Centre Halves - Stay In The Middle

[Bluebee2]

I bet the OP was pulling his hair out on Saturday night

 

[inbetween]

Watching our centre halves sprinting towards their respective corner flags as the ball goes out for a goal kick in order to receive a short ball off the keeper leaves me dumbfounded. The clue is in the name - stay in the middle. That is, the position of maximum danger from the opposition.
I'm all for a short kick out when the correct occasion arises, but not as a matter of course and 99% of the time it should be to a full back, leaving our middle men to fill an otherwise suicidal chasm.
Continued use of this tactic will have entirely predictable consequences; it's hardly rocket science to guess that our opponents will simply push 5 or 6 players up (like Liverpool did at our place last season), then sweep up when mayhem ensues.
Don't make unnecessary problems for yourself by messing about at the back, when there is so little gain by doing it.
I dread to think what stalwarts like Watson, Booth, Vonky or Dunney make of this cunning plan. Me thinks they are giving their heads a wobble.

It is a dangerous tactic when you have people who aren't comfortable on the ball or panic when pressed. This is though why we signed Stones, some of his passes into midfield under pressure were sublime and it is also why we are now trying to get a goalkeeper who can do the same.

The point is you draw the pressing onto your centre halves and they then distribute the ball into the full backs in midfield instead of going sideways to them and starting attacks literally from the back. It negates the need to have a second holding midfield too freeing up another space for a winger. Playing against a flat back 4 means you can predictably maintain pressing depending on where the ball goes but playing against a 4 where 2 of them are stood behind you in midfield means you have to think first and Sunderland found it difficult in the first half.

After that once the ball gets into midfield you effectively outnumber the opposition because the full backs can start attacks from there out wide or through the middle. Mancini had us playing similar but this system seems a lot more flexible where the full backs have the freedom to play centrally if need be. We also don't seem to have a lynchpin like we had with De Jong under Mancini so we are a bit open to counters but we'll see how it works out.

It is innovative and seemed to work until we dropped the pace a bit allowing them to get away with not bothering to press but that intensity will come in time. Their goal only came about because of an error in positioning really, other than that we kept them very quiet.

 

[Credo]

Watching our centre halves sprinting towards their respective corner flags as the ball goes out for a goal kick in order to receive a short ball off the keeper leaves me dumbfounded. The clue is in the name - stay in the middle. That is, the position of maximum danger from the opposition.
I'm all for a short kick out when the correct occasion arises, but not as a matter of course and 99% of the time it should be to a full back, leaving our middle men to fill an otherwise suicidal chasm.
Continued use of this tactic will have entirely predictable consequences; it's hardly rocket science to guess that our opponents will simply push 5 or 6 players up (like Liverpool did at our place last season), then sweep up when mayhem ensues.
Don't make unnecessary problems for yourself by messing about at the back, when there is so little gain by doing it.
I dread to think what stalwarts like Watson, Booth, Vonky or Dunney make of this cunning plan. Me thinks they are giving their heads a wobble.

CBs like everybody else will do what Pep tells them to do. Pep will tell them how to get the ball into the last third or quarter of the pitch then it's up to them.

 

[shevtheblue]

1 official game in and people complaining about change already, we NEEDED change, this is exactly what is required. This is another option, be prepared to see about 4 or 5 different formations in one game, never mind in one season.

 

[citytillidie24]

Watching our centre halves sprinting towards their respective corner flags as the ball goes out for a goal kick in order to receive a short ball off the keeper leaves me dumbfounded. The clue is in the name - stay in the middle. That is, the position of maximum danger from the opposition.
I'm all for a short kick out when the correct occasion arises, but not as a matter of course and 99% of the time it should be to a full back, leaving our middle men to fill an otherwise suicidal chasm.
Continued use of this tactic will have entirely predictable consequences; it's hardly rocket science to guess that our opponents will simply push 5 or 6 players up (like Liverpool did at our place last season), then sweep up when mayhem ensues.
Don't make unnecessary problems for yourself by messing about at the back, when there is so little gain by doing it.
I dread to think what stalwarts like Watson, Booth, Vonky or Dunney make of this cunning plan. Me thinks they are giving their heads a wobble.

Really hoping you got through Saturday okay... The greatest manager in the modern era didn't listen to a word you've said. What a bastard.

 

[jay_mcfc]

You'd have thought that after two years of mundane shite with MP where the attacking players just passed it sideways all the time because the opponents had so many defenders in place, that fans would be looking forward to this.

Did you see how much better Sterling looked on Saturday? That is a direct result of having more space and more one-on-one opportunities to go at players. They are the two main principles of this style; create mis-matches / numerical advantages and create space. I am sure he will be excited to see English teams rush us and try to close us down high up the pitch because one good pass and it's show time.

 

[Silva_Spell]

"opponents will simply push 5 or 6 players up (like Liverpool did at our place last season), then sweep up when mayhem ensues".
This is exactly why you need defenders who can play out from the back, you exploit the space left by said Liverpool players as opposed to dunne vonk etc kicking ball back to them or in to touch and returning possession to opponents. We have the ball they can't score.

Exactly. The point is to draw in opponents, leaving space for the mids and forwards.

If the opposition doesn't press then you have easy possession.

Win-Win scenario ...if you have the GK+Defs to do it.

 

[lancs blue]

You'd have thought that after two years of mundane shite with MP where the attacking players just passed it sideways all the time because the opponents had so many defenders in place, that fans would be looking forward to this.

Did you see how much better Sterling looked on Saturday? That is a direct result of having more space and more one-on-one opportunities to go at players. They are the two main principles of this style; create mis-matches / numerical advantages and create space. I am sure he will be excited to see English teams rush us and try to close us down high up the pitch because one good pass and it's show time.

Stop talking sense. ;-)

The point about Sterling is particularly relevant, Pellegrini's style rarely played to his strengths last season.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Wait til he notices what the wing halves & inside forwards are getting up to.

 

[Happy Feet]

Watching our centre halves sprinting towards their respective corner flags as the ball goes out for a goal kick in order to receive a short ball off the keeper leaves me dumbfounded. The clue is in the name - stay in the middle. That is, the position of maximum danger from the opposition.
I'm all for a short kick out when the correct occasion arises, but not as a matter of course and 99% of the time it should be to a full back, leaving our middle men to fill an otherwise suicidal chasm.
Continued use of this tactic will have entirely predictable consequences; it's hardly rocket science to guess that our opponents will simply push 5 or 6 players up (like Liverpool did at our place last season), then sweep up when mayhem ensues.
Don't make unnecessary problems for yourself by messing about at the back, when there is so little gain by doing it.
I dread to think what stalwarts like Watson, Booth, Vonky or Dunney make of this cunning plan. Me thinks they are giving their heads a wobble.

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