Playing Style

[timnufc22]

This applies to most PL in general, but in sick and tired of basic football principles being ignored in recent years and we’re guilty of it as shown in the first few games. I know people say we don’t try to play tika taka like other teams, but there is countless times we play stupid, short hospital balls inside to Isak for example who’s deep in his own half and two players around him. What’s he supposed to do? Where are we supposed to go with that? A simple and obvious move would instead be for Isak to spin in behind and for a ball over the top… it doesn’t need to be absolutely precise, play a percentage if needs be. Then at the least we can push up the pitch and start pinning the opposition back a bit as they’ll naturally start dropping deep after the second and third ball like this. 
 

The obsession with never clearing your lines - Joelinton did it tonight with a ridiculous pass out to the edge of our box that went to them when we were already boxed in. There is seemingly a snobbery that’s now established where its below players and coaches to clear their lines, play the percentage ball now and again - in favour of potentially giving up a guilt edge chance for the opposition (which happens on a fairly frequent basis now for most teams). 
 

Forest showed tonight that with good crosses and long throws you can - shock, horror - create chances and cause problems. The thing is, they were just doing the basics that all teams did repeatedly not long ago. The arrogance to ‘play the right way’ or whatever label people want to create is so frustrating. 
 

It must be so frustrating for Isak, not only is he dropping deep with no support (he should play with a striking partner, another cardinal sun these days apparently), wasting his pace by not making runs in behind (if he’s ignoring instructions ok that’s on him)… but also there was multiple times our wingers and fullbacks had the ball out wide and just refused to put a good cross in. Again, gotta score that tika taka goal… you have a world class striker in the middle - show your quality and whip a good cross in. Defenders can panic, put in their own net etc. 

 

I watch us and see we have good players but we just waste our talent at times to instead conform to the way the game supposedly has to be played now. 
 

Again, there may be worse in the league for this, but there’s still so many times we take unnecessary risks defensively and slow the pace offensively because it’s seemingly the way now to throw basic principles that have been around since the beginning out the window. 

[The Prophet]

[cubaricho]

2 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

 

[timnufc22]

😅 I’ll sum up:

 

Play to Isaks pace - balls in behind, not short balls to his feet when he’s in our own half & two defenders around him. He’s crowded out and we’re getting suffocated.

 

Cross the ball for him earlier, stop overplaying in wide areas, give him more service.

 

Stop playing ourselves into trouble in our own box - the obsession with tika taka in football generally does lead to us to giving away chances, seemingly because it’s snobbery now to clear your lines now and again. 

[duo]

1 hour ago, timnufc22 said:

😅 I’ll sum up: