[Albion] Did… did we just play with a Libero?!

[SeagullinExile]

Agree with most of that. The BBC had Gross at right back in their formation and he was in the group of defenders in the Albion app team sheet. We noticed straight away he was very much NOT at right back. 'Gross is actually playing everywhere' said the bloke in front of us, correctly. So who was covering? There was Baleba. playing libero and doing it very well. A lot of space created by the underlapping but also defensive cover and an occasional quick break from Baleba's cover.

Where I disagree is the penalty. JPvH was put on skates by a body swerve before the penalty area. He slipped because the attacker beat him all ends up. Slightly lucky to stay on the pitch.

Nowhere near a red card offence. Igor was in a covering position and could easily of got a low block in.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

What language is "libero" and what does it translate to in english?

I believe it’s Italian and translates to “free” (lit. probably “liberated”), referring to the lack of man-marking responsibility required in the role. They are able to roam within their position (as shown when Baleba spotted an opportunity to press much further up the pitch).

I'm learning Italian at the moment (fingers crossed for a game in Italy at a massive ground I can get a ticket for in the next round).
It is from Italian, it does mean "free" in the sense of available, not busy or occupied etc.
A lot of interesting football words come from Italian because for some reason they tended to start from scratch instead of borrowing English words (hence them calling it Calcio for Kick rather than some italian-ised version of football).
I guess they're historically interested in tactics etc. so are more likely to invent positions and then name them, rather than the English method of gradually shifting a position's role but never actually changing the name.

A maledetta from the trequartista: deciphering Italian football

Can you really love football and not understand its Italian terminology? We don't think so. Learn it all, from calcio to Zona Cesarini.

www.unusualefforts.com

 

[Bakero]

I'm learning Italian at the moment (fingers crossed for a game in Italy at a massive ground I can get a ticket for in the next round).
It is from Italian, it does mean "free" in the sense of available, not busy or occupied etc.
A lot of interesting football words come from Italian because for some reason they tended to start from scratch instead of borrowing English words (hence them calling it Calcio for Kick rather than some italian-ised version of football).
I guess they're historically interested in tactics etc. so are more likely to invent positions and then name them, rather than the English method of gradually shifting a position's role but never actually changing the name.

A maledetta from the trequartista: deciphering Italian football

Can you really love football and not understand its Italian terminology? We don't think so. Learn it all, from calcio to Zona Cesarini.

www.unusualefforts.com

What's the Italian for "put it in the mixer" though?

I enjoyed this article a few years back on Italian football vocabulary https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...lian-football-premier-league-serie-a-language

 

[Guinness Boy]

Nowhere near a red card offence. Igor was in a covering position and could easily of got a low block in.

Just watched the highlights back again and you have a point. In real time the gap is huge for Janelt but Igor is behind JPvH all the time on the video and it's subjective enough if he'd have got over. Also, although Janelt gets him off balance early on as I said, he actually slips on his recovery run and not the tackle so @7dialssouthpaw has a point too. I still say we go one down from that move with or without the foul.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

What's the Italian for "put it in the mixer" though?

I enjoyed this article a few years back on Italian football vocabulary https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...lian-football-premier-league-serie-a-language

I think that comes up in Section 3 of the Duolingo course.

That's the article I was actually looking for when I wrote my previous post, I vaguely remember reading it at the time.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

What's the Italian for "put it in the mixer" though?

I enjoyed this article a few years back on Italian football vocabulary https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...lian-football-premier-league-serie-a-language

I bet they don't have a phrase for "put it into row Z". Uncivilised.

 

[Turkey]

A libero I see as being more Beckebauer-esque than where Baleba played.

I thought it was more of a defensive half-back and it worked very well

Agreed. Baleba took up that position in possession rather than out of possession.

 

[albionalex]

And also not sure if would work in the same way with Pervis back, which I know is a while away

Why wouldn't it?

 

[Brovion]

Libero?? Sounds like some sort of Lounge Suit Larry with his fur coat, gold chains sitting in his convertible Lincoln Continental with his arm on the window....

"Playing Libero is a lot like making love to a beautiful woman ..."

© Swiss Tony

 

[Bakero]

"Playing Libero is a lot like making love to a beautiful woman ..."

© Swiss Tony

First you slot in backwards, split the two big fellas, take control of ball, and proceed to spray it around.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

What language is "libero" and what does it translate to in english?

I think it's Welsh for raumdeuter

 

[jcdenton08]

Will it happen again? I really hope so, unbelievably FLAIR. I like Baleba there because of his pace. Dunk in for Van Hecke and Verbruggen in for Steele for me, otherwise unchanged in shape.

Groß at left back/number ten is bonkers but really effective.

 

[AmexRuislip]

With Dunk as the libero? Yes, could well be an idea.

Would be good, as long as he doesn't call libero a bald ****

 

[boik]

Would be good, as long as he doesn't call libero a bald ****

Don't really think Lewis has the pace for that role, talented though he is.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Will it happen again? I really hope so, unbelievably FLAIR. I like Baleba there because of his pace. Dunk in for Van Hecke and Verbruggen in for Steele for me, otherwise unchanged in shape.

Groß at left back/number ten is bonkers but really effective.

It’s the kind of thing I wish journalists would ask about, instead of the inane stuff that normally comes out. Ask some interesting stuff about tactical roles and team systems/shapes.

 

[GoingUp]

I really thought we missed Baleba in midfield today, as I said in another thread I thought he did OK in this 'Libero' role but our CM was virtually non existent in the first half and easily overrun.

 

[Weststander]

I really thought we missed Baleba in midfield today, as I said in another thread I thought he did OK in this 'Libero' role but our CM was virtually non existent in the first half and easily overrun.

My view too, allowing their pacey and dangerous ACM Amdouni to run past our slower CM’ers for fun.

 

[GoingUp]

My view too, allowing their pacey and dangerous ACM Amdouni to run past our slower CM’ers for fun.

The CM was open for anyone to run though, Gross could had ran through a CM like ours today!

Our whole side was so slow and ponderous, Milner played well but Odobert was having a field day down the left wing.