Tactics.

[marko]

We are out numbered in midfield, do we need two up top which leaves big wholes in midfield.

 

[bakeblade]

We are out numbered in midfield, do we need two up top which leaves big wholes in midfield.

5 at the back is the problem

 

[Toronto Blade]

We had no press we gave them too much respect. They are not better than us.

 

[BigBed]

And were lacking height and pace, and were painfully slow when we do get the ball, theres a fair list of what isnt great currently.

 

[raul]

Our absolute devotion to a formation which no longer suits our roster is what kills us.

 

[Bladeinleeds]

Our absolute devotion to a formation which no longer suits our roster is what kills us.

We literally got promoted comfortably with it 3 months ago.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t tweak it but it’s nonsense to say it doesn’t suit most of our players

 

[1987]

We never seem to have the space or time in the middle that the teams playing us do.

 

[From the pig end]

Without McBurnie today we'd be pinned back more, Without Archer on we'd lose.
There are spaces though and we do get overrun in the middle at times, maybe that will change when we bring McAtee in, he's the only link up player we have.

 

[Nagima]

We never seem to have the space or time in the middle that the teams playing us do.

There are three main concerns with our current formation in comparison to our previous arrival in the PL.
1.Our CBs are not getting forward enough to create overlaps.
2. Due to the new arrivals we haven't settled down as a team. That is going to take a few weeks work to have everyone on the same page.
3. Our wing backs are not good enough going forward. Thomas may improve that.

On the positive side of things, Hamer and McAtee can create opportunities driving down the centre. Which we have lacked for awhile.
I think we are moving in the right direction.

 

[Chezzy Blades]

We got promoted playing 3-5-2 and at times 3-4-3 with Norwood and latterly Doyle playing as a single pivot and Berge & McAtee encouraged to get forward and support NDiaye and McBurnie.

So far this season, we’ve largely gone with a double defensive midfield pivot of Vini and Norwood, meaning without Oli we’ve struggled to get up the pitch and often our wingbacks have been hemmed into a back 5.

We largely rely on Hamer to link the back 7 and front 2 on his own and we often only get bodies up the pitch when he, at times today Archer or previously Traore carried the ball and ran at defences.

I’m not saying we should go toe to toe with everyone because we’ll end up like Burnley, but I do think we need to get more than 3 attacking minded players on either by bring McAtee in for Norwood or switching to 4 at the back.

 

[Davalon]

 

[Sheffsteel]

Our tactics for several years has been

Pass it to Norwood who sits in deep midifield and he tries the glory long ball.

The problem is, we seem to over rely on that tactics, making us look a "long ball team"
and these days only about 1 in 5 passes finds the man.
so 4 out of 5 times he's cheaply giving possession away,
this isn't a massive offence in the Championship but at PL level you need to treasure possession more...otherwise you're inviting trouble.

 

[ancientblade]

i know weve tried 4 at the back before and it hasnt worked but now weve got sousa a physical defensive midfielder who can sit in front of the centre backs as others have said playing 3 at the back and 2 up front leaves us outnumbered in midfield and just invites teams on to us i like 4321 baldock anel egan thomas back 4 davies souza hamer as the 3 mcburnie mcatee as the 2 in behind archer

 

[Eels]

Souza as CDM might allow us more bodies ahead of the ball but I don't see us ditching the 5 at the back - Baldock could handle RB but I don't think we've got a LB who I'd trust. Thomas actually looked like he understood the LWB role which will help but Egan has looked poor so far - hopefully it's down to an injury and not the beginning of the end for him. Anel looked ok there today but maybe Trusty in the middle would be worth a try?

 

[Houston_Blade]

We won’t ditch 5 at the back, it’s taught at all age groups at the club old enough to play 11 a side.

The problem is that we don’t have overlapping CB’s or marauding wing backs anymore so it looks a bit ‘safe’.

1 up front will lead to us scoring very few goals so we shouldn’t bother with that. It’s the support behind that we need to work on. Hamer is excellent but he’s a bit muzzled in the current shape because he’s got a very slow Norwood behind him. With more mobile players (Souza and McAtee) we might improve.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Our start has been affected by it taking up till the transfer deadline to get the squad complete. Partly for continuity reasons I can understand Hecky so far sticking with the likes of Norwood and Robinson. We've needed someone who know what we're about until the new signings all arrived and getting ready to take us a few step further.

Gradually I think we'll see the team evolve, and I think Hecky will end up with the following three variants of first XI:




I think it's vital that we manage to get both Hamer and McAtee in the team, and really make the most of their talents.

 

[Deadbat]

At the moment we look like a team who is the away side and not really got an idea how to create anything. We are getting completely dominated in midfield every game and that is with the dream signings of Hamer and Souza - we need to have a re think. I'd personally go 4 at the back and play Norwood - Souza - Hamer - McAtee. We have to see more of the ball. The defence is getting panned and yes we have seen loads of crosses come in and too many free headers, but the source is midfield as we have no possession hardly. Today we just looked like the away side.

 

[Deadbat]

Our start has been affected by it taking up till the transfer deadline to get the squad complete. Partly for continuity reasons I can understand Hecky so far sticking with the likes of Norwood and Robinson. We've needed someone who know what we're about until the new signings all arrived and getting ready to take us a few step further.

Gradually I think we'll see the team evolve, and I think Hecky will end up with the following three variants of first XI:


View attachment 170205 View attachment 170206View attachment 170207

I think it's vital that we manage to get both Hamer and McAtee in the team, and really make the most of their talents.

