This playing it around in the box

V

Valencian

First Team
Why? What’s it all about?
Francis said pre season that we will concede a lot of goals from trying to play out the box but that’s the way Eddie wants to play.
It may work if you play lesser sides but not against Premier players and coaches. I’m all for getting the ball forward earlier and cutting out the 10 passes in the box
Just me?
 
Play it short and for a team to press they’d have to have 2/3 players on the 18 yard box.

So in midfield with a high defensive line the opposition have 7/8 players. Shorter passes more accurate more and higher percentage of maintaining possession.

Play it long and you have 10 players for the opposition to win a 50-50 second ball. Thus lower percentage of maintaining possession.
 
Agree with the science DJ. The worry is how accurate are these shorter passes going to be over a season? I can’t believe the stats will read favourable for most teams. Part of the modern game that I think will change....
 
Agree with the above posts...BUT...... its no coincidence that we have seen a marked increase in the number of mistakes this season in all the matches. It should be easier than under the old rules but there seems to be more mistakes.
 
Arsenal caught badly with it yesterday and Man City the day before. It’s going to take some learning.

It makes sense why people do it though and doesnt half open the game up and I love that Cruyff quote.

We are clearly under instructions because the one time Ramsdale didn’t do it ( the crowd had been urging him not to and gave him a big cheer) we lost the header on the half way line and Everton had an attack. Eddie was livid.
 
It will take a while to settle down. Teams are getting caught out because when you have players receiving the ball that close to their own goal the margin for error is very narrow. The opposition only have to have man for man "marking" on the edge of the box and sprint in when the ball is played and panic ensues. Everton pressed us when we tried it and Ramsdale very sensibly went long a few times. Once he had done that Everton backed off a bit as it left them a bit exposed further up the pitch. Key is to mix it up a bit.
With Billing and Solanke in the side we have plenty of ability to win the ball in the air if we go long.
 
Teams are getting caught out because they're all doing it badly; lazy passes without even looking at around to see where the opposition are.
 
....down to the passing abilities or the defenders and the ball control, too many times passes are not controlled immediately and that leads to a panic ball out.
 
Its a thing that many sides are doing and I have seen errors from most of them! But if the science shows its the way to create space, we all know it will be carried on. There was a couple of times yesterday where I winced and we did lose possession but when its done correctly, it definitely suits our game. I always hated the passing around the back line and then back to the keeper, who just lumped the ball up front - far less chance of keeping possession that way.
 
redharry said:
Key is to mix it up a bit.
With Billing and Solanke in the side we have plenty of ability to win the ball in the air if we go long.
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This.

Our short passing from Ramsdale was very predictable; Everton read the couple of 'plays' that we have and predicted what was going to happen. I'm not sure Ramsdale buys into it anyway.
A good accurate lump up the field is a good tactic to mix it up.
 
NWCherries98 said:
Teams are getting caught out because they're all doing it badly; lazy passes without even looking at around to see where the opposition are.
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Agree. New demands are being placed on defenders these days. More teams are pressing high up the pitch and also more teams are expecting their players to play out from the back. Concentration levels have to be near perfect if we are to prevent giving away cheap goals. Our defenders don't need to have the skills of Messi, it would be much more useful if they could 'just' stay absolutely focused for the full duration of the match. Concentration, concentration, concentration. This is what we need to be coaching.
Garbo's point about overhit passes and poor ball control leading to panic clearances is also very true. I can think of numerous occasions where this got us into trouble. Hopefully increased concentration levels would see fewer of these poor back passes being made in the first place.
 
I know Surman isn’t everyone’s favourites but one of his great strengths is his willingness to take the ball despite being marked and facing his own goal. Perfect outlet for players like rico and cook, who can give away possession, and recycle the ball into space. Lewis finds space too to receive the ball in tight spaces.
 
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