OK, so I completely disagree with the two CBs for one CF thing, first of all (how do you think people mark a 4-4-2? With 4 center backs?). But regardless. I want you to imagine the scenario you presented in the first quote. Imagine the bank of four defenders, imagine the bank of five midfielders, imagine Messi crying in front of them, imagine our two West Ham recruits Pedro and Alexis looking really lonely on the wings. Got it? Now take one of those wingers, and pluck them out of the picture. I plucked out Pedro, but the choice is yours. Now, think of one of those lethal center forwards, one of those that takes three center backs to mark (I picked Dzeko), and just plop them in there, right in that danger area. Maybe I'm visualizing differently from you, but this is what I see. Either Dzeko was the goalkeeper all along and he was just messing with us, or he was sitting there in the six yard box hoping the sideline referee would be too busy staring at him to see Iniesta's terrifying offensive fouls, or he was right in the throng of players fixated by Messi. In which of these scenarios did he get us a lot of space?
In a 4-4-2 formation you don't really have 2 CFs. You have 1 striker and 1 CF. In this case, the 2 CBs cover the striker, CF is deeper to link up. When both push forward, the lack of wingers allows the fullbacks to sandwich the CF or striker between the CBs. Midfield covers midfield.
I don't think you're visualizing it correctly. The CF is not just someone who camps in the box. He moves around, creating runs and bumping from between the CBs. He is a mobile player. There is a mini game between the CF and the CBs, one making runs, the others creating offside traps. You need two CBs because one covers the front to prevent the pass into the CF, the other covers the first CB's back. Without the one CB in the front, the physical CF can body the CB in the back and receive service and turn, and without the CB in the back, the CF can make runs from behind the front CB who isn't necessarily looking at the CF and get into space to receive service.
In any case, the CF keeps the CBs busy, liberating other players from possible marking by the CBs.
Well this seems like an entirely different discussion and a different role for our fullbacks as opposed to just sticking a number nine in there.
The way they play now is a direct result of how the team plays. They need to push forward and stay to help the link up.
I agree, I do, I just don't understand why it would suddenly become so much harder for teams that seemed to be handling us just fine when a number nine gets thrown into the mix.
It throws the dynamic of the block defense out of whack, and more importantly, it gives more freedom to Messi. He no longer has to worry about getting bodied up by two physical CBs.
He also plays in a 4-2-3-1 where they have two CDM, Di Maria running around everywhere, and Messi creating everything for Aguero and Higuain. It would be possible for us to do that, but it would require a complete change of our playstyle, just like I said in my first post about this.
Argentina don't play with two CDMs. They play with Masche and either Banega or Gago, both of whom are not really defensive magicians. It really does not require massive change for us. Messi is already being forced deeper and deeper by aggressive marking, you just need to sacrifice a winger for a CF and all other pieces will fall into place to accommodate. Both Neymar and Messi have the skills to play deeper and link up with a forward. Both do so very well indeed in the national teams, Messi with Higuain, Neymar with Fred.
