Alexander Isak

[Lotus]

Odd thing for me is, when a CF comes deep like that, why are none of our other attacking players running into the space he’s vacated? We have the players do to it as well. It’s obviously by design. We’re often very rigid when it comes to players holding their positions regardless of where the space is. 
Can’t complain for where it got us to last season but do wonder if we’ll start to see more movement from the wide forwards in the future.

[Cronky]

11 minutes ago, Lotus said:

Odd thing for me is, when a CF comes deep like that, why are none of our other attacking players running into the space he’s vacated? We have the players do to it as well. It’s obviously by design. We’re often very rigid when it comes to players holding their positions regardless of where the space is. 
Can’t complain for where it got us to last season but do wonder if we’ll start to see more movement from the wide forwards in the future.

 

I think the runners need to have the confidence to leave their more defensive positions and commit to the attack. They need the faith that we won't just lose the ball and get exposed. The hallmark of a struggling team is one where players are holding back in case the team loses possession. We haven't shown that confidence this season, but we've had a very difficult run of fixtures, and there are new players to be integrated.

[The College Dropout]

Where do we want Isak to be on the pitch?

 

IMO you want him making runs in behind defences where players can slip him in.  
 

You also want him edge of the area in a little space where he can commit a man, or pass and move with a team mate.  
 

We never get him into any of those positions. Both positions need players around him to link with and play him in. We aren’t setup for that. And arguably don’t have the personnel fit atm. 
 

 

He was ok first half. Trying to keep the ball. But he didn’t have good passing options. He should try to release the ball earlier when he comes deep. One or two touches, pass and try to spin back up.  He takes 3-6 touches. Plays it safe. Then any momentum is gone.  
 

I would like us to play 4231. Have him close enough to Bruno, Wilson and a winger to combine with. 

 

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by The College Dropout

[mighty__mag]

20 hours ago, kingxlnc said:

He is missing ASM and Willock more than most I think, both of whom were on his wavelength. Isak has a baller style of play similar to the other two, full of flair. In the team there’s only Bruno, Tonali and perhaps Almiron with a touch of flair. The team currently seems workmanlike and predictable, Gordon’s pace can be nullified, Almiron can be brushed onto his right foot and Wilson can be contained. 
 

Definitely need to bring him back to number 10 and play Wilson ahead of him, or play him up top with a number 10 behind him.

 

4-3-3 doesn’t get the best out of him in this current squad. 

 

You're right, it will have affected quite a few players this season the loss of ASM, and also Willock being injured. Isak has a particularly good relationship with Willock, they're always together.

 

I think if you're going to replace Saint-Maximin, you need to replace with a better version of the same type of player, one that makes sides shit scared. Unfortunately there's no real danger on that side now, no fear to double even treble up on a player at times.

 

Even when ASM wasn't having his greatest of games for us, his presence on the pitch will have been helping his teammates with the space they gained from sides worried about the possible threat.

 

I'd argue rather than keep swapping players out to the left or even your suggestion to play Isak as a 10, Howe needs to consider buying a really solid left back, Dan Burn can't keep playing the position, it offers absolutely nothing when creating attacks, resulting in our forwards getting nothing, we need the same balance on the left that we have on the right. Teams know Dan Burn won't run up and down and whip balls in. If it ends up Howe doesn't feel he dares use Hall or Livramento, or even switch Trippier over, then we need to buy a well rounded left back that can come right in, we've not had a decent one since Enrique, or Willems.

 

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by mighty__mag

[Cronky]

I can't see us bringing in another left back when we've invested £35m in Hall.

 

I'm hopeful that he'll be able to take over from Burn as first choice left back at some stage this season.

[The College Dropout]

The biggest issue with Burn is that he needs his hands held whenever up against a pacy/tricky winger. It makes our winger play very deep and not in a position to counter.

 

And his distribution is bad.

 

And he doesn't give the opposition winger anything to think about when defending. Teams let him have it and let him have space. Bruno, in particular, won't even pass to him.

 

But he's good defensively in the box and wins most defensive headers. Take him and Joe out the team. Suddenly we look small.

[Smal]

Some of Isak’s performance can be blamed on tactics but mostly it was his own individual performance that was poor last night imo. He was exceptionally poor at maintaining possession. Unlike him.

[nufcjmc]

Just now, Smal said:

Some of Isak’s performance can be blamed on tactics but mostly it was his own individual performance that was poor last night imo. He was exceptionally poor at maintaining possession. Unlike him.

