Carver
Well-Known Member
FFS...
When we're playing 4-2-3-1 the full backs push up alternately. We have one DM (Yaya) who brings the ball out and distributes play and another screening the defence and helping them out with counter attacks when one of the full backs pushes up. That player is Barry, who has been out injured so far this season.
The opposition are taking advantage of breakdowns in forward play on our right (their left) where they are immediately past Zabba and playing cross field balls, sometimes via a deep lying striker over to someone in the old inside right position, who is then making mincemeat out of Kolarov, who is the weak link. When Barry is there, particularly with him being left footed, that side is protected more. On the right side Kompany usually reads the game well and this buys him time until Yaya ambles back to pick the ball up.
Rodwell still has to learn this role, he did okay against Southampton and better against QPR. De Jong was always better in a midfield battle than dealing with counter attacks, as our style evolved he lost out to the Barry/ Yaya partnership
You can't expect the full backs to retain the ball going forward in the same way that you'd expect Silva or Nasri to do so. We will look vulnerable at the moment because Barry is not there to mop up when the opposition are on the counter attack.
So, I'm not blaming anyone, it's something that other teams have picked up on and is working for them as we're missing Barry to shutter the defence up.
Liverpool was a different matter. We will only learn to play an attacking 3-4-1-2 game by playing it, but Bobby chose to try this approach against a team that we have always struggled against away from home when we weren't ready against a side as competitive as Liverpool were.
When we're playing 4-2-3-1 the full backs push up alternately. We have one DM (Yaya) who brings the ball out and distributes play and another screening the defence and helping them out with counter attacks when one of the full backs pushes up. That player is Barry, who has been out injured so far this season.
The opposition are taking advantage of breakdowns in forward play on our right (their left) where they are immediately past Zabba and playing cross field balls, sometimes via a deep lying striker over to someone in the old inside right position, who is then making mincemeat out of Kolarov, who is the weak link. When Barry is there, particularly with him being left footed, that side is protected more. On the right side Kompany usually reads the game well and this buys him time until Yaya ambles back to pick the ball up.
Rodwell still has to learn this role, he did okay against Southampton and better against QPR. De Jong was always better in a midfield battle than dealing with counter attacks, as our style evolved he lost out to the Barry/ Yaya partnership
You can't expect the full backs to retain the ball going forward in the same way that you'd expect Silva or Nasri to do so. We will look vulnerable at the moment because Barry is not there to mop up when the opposition are on the counter attack.
So, I'm not blaming anyone, it's something that other teams have picked up on and is working for them as we're missing Barry to shutter the defence up.
Liverpool was a different matter. We will only learn to play an attacking 3-4-1-2 game by playing it, but Bobby chose to try this approach against a team that we have always struggled against away from home when we weren't ready against a side as competitive as Liverpool were.