| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. 13:10 - Feb 8 with 4333 views | Parlay |
I couldn't give a monkeys chuff if i get slated for this by the positive no matter what brigade so don't waste your breath...
This is a massive issue for us now and cant understand why it isn't being addressed. We have the potential to play teams off the park, striker aside we have the best squad we have ever had. Yet we are deploying really silly defensive tactics that not only cause the initial problem of too much time and space for the opposition but breeds other problems as a result. Yesterday was a prime example.
1) When you press to win the ball back at every opportunity it gets the crowd up for a start and adds some urgency into the game and resulting attacks. Something we are lacking.
2) It then allows you to have more of the ball. It is no coincidence that our possession game has taken a nose dive this year. I haven't checked the stats but id say on average we are a good 10% down on average on the previous years.
3) Due to having more of the ball you are more comfortable in possession. Again its no coincidence our passing game has looked a bit meek this year and we seem to give the ball away far more often. This is simply because we don't have it as much and haven't got comfortable with it.
4) When you press and win the ball back high up the field you catch the opposition out of shape and there are gaps for us to attack. Yesterday whenever we had the ball, it seemed to come from the natural progression of that particular Sunderland attack coming to an end. Which means when we did get it back they were already set up in their shape again.
5) it is no coincidence that many times yesterday the attack stalled to pedestrian pace and on a few occasions (Cork, Dyer and Montero) stopped with the ball completely mid way through an attack completely out of ideas who to pass to ahead of him as they were all marked or double marked in some cases.
6) now onto the direct result of not pressing. Yesterday we were in control of the game, yes is was 0-0 but we were creating some chances. Not as many as we could have if we pressed but we still were creating some. Yet we completely stand off Defoe, allow him as much space as he wanted (I think i counted 6 defenders in his vicinity) and he did what he was always going to do and smash one in as he has been doing year after year at this level.
It seems something so easy to rectify and so obvious to need to change to get the best out of our squad, but cant help feeling it is being persevered with because that is the personal stamp that Garry has put on things.
I have championed Monk from the start and continue to do so, but this is one frustrating aspect that doesn't seem to be noted or refuses to be noted.
Obsessors... The floor is yours. |  |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 13:20 - Feb 8 with 2869 views | PozuelosSideys |
It depends. Its horses for courses isnt it?
The whole shape thing worked very, very well for the first 10 or so games of the season, then teams (particularly the better ones) figured it out and found ways around it. Chelsea with their technically superior players found it easy. Many of the others still find it tough to break down.
The pressing game works, although for me we need to pinpoint certain indviduals within the opposition and go for them every time - there are still many defensive carthorses in the PL and they are the ones we need to target high up the pitch. Unfortunately when we get this wrong, it creates space between our midfield and defnce and teams counter us - think this is what Monk was trying to solve.
Dont think we have conceded too many from counters this season, most seem to be from teams putting us under pressure.. and a lot of it. Its why the Southampton game for me was luck more than judgement.
I dont like the 'one size fits all' defensive tactics we employ currently, but thats just my opinion. Many will disagree im sure. |  |
| "Michu, Britton and Williams could have won 3-0 on their own. They wouldn't have required a keeper." | | Poll: | Hattricks |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 13:24 - Feb 8 with 2853 views | somersetsimon |
I can only assume that Monk has weighed up the pros and cons of the two options and decided that this is the most effective approach. The fact that we are picking up more points seems to bear that out.
I don't claim any great tactical knowledge of the game, but I guess the the downsides of constantly pressing are that our players can get dragged out of position and it's tiring. It would be interesting to see the stats on how we've performed in the last third of matches under Monk compared to Rodgers. |  | | |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 13:25 - Feb 8 with 2849 views | Tom1912 |
I have wondered if attempts are being made to rectify our problem this season regarding holding onto lead. I think we've lost more leading positions than any other team this season. .
