Centre Halves - Stay In The Middle

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Harvster

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26 May 2011
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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.
 
You better tell Pep that it doesn't work and that he should hand back all those titles he's won doing it.
 
"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.
 
when i was a kid playing football i just wanted the ball,any footballer worth his salt should be the same no matter what the position,the same when it comes to scoring goals all the team should be chipping in total football its not a new idea i dont understand how a pro footballer cant do everything pass shoot tackle left foot right foot and neither does pep viva la revolution again
 
Harvster said:
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.
Click to expand...
You can't have watch a single Pep Guardiola game have you?
 
Harvster said:
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.
Click to expand...

I agree and also 4 4 2 with two proper wingers and a big un up front
 
Better get used to it, to my knowledge a centerpiece to his buildup play since he first started managing, has a name to it probably- don't remember..
 
ped said:
when i was a kid playing football i just wanted the ball,any footballer worth his salt should be the same no matter what the position,the same when it comes to scoring goals all the team should be chipping in total football its not a new idea i dont understand how a pro footballer cant do everything pass shoot tackle left foot right foot and neither does pep viva la revolution again
Click to expand...
i agree.
 
Harvster said:
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.
Click to expand...
They might give their heads a wobble, but they certainly wont be giving their trophy cabinets one...
 
ped said:
when i was a kid playing football i just wanted the ball,any footballer worth his salt should be the same no matter what the position,the same when it comes to scoring goals all the team should be chipping in total football its not a new idea i dont understand how a pro footballer cant do everything pass shoot tackle left foot right foot and neither does pep viva la revolution again
Click to expand...



Notice Joe's cameo and special guest appearance by Tony Coleman !
 
dennishasdoneit said:
They might give their heads a wobble, but they certainly wont be giving their trophy cabinets one...
Click to expand...

Hmmm I watched every one of those centre halves and many more starting with Dave Ewing and they gave a lot for City without much reward in money or medals. You seem to be denigrating this for a new system by a new manager which we have not seen work in action properly, even if you watched the friendlies where we had a number of problems, admittedly not aided with injuries. Pep has won many trophies with many players but he has not managed our defenders and the rest of the team yet.

Generally speaking (ie I am not just aiming this at you) far too many people seem to think new players, new managers and new systems are guaranteed to work - life just ain't like that especially where City are concerned. So many have this silly blind faith that everything is going to be perfect even before a ball has been kicked. I have seen far too many false dawns to cheer before we have even kicked off. Leave the naive blind faith to them down the road - it suits them better.

Let's all just wait and see with guarded optimism rather than take the piss out of comments by other City fans just because they have concerns/observations/opinions that do not tally with your own and that everything connected with Pep is automatically going to be perfect. It ain't because this is City.
 
Harvster said:
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.
Click to expand...

When the central defender's split the pivote(the defensive midfielder) drops back to receive the ball and the full backs push up. That's why the pivote role is so important because that player needs to have good passing as he sets up the attacks. Dino is playing there now but I wouldn't be surprised if Pep brings someone else in to do that role
 
Look, this might be a bit out there, but I reckon Pep Guardiola probably knows a bit more than most of us about positioning and coaching.

So maybe we should try it his way and see how it goes.
 
BigOscar said:
You better tell Pep that it doesn't work and that he should hand back all those titles he's won doing it.
Click to expand...

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ws01 said:
Look, this might be a bit out there, but I reckon Pep Guardiola probably knows a bit more than most of us about positioning and coaching.

So maybe we should try it his way and see how it goes.
Click to expand...
What?? Away with your radical ideas man, Charles Hughes and POMO is where it's at!

Anyhow, of those listed by the OP Tommy Booth would have had no problem in a Pep team, and nor would Dave Watson who could pick a 50 yard pass as well as any midfielder.
 
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