Tactics

[beddie]

Best you find another team to support or come back on here in a few months

People are entitled to their opinion and I respect that. So onto my opinion. Wrong tram selection and at times wrong tactics. We are so naive and continue to make the same mistakes, we just don’t seem to learn from them. Unfortunately I can’t solve the problem. I’ve harped on about it from day one but to me a dominant, tall footballing centre back that’s a leader of men should have been a priority and because of that we’re only going one way.

[Vegas Claret]

I think the problems currently are far greater than one player who may have played 60 minutes per game at the most.

that was an example, I've talked further up about our lack of experience

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

Passing around the back like we are doing is suicide in this league. We’re not even good at it so why does it persist?

I noted even Sheff Utd we’re still doing it when they were being pumped by Newcastle at 8 nil. Its a terrible ,terrible fad that only the best teams like Man City can get away with.

[ClaretAL]

I thought we controlled the first half, but went to pieces in the second half. I think we are still in a transitional period and even at baseline I can see what we are trying to do

Big positive for me was that was Traffords best game despite the 4 goals. His kicking and collecting was miles better

[spt_claret]

Passing around the back like we are doing is suicide in this league. We’re not even good at it so why does it persist?

I noted even Sheff Utd we’re still doing it when they were being pumped by Newcastle at 8 nil. Its a terrible ,terrible fad that only the best teams like Man City can get away with.

The media love in for Guardiola coupled with the endless chasing of more revenue via marketability has created an obsessive trend for playing out from the back at all costs, as if it's the only way to play and anything else isn't proper football.
Speaking as a metropolitan middle class hipster, it's the metropolitan middle class hipster equivalent of insisting that Dyche 442 with defensive fullbacks, get-wide-and-cross wingers and two big men/big man-little man is the only proper football and anything else is just fancy foreign muck.
The trend will end eventually. You're already seeing more top teams seek out big forwards because of Haaland and to a lesser extent Lewandowski, one will sign a guy who's less mobile but bags a ton off crosses and they'll win a top trophy and people will adapt. It happened with Mourinho with his Chelsea diamond and again at Inter and Real.

[bfcjg]

We need to be more decisive. Faffing around at the back for the sake of it allows the opposition to get into position and press our front players. Man City champagne tactics on Burnley beer money.

[Stayingup]

VK has done very well getting in players from Europe. Questionable whether the blend is right though. But, and this may contentious but I think tactically he has a lot to learn.

[Blatherwickstattoo]

He’s proving very naive. To the point where he won’t progress . Shame but he’s just not going to cut it at the top level if he continues to play like this

[Elizabeth]

Our young manager made a mistake by playing Vitinho against Sterling, and by not addressing at half time.
Not helped either by poor Tresor in front of him.
One danger man given far too much space…

VK still has a lot of credit in the bag though and I doubt he’ll make this mistake again.

UTc

Sterling will tear every team at the bottom apart this season.

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

The media love in for Guardiola coupled with the endless chasing of more revenue via marketability has created an obsessive trend for playing out from the back at all costs, as if it's the only way to play and anything else isn't proper football.
Speaking as a metropolitan middle class hipster, it's the metropolitan middle class hipster equivalent of insisting that Dyche 442 with defensive fullbacks, get-wide-and-cross wingers and two big men/big man-little man is the only proper football and anything else is just fancy foreign muck.
The trend will end eventually. You're already seeing more top teams seek out big forwards because of Haaland and to a lesser extent Lewandowski, one will sign a guy who's less mobile but bags a ton off crosses and they'll win a top trophy and people will adapt. It happened with Mourinho with his Chelsea diamond and again at Inter and Real.

The other thing that bugs me is when someone receives a ball in a good attacking position who then passes it straight back to the person in a crap position. Really numb it is, that is another fad.

[Spijed]

Sterling will tear every team at the bottom apart this season.

Didn't when they played Forest.

[BigGaz]

Someone needs to tell Berge that his role is to pick the ball up on the half turn, progress it 15-20 yards and then pass. If it’s too risky, recycle possession and look to do it again at the earliest opportunity.

That’s it. Start phasing in more instructions when he’s got the message and he knows he’s allowed to/isn’t going to be bollocked if it doesn’t come off.

Seen enough from the lad now to know when he is carrying the ball forward we look threatening and is by far what he’s best at doing, but he either doesn’t want to or is being told not to do it. He could be an absolute monster.

[Elizabeth]

Didn't when they played Forest.

He's torn Burnley and Luton apart so I'll stick with my opinion

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

Someone needs to tell Berge that his role is to pick the ball up on the half turn, progress it 15-20 yards and then pass. If it’s too risky, recycle possession and look to do it again at the earliest opportunity.

That’s it. Start phasing in more instructions when he’s got the message and he knows he’s allowed to/isn’t going to be bollocked if it doesn’t come off.

Seen enough from the lad now to know when he is carrying the ball forward we look threatening and is by far what he’s best at doing, but he either doesn’t want to or is being told not to do it. He could be an absolute monster.

Good shout should just be threading balls through to Foster like against Luton and running forwards in the pocket. Seems wasted everywhere else.

[StayingDown4Ever]

Vk doesn't have tactics as such he relies on his players to make good decisons.

A guy managing in the Premier League without tactics is very alarming.