It is difficult to maintain a high intensity pressing game for 90 minutes. Perhaps we are attempting to strike a balance that lets us keep our shape consistently thoughout the game without players tiring, and gaps forming. I'm not necessarily suggesting this is working but it could be an attempt to address that.
I think the biggest issue with the goal was we didn't have our shape sorted and there was no Cork/Ki protecting the defence. This let Defoe drive towards goal, and Fernandez didn't seem to want to commit, despite as you say, there being a number of defenders to cover. |  | | |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 13:29 - Feb 8 with 2828 views | monmouth |
I agree with most of that Parlay. I thought we were trying to press at times yesterday and immediately that upped the tempo and we looked better for it. More of it needed.
Keeping shape and standing off does my head in. I don't believe in surrendering the initiative in any aspect of life.. |  |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 13:34 - Feb 8 with 2806 views | judgejonevs |
I think there's a time and a place for both. There are a lot of factors like the teams you play, the individuals( 'stars') in the teams, the set up/formation of those teams, home or away and events in the games that change tactical plans.
I personally think you can't pigeon hole into either I think we should 'mix it up'.
If you press teams that can pass quickly, in triangles they automatically create space as we've been pulled out of position and we can get opened up too easily. However you could say that allowing them to come onto you invites the pressure closer to your goal.
I don't think there's a right or wrong answer, the players should be well versed in both and adapt to different games, players and events in the game to make those decisions. |  |
| Life is too short !!!!!!!!! Swansea til I die........... |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 16:46 - Feb 8 with 2687 views | TenkosBlondeWig |
I would prefer us to close down further up the field
We allow teams to build up confidence by letting them have possession and let them get a foot hold in the game.
We are making a number of mediocre teams look good on the ball recently |  | | |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 16:55 - Feb 8 with 2664 views | Parlay |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 16:46 - Feb 8 by TenkosBlondeWig |
I would prefer us to close down further up the field
We allow teams to build up confidence by letting them have possession and let them get a foot hold in the game.
We are making a number of mediocre teams look good on the ball recently |
Yup i agree. And we are too good technically to be playing a stand off tactic. The more we have it, the more we can affect the game. | |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 18:10 - Feb 8 with 2567 views | Islander |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 16:46 - Feb 8 by TenkosBlondeWig |
I would prefer us to close down further up the field
We allow teams to build up confidence by letting them have possession and let them get a foot hold in the game.
We are making a number of mediocre teams look good on the ball recently |
Agree re closing down further upfield - however although gomis seems to be working harder, JJS isnt putting in the same intelligent tracking-back effort as Gylfi
I believe we will see an improvement in high-pressing when Gylfi returns | | | |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 19:20 - Feb 8 with 2475 views | Andy1300 |
Look at how many teams come down here and close us down quickly and stop us playing out from the back like we used to.
We sit too deep and invite pressure.
Look at the way West Ham closed Utd down today.
They got the first goal and should have had more.
We could learn a lot from other teams and have a plan B,C or D.
At the moment we are awful without the ball |  |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 19:29 - Feb 8 with 2456 views | Darran |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 19:20 - Feb 8 by Andy1300 |
Look at how many teams come down here and close us down quickly and stop us playing out from the back like we used to.
We sit too deep and invite pressure.
Look at the way West Ham closed Utd down today.
They got the first goal and should have had more.
We could learn a lot from other teams and have a plan B,C or D.
At the moment we are awful without the ball |
We need to play more like West Ham and we might get a 1-1 at home too.  |  |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 19:31 - Feb 8 with 2448 views | Andy1300 |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 19:29 - Feb 8 by Darran |
We need to play more like West Ham and we might get a 1-1 at home too. |
Yes, but you know what I'm getting at. | |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 19:38 - Feb 8 with 2432 views | Darran |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 19:31 - Feb 8 by Andy1300 |
Yes, but you know what I'm getting at. |
I do apologys. | |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 19:43 - Feb 8 with 2415 views | Martyrman57 |
so refreshing on this site to read a football thread full of good opinions  | | | |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 20:17 - Feb 8 with 2362 views | C_jack |
Not as simple as 'winning the ball back at every opportunity', no team in the world does that. It's the balance between the 'drop' and 'squeeze'. Dortmund of a few years were the craziest I've seen in regards to winning the ball back, at least 3/4 at a time charging towards the one player in possession, most of the top teams/players just passed it into the space around the charging players.
