Players PL Stats | James most fouled, Pogba tops Through balls..?

[cyberman]

Liverpool play a different system. They look at their full backs for creativity when dominating possession. When the front 3 get going, it is a combination of press and set one of them free or long ball from the CB;s for one to chase down.

But if through balls were so important wouldn't every top side have their playmakers near the top of the list?
I understand that teams play differently so isnt the easiest answer to our criticims is that we play differently as well?
We have a fantastic record v top sides when we sit back and counter, it has to be our style of play thats different since Pogba didnt play in any of those yet we continue to score, and win

 

[romufc]

But if through balls were so important wouldn't every top side have their playmakers near the top of the list?
I understand that teams play differently so isnt the easiest answer to our criticims is that we play differently as well?
We have a fantastic record v top sides when we sit back and counter, it has to be our style of play thats different since Pogba didnt play in any of those yet we continue to score, and win

Through balls are important to break down stubborn teams. As you can see by having the best play maker doesn't mean you are the best team. Norwich player has that and they are bottom.

I agree, it is because City do not have various styles of playing, KDB does create alot of chances for them.

With other teams like you mentioned, they can set up differently, score from set pieces, counters, solo goals etc.

 

[Andersonson]

So who has the role of supplying Liverpools forwards? All 3 are pacey attackers who play on the shoulder and nobody else has provided a through ball for them?

The fullbacks and three upfront mostly. Firmino is exellent in dropping drep, creating space for either mane/salah or the fullbacks.

 

[NoPace]

Perhaps we should be looking at Buendia.

Impressive stuff.

0 in 28 goals is frightening but I didn't see a Prem player this year with the eagerness and positioning to get open and receive passes like Buendia. His 10 through balls are less about a Cesc-ian ability to play perfect weighted balls and more just consistently getting into good spots to get a pass and play a through ball ahead.

I guess I think he should just be our manager?

Also as a dribbler he might just be a very inconsistent goal scorer like Hazard was (not as many goals overall but same idea) where one year he's got 10 goals in 40 starts and is a double digit assists guy and everyone loves him, but then the next year he scores 1 goal in 25 starts and everyone wants him sold.

But yeah, if we don't sign Grealish or Bellingham there are worse ideas than Buendia as a cheap buy to cover RW for a year and then be a #10 or winger who comes inside to make 4 in midfield a lot and looking to play Rashford, Martial and Greenwood in ahead of him. He played on the right for Norwich and he could do that and come narrow and look to play those guys in and just link play.

If I was Newcastle I would probably buy him and make him my David Silva as I built a rich guy 4-3-3 team. It won't be easy for them to go from their Rafa style of 5 at the back and punting it long to various South American 9s getting elbowed in the head for 90 minutes as the announcer talks about "ploughing a lone furrow." An off the ball genius would help.

He'll probably go to La Liga or Italy and thrive in his mid 20s.

 

[NoPace]

The fullbacks and three upfront mostly. Firmino is exellent in dropping drep, creating space for either mane/salah or the fullbacks.

Yeah, also Henderson does do a bit of passing and also I assume the stats bear out the idea that their front 3 wins the ball up the pitch more.

But also they went out of the Champions league because they don't have a quality playmaker in midfield. Robertson and TAA are incredible but add a Scholes or Fabregas in midfield and you've got a legit treble threat. We're lucky Keita didn't become Pogba for them like some of his fancy stats at Leipzig suggested he might. They should probably just try to sign someone like Pellegrini at Roma, who has the passing stats of a #10 but seems to like running around and kicking people enough to fit into their collectivist midfield as a Winaldum or Milner. Though those guys were quick enough to play wide, so he might just lack the raw foot speed for what Klopp wants. Might be better to look at #10s or even wide players who can run all day and convert one like Lallana and Kampl were in similar setups.

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

As much as I tend to be annoyed by Pogba, I can't wait to see what our team is capable of with him back in, together with Bruno, McTominay and Fred getting better and better, and with Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, Ighalo and James in front.

It might be that the absence of football has got me deluded, but I do feel that we really are only a couple of players (CB, RW) away from having a team capable of challenging for everything. We were firing before the break and that was without Pogba, Rashford and (for the most part) McTominay.