If we continue to play the back 5 and the three in the middle we will struggle to see any of the ball. We need to think about how we can have some control. I am not saying it had to be a 4 at the back or a one up front, but if we play this way the rest of the season we will just keep seeing the ball come at us every week and lost most games.

 

[Chilttheblade]

Are you allowed to comment on other posts before you have filed your match report?
Asking for a friend …..

 

[Bergen Blade]

If we continue to play the back 5 and the three in the middle we will struggle to see any of the ball. We need to think about how we can have some control. I am not saying it had to be a 4 at the back or a one up front, but if we play this way the rest of the season we will just keep seeing the ball come at us every week and lost most games.

I think we'll have to accept that we won't dominate possession in a lot of games, but we should keep in mind that certain tweaks can lead to considerable changes to the dynamics of a team.

For today's team I agree. Although it was a decent performance and most players individually did pretty well, we won't survive if we don't improve from that. The momentum graph was like this:



So we had some decent spells, but even against what is expected to be a relegation rival, at home, we were under real pressure for too long periods. Some other stats:



So we have to improve, and we won't improve enough if we don't make certain tweaks. The key is probably in midfield. Although Norwood and Souza had decent games I don't think we can continue playing both long term. We're desperate for another ball carrier (McAtee), and we have to make more of the talents of Hamer.

Let's try that and see where it takes us.

 

[puppet]

I'm happy with the formation and McAtee in the middle with Hamer and Sousa should create a good balance.

What does bother me is our substitutions. Injury-enforced ones, fair enough but surely Bogle would have been a better switch for Archer than Traore at that stage in the game? The last ten minutes of a tight, (potentially) six-pointer rather than trying to get Traore to "learn the system"? Fortunately, we held on for a point but it was just totally the wrong switch. Archer might have been knackered and being marked out of the second half but when the chips are down, I'd have fancied him to get a goal more than BT at that point in todays game. I'm hoping Traore will come good and there were flashes against Citeh when he brought Oli on but 80 minutes in to todays game wasn't the moment to try that again, I'm afraid.

 

[ancientblade]

i think we have to get tom davies fit and in the starting 11 as good as servant norwood has been i just dont think hes got the legs for the modern day premier league and davies has twice as much experience at this level with younger legs

 

[Deadbat]

I think we'll have to accept that we won't dominate possession in a lot of games, but we should keep in mind that certain tweaks can lead to considerable changes to the dynamics of a team.

For today's team I agree. Although it was a decent performance and most players individually did pretty well, we won't survive if we don't improve from that. The momentum graph was like this:

View attachment 170208

So we had some decent spells, but even against what is expected to be a relegation rival, at home, we were under real pressure for too long periods. Some other stats:

View attachment 170209

So we have to improve, and we won't improve enough if we don't make certain tweaks. The key is probably in midfield. Although Norwood and Souza had decent games I don't think we can continue playing both long term. We're desperate for another ball carrier (McAtee), and we have to make more of the talents of Hamer.

Let's try that and see where it takes us.

I agree we won't dominate many or any teams at this level but setting up just to counter and frustrate as we did again today means teams will inevitably dominate possession and create chances.

A lot has been made of crosses/headers but the ball is getting to the final third too easily. Sometimes analysis of goals (I love your analysis btw) focuses on the last bit rather than spells leading up to it. Souza has to get juch fitter (cramping up after 20 mins today) and I'd like to see what Davies offers.

That last season up in the Prem teams routinely ran through and dominated midfield and despite the two new signings who have heenan ok, this has continued. As I say a lot are pointing at the inability to stop crosses or the marking (right to do so) but the ball is coming into our final third too easily.

 

[Iceybabey]

We get overrun in midfield because of Norwood's lack of mobility

 

[RossingtonBlade]

We literally got promoted comfortably with it 3 months ago.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t tweak it but it’s nonsense to say it doesn’t suit most of our players

Yeah I get your point but we got promoted by losing more than 25% of our games and with 4 games to spare. The championship standard last year was an absolute disgrace.

 

[ancientblade]

We get overrun in midfield because of Norwood's lack of mobility

thats a fair point and we really need better than norwood at this level but playing 3 at the back doesnt help us either were outnumbered in midfield every game

 

[Nick Jansky]

At the moment we look like a team who is the away side and not really got an idea how to create anything. We are getting completely dominated in midfield every game and that is with the dream signings of Hamer and Souza - we need to have a re think. I'd personally go 4 at the back and play Norwood - Souza - Hamer - McAtee. We have to see more of the ball. The defence is getting panned and yes we have seen loads of crosses come in and too many free headers, but the source is midfield as we have no possession hardly. Today we just looked like the away side.

We had 45% possession on Saturday. Not absolutely terrible by any means.

 

[ancientblade]

We had 45% possession on Saturday. Not absolutely terrible by any means.

yes we did but we were playing at home to a team with a worst start to the season than us although once we can get tom davies and james mcatee in the team i think our possesion stats should improve

 

[AgaMonkey]

Our wide centre backs are never gonna get forward and overlap like they did under Wilder. What might help is playing Anel in the centre and using him as a modern day sweeper…he could move out of the back three into midfield when we need an extra body there …

We definitely need to find a way of getting both Harmer and McAtee in the team

 

[Houston_Blade]

Everton were much better yesterday when they were level or behind. As soon as they went 1 nil up they had 11 men behind the ball and allowed us to have possession. It was bizarre. They snapped out of it at 1-1 and then came at us after half time.