Style of Play

[Nelly's Left Foot]

I found it interesting to compare the various teams and the way they play. We all saw the first team against Roma play with 2 up front which seems to be Pellegrini's preferred way but the EDS in the afternoon played with a 4.3.3 approach with Pozo up top and Barker wide one side and Ambrose wide on the other.

Wouldn't it be the norm for the "reserve" and other youth sides to mirror the way the first team plays? Even with that set up we have Pozo dropping quite deep and seeming to have a free rain as the front man. Ambrose on the right is really a striker as well but given that specific role.

It's not that we play massively differently as all the teams I see look to play the ball on the ground and try very hard not to just lump balls forward but play around the back before looking to find space in midfield and work the ball forwards.

 

[BigOscar]

It does seem very odd that we make such a big deal about playing the same way throughout the entire academy, yet it's not what the first team does. It seems a strange thing to do, especially as Pellegrini in the past has had no problem playing that system.

 

[sam-caddick]

It does seem very odd that we make such a big deal about playing the same way throughout the entire academy, yet it's not what the first team does. It seems a strange thing to do, especially as Pellegrini in the past has had no problem playing that system.

The formations may be different but the style of play is still very similar.

- Attacking fullbacks making overlaps very reminiscent of Zabaleta and Kolarov.

- Ball playing central defenders

- strategic possession build up

- creative attacking midfielders in and around the box finding the pass

- central midfielder playing the ticker role switching play like Toure

The only difference between the youth sides from the games I have watched is that we don't play two up top and there is maybe more wing play in the youth sides because of the additions of more out and out wingers like Barker, everything else is very similar.

 

[MeatHunterrr]

It does seem very odd that we make such a big deal about playing the same way throughout the entire academy, yet it's not what the first team does. It seems a strange thing to do, especially as Pellegrini in the past has had no problem playing that system.

The formations may be different but the style of play is still very similar.

- Attacking fullbacks making overlaps very reminiscent of Zabaleta and Kolarov.

- Ball playing central defenders

- strategic possession build up

- creative attacking midfielders in and around the box finding the pass

- central midfielder playing the ticker role switching play like Toure

The only difference between the youth sides from the games I have watched is that we don't play two up top and there is maybe more wing play in the youth sides because of the additions of more out and out wingers like Barker, everything else is very similar.

I dont often agree with you, but this is spot on. As long as the STYLE is the same, the formation doesn't matter. I would be concerned if different formation but also different style e.g rigid, fullbacks not going forward often etc.

 

[BigOscar]

It does seem very odd that we make such a big deal about playing the same way throughout the entire academy, yet it's not what the first team does. It seems a strange thing to do, especially as Pellegrini in the past has had no problem playing that system.

The formations may be different but the style of play is still very similar.

- Attacking fullbacks making overlaps very reminiscent of Zabaleta and Kolarov.

- Ball playing central defenders

- strategic possession build up

- creative attacking midfielders in and around the box finding the pass

- central midfielder playing the ticker role switching play like Toure

The only difference between the youth sides from the games I have watched is that we don't play two up top and there is maybe more wing play in the youth sides because of the additions of more out and out wingers like Barker, everything else is very similar.

They may attack in a similar style, but the youth sides defend in a completely different way to the first team. They look to press high up the pitch, pressing as a team with a coherent plan for how their midfield defends, which doesn't seem to be anywhere present in the first team. The youth side look like they are trying to play as a unit, with everyone knowing what their role is in each siutation, which is surely what we should be teaching, but our first team seem far more into just leaving players to try and win individual battles defensively.

 

[lindy64]

Interesting watching yesterday because I am not a regular youth team watcher but certainly as the first half went on we generally only had one central defender (Adarabioyo) and that seemed to be the plan.
I assume that was because we had a lot of possession but the tactics were a lot more flexible than the first team.

 

[Neville Kneville]

They said that the theory behind all the academy teams playing a pass & move 4-3-3 system, is that it teaches them all they need to know in order to adapt to whatever system the first team manager decides to operate. That's Txiki's thinking anyway.

It has been said that Wilcox had one of the younger kids' teams switching to a Guardiola Barca style 3-4-3 on occasion in the past.