- Oct 19, 2004
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I don't like this 5-3-2. Depleted side or not, winning (again) or not, again tonight I saw mostly the same patterns as the previous games. We look far more open, we're not as compact, we aren't pressing as well and its easier for the opposition to bypass the 'press' that we are attempting.
Basically what we have is three defenders, two wingbacks (and ones often on their wrong side/out of position, so far this season), Dier dropping back, Sissoko running forward to join two strikers, and so just one man (Eriksen, Winks tonight) in the middle with the thankless task of trying to get a grip on the game. We barely played through midfield tonight for the first hour or so, it was just the long diagonal or hit the front man.
And then as I say we are less compact, and so when we do lose the ball this causes problems, we're not pressing that well anyway, and the 5-3-2 shape is leaving our wingbacks getting targeted by switches of play. People might say 'what's different?' to last year, but this system seems to be much more two strikers up top (and not really doing a huge amount off the ball) whilst last year you'd have Eriksen/Alli dropping in on the flanks to help out.
Selection then compounded this, Trippier offered nothing on the left but one cross and left us more predictable as to where we could look to break through them. it wasn't till Poch belatedly changed things, put players in reasonably logical and simplified positions and blocked off their switches of play going with two banks of four, that we finally looked comfortable, had our best spell, saw some ball and moved it around and killed the game off.
Look I know this was a tricky game, we had a lot of players missing and it was a big three points in terms of the group we should all be happy with. This system is proving to be effective and getting us results... But even so, I haven't really enjoyed what we have done in the last few games and if it continues then I probably wont enjoy it either - win, lose, or draw. For me it's been very messy football.
Lloris - Looked a bit rattled first half, sorted it out and was solid in the second.
Alderweireld - Smart ball for the opening goal, apart from that possibly the worst game I have seen him have for us.
Sanchez - Needs to calm down.
Davies - Unconvincing at LCB, much more comfortable when we went to a back four.
Aurier - Doesn't look settled yet at all. Not helped by the formation though in some ways.
Trippier - Offered nothing bar one cross at LWB (and admittedly should have been played in by Son). Looked far more comfortable on the right and put in a nice cross for the third goal.
Dier - Pretty anonymous. Improved in the latter stages.
Winks - For large spells of the game was the only one to show a semblance of quality, composure, and pass and move ability.
Sissoko - Wasn't really doing anything of note in the centre of the park. Looked better when we went to 4-4-2, and he picked out Kane nicely for the goal.
Son - Really poor game.
Kane - Particularly first half I wasn't impressed with much of what he did in all truth. Bit greedy, made some poor choices... Yet he's so good that he still manages to bag a hat-trick, and took all three goals very well - makes it look easy.
Subs:
Llorente - Some silky touches, not sure if he got out of first gear.
Nkoudou - Had one run, shanked it into Row Z.
Georgiou - Got on the pitch.
Personally MP, I think it's all about the selections he's making and the tactical application. I think with the poor midfield options we have right now, it's not a bad idea, he just needs to get the personnel right and the application of it better. Sissoko in that 8 1/2 role is a massive problem because in him and Dier you've got two players who don't want the ball under any pressure and can't play out from any kind of pressure, and playing a high line and pushed up fb's, you have to pressure the ball higher up and stop teams being able to play those counter balls between channels. This is where Alli pissng the ball away and being a poor presser hurts us too. Kane doesn't help sometimes either, sometimes holding onto the ball too long, then you have people like Sissoko and Dier who can't play clever, quick, incisive passes.
I think what we are seeing now is not about the formation, it's almost entirely a consequence of Poch neglecting the CM area of the pitch. We've seen this before at Spurs, players like Wanyama hide a multitude of sins with their tireless ferociousness, mopping up and fighting fires all over the place, doing the job of 2 people. With him out, all of a sudden, things are looking a bit "Redknapp". We desperately needed to improve this area of the pitch and instead we added a rookie CB, the French Walker+, and back up striker who's even slower than Kane.
Poch said post match he changed things because he wanted us to press it better, but his
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