Likewise when we're up against a more direct team, pressing is probably the worst thing to do, leaving huge space behind in order for the lofted ball.
Not to mention you need 10 guys with incredible fitness/stamina levels to press effectively for 90 minutes, what's the point in being gassed out at 85 minutes and for all that work to mean nothing if you concede sloppy goals.
Last week at Southampton was frustrating because we just dropped off, and then kept possession, in our half, which for 90% of the game was horrendous.
(At the top level) Bayern/Barca have been the most effective at balancing the both, 6 seconds to win the ball back, if unsuccessful, stand off and revert into shape. |  |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 20:33 - Feb 8 with 2334 views | Davillin |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 20:17 - Feb 8 by C_jack |
Not as simple as 'winning the ball back at every opportunity', no team in the world does that. It's the balance between the 'drop' and 'squeeze'. Dortmund of a few years were the craziest I've seen in regards to winning the ball back, at least 3/4 at a time charging towards the one player in possession, most of the top teams/players just passed it into the space around the charging players.
Likewise when we're up against a more direct team, pressing is probably the worst thing to do, leaving huge space behind in order for the lofted ball.
Not to mention you need 10 guys with incredible fitness/stamina levels to press effectively for 90 minutes, what's the point in being gassed out at 85 minutes and for all that work to mean nothing if you concede sloppy goals.
Last week at Southampton was frustrating because we just dropped off, and then kept possession, in our half, which for 90% of the game was horrendous.
(At the top level) Bayern/Barca have been the most effective at balancing the both, 6 seconds to win the ball back, if unsuccessful, stand off and revert into shape. |
Can't argue against that post, thanks. [Post edited 8 Feb 2015 20:35]
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 20:34 - Feb 8 with 2327 views | Davillin |
It’s all more complicated than some posters appear to appreciate.
[This post is about pressing defences against possession teams — regardless of which team is playing either.]
A pressing defence against a comparably-skilled possession game is going to lose most of the time. The key is that the possession team must have zero players on the pitch who don’t play the scheme as it is designed.
Using a high pressing defence causes the available free areas of the pitch to increase dramatically from box to box, just as using wide attacking wingers causes the available free areas to increase dramatically side to side.
The more available free areas, the easier it is for a possession attacking team to dominate.
For a possession team to succeed, all eleven players must have these characteristics in abundance: a strong sense of unselfish team play; quickness of mind and foot; an eagerness and ability to make themselves available for passes; quickness in assessing the positions and potential movements of the other players on the pitch; and as a combination of all of those, the ability to quickly and accurately move the ball to a teammate in a more advantageous position.
If there is even but one player who is a freelancer; who is slow of mind and/or foot; who does not find space in which to make himself quickly available, or goes walkabout at times; who is not quick enough to know what to do with the ball even before he receives the pass; and who is not quick enough of mind and foot to quickly make his passes, then intelligent defensive pressure will make the possession team look bad.
There is little more irritating than to see one player in a possession team pointing the ball away from himself, with lots of space he could have moved into; or receiving a pass and not knowing what to do next to kick it straight back to the passer; or when finding nothing and having no plan, to dribble into a couple of opponents and lose the ball; or to hoof it 50 yards up the field to an opponent, the corner flag, or row Z.
For the ideal, think of Leon when he’s fit and on his game. Think of Ash Williams, who always knows what he can do with the ball before he receives it — when his best option is to make the short quick pass to another back or to a midfielder, or to dribble into the space they give him, or to make a pinpoint deep crossfield pass. Why? Because he knows what’s available and what’s not while the ball is on its way to him.