Milan were also very good at reducing space and man marking at points he had limited ball Outlet options and 3 men on him. Same happened time and time again when we looked to build from left and right back positions as we usually do and were sqeezed into a tight pass which was snuffed out or went out. 

[Gallowgate Toon]

Playing through a bit of a knee injury according to Howe.

[Myleftboot]

1 hour ago, Gallowgate Toon said:

Playing through a bit of a knee injury according to Howe.

Surprised he played him for 90 mins against Milan if that’s the case.

[Wilson]

Aye... zero reason for that surely? 

[MrRaspberryJam]

1 hour ago, Wilson said:

Aye... zero reason for that surely? 

Doesn’t trust Barnes. Worrying. 

[TBG]

Maybe it was just Howe picking up the lingo and meant ney.

[Wilson]

16 minutes ago, MrRaspberryJam said:

Doesn’t trust Barnes. Worrying. 

 

Concerning. 

[RUHRLYASLEEVESUP]

tbf I did say to my mate couple weeks ago "he's got a knee injury that Isak lad"

 

[Erikse]

5 hours ago, Gallowgate Toon said:

Playing through a bit of a knee injury according to Howe.

 

Was it the international break again? What is Sweden doing to him..

[Ronaldo]

On 20/09/2023 at 08:55, The College Dropout said:

Where do we want Isak to be on the pitch?

 

IMO you want him making runs in behind defences where players can slip him in.  
 

You also want him edge of the area in a little space where he can commit a man, or pass and move with a team mate.  
 

We never get him into any of those positions. Both positions need players around him to link with and play him in. We aren’t setup for that. And arguably don’t have the personnel fit atm. 
 

 

He was ok first half. Trying to keep the ball. But he didn’t have good passing options. He should try to release the ball earlier when he comes deep. One or two touches, pass and try to spin back up.  He takes 3-6 touches. Plays it safe. Then any momentum is gone.  
 

I would like us to play 4231. Have him close enough to Bruno, Wilson and a winger to combine with. 

 

 

 

A good post.

[KDT]

Nice finish

[The Prophet]

He's absolutely lethal when he can run off the shoulder or he's isolated the defender. It's finding a way to get him into the game against the low blocks that deny him that space. He's still young though, plenty of time to grow as a player and to develop within the team.

[Smal]

I actually think he’s better running in behind than he is coming short for the ball. Or at least it definitely suits our game more at the moment when he does run in behind.

 

Always confident when he gets 1v1 or only has 1 defender to mug off. Sometimes when he’s come short this season his control has been unusually poor (ie vs Milan).

[Gallowgate Toon]

He can definitely play a Firmino-like role when required. It's just not feasible tactically for us to always to be able to create space for him to run behind. In those situations, we either need him to play like a proper poacher and accept he'll be largely out of the game or become more of a link man to help draw defenders out. To make it work, it requires either midfielders running ahead, wingers tucking in, or both. He does need to move the ball quicker when he does this though otherwise the gap created is gone. From his time at Sociedad, there are some nice clips of his one-touch link up - it's very smooth when he does it so I can see with some more polish that it could be a really effective tactic for us.

 

Or we just shove him out to the wing 

[GEFAFWISP]

1 hour ago, Gallowgate Toon said:

He can definitely play a Firmino-like role when required. It's just not feasible tactically for us to always to be able to create space for him to run behind. In those situations, we either need him to play like a proper poacher and accept he'll be largely out of the game or become more of a link man to help draw defenders out. To make it work, it requires either midfielders running ahead, wingers tucking in, or both. He does need to move the ball quicker when he does this though otherwise the gap created is gone. From his time at Sociedad, there are some nice clips of his one-touch link up - it's very smooth when he does it so I can see with some more polish that it could be a really effective tactic for us.

 

Or we just shove him out to the wing 

To the bold, we tried this against Milan most of the first half, Tonali especially trying to occupy their RCB, with mixed results as we all saw. It's definitely something we need to do in games where Isak has to come deep due to a team's low block, hopefully we can be more effective with Anderson/Willock or a more up to speed Tonali as the season progresses.

[Gawalls]

1 hour ago, KDT said:

Nice finish

he's swedish 

[Kanji]

Id play him right wing. 

[gbandit]

This lad wandering round St James’ with flip flops on, cool as ice