[Swizzlestick]

The defensive injuries are starting to become a worry - Ekdal been out a while now, Beyer has picked up another, Al-Dakhil went off today….compound this with an inexperienced goalkeeper who isn’t ready, a LB who doesn’t have the skill set to play the system and an inexplicable decision to drop your RB with PL experience, and you have a big problem, regardless of tactical set up.

[Hedontplayforyou]

Last season we took a while to get in our stride with the way VK wanted to play, and all of a sudden the short passing from the back got mixed up with the long one in behind for Tella. Why are we not doing this with one or two from Foster, Tresor, Koleosho, Amdouni or one of our many attacking players? To stretch the opposition and mix it up. It’s all very slow from Trafford which is something that really bugs me at the moment along with him playing players into danger and us then giving the ball away needlessly in bad areas of the pitch.

I hope we come to fruition after the international break but he definitely doesn’t know his best team yet. Was someone stated earlier it looks as if he’s trying to keep all the young lads happy. We can’t operate this way and need to be ruthless

[Belgianclaret]

He's torn Burnley and Luton apart so I'll stick with my opinion

He'll tear up many more teams if given the opportunity.

Not saying we can avoid every danger, just think that we needed to double up on him in defense, because he was the one (and only) real danger man on their team.

VK is not the only one who made such mistake though, still remember how Saint Maximin tore us apart more than once - when SD failed to adapt

No-ones perfect, this is a totally different level to last season - for me our team is far better than last season (though we do lack some steel) - we just need to learn from our mistakes quickly

[Clive 1960]

firstly we have a small team bar Berg and we get easily brushed off the ball , in midfield we are missing a joey Barton who can get stuck in and ruffle a few feathers. I know it's early days but we just have no confidence when we go a goal down . Yesterday was strange with the players dropping to the bench especially when some will go away and play on international duties.

[Quicknick]

Passing around the back like we are doing is suicide in this league. We’re not even good at it so why does it persist?

I noted even Sheff Utd we’re still doing it when they were being pumped by Newcastle at 8 nil. Its a terrible ,terrible fad that only the best teams like Man City can get away with.

I agree it's a fad. I thought that last night when I was watching a match in the village bar, north opf Chiang Rai. A fad that will pass. As someone else said on here, what's wrong with a goalkeeper accurately throwing the ball out?

[jojomk1]

Why make so many changes after we had just won our first Premiership game
I like the look of Amdouni but would have potentially just made the one change after Luton with Larsen replacing him and that, in turn, would have allowed Koleosho to get back on his strong left hand side position
There was no need for the significant changes other than to give game time to the likes of Vitinho, Odobert and Tresor - Premier league games are not for that
Also this playing out from the back just doesn't work for us
You need midfielders who make space to receive passes from the back four whereas ours just stand still
When we had to go long Foster was reasonably effective in challenging for those balls
Brentford, Bournemouth and Everton away come next and I have no idea what team or tactics will be employed

[claretandy]

Also this playing out from the back just doesn't work for us

Where do you think our goal came from? Same with both goals at Luton.

[Dyched]

It seems like VK wants to play in a certain way, as in try unknown or pushing the boundaries of how teams play. Without really implementing the basics of what a team needs.

You can do that in the Championship. You can get away with it over 46 games. We played in a more typical way last season. Without any pressure in some respects. Then once up and running winning becomes a habitat and that showed how we won many points late in last season.

This season is very different. Forget playing the better teams. Games run out quickly. It’s harder to get a run of wins together breading confidence which is a huge thing for such a young side (players). Before you know it it Christmas games coming quick and fast and you’re halfway through the season. There’s also the pressure of staying up. Most of these players have never played under any pressure.

Sooner or later we need to look at each games and think “How do we beat these today, how do we go there and remain in the game to get a point or the points”. I don’t see that. We want to play our way and our way only, whatever that is. This league is far too unforgiven to do that unless you’re a world class team.

[claretspice]

Calm heads needed. Our first half performance was good and our shape was hugely improved, and for the first time at home this season the score line owed quite a bit to bad luck.

I assume Al Dakhil went off injured at half time. That left us with a second string defence and it showed. The penalty and in particular the first goal, whilst resulting from Sterling's superiority over Vitinho, were a little unfortunate. The third goal is in my view caused by Roberts' pass to Ramsey just after another forced substitution.

In the ene the match stats were pretty even. One chance for Fernandes aside, Chelsea took all their chances, whereas we didn't take one to go 2 up. My guess is Chelsea will end the season further up the league than United or Villa and their individual quality showed in that second half.

I am a critic of the summer business and its gaps were obvious again yesterday. I think we should look for space behind more than we do and be a touch more pragmatic at times. But for all that I think the criticism of yesterday is a bit OTT. I think we'll all be advised to hold judgment until after our next 3 games.

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

I agree it's a fad. I thought that last night when I was watching a match in the village bar, north opf Chiang Rai. A fad that will pass. As someone else said on here, what's wrong with a goalkeeper accurately throwing the ball out?

Passing the ball weakly to a centre half in front of their attacker won’t get us anywhere and just invites pressure resulting in errors galore.

I’m all for a long pass from the keeper to split midfield in half. We do have someone that can do them but he’s currently not in the team.

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

Perfect example of this has just happened in the Brighton game ex anderlecht keeper as well.

[CoolClaret]

I think the whole idea is that you mix play up and you expect the intellect of your players to figure out what is best in each particular circumstance.

Blindly following a tactic all the time is really strange - at least in my opinion.

Be nice if we had an in behind threat and a keeper that could launch it accurately long…. Oh wait we do