Think of Sigurdsson in the middle of a gaggle of other players making a deadly pass through a crowd to a moving striker.
Swansea has had dozens of these players, who have made the team’s style work to perfection nearly all of the time. I don’t have to list them for those of you who have followed the team long enough.
In my fixed opinion, it’s not the pressing opponent that causes the Swans problems with team “style,” but one or two of our own players who break it down.
And I still rejoice that Swansea City is still in the Golden Age. Through thick and thin so far this season, we have never been out of the Top Ten on the Premier League Table.
If I could go back in time to tell the fans at The Vetch at the end of the near-regulation season that that would happen — and if they believed me — such joy would it cause!
What larks, Pip, old chap. What larks!
 [Post edited 8 Feb 2015 20:37]
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:00 - Feb 8 with 2274 views | Parlay |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 20:17 - Feb 8 by C_jack |
Not as simple as 'winning the ball back at every opportunity', no team in the world does that. It's the balance between the 'drop' and 'squeeze'. Dortmund of a few years were the craziest I've seen in regards to winning the ball back, at least 3/4 at a time charging towards the one player in possession, most of the top teams/players just passed it into the space around the charging players.
Likewise when we're up against a more direct team, pressing is probably the worst thing to do, leaving huge space behind in order for the lofted ball.
Not to mention you need 10 guys with incredible fitness/stamina levels to press effectively for 90 minutes, what's the point in being gassed out at 85 minutes and for all that work to mean nothing if you concede sloppy goals.
Last week at Southampton was frustrating because we just dropped off, and then kept possession, in our half, which for 90% of the game was horrendous.
(At the top level) Bayern/Barca have been the most effective at balancing the both, 6 seconds to win the ball back, if unsuccessful, stand off and revert into shape. |
So you think i meant actually win the ball back at every opportunity rather than try to, which I assume most people would have got?
Ok.
You dont need to be Bayern or Barca to press and effective examples can even be seen in Sunday league.
And of course it would be systematic and tactical as to when to press rather than a schoolyard free for all. But Wales under Hughes also managed to do this fantastically well and defended from the front as he described.
That tactic is what got us the win against Italy at the Millennium, they didnt have time to think. [Post edited 8 Feb 2015 21:09]
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:06 - Feb 8 with 2264 views | Parlay |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 20:34 - Feb 8 by Davillin |
It’s all more complicated than some posters appear to appreciate.
[This post is about pressing defences against possession teams — regardless of which team is playing either.]
A pressing defence against a comparably-skilled possession game is going to lose most of the time. The key is that the possession team must have zero players on the pitch who don’t play the scheme as it is designed.
Using a high pressing defence causes the available free areas of the pitch to increase dramatically from box to box, just as using wide attacking wingers causes the available free areas to increase dramatically side to side.
The more available free areas, the easier it is for a possession attacking team to dominate.
For a possession team to succeed, all eleven players must have these characteristics in abundance: a strong sense of unselfish team play; quickness of mind and foot; an eagerness and ability to make themselves available for passes; quickness in assessing the positions and potential movements of the other players on the pitch; and as a combination of all of those, the ability to quickly and accurately move the ball to a teammate in a more advantageous position.
If there is even but one player who is a freelancer; who is slow of mind and/or foot; who does not find space in which to make himself quickly available, or goes walkabout at times; who is not quick enough to know what to do with the ball even before he receives the pass; and who is not quick enough of mind and foot to quickly make his passes, then intelligent defensive pressure will make the possession team look bad.
There is little more irritating than to see one player in a possession team pointing the ball away from himself, with lots of space he could have moved into; or receiving a pass and not knowing what to do next to kick it straight back to the passer; or when finding nothing and having no plan, to dribble into a couple of opponents and lose the ball; or to hoof it 50 yards up the field to an opponent, the corner flag, or row Z.
