| "That" press for the 2nd goal... 21:25 - Dec 7 with 1728 views | W7Ranger |
Seen some reports/commentary saying that the 2nd goal was a West Brom mistake. I disagree. I think this was a really good "team" goal for us.
The press started with Buzz chasing the defender to quickly pass to the left back, then Dembele closing down to cut off anything down the left side and forcing him to pass it back inside to the CB, then Madsen and Kone quickly closed him down, forcing a pass that Kone managed to block and Buzz done the rest.
Brilliant play from us more than it was bad play from West Brom. Worked an absolute treat! |  | | |  |
| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 21:32 - Dec 7 with 1687 views | bosh67 |
We have the pace to do this a lot more often. |  |
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| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 21:42 - Dec 7 with 1600 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Agree completely, W7.
We hunted much better yesterday, as a unit. Our back four allowed us to push up more, I thought - it had enough pace for us to push the defensive line up. |  |
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| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 22:25 - Dec 7 with 1413 views | stainrods_elbow |
It was a bit of both, I think. The question is why we've not been doing it more effectively/often. |  |
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| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 23:30 - Dec 7 with 1297 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 21:32 - Dec 7 by bosh67 |
We have the pace to do this a lot more often. |
We kind of do...
We have the pace up front, but we don't have the squad or the fitness to do a full team press/hunt.
For a press to work, the whole team has to push up and stay compact.
That's our game plan - "4-3-3, possession-based, mid-block/high press football" - but we haven't recruited players who can play that way.
Our two central midfielders have only produced if they play deep.
a lot of our defenders are slow, and can only play well if we play four centre-backs in a line, with no space behind and with two deep central midfielders in front of them.
Yesterday, we got as close to a high defensive line, compact lines and no spaces as we could with this squad:
Nardi in Goal - not a sweeper-keeper, not great with his feet, but probably our best in that role?
Mbengue at RB - pace.
RND at LB - some pace.
JCS at CB - ball-playing and some pace.
Dunne at CB - ball-playing and some pace.
That allowed us to push up, and meant that Varane and Madsen had bodies all around them to protect them. Spaces between our players were restricted. Off and on the ball we were a team.
And, crucially, it allowed us all to press, to hunt as a team.
Most of this season, we have not been able to push up defense or midfield because of this lack of pace, so we often only committed two players to a fake press, just to keep oppo defences back for a few seconds so we could set the two back lines. Then those two - normally Burrell and Koné - dropped very quick into our banks of 442 or 451 defensive low block. From there we tried to hit on the counter.
Yesterday, because we were higher and together, we could add the wingers to the hunt, and even a central midfielder occasionally.
It's why I enjoyed both halfs yesterday.
But it was also noticeable that it fell apart late on.
We were stretched, huge gaps between lines, players isolated, spaces everywhere.
Possible factors:
1) Cook, brought on as a sub as JCS tired, too slow, so the back line had to drop.
2) Other lines didn't drop with them - the back line had two captains in it, when they dropped, they should have brought the other lines with them, abandoned the high press and dropped into our usual low block.
3) Fitness. Again. When players and teams start making poor and/or individual decisions that's normally fitness.
I'd love to see more of it. But I fear that we are one or two subs/injuries away from returning to low-block and fake press. Because we just don't have the squad or the fitness right now for anything else. | |
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| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 23:37 - Dec 7 with 1271 views | SydneyRs |
I read the BBC report first and it put all 3 of our goals down to poor defending while describing the brilliance of the WBA goal. Almost made it sound like we were lucky. Maybe the writer is a WBA fan?
The first, a pinpoint cross superbly delivered and a textbook header giving the keeper no chance. The others down to effective pressing causing panic and the modern day refusal by defenders to smack it into the stands when under that kind of pressure. [Post edited 7 Dec 23:58]
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| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 18:03 - Dec 8 with 821 views | nick_hammersmith |
Are we calling him Buzz now, did I miss a memo? |  | | |
| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 19:21 - Dec 8 with 708 views | FDC |
| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 18:03 - Dec 8 by nick_hammersmith |
Are we calling him Buzz now, did I miss a memo? |
Yeah this keeps catching me out too. I can't get on board with it, too much of a stretch. I mean, not Agyemang -> Dave levels, but still |  | | |
| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 19:39 - Dec 8 with 655 views | kensalriser |
Buzz is Buzsaky as far as I'm concerned. |  |
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| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 21:54 - Dec 8 with 492 views | stevec |
Getting dispossessed trying to pass out your own area is always a mistake in my book, there’s a half way line you could have kicked it past any day of the week. |  | | |
| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 22:08 - Dec 8 with 442 views | DannyPaddox |
Just before we scored I remarked on the number of players we had forward who appeared to be involved in a co-ordinated press and I thought we’ve done the research on how they play and we have a plan to exploit it. And just as I was thinking ‘QPR -plan -tactics -don’t be silly’ … we scored. |  | | |
| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 22:12 - Dec 8 with 419 views | stainrods_elbow |
Interesting tactical commentary, though it's a bit confusing you say lots of our defenders are slow, then identify four who have (some) pace.
Re fitness, the question for JS and his staff is WHY we aren't fit(ter)? There surely isn't some ineluctable reason why we can't press properly and, as far as possible, as a team. Whether it's a lack of effort, organisation or ambition/desire (which the manager belatedly is now emphasising - good!), or all three, I'm not sure.
The Norwich and WBA games gave us our two maddening extremes. A lot now depends on what these players want to be - frustrating and feckless, or gutsy and aspirational. | |
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| "That" press for the 2nd goal... on 22:37 - Dec 8 with 372 views | digswellhoop |
we out agin | | | |
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