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Big Sam, Little Mikey and the 4-5-1 formation.


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So with Big Sam looking favourite to come in, am I the only one to have doubts about the ability to fit Michael Owen into Allardyce's preferred 4-5-1 formation?

 

Will he sacrifice his tried and tested set up just to accommodate him or will he sell him and find players to fit his system?

 

Somethings got to give as we've seen Owen in a 4-5-1 formation for England and he was awful, it was also believed that Benitez wasn't 100% behind a deal to take him back to Anfield as he couldn't play in any other formation.

 

 

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Do you not think Martins & Owen off a targetman (a la Diouf & Anelka with Davies) would work?

 

I don't think Owen could or would be prepared to play in that position.

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Guest Knightrider

So with Big Sam looking favourite to come in, am I the only one to have doubts about the ability to fit Michael Owen into Allardyce's preferred 4-5-1 formation?

 

Will he sacrifice his tried and tested set up just to accommodate him or will he sell him and find players to fit his system?

 

Somethings got to give as we've seen Owen in a 4-5-1 formation for England and he was awful, it was also believed that Benitez wasn't 100% behind a deal to take him back to Anfield as he couldn't play in any other formation.

 

 

 

Only he prefers 4-3-3...

 

Davies up top of the three, Anelka and Diouf wide of him, all alteranting roles depending on the score or who they're playing. That's how they lined up against us.

 

Off the ball this becomes a 4-5-1.

 

BTW Houllier played 4-5-1 whith Owen and that was his most prolific spell.

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So with Big Sam looking favourite to come in, am I the only one to have doubts about the ability to fit Michael Owen into Allardyce's preferred 4-5-1 formation?

 

Will he sacrifice his tried and tested set up just to accommodate him or will he sell him and find players to fit his system?

 

Somethings got to give as we've seen Owen in a 4-5-1 formation for England and he was awful, it was also believed that Benitez wasn't 100% behind a deal to take him back to Anfield as he couldn't play in any other formation.

 

 

 

Only he prefers 4-3-3...

 

Davies up top of the three, Anelka and Diouf wide of him, all alteranting roles depending on the score or who they're playing. That's how they lined up against us.

 

Off the ball this becomes a 4-5-1.

 

BTW Houllier played 4-5-1 whith Owen and that was his most prolific spell.

 

4-5-1/4-3-3 are basically the same thing tbh.

 

I don't remember ever seeing Liverpool play a 4-5-1 formation either with Owen as the lone front man, even if they did it still wouldn't have been the long balls for the target man that Big Sam plays at Bolton, Owen was a lot more mobile in those days too.

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Guest Gemmill

We've been playing long ball for years now.  At least Allardyce knows how to make it work. 

 

As someone else said, if we're playing successful, winning football, I'm not arsed who's on the pitch.  I'm pretty sure Allardyce will find a place in the side for someone of Owen's calibre though.

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What we really need round about now is for a huge mammoth post by the Shaman/Ian Brown including all things Allardyce to keep us right and think oh now why didn't we think of that as it's so obvious?  blueyes.gif

 

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I think Allardyce would have your team looking something like this:

 

---------------------Given----------------------

 

New RB---Taylor-----Ben Haim---New LB

 

---------------Random African DM------------

------------Parker-------------Emre------------

 

Owen--------------Viduka------------Martins

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Guest Knightrider

So with Big Sam looking favourite to come in, am I the only one to have doubts about the ability to fit Michael Owen into Allardyce's preferred 4-5-1 formation?

 

Will he sacrifice his tried and tested set up just to accommodate him or will he sell him and find players to fit his system?

 

Somethings got to give as we've seen Owen in a 4-5-1 formation for England and he was awful, it was also believed that Benitez wasn't 100% behind a deal to take him back to Anfield as he couldn't play in any other formation.

 

 

 

Only he prefers 4-3-3...

 

Davies up top of the three, Anelka and Diouf wide of him, all alteranting roles depending on the score or who they're playing. That's how they lined up against us.

 

Off the ball this becomes a 4-5-1.

 

BTW Houllier played 4-5-1 whith Owen and that was his most prolific spell.

 

4-5-1/4-3-3 are basically the same thing tbh.

 

I don't remember ever seeing Liverpool play a 4-5-1 formation either with Owen as the lone front man, even if they did it still wouldn't have been the long balls for the target man that Big Sam plays at Bolton, Owen was a lot more mobile in those days too.

 

It isn't the same, one is rigid designed to stifle the opposition and designed to catch teams on the break, the other is designed to get at the opposition, to pin back defenders (hence forward 3) and much more fluid as it can be rigged to a 4-4-1 off the ball. You try going from 4-4-1 to 4-4-3 during a game and you'll get madness like us against Reading with Martins, Owen, Zoggy and Ameobi all playing forward.

 

As for Liverpool, sure they used it away from home and at home a few times too, with a degree of success. Houllier ironically later changed it to a 4-3-3 or was going to with Kewell and Cisse meant to play wide of Owen, with 3 central midfielders behind them.

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Guest Knightrider

If it is Big Sam and he plays the 4-3-3 role, I can't see where Owen will play, unless SA drops the big centre-forward (a role Davies played for Bolton) and plays Owen in that role. If he doesn't and uses Owen wide of the CF, Owen's work rate will have to double and he won't get 20 goals from there that's for sure.

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I think Allardyce would have your team looking something like this:

 

---------------------Given----------------------

 

New RB---Taylor-----Ben Haim---New LB

 

---------------Random African DM------------

------------Parker-------------Emre------------

 

Owen--------------Viduka------------Martins

 

Wouldn't surprise me. Would certainly please me.

 

EDIT: Would please me in so much as we would be a much, much better team than we are now. Not saying it's ideal by any means.

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I think Allardyce would have your team looking something like this:

 

---------------------Given----------------------

 

New RB---Taylor-----Ben Haim---New LB

 

---------------Random African DM------------

------------Parker-------------Emre------------

 

Owen--------------Viduka------------Martins

 

Emre will be off, and with 3 quality wingers (Milner, Duff, N'Zogbia) it seems a shame to waste them

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I think Allardyce would have your team looking something like this:

 

---------------------Given----------------------

 

New RB---Taylor-----Ben Haim---New LB

 

---------------Random African DM------------

------------Parker-------------Emre------------

 

Owen--------------Viduka------------Martins

 

Emre will be off, and with 3 quality wingers (Milner, Duff, N'Zogbia) it seems a shame to waste them

 

Zoggy can play where Emre plays, in fact i think that position would suit him well, and Milner can play where Owen is positioned in that team, he's finding his shooting boots.

 

This also leaves the option of a 442 if ever we need it, without committing to the formation indefinite.

 

 

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