For the ideal, think of Leon when he’s fit and on his game. Think of Ash Williams, who always knows what he can do with the ball before he receives it — when his best option is to make the short quick pass to another back or to a midfielder, or to dribble into the space they give him, or to make a pinpoint deep crossfield pass. Why? Because he knows what’s available and what’s not while the ball is on its way to him.
Think of Sigurdsson in the middle of a gaggle of other players making a deadly pass through a crowd to a moving striker.
Swansea has had dozens of these players, who have made the team’s style work to perfection nearly all of the time. I don’t have to list them for those of you who have followed the team long enough.
In my fixed opinion, it’s not the pressing opponent that causes the Swans problems with team “style,” but one or two of our own players who break it down.
And I still rejoice that Swansea City is still in the Golden Age. Through thick and thin so far this season, we have never been out of the Top Ten on the Premier League Table.
If I could go back in time to tell the fans at The Vetch at the end of the near-regulation season that that would happen — and if they believed me — such joy would it cause!
What larks, Pip, old chap. What larks!
[Post edited 8 Feb 2015 20:37]
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You sound like you don't realise that pressing is a tactic we have used recently to great effect?
Our first year in the Premier League we got a similar amount of points to our second and third year with a much worse squad. We had the likes of Mark Gower in it.
It is not some revolutionary pie in the sky idea. It is simply re-introducing that tactic to our play again. We have better, fitter players than before so i find it strange some are suggesting it "isnt that simple". It couldnt be simpler. | |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:23 - Feb 8 with 2240 views | C_jack |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:00 - Feb 8 by Parlay |
So you think i meant actually win the ball back at every opportunity rather than try to, which I assume most people would have got?
Ok.
You dont need to be Bayern or Barca to press and effective examples can even be seen in Sunday league.
And of course it would be systematic and tactical as to when to press rather than a schoolyard free for all. But Wales under Hughes also managed to do this fantastically well and defended from the front as he described.
That tactic is what got us the win against Italy at the Millennium, they didnt have time to think. [Post edited 8 Feb 2015 21:09]
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What on earth are you talking about? I don't think you've got it yourself. Of course we cannot win the ball every time, but either way pressing at every opportunity is a tough ask. No (successful) team does that.
You seem to agree with that, but the title of your post is "pressing vs holding shape", which contradicts your idea that we should be systematic and tactical' as to when and where we decide to push up further up the pitch. There doesn't need to be a versus, the two can work in perfect harmony, as long as they have effective plans in place for when we eventually have the ball back.
You don't need to be either, of course, but they are the best at doing it, why wouldn't you look towards the best for an effective example? as opposed to Sunday League ( strange )
There was once a time when Swansea City relished teams pressing us, because we were so good on the ball that simply passed it around them and found the space, no matter how much time we needed to think. WBA away in 2012 being a great example.
It's horses for courses, some teams we would be foolish to try and press relentlessly, against both posession-based and direct teams. [Post edited 8 Feb 2015 21:24]
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:25 - Feb 8 with 2235 views | PozuelosSideys |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:23 - Feb 8 by C_jack |
What on earth are you talking about? I don't think you've got it yourself. Of course we cannot win the ball every time, but either way pressing at every opportunity is a tough ask. No (successful) team does that.
You seem to agree with that, but the title of your post is "pressing vs holding shape", which contradicts your idea that we should be systematic and tactical' as to when and where we decide to push up further up the pitch. There doesn't need to be a versus, the two can work in perfect harmony, as long as they have effective plans in place for when we eventually have the ball back.
You don't need to be either, of course, but they are the best at doing it, why wouldn't you look towards the best for an effective example? as opposed to Sunday League ( strange )
There was once a time when Swansea City relished teams pressing us, because we were so good on the ball that simply passed it around them and found the space, no matter how much time we needed to think. WBA away in 2012 being a great example.
