Fleck's Anticipation & Pressing

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Here’s my workings that I rough estimated: distance : looked like he ran halfway into the half, so a quarter of the pitch, which is 110yards according to wiki. 27.5 Yards but let’s say 25-30

Time: from the ball being kicked to Fleck getting there looked to be 3 seconds on the highlights vid, but could be slightly less. So 2-4 secs

Only way to solve this: bolt v Fleck 27.5 yard sprint for the ball

Ever thought of applying for a job at VAR? Whatever the exact time, that was an even better piece of play from Fleck than I realised at the time. Perhaps we shouldn't swap him for Bannon after all...

 

[Baaaaaaa Blades]

With didsy being man marked and focussed on by opposition allot at the mo it is essential that we have another attacking outlet coming from deep and flecky has been excellent at this all season

As said above he has got better and better over these past 3+ years and is quite rightly a top 6 prem player

 

[Sabella's Socks]

I thought Fleck was very unselfish on the goal last night and laid it on a plate for McBurnie. However, that's not the point of this thread, the goal was almost irrelevant. I want to highlight something which has become a Fleck trademark this season and has led to him stepping up to be so effective in pressing teams when we're not in possession.

There was an angle on sky last night from behind the goal which showed exactly where Fleck started his run from following the goal kick which led to the goal. It was pretty much on the halfway line. Apologies for the blurred images, but just paused and print screened the you tube video and this isn't the angle i wanted to show, but it still highlights the point.

1. When the ball is kicked by the keeper, the defender is under no pressure, can see the ball coming and there should be zero danger. You can see that McBurnie has started to press. However, out of shot, Fleck is already well on his way.
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2. The Ball is almost with the defender, Fleck has already run about 15-20 yards and he's still miles away, but he's at full pelt. McBurnie has seen the run from Fleck.
Defender is still under no pressure. There should be no danger except to be under pressure when he receives the ball and then play it quickly before the full press from Fleck.

View attachment 68350

3. Somehow the defender freezes and lets the ball pass him, giving fleck a 70/30 as the ball is coming directly at him.
Very rough estimate but fleck has covered 25-30 yards in between 3-4 seconds from when the ball was played by the keeper to it actually being in Flecks possession.
View attachment 68351

We're probably the second most organised side after Liverpool when we're not in possession. Yet Fleck has the freedom, the anticipation and pace to close down the defender from 30 yards away.

Carragher has talked about Lundstram and Fleck doing this during his analysis this season and i also started a thread about the deep runs from the pair of them to press high https://www.s24su.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-overlapping-centre-half-trick.76744/

Great to see and from a coaching perspective this demonstrates how important the press is to our game, particularly this season. Fleck is getting better and better in this team, this system and this season.

I was watching this at the time time from John Street. Fleck was miles away. He might even have been in his own half. It was almost like he had tuned out.

Then he saw what was about to happen, and set off.

At the time I thought it was more, "Oh shit I'm meant to be pressing, better get there sharpish before the gaffer gives me an earful."

The more I think about it now though, the more it looks like it was supreme opportunism. Norwood rightly gets praise for his intelligence, but Fleck's plenty bright too.

The other part of this goal is McBurnie's finish - it looks like he almost missed it, but he deliberately placed it under the keeper.

It really is top class football we're seeing.

Well maybe not so much in that first half.

 

[Sabella's Socks]

It's quite possible that we are the only team in the PL who would have scored that goal in the same circumstances. I just can't imagine anyone else being bothered to run for what seemed like a safe pass.

Liverpool