CATS: STICK OR TWIST WITH 3-5-2 SYSTEM?
SUNDERLAND HAVE BENEFITED FROM A THREE-MAN CENTRAL DEFENCE, SO SHOULD BOSS DAVID MOYES LOOK TO
shifts in on the flanks, with only Adam Lallana running further in the game.
Januzaj and Defoe worked in tandem, and, while Liverpool created plenty of opportunities, they were more than matched.
The big challenge would be to keep the ball better against lower-placed sides happier to sit deep and let Sunderland come onto them.
A three-man attack
Most Sunderland teams in recent years have shaped up in a 4-3-3 of some form.
It is a system that he has seen them both descend into the abyss and rise out of it against all the odds.
How would it work for Moyes?
First and foremost, it would surely see Fabio Borini back in his best position, playing off the left as an inside forward, with Januzaj on the right. Moyes wants to keep Januzaj central, but the beauty of 4-3-3 is that it can easily become a diamond in possession, Borini moving up front alongside Defoe and Januzaj dropping into the number 10 position.
Perhaps this system would be a good pick when Lee Cattermole or Jan Kirchhoff can be the defensive screen, allowing Didier Ndong to get in advanced positions and press.
Whichever of the three Moyes settles on, the most important part is getting the intensity out of his team every game, in both the pressing, concentration and off the ball organisation. After that, it is simply a case of finding the balance that best serves a quick transition to attack and getting bodies alongside Defoe.