[Albion] Full Back Crisis - Could RDZ's approach be adapted to play without full backs?

[Stato]

Without Pervis, Lamps & Solly, we have to fit square pegs into round holes to cover at full back. Veltman is a natural right back, but we have nobody fit who has played regularly as a left back. The last of Igor's 11 games in the position was in 2021. Milner did a season there for Liverpool, but about a decade ago. Gross has played there a couple of times, but nobody is really an obvious choice.

Were we still managed by Graham Potter, he'd be changing to a back three and putting five in midfield. RDZ used this formation for his first few games, but success came when he changed to 4-2-3-1 and had time to instill his methods over the extended World Cup break. A lot has been spoken about the double box that he uses to give his defenders options in their own half and, with little or no tactical nous of my own, I've been wondering whether this can be adapted if he sets his team up with three at the back. If he picked for argument's sake:

Steele
Veltman Dunk Igor
Gross Baleba Gilmour Mitoma
Lallana
Fati Pedro​

Could he still move the players around to make those boxes? Against Liverpool, Gross as the centre midfielder often dropped between the centre backs to make a three, allowing the full backs to go high. Could Baleba do this to allow the left and right centre backs to go higher and wider? Could Lallana then drop in to cover Baleba's place to still allow the double box? Would we gain anything if we were just adapting back into our usual shape? Would Mitoma still be able to get advanced enough?

It was far easier to understand when Micky Adams just filled our team with giants and got it to Zamora.

​

 

[Machiavelli]

Calling @Dr. No

 

[Machiavelli]

To embellish, RdZ is an ideologue. He has a particular way of playing. The players are drilled into detailed understanding for each position, the passing options of each position according to where they are on the pitch. He's winning plaudits for the way he's coached the players. He didn't implement these initially, because it's too much to take on-board at short notice. It was only after the WC break that we saw his approach. The players have learned how to play within his system (it's 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 or 4-2-2-2 or 4-2-4). He talks about not picking players (Igor, Enciso, Baleba) because they need to understand all the detail about the particular position they play in. He's not going to abandon that. He'll find someone that can fill in at LB (Gross, Igor, Milner, Lamptey if fit or potentially a youngster) until Pervis returns. Since Pervis has been out, note that March moved there prior to his injury, and Lamptey played there when fit too.

 

[raymondo]

I need a diagram of the two boxes: do they go from side to side, or...

 

[Stato]

I need a diagram of the two boxes: do they go from side to side, or...

 

[Cotton Socks]

How long does he have to implement this new adaptation? Do you mean by Thursday? If that's the case, I'm going to say it's not going to happen. Who knows though!

 

[Weststander]

If only RDZ hadn't mercilessly bullied Sanchez out of the club, we'd have won every game .

Losing the tall, majestic shot-stopper has put avoidable pressure on Milner, Lamptey, Estupinanan.

 

[Stato]

How long does he have to implement this new adaptation? Do you mean by Thursday? If that's the case, I'm going to say it's not going to happen. Who knows though!

I don't think he'll do it. I was just wondering whether it was possible. Guardiola seems to make these kind of adaptations every year and sometimes they take a while to bed in, but usually they come good in the long run. However, he has generally done it with a settled squad of some of the best players in the world, so it's probably less of a challenge. RDZ has quite a lot of players still learning the current system, so as others have indicated, may think it over ambitious to make changes.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Ah, the ten forwards and a goalie routine eh? Takes me back to junior school and matches at Hove Rec. (mind you knees on the flints).

 

[Coldeanseagull]

If only RDZ hadn't mercilessly bullied Sanchez out of the club, we'd have won every game .

Losing the tall, majestic shot-stopper has put avoidable pressure on Milner, Lamptey, Estupinanan.

This post is going to need a bigger net!

 

[GT49er]

I don't think that sort of change of plan is in RDZ's DNA! I think JPVH payed a few times at RB when he started at Blackburn, so that might be a solution with Veltman moving to LB.
Clutching at straws though, I admit.