Bus Parking...

[BlueAnorak]

I think we can safely say that Aguero on the left wing and Gundogan instead of Silva doesn't work.
Bernardo coming on did the trick - even though they scored just after he came on. Took away a marker from KDB so he could threaten more. Both Silvas together were very impressive at the end.

 

[mccity]

What's sad is that literally all the big teams struggle with this and there's nothing they can do. And what's even sadder is that most teams, even the rubbish ones, are capable of pulling it off.

Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal and even United at times have come unstuck against sides this season to some extent by teams parking the bus.


The legendary Barcelona side of Pep failed in two CL campaigns and both were against sides that parked the bus.


In general the only tactic that works is scoring first and scoring early enough to put doubt into the bus parking side and make them open up a bit. If it drags on at 0-0 for too long (or worse 0-1) then the bus parking team knows what they're doing works and even at 1 down they'll keep it up.



What's really pathetic though is how this is almost exclusively an English thing. Not that others don't do it, but it happens loads over here. What are young English players supposed to learn for these teams playing that way? Is it any surprise that almost every English player not at a top 6 club is not fit for international football?


Also teams don't realise how bad it is long term to park the bus in one off games. By playing your normal game against better side helps you learn a bit about the strengths and deficiencies you have as a team. It provides you with invaluable experience as to how to play at a higher level (like City's first couple CL seasons for example). It provides them with another game to improve themselves and become better equipped with the manager's demands. Sure, you might lose to a team like City playing that way, but as we've seen this season teams are losing to teams like City parking the bus anyway. But playing nice football and losing might be really helpful in that next relegation 6 pointer you have being able to actually play football.

Look at Watford. They've lost this season to us, Chelsea and United, conceding a lot of goals in the process. But in each game they've played nice football and given it a go. And it turned out playing that way helped them beat Arsenal and almost beat Liverpool, which is more than can be said for the bus parkers. And look where they are in the table too.

 

[blueinsa]

Never quite get it when posters can claim a flat back 10 as some sort of clever tactic?

Any **** and I do mean any **** could tell his team to defend in this way.

No one is reinventing the wheel here or even stopping us by adopting such tactics and I use that word loosely!

 

[citizenyank76]

Pep was obviously telling Redmond he was too talented a player to get on a bus like that. Har har har!

 

[Gabriel]

Deeply dislike the way the media champion parking the bus. Plucky, unlucky, organized, two great chances (from corners).

Why not ask, "Is that what you dreamed of when becoming a professional player/manager?"?

 

[Patientman63]

What's sad is that literally all the big teams struggle with this and there's nothing they can do. And what's even sadder is that most teams, even the rubbish ones, are capable of pulling it off.

Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal and even United at times have come unstuck against sides this season to some extent by teams parking the bus.


The legendary Barcelona side of Pep failed in two CL campaigns and both were against sides that parked the bus.


In general the only tactic that works is scoring first and scoring early enough to put doubt into the bus parking side and make them open up a bit. If it drags on at 0-0 for too long (or worse 0-1) then the bus parking team knows what they're doing works and even at 1 down they'll keep it up.



What's really pathetic though is how this is almost exclusively an English thing. Not that others don't do it, but it happens loads over here. What are young English players supposed to learn for these teams playing that way? Is it any surprise that almost every English player not at a top 6 club is not fit for international football?


Also teams don't realise how bad it is long term to park the bus in one off games. By playing your normal game against better side helps you learn a bit about the strengths and deficiencies you have as a team. It provides you with invaluable experience as to how to play at a higher level (like City's first couple CL seasons for example). It provides them with another game to improve themselves and become better equipped with the manager's demands. Sure, you might lose to a team like City playing that way, but as we've seen this season teams are losing to teams like City parking the bus anyway. But playing nice football and losing might be really helpful in that next relegation 6 pointer you have being able to actually play football.

Look at Watford. They've lost this season to us, Chelsea and United, conceding a lot of goals in the process. But in each game they've played nice football and given it a go. And it turned out playing that way helped them beat Arsenal and almost beat Liverpool, which is more than can be said for the bus parkers. And look where they are in the table too.

Good post, completely agree

 

[Newman Noggs]

What's really pathetic though is how this is almost exclusively an English thing. Not that others don't do it, but it happens loads over here. What are young English players supposed to learn for these teams playing that way? Is it any surprise that almost every English player not at a top 6 club is not fit for .

This. Everyone associated with English football should be praying for City to win the league and drag our game into the 21st century. Look at how Sterling, Stones, Walker and even Delph have come on under proper coaching. If Pep could improve every English player, we'd have some international team.

It's noticeable what a large proportion of the world-conquering, younger English teams are coming from our academy (and the rest from Chelsea's, to be fair). That is no coincidence. So the media should be kissing our feet for our youth system rather than bleating about it and championing our playing style above all others.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Better still, if that clown of a referee had actually added on the right amount of wasted time, they might have had 5 more minutes to equalise. Having disallowed the equaliser in the 4th minute, did he go down on his knees when we scored again, he f**king should have, the cheating twat.

After allowing timewasting, allowing their goal to stand which from telly (I'm in SS3) seemed to go out, disallowing a late goal for us which seems to have been airbrushed out of the media (would have made great TV on motd) so I can only conclude it was a legit goal, I'm surprised he didn't disallow the winner and give a free kick for the foul on keV only to blow up while messing with the wall.

 

[PragueBlue]

I think we can safely say that Aguero on the left wing and Gundogan instead of Silva doesn't work.
Bernardo coming on did the trick - even though they scored just after he came on. Took away a marker from KDB so he could threaten more. Both Silvas together were very impressive at the end.

I thought they scored after David came on and Bernardo came on later.

 

[Nightmare Walking]

We just have to dig in deep for a few months with the bus parkers. At the minute any point against us is seen as gold and teams are setting up to stop us. Thankfully we are finding ways to win, which we we were not last season.
Come January, when teams realise they are playing to avoid relegation or get into the top 4, they will not be able to park the bus as they will need to win. Plus those in mid table will have nothing to play for so will not play with the same intensity.
We are doing everything right at the minute, playing well, making chances, keeping the ball and finding ways to win. Let's just keep rolling on.