4-4-2, with Kerr and Berna up top. Unfortunately the problem of what subs to make persists. The team doesn’t seem to have a useful plan b once the game starts.

Osorio - Kaye - Bradley - Servania

As the mid?

You're probably right this is the best. We could probably even run this with Insigne - Berna as the top 2.

[Kamp Berg]

Osorio - Kaye - Bradley - Servania

As the mid?

You're probably right this is the best. We could probably even run this with Insigne - Berna as the top 2.

Yep.

Actually, I still think a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 would be better, but I doubt BB will adjust that much.

[OgtheDim]

I think our back 4 is good - not sure what we need 3 at the back for. I'd say 4-2-3-1 is our best formation.


It operated pretty well in the first half of Saturday's game.

[DinamoTFC]

Our back 4 and goalie are solid but our midfield is imbalanced and we lack width (outside of Italians it would have been smart to keep Shaff) and depth.

Richie could be an option at RW (fede central) for more width or we go to a back 3 and he moves to RWB. But realistically I don't see Bob experimenting too much.

[Hala Hrvatska]

Our back 4 and goalie are solid but our midfield is imbalanced and we lack width (outside of Italians it would have been smart to keep Shaff) and depth.

Richie could be an option at RW (fede central) for more width or we go to a back 3 and he moves to RWB. But realistically I don't see Bob experimenting too much.

Agreed.

Am really worried now without Insigne. Too much is on Fede as he has no help....so double/triple teams will continue on him. At some point, and I hope I am wrong he will get injured unfortunately and/or he is going to lose it and get a red out of frustration....

If we lose this one...yikes...

[jloome]

I think our back 4 is good - not sure what we need 3 at the back for. I'd say 4-2-3-1 is our best formation.


It operated pretty well in the first half of Saturday's game.

He had them switching shape defensively though, which I'm not sure helped, more of a 442 with Kerr and Bernie pressing the defenders, Oso and Servania dropping back.

I'm going to try and watch carefully this week to see if we still have players rotating to new positions late. I worry his tactical approach is the "Death by a thousand cuts" of them having way too much to do, and the whole thing being too busy.

It just reminds me of his protege, Jesse MArsch, a lot post Salzburg. He was using a 4-2-3-1, not a straight 4222 gegenpress, and one of the things Tyler Adams suggested was problematic about it was that they just had so many instructions and potential field positions and support moves to memorize that it was overwhelming. It's why it looked so chaotic; they had trouble executing it.

He's sort of set up a "prescribed passing" total football idea, where people can wind up rotating once or twice and be wildly out of position, as with Diomande ending up in Richie's spot at one point, leaving them requiring more time to readjust to a defensive zone, particularly if the formation is changing.

I think maybe more than anything we need to simplify a little, get back to just using triangles and people taking care of zones and overlaps.

[Ultra & Proud]

I'm going to try and watch carefully this week to see if we still have players rotating to new positions late. I worry his tactical approach is the "Death by a thousand cuts" of them having way too much to do, and the whole thing being too busy.

I've been thinking this too. With the kids last year you couldn't be sure because who knows how adept they were at handling direction but now with all vets it's similar although maybe slightly better.

[OgtheDim]

Careful jloome...you are only now 3 steps away from "put it in the mixer"...which is itself only about 3 steps removed from "KICK IT"

I see your point about simplifying things but I am not sure anybody in MLS runs simple anymore, except maybe NER & RSL.

That having been said, its funny how most goals in this league are caused by pressing & then quick simple progressions - see our goal on Saturday as an example.

[jloome]

Careful jloome...you are only now 3 steps away from "put it in the mixer"...which is itself only about 3 steps removed from "KICK IT"

I see your point about simplifying things but I am not sure anybody in MLS runs simple anymore, except maybe NER & RSL.

That having been said, its funny how most goals in this league are caused by pressing & then quick simple progressions - see our goal on Saturday as an example.

I'd also say both Atlanta and Columbus were much more effective against us when they went more direct: get the ball to Almada, or to Cucho/Zelarayan, let them run into the attacking space, then find someone open when the defense shifts.

For all their cycling the ball around and lateral movement, both teams were more effective when direct. Same with DC, really. The Klisch goal was literally him running for twenty yards without a challenge then hitting a shot from 35-40 yards out.

EDIT: Plus... Give it a punt, son! Put yer boot through it, get it up field and cross it, you muppet!

[Kamp Berg]

I think our back 4 is good - not sure what we need 3 at the back for. I'd say 4-2-3-1 is our best formation.


It operated pretty well in the first half of Saturday's game.

3 at the back would allow both outside backs, but especially Richie to play higher, adding width and more attacking support, both badly needed.

[los sonadores]

He had them switching shape defensively though, which I'm not sure helped, more of a 442 with Kerr and Bernie pressing the defenders, Oso and Servania dropping back.

I'm going to try and watch carefully this week to see if we still have players rotating to new positions late. I worry his tactical approach is the "Death by a thousand cuts" of them having way too much to do, and the whole thing being too busy.

It just reminds me of his protege, Jesse MArsch, a lot post Salzburg. He was using a 4-2-3-1, not a straight 4222 gegenpress, and one of the things Tyler Adams suggested was problematic about it was that they just had so many instructions and potential field positions and support moves to memorize that it was overwhelming. It's why it looked so chaotic; they had trouble executing it.

