There was a lot of debate concerning the draw against Liverpool on Saturday.
Although much of it centred around performances of individuals it was apparent from the comments posted on this site that very few of us (myself included) either at the game, or watching live on TV could understand what formation Pompey were playing.
That was until Kanu (on Pompey’s official website) enlightened us to the fact that it was 4-3-3.
This revelation posed two questions in my mind; the first, why play what is despite common misconception, a typically defensive formation at home and secondly, how could we play a 4-3-3 with the players selected!
4-3-3 has many origins and variations but the two most recent examples witnessed are Chelsea; who deploy two wingers (SWP, Duff, Robben, Cole & co.) to cross and supply a mobile forward whilst funnelling back to create a 4-5-1 when under pressure or Spain during the last World Cup where they played with three out and out strikers working closely together interchanging positions and splitting across the pitch and spreading the attack by running the flanks for each other.
If 4-3-3 a la Chelsea was the plan on Saturday where was the movement up front? Did Kanu supply it? If Utaka playing on the left? And Benji on the right were to throw crosses in, who was supposed to be there to greet them? Kanu? Davis? Muntari? Possibly Diop? If however the Spanish variation was the plan, why wasn’t Nugent playing alongside Utaka and Benji, he’d be far more mobile than Kanu.
Whichever way I look at it, it just doesn’t stack up. The bottom line is that if ‘arry wants to play 4-3-3 Kanu should not be on the pitch; he just is not mobile enough. Furthermore, I’d question, irrespective of the Chelsea or Spain variations whether we have the players to deploy in a 4-3-3 at all.
Why don’t we stick to 4-4-2? Taylor on the left, Utaka (even though I think he’d make a great centre forward) on the right supplying two strikers; I’d prefer Nugent & Benji for mobility alone but if ‘arry rates Kanu so be it, use him in a 4-4-2? But not in a 4-3-3.
I should stress at this juncture that although this article appears critical of our style of play and of Kanu in particular, overall I was delighted with a point?? But I can’t stop thinking that Liverpool were there for the taking and we missed a golden opportunity.
Written by Chix.
The views within this article are the views of the individual who wrote and submitted this piece, sometimes solely theirs. They are not necessarily shared by the Vital Pompey Site Journalists.
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