Our pressing game

[mick]

Have to say I have been really impressed with the way we go about pressing the ball this season when we decide to.

 

Looks like there' has been a huge amount of work done on the training ground, in terms of when players go to press in packs, the angles they are taking to cut off potential passing options, the team work involved and the fact the man closest to the opponent with the ball avoids giving away very few free kicks ( look how common it is with other teams - laziness) while putting them under extreme pressure.

 

It will stand us in good stead this year and I think it will lead to us creating a fair number of goal scoring chances. Will be even more effective too when Suarez is back

[Molby]

Have to say I have been really impressed with the way we go about pressing the ball this season when we decide to.

 

Looks like there' has been a huge amount of work done on the training ground, in terms of when players go to press in packs, the angles they are taking to cut off potential passing options, the team work involved and the fact the man closest to the opponent with the ball avoids giving away very few free kicks ( look how common it is with other teams - laziness) while putting them under extreme pressure.

 

It will stand us in good stead this year and I think it will lead to us creating a fair number of goal scoring chances. Will be even more effective too when Suarez is back :)/>

 

agree

 

 

 

what we need to do now is work on our tactical fouls

 

 

 

i.e if two players get taken out of the game when they go to press and fail then the third either wins the ball or fouls his man....or something

 

alas it's vital we do this

[David Hodgson]

Have to say I have been really impressed with the way we go about pressing the ball this season when we decide to.

 

Looks like there' has been a huge amount of work done on the training ground, in terms of when players go to press in packs, the angles they are taking to cut off potential passing options, the team work involved and the fact the man closest to the opponent with the ball avoids giving away very few free kicks ( look how common it is with other teams - laziness) while putting them under extreme pressure.

 

It will stand us in good stead this year and I think it will lead to us creating a fair number of goal scoring chances. Will be even more effective too when Suarez is back :)/>

 

It's been great to see. I do wonder wonder why we seem to be lacking legs later in games though. The two could be connected.

[Conrad]

Have to say I have been really impressed with the way we go about pressing the ball this season when we decide to.

 

Looks like there' has been a huge amount of work done on the training ground, in terms of when players go to press in packs, the angles they are taking to cut off potential passing options, the team work involved and the fact the man closest to the opponent with the ball avoids giving away very few free kicks ( look how common it is with other teams - laziness) while putting them under extreme pressure.

 

It will stand us in good stead this year and I think it will lead to us creating a fair number of goal scoring chances. Will be even more effective too when Suarez is back :)/>

 

has been good to see - and I think Rory's match thread said we'd made more tackles than anyone else so far. But - it may well be a big contributing factor to our poorer second half perfrormances

[Chili Palmer]

agree

 

 

 

what we need to do now is work on our tactical fouls

 

 

 

i.e if two players get taken out of the game when they go to press and fail then the third either wins the ball or fouls his man....or something

 

alas it's vital we do this

 

There was an example of this in the Notts County game when we were caught out up the pitch and Alberto was the midfielder chasing back and brought the man down as soon as he got over the half way line, the reply angle showed Stevie trying to catch up screaming 'Foul, Foul!' then applauded Alberto.

 

 

Although he may have been having a Vietnam style flashback to the Hodgson years and was screaming 'Owl, Owl!' Can't be sure.

[Rory Fitzgerald]

has been good to see - and I think Rory's match thread said we'd made more tackles than anyone else so far. But - it may well be a big contributing factor to our poorer second half perfrormances

 

Thats partly what I am taking from it, yes. Less possession, conceding territory means its more necessary to make tackles. However, only part of the reason, there is no doubt we are aggressive about winning the ball back and not giving the opposition time when we do elect to press.

[The_Adder]

There was an example of this in the Notts County game when we were caught out up the pitch and Alberto was the midfielder chasing back and brought the man down as soon as he got over the half way line, the reply angle showed Stevie trying to catch up screaming 'Foul, Foul!' then applauded Alberto.

 

That is awesome, I know know why that please me so much, but it does

[Maldini]

I think the higher line has helped massively

[honourablegeorge]

There's signs of the team working to a plan in terms of when to press and when not to press - beyond a certain point, they hold off. Not seeing half the team taken out of the game with an easy pass.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

The ManU game was excellent, harrying them on the edge of their own box; one slip & we're in on goal.

[D.Boon]

Knowing when to hack someone down and take the foul/yellow card is definitely something we need to get wiser to.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

no - knowing how to not get booked till the 4th one is what we need to do, and then rotate fouls like Arsenal used to be good at

 

we should all learn a lesson from that Croatia player on the YouTube clip in the genny

[schmuckdonald]

1) Have we played a higher line? Not been to any games this season but I think there's a distinction to defending higher and a higher line.

 

2) I really think fitness/physicality plays a big role in what Rodgers wants to do. He hasn't quite got it right yet but I think he wants to play in waves. His ideal, to me, seems to be: be Bielsa for 25-30 then Spain for 25 -30 then see where the game is.

 

EDIT: Defo need more tactical fouls.

Edited September 11, 2013 by schmuckdonald

[épieur]

The ManU game was excellent, harrying them on the edge of their own box; one slip & we're in on goal.

 

I loved that. They were well rattled. Been a while since we did that to a top team.

[Ronnie#5]

Knowing when to hack someone down and take the foul/yellow card is definitely something we need to get wiser to.

Chelsea are the best I've seen at this. it's good to see we're catching on.

[mick]

agree

 

 

 

what we need to do now is work on our tactical fouls

 

 

 

i.e if two players get taken out of the game when they go to press and fail then the third either wins the ball or fouls his man....or something

 

alas it's vital we do this

 

Cynically fouling - tut tut

Hopefully we will be clever enough to not get caught out too often but yeah there will be times.....

 

I think the higher line has helped massively

 

Yes - it makes it easier to put pressure where they end up kicking the ball away aimlessly we can can build from the back.

 

I wonder as others have pointed are we tactically playing deeper in the 2nd half or just knackered? I'd be worried if we we were running out of stream after an hour.

[Flasher]

I think the higher line has helped massively

 

I agree. Pace at the back is vital for this to work.

[D.Boon]

Chelsea are the best I've seen at this. it's good to see we're catching on.

 

They did have the high priest of underhand playing for them as well. The evil genius.