He's sort of set up a "prescribed passing" total football idea, where people can wind up rotating once or twice and be wildly out of position, as with Diomande ending up in Richie's spot at one point, leaving them requiring more time to readjust to a defensive zone, particularly if the formation is changing.

I think maybe more than anything we need to simplify a little, get back to just using triangles and people taking care of zones and overlaps.

I seem to remember Diomande ended up in Richie’s spot twice.

[Bushmancan]

IMHO… I think you move Insigne to the middle in a 4-2-3-1 or a modified 4-4-1-1 and let him free roam, which means we need someone on the Left (Oso, Ayo) may work out, would be nice to have Shaf or even Nelson (someone with Pace). Having our two best players not connected does not make sense to me. And by giving the midfield MB in particular some deeper support only makes sense. Even if we go for a striker, having LI as a 10 is not stupid (he has played that before) and probably terrifies most defences. If the leg injuries slow him down, a number 10 doesn’t necessarily need the pace, but has the field control, vision, passing and long range striking abilities.

[Mr. Inbetween]

Fingers crossed that they will all be available...

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/MichaelSingh94/status/1636028897048375300

[Yuushalinsky]

has a game ever felt like a must win this early in the season? because this one feels that way - our form feels somewhat better than where we are based on xGD but the eye test doesn't support that. Something has to give.

[Kamp Berg]

IMHO… I think you move Insigne to the middle in a 4-2-3-1 or a modified 4-4-1-1 and let him free roam, which means we need someone on the Left (Oso, Ayo) may work out, would be nice to have Shaf or even Nelson (someone with Pace). Having our two best players not connected does not make sense to me. And by giving the midfield MB in particular some deeper support only makes sense. Even if we go for a striker, having LI as a 10 is not stupid (he has played that before) and probably terrifies most defences. If the leg injuries slow him down, a number 10 doesn’t necessarily need the pace, but has the field control, vision, passing and long range striking abilities.

Isn’t that exactly what Poz did? Which BB said was impossible to work in his preferred setup?

[los sonadores]

Fingers crossed that they will all be available...

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/MichaelSingh94/status/1636028897048375300

Presumable, “out there” means full training? Twitter reportage, hah.

[Mr. Inbetween]

Miami's defensive midfielder Gregore is out for surgery, apparently.

His type of injury is awful... out six months at least.

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1635632635257970688

[Mr. Inbetween]

Isn’t that exactly what Poz did? Which BB said was impossible to work in his preferred setup?

Hehehe! Irony? Karma? Coaching arrogance has a way to come back and bite you in the ass! Doesn't it?

[Kamp Berg]

Hehehe! Irony? Karma? Coaching arrogance has a way to come back and bite you in the ass! Doesn't it?

Sure does. Hard to imagine that Poz, who was tackling at the highest rate on the team, couldn’t fit in the lineup now.

[Bushmancan]

Isn’t that exactly what Poz did? Which BB said was impossible to work in his preferred setup?

Yeah, I know which makes it all the more bizarre. I have to think Poz basically got driven out of town for some unknown reason. But it is likely that we will have little to no LI for Saturday so not of concern until after the trip to SJ.

[Joe Kool]

Hard to make assumptions when none of us really know what is going on behind closed doors within the team. Maybe it is just me but unless someone from the team actually comes out and specifically says something, I don't let my imagination run too wild with speculation.

[OgtheDim]

Girlfriend was in Miami don't forget...

Weather going to be a lot like last Saturday without the day before snow storm - just the day before rain.

[Mr. Inbetween]

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/WakingtheRed/status/1636407339040358413

[Mr. Inbetween]

... Weather going to be a lot like last Saturday without the day before snow storm - just the day before rain.

Gonna be cold...

[Mr. Inbetween]

I’d say a 4-4-2, with Kerr and Berna up top. Unfortunately the problem of what subs to make persists. The team doesn’t seem to have a useful plan b once the game starts.

Yep... Coaches Lasso, Beard and Kent would agree... ... S3E1...

B: 'No tricks just an old classic'...
K: 'The best way to play'... 'The 4-4-2'... 'means they'll always know what they're supposed to do, and more importantly where they're supposed to be, at every fucking minute, of every fucking game, against every fucking opponent'...
L: Yeash. Who invented this thing, the Russians?'...
B&K: 'Yeah!"...
L: 'Well, hey, if you think it's a good idea, Roy, I think it's a great one. Let's do it'...
K: 'I do know it's more important to be solid than clever when your the underdogs'.

[jloome]

Did anyone hear if Miami came up early? Have to think it'll be a bit of a shock, below zero.

Edit: Also, various pundits seem in agreement that Gregore is their most important player, or thereabouts, and their midfield will be seriously hurting without him.

Might be something breaking our way a little bit.

[Joe Kool]

Might be something breaking our way a little bit.

Totally get your point these days and I feel similarly but wasn't it nice in our golden years when the opposition could send their best XI and it still wouldn't phase us much.

[613reppingTFC]

Yeah I'm guessing temps would be shocking for them also. They did play NYCFC last week and it seemed pretty cold there so they would have had at least one game around similar temps.

[jloome]

Totally get your point these days and I feel similarly but wasn't it nice in our golden years when the opposition could send their best XI and it still wouldn't phase us much.

Oh, no doubt! But right now we just need a win. We need to turn the tide, get good stuff rolling. A few wins, a shift in confidence...