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Our inability to set up properly for big games
- Thread starter bluegaz13
- Start date
Lancet Fluke
Well-Known Member
My only hope for Spurs is that the injury to Silva will force him to pick a midfield that will be much more industrious and push Yaya further forward. At least if we can press them in midfield then the high line might not be exposed quite as badly. Then again I thought that when Navas got injured but he still managed to shuffle things around so that he could shoe horn Yaya into the middle. The more I think about the team he put out and where on the pitch he had particular players operating, the more insane it looks considering he must have known exactly what Leicester were going to do.The high defensive line absolutely requires the midfield and forwards (plus the full backs) to pressure the opposition midfield and defence. That prevents them having time on the ball and getting it to their forwards. But we didn't do that and their midfield were able to play the ball with ease.
But even playing a high-line against Leicester was utterly stupid and shows up the complete disregard for thinking about our opponents from our coaching team. We knew they would cede possession and look to hit us on the break. They've won 5 out of 6 games against the top 8 teams playing that way (and 0 out of 4 at home). So you play a flatter back four (with Clichy & Sagna who are better defensively and quicker) and bring them back 10 yards. You maybe even start Fernando in front of them for extra cover against the runs of Vardy and Mahrez. You don't have to worry about the space between our defence and midfield because it won't really be contested or exploited.
If a coach who is paid millions a year can't or won't see that then we're better off without him. Spurs will be more of the same on Sunday except their defence will be higher than Leicester's. They'll press us in midfield, will break at speed and we won't have the answer again.
Lancet Fluke
Well-Known Member
Ok. So if they hadn't scored that early goal how do you think the match would have panned out. To me it looked like they could carve out a half decent opportunity every time they attacked, I'm not sure that would have changed had we managed to clear that early free kick.The tactics against Leicester were totally reliant on not conceding an early goal.....
Pellegrini clearly picked Zabaleta and Kolarov in the hope that we'd sit on them and break them down whilst taking the risk of the counter attack. The problem with that was not only the risk of conceding first but also that we haven't got the energy in the team at present to press high up when we lose the ball-as the second goal showed. Yes, it ended up being a mess.
Prestwich_Blue
Well-Known Member
Just seen that Kante, who is essentially a defensive midfield player, had half of his touches in our half. That alone shows our use of the high line was utterly farcical. If we'd operated it correctly he should have been pinned in his own half most of the time.
Neville Kneville
Well-Known Member
My hope v Spurs is that we nick a goal. I don't think they are a great football team at all, they are just mainly big & athletic. Like us, they have been nothing special against anyone half decent & are only where they are due to bullying shit teams.
Hopefully even Pellegrini will realise the importance of this game. We outpassed them easily last time & should do it again if we bother to turn up. Nick a goal & then make them come out. Then if we are sensible, they are fucked.
This of course requires the manager to accept we are actually fighting for the title & not playing a pre season friendly thus plan accordingly. But surely the penny has dropped even with him after Saturday ?
Hopefully even Pellegrini will realise the importance of this game. We outpassed them easily last time & should do it again if we bother to turn up. Nick a goal & then make them come out. Then if we are sensible, they are fucked.
This of course requires the manager to accept we are actually fighting for the title & not playing a pre season friendly thus plan accordingly. But surely the penny has dropped even with him after Saturday ?
kippaxblue76
Well-Known Member
Anyone with half a football brain could see after the first few minutes it wasn't working, Delph on the left ? a slow back 4 with a high line ? no pressing when we lost possession ?
I know he was limited with team selection but i couldn't believe what i was seeing, 2 quicker more athletic fullbacks, back 4 drop off 10 yards, Delph and Dinho in front of them with Silva and Sterling wide, Yaya behind Aguero. I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but the lads we sit with pretty much all said the same thing before it even kicked off. No thought for the opposition whatsoever and towards the end of the game i couldn't even tell who was playing where, shambles.
I know he was limited with team selection but i couldn't believe what i was seeing, 2 quicker more athletic fullbacks, back 4 drop off 10 yards, Delph and Dinho in front of them with Silva and Sterling wide, Yaya behind Aguero. I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but the lads we sit with pretty much all said the same thing before it even kicked off. No thought for the opposition whatsoever and towards the end of the game i couldn't even tell who was playing where, shambles.
BlueAnorak
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31 Oct 2010
- Messages
- 28,103
Colin you are 100% spot on. Lets hope lazy YaYa is on the bench (or playing AM) and we actually play like we did against Sevilla - as you descibe above.The high defensive line absolutely requires the midfield and forwards (plus the full backs) to pressure the opposition midfield and defence. That prevents them having time on the ball and getting it to their forwards. But we didn't do that and their midfield were able to play the ball with ease.
But even playing a high-line against Leicester was utterly stupid and shows up the complete disregard for thinking about our opponents from our coaching team. We knew they would cede possession and look to hit us on the break. They've won 5 out of 6 games against the top 8 teams playing that way (and 0 out of 4 at home). So you play a flatter back four (with Clichy & Sagna who are better defensively and quicker) and bring them back 10 yards. You maybe even start Fernando in front of them for extra cover against the runs of Vardy and Mahrez. You don't have to worry about the space between our defence and midfield because it won't really be contested or exploited.
If a coach who is paid millions a year can't or won't see that then we're better off without him. Spurs will be more of the same on Sunday except their defence will be higher than Leicester's. They'll press us in midfield, will break at speed and we won't have the answer again.
kippaxblue76
Well-Known Member
My hope v Spurs is that we nick a goal. I don't think they are a great football team at all, they are just mainly big & athletic. Like us, they have been nothing special against anyone half decent & are only where they are due to bullying shit teams.
Hopefully even Pellegrini will realise the importance of this game. We outpassed them easily last time & should do it again if we bother to turn up. Nick a goal & then make them come out. Then if we are sensible, they are fucked.
This of course requires the manager to accept we are actually fighting for the title & not playing a pre season friendly thus plan accordingly. But surely the penny has dropped even with him after Saturday ?
I wouldn't bet on it.