Middlesborough and CSKA were both away and we played 4141 both gamessorry to lower the tone but isnt it as simple as 4141 at home and 4231 away?
You don't think that was because Dier and Dembele were unavailable?Middlesborough and CSKA were both away and we played 4141 both games
Not according to Poch, he has said 4141 (at least in theory) is how we will look to line up for the future.You don't think that was because Dier and Dembele were unavailable?
Right....we wouldn't want the opposition to be in any doubt would we.Not according to Poch, he has said 4141 (at least in theory) is how we will look to line up for the future.
It’s been more glaring with Janssen in the team, but through no fault of his own really. It’s just magnified what we were already quite weak at – he has his skillset and game which is as a focal point, it’s more imperative than ever that we get men up and around the striker and running off him. We have Son, and Alli more arriving late in the box, the rest are sporadic. You have to be varied, other midfielders picking the right moment to get in support or make the run ahead of the ball, or even the fullbacks. It can’t be the same two/three players every time, you have to work as a unit in everything you do on the pitch.
Great post, some really good points there. For me, this paragraph is the key, we don't have enough players making runs ahead of the ball. We also need players who will commit defenders, something we really lack at the moment.
Thought I’d put this in the existing tactics thread rather than start a new one.
So in recent weeks, in fact most of the season so far, we’ve seen a lot of comment about the failings of our attacking game at the moment. Last night it seemed to reach its peak. That we don’t create enough chances, get enough men forward, don’t play it forward and counter quick enough, don’t have enough pace, etc. etc. You’ve all seen these views by now. Some say its poor form, that injuries aren’t helping with the likes of Dembele and in particularly Kane missing so far this campaign. Some want change. Now I realise I’ve mentioned most of the common views above, but what do posters feel is actually wrong? And more importantly for this discussion how do we solve this, and evolve our attacking threat?
I think I’ll approach this by breaking football down to the simplest label – pass and move. In both aspects there are issues that I feel need ironing out.
You could argue that the man on the ball needs options, and you’d be right, but I’ll comment on passing first. With our passing I think too many of our players simply like taking too many touches of the ball, and we move it too slowly. Our best play, indeed the best football in general, is played at a minimum of touches, zipping it about at tempo moving the opposition, asking them questions, and with the best moves carving them open. I think we could aim to speed up even our initial/basic phases of possession. Even just zipping the ball about sideways at one or two touch is constantly making the opposition’s defensive structure move and making them concentrate, not allowing them the second or two to get set.
I think the movement, and structure/coordination of it, is what needs most work though. The old Bill Nicholson soundbite was ‘if you’re not in possession, get in position’ and football hasn’t changed, that still applies to this day. I don’t think the shape, whether it be 4-2-3-1, 4-1-4-1 or whatever, is the issue here really, but there isn’t a balance for us though currently in my opinion, too many players do get in position, but its often the same one. Too many who want the ball to feet, or are attracted to the same small space around the ball, or will stay goal side of the ball with play in front of them rather than make the forward burst or play up against the defensive line and stretch the play.
It’s been more glaring with Janssen in the team, but through no fault of his own really. It’s just magnified what we were already quite weak at – he has his skillset and game which is as a focal point, it’s more imperative than ever that we get men up and around the striker and running off him. We have Son, and Alli more arriving late in the box, the rest are sporadic. You have to be varied, other midfielders picking the right moment to get in support or make the run ahead of the ball, or even the fullbacks. It can’t be the same two/three players every time, you have to work as a unit in everything you do on the pitch.
I’ve said it before but I also think we at times need a braver mentality. Playing the pass through a gap instead of the safe sideways one, taking the ball in a tight space instead of dropping 5-10 yards and taking it in your comfort zone, putting together possession in ‘the thick of it’ 20 yards from goal instead of 30-35 yards, gambling and making the run in behind instead of hanging off for the pass to feet. A bit more positive intent at times and indeed challenging ourselves. It isn’t easy, but we’ve maybe been a little too safe. It’s probably also fair to point out that there is the possibility that it could be down to a few players not being on top form at the same time, and so they default to safer options and play where they feel more comfortable, but it doesn’t help the team and I don’t think explains what we were already quite weak at.
I know many think it’s the solution, but I’m always loathe to just say we need to buy this, that and the other to solve problems. There’s an issue at right midfield/forward that probably needs to be resolved in the transfer market, but I think you can work with what we already have, it’s a case of striking the right balance and being a bit more harmonious in what we do as a unit. If players A and B are already in the vicinity of the ball for example then player C must be making a different run – probably up in support. Or if the striker has dropped deep to receive the ball we need someone else to fill the space vacated. Or if our right side has worked the overlap and a chance for the cross then the left side of the team needs to have matched this with their runs into positions to receive it. Little examples I’ve seen us guilty of in recent weeks (both ‘first’ and ‘reserve’ teams), all the existing squad are capable of rectifying. You don’t need outstanding pace and/or trickery and flair, pass and move and the right run and right pass will find the breakthrough. We just have to find a bit better level of understanding, balance, and fluidity, time to put in the hours on the training pitches…
Yes as I said, as much as my first (and second, and...) instinct is always to look at what we already have at the club and improve what we have, I think we are currently missing that direct option who can commit players and just offer something different and its probably the next buy we have to make. For me it should be an option who can play as the right midfielder/forward as this is where we have issues. Son and Nkoudou are direct but much prefer the left, Lamela could be freed up to play centrally in a 4-1-4-1 and have healthy competition for the wide right role, Sissoko isn't a wide right player in my opinion... We could do with something different. A (much) better, hardworking Townsend-type basically.
Can someone pass this on to Poch. He probably doesn't know any of this.
Interesting read here on our passing style.
Also interesting that Toby is our most direct player.
https://medium.com/football-crunching/how-does-spurs-play-106e731079a8#.prufjixo7