It's horses for courses, some teams we would be foolish to try and press relentlessly, against both posession-based and direct teams. [Post edited 8 Feb 2015 21:24]
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Dont bother mate. Even though he set up a good thread with lots of decent comments both ways, his responses back to everyone else have been narky and designed to annoy. | |
| "Michu, Britton and Williams could have won 3-0 on their own. They wouldn't have required a keeper." | | Poll: | Hattricks |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:29 - Feb 8 with 2219 views | jack247 |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 20:34 - Feb 8 by Davillin |
It’s all more complicated than some posters appear to appreciate.
[This post is about pressing defences against possession teams — regardless of which team is playing either.]
A pressing defence against a comparably-skilled possession game is going to lose most of the time. The key is that the possession team must have zero players on the pitch who don’t play the scheme as it is designed.
Using a high pressing defence causes the available free areas of the pitch to increase dramatically from box to box, just as using wide attacking wingers causes the available free areas to increase dramatically side to side.
The more available free areas, the easier it is for a possession attacking team to dominate.
For a possession team to succeed, all eleven players must have these characteristics in abundance: a strong sense of unselfish team play; quickness of mind and foot; an eagerness and ability to make themselves available for passes; quickness in assessing the positions and potential movements of the other players on the pitch; and as a combination of all of those, the ability to quickly and accurately move the ball to a teammate in a more advantageous position.
If there is even but one player who is a freelancer; who is slow of mind and/or foot; who does not find space in which to make himself quickly available, or goes walkabout at times; who is not quick enough to know what to do with the ball even before he receives the pass; and who is not quick enough of mind and foot to quickly make his passes, then intelligent defensive pressure will make the possession team look bad.
There is little more irritating than to see one player in a possession team pointing the ball away from himself, with lots of space he could have moved into; or receiving a pass and not knowing what to do next to kick it straight back to the passer; or when finding nothing and having no plan, to dribble into a couple of opponents and lose the ball; or to hoof it 50 yards up the field to an opponent, the corner flag, or row Z.
For the ideal, think of Leon when he’s fit and on his game. Think of Ash Williams, who always knows what he can do with the ball before he receives it — when his best option is to make the short quick pass to another back or to a midfielder, or to dribble into the space they give him, or to make a pinpoint deep crossfield pass. Why? Because he knows what’s available and what’s not while the ball is on its way to him.
Think of Sigurdsson in the middle of a gaggle of other players making a deadly pass through a crowd to a moving striker.
Swansea has had dozens of these players, who have made the team’s style work to perfection nearly all of the time. I don’t have to list them for those of you who have followed the team long enough.
In my fixed opinion, it’s not the pressing opponent that causes the Swans problems with team “style,” but one or two of our own players who break it down.
And I still rejoice that Swansea City is still in the Golden Age. Through thick and thin so far this season, we have never been out of the Top Ten on the Premier League Table.
If I could go back in time to tell the fans at The Vetch at the end of the near-regulation season that that would happen — and if they believed me — such joy would it cause!
What larks, Pip, old chap. What larks!
[Post edited 8 Feb 2015 20:37]
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I doubt there is anyone who doesn't grasp that every cog has to turn or the whole pressing tactic breaks down. Or that getting back into shape makes us harder to break down. It does, however, cause mistakes in the opposition defence and allows us to attack them in broken play when they are much easier to penetrate.
There is little more boring than watching two teams surrender possession in safer areas of the pitch in order to keep their shape. It quickly ends up with players strolling out of defence, reaching the halfway line and having nowhere to go, as all their team mates are either marked out of the game, or not in a better position than the guy with the ball. I am not saying we play this way (although there are times it looks that way), Serie A was full of teams doing it not that long ago.
The only real argument (albeit a very powerful one) for the more defensive tactic, is our points tally so far this season. I would much rather watch us play the old pressing style, especially as we aren't getting relegated this season. I can understand the negative approach away to the top teams, or when we have an injury crisis in midfield, but with everyone bar Routs and possibly Leon available after the WBA game, we aren't going to get burned out after 60-70 minutes doing it.
