Football Food For Thought / Frank Gregan / 17 April 2008 /

At a time when Carragher, Essien and Toure all find themselves playing at right-back, legendary Non-League manager Frank Gregan tells us how managers go about picking their eleven.

"Do my best eleven players constitute my best team?" That is a question that managers are constantly asking themselves. The truth is, there is much more to team selection than rearranging the names of your best eleven players and then finding a shape to fit them. However, it is often what happens. Ask any of the million or so England supporters that subscribe to the theory that Gerrard and Lampard should not be in the same side.

There is an immense amount of preparation that goes into a Premier League game. I know from my time on various scouting staffs that we would carry out "triple assessment" on our opponents. That means that we would have our opposition watched on three separate occasions by three different senior scouts in as short a time frame as possible prior to the game.

The reports are studied and particularly when it is felt that there is a good chance that you're going to be up against it, formations are modified in order to stifle the opponents. Managers will tell you that they prefer to concentrate on their own strengths rather than worry about the opposition. Sounds great in theory but if you are struggling towards the foot of the table and about to visit a rampant Manchester United you are unlikely to pick three up top, even if the three strikers are part of your best eleven.

The scenario above is a classic example of an occasion when a manager will try and keep everyone happy. Not only the players in question but also the supporters who want to see those three strikers on the park. Nobody wants to support a side that digs a moat around the edge of its eighteen yard box and pulls up the drawbridge. The option often taken is as described in the first paragraph and you see it time and time again at all levels of football. Pick the players, choose the system and mould the players into the system. In this instance the answer would to be to play 4-5-1 with two of the strikers filling the wide midfield berths.

They would be encouraged to 'bomb on' when the team has controlled possession and in particular to be in the box whenever an attack is mounted down the opposite flank. Defensively they would be told to get their shape whenever the ball is lost and make sure they are behind the ball and denying their opponents time and space.

Again, sounds great in theory but invariably it just doesn't work. Defensively, in order to avoid the full back being isolated in a 4-5-1 formation the wide man has to track back. Strikers think that tracking back is a feature on their DVD remote control! When they do track back and a striker finds himself tackling in his own defensive third or heaven forbid in his own box you can expect more whistles than Paris Hilton in a string bikini.

It is alien to them and consequently they tend to be lousy at it. It makes far more sense to get the balance and shape of the team right. Play two dedicated wide players who understand the role and run with just the one striker up top. If it works - great, if not - there will be two fresh strikers, both chomping at the bit and ready to come on and help salvage a point.

Recently three of the right backs of the big four have been players playing out of position due to injuries at their respective clubs. Two of them (Toure and Carragher) are centre backs whilst Essien is a defensive midfielder. I think in situations like this players are willing to play wherever they are selected in order to aid the team but I did find the decision to play Essien at full back somewhat strange. It is a completely different role, the full back is there to stop the cross and it is a big ask for someone who is used to full frontal ball winning to be effective in the tackle on the half turn. He has done a sterling job but I bet he will be pleased to see Paulo Ferreira back in the starting line up at full back, providing he gets his midfield slot back!

Chelsea look to have given themselves a mountain to climb in the title race and perhaps punters should be looking at the Champions League as the best chance of success for the men from Stamford Bridge. Manchester United are the footballing marmite, you either love them or hate them depending on whether you were born in say...Newcastle or Liverpool as opposed to say.... Vancouver or Seoul!

However, you cannot deny that Sir Alex's men have been awesome lately but being a Geordie born non marmite eater, I will be opposing them in the Champions League. There is little between the other three semi finalists in the win market and it is a tough one to call. Chelsea are [4.5] and Liverpool stand at [4.9]. I think Liverpool being as short as they are is a testament to their pedigree in the competition and the fact that Torres would win every player of the year award available if Ronaldo was plying his trade in a different country. I'm going for Chelsea though, they may be dour and at times drab but they showed last year in the FA Cup Final that they can beat United in a one-off big occasion.

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