I’m not sure it is an institutional problem. Koeman reverted to a back 3 in certain games in order for us to get out of a rut. I presume that is why Pellegrino tried 3 at the back in the League cup, so that we had practiced another style of play if it were required.
I am a big supporter of manager’s/tactics that address the strengths and style of the opposition. I hate the old addage about ‘concentrate on your own game’ because that is fool hardy. Last season we didn’t address the way Chelsea play and we didn’t man mark Hazard like Utd did a week or so before with great success. Instead he scored against us within about 5 minutes and it was totally avoidable and poor defending.
So in summary, I don’t think the club’s philosphy is the problem. I feel we just have a collective group of players in the attacking midfield area, who are simultaneously not playing very well at present. The reasons for which have been long debated on here. The personnel is also not especially complimentary of each other right now. Tadic and Redmond are too similar in the way that they play, in terms of neither being especially direct or looking to make runs beyond the front man. Mane did both and his loss his perhaps the biggest to our game that we have had over the years.