It may cost us a few goals, but it will win us some too. | | | |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:35 - Feb 8 with 2206 views | PozuelosSideys |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:29 - Feb 8 by jack247 |
I doubt there is anyone who doesn't grasp that every cog has to turn or the whole pressing tactic breaks down. Or that getting back into shape makes us harder to break down. It does, however, cause mistakes in the opposition defence and allows us to attack them in broken play when they are much easier to penetrate.
There is little more boring than watching two teams surrender possession in safer areas of the pitch in order to keep their shape. It quickly ends up with players strolling out of defence, reaching the halfway line and having nowhere to go, as all their team mates are either marked out of the game, or not in a better position than the guy with the ball. I am not saying we play this way (although there are times it looks that way), Serie A was full of teams doing it not that long ago.
The only real argument (albeit a very powerful one) for the more defensive tactic, is our points tally so far this season. I would much rather watch us play the old pressing style, especially as we aren't getting relegated this season. I can understand the negative approach away to the top teams, or when we have an injury crisis in midfield, but with everyone bar Routs and possibly Leon available after the WBA game, we aren't going to get burned out after 60-70 minutes doing it.
It may cost us a few goals, but it will win us some too. |
The problem with playing the pressing game for the whole 90 is fitness. Look how many teams have come down here over the last few seasons and press high for the first half and cause us problems. They drop off during the second half and space opens up cos theyre knackered.
I dont think we need to do it for the whole game, i can remember the games where we'd be ambling along, and then somebody like James Collins would have the ball in a bit of space and all of a sudden, Joe Allen and Leon would spring out and shut him down. He either loses the ball, hoofs it back to us or does something stupid. Target the right opposition player at the right time, and it sticks in their head for the rest of the game. That tends to transfer on to other players in their team. Low and behold they all start booting the ball away all the time.
Lifts the players, and deffo lifts the crowd. | |
| "Michu, Britton and Williams could have won 3-0 on their own. They wouldn't have required a keeper." | | Poll: | Hattricks |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:43 - Feb 8 with 2190 views | jack247 |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:35 - Feb 8 by PozuelosSideys |
The problem with playing the pressing game for the whole 90 is fitness. Look how many teams have come down here over the last few seasons and press high for the first half and cause us problems. They drop off during the second half and space opens up cos theyre knackered.
I dont think we need to do it for the whole game, i can remember the games where we'd be ambling along, and then somebody like James Collins would have the ball in a bit of space and all of a sudden, Joe Allen and Leon would spring out and shut him down. He either loses the ball, hoofs it back to us or does something stupid. Target the right opposition player at the right time, and it sticks in their head for the rest of the game. That tends to transfer on to other players in their team. Low and behold they all start booting the ball away all the time.
Lifts the players, and deffo lifts the crowd. |
Yeah I know, that's why I mentioned 60-70 minutes. It is typically the central midfielders that get knackered, so having good replacements on the bench is vital. A luxury we haven't had recently, but are getting back to now.
I do agree with you, it doesn't have to be done solidly for 90 minutes and it is easier to target certain players, but it does have to be done for sustained periods to be really effective. Absolute confidence drainer for the opposition if they go 5 minutes or so without being able to put their foot on the ball and slow things down. | | | |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:50 - Feb 8 with 2180 views | Parlay |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:25 - Feb 8 by PozuelosSideys |
Dont bother mate. Even though he set up a good thread with lots of decent comments both ways, his responses back to everyone else have been narky and designed to annoy. |
Then keep out.
My replies are simply responses to the content, of that annoys en maybe the content should be better. | |
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| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:53 - Feb 8 with 2171 views | PozuelosSideys |
| Pressing game vs holding shape and standing off. on 21:50 - Feb 8 by Parlay |
Then keep out.
My replies are simply responses to the content, of that annoys en maybe the content should be better. |
Yawn. So everyone has to agree with your tactical viewpoints which generally originate from the 1990's then or they are wrong?
Rightio Ron. | |
| "Michu, Britton and Williams could have won 3-0 on their own. They wouldn't have required a keeper." | | Poll: | Hattricks |
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