[Albion] Tactical analysis of Albion's win over Man Utd

lost in london said:

I literally said that there will be patterns of play "I don't doubt Hurzeler had a tactical plan, and Pervis had instructions"

My point is that I think a lot of the analysts over complicate things deliberately, and are poor at explaining the tactics. Maybe everyone is cleverer than me, but I struggle to believe there are many supporters that read the article linked to in the first post and readily understand the points being made. I think it is a lot simpler than they make it out to be (hence why I made the point about there being no way that Hurzeler explains tactics in the same way these analysts do).

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thedonkeycentrehalf said:

If only some of the 'experts' who sit around me in the WSU had such a balanced view. Many don't seem to understand that the pass they can see from on high would require the player on the pitch to have x-ray vision to see through the cluster of players between the man in possession and the 'easy' ball they think is on.

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sussex_guy2k2 said:

We’re not silent. Some of us can only go to home games and don’t like to comment on the tactics at games we’ve not seen properly. Personally, I’ve only seen us win twice live this season (missed Spurs).

I’m genuinely really happy that we’re turning results around, but I’d like to see some of these performances for myself, rather than hearing about them on here. Because the majority of what I’ve seen this season has been directionless, planless, and scrappy, where our 4-1-0-0-0-4-1 formation gives up complete control of the midfield and puts huge pressure on the defence and on Baleba to do the work of 2 or 3 players.

But we all want him to succeed. He’s our manager, after all. And maybe, just for now, whatever his plan is translates better to away games where we’re under less pressure to control the game.

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Couldn't Be Hyypia said:

Did you read the article?

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lost in london said:

I literally said that there will be patterns of play "I don't doubt Hurzeler had a tactical plan, and Pervis had instructions"

My point is that I think a lot of the analysts over complicate things deliberately, and are poor at explaining the tactics. Maybe everyone is cleverer than me, but I struggle to believe there are many supporters that read the article linked to in the first post and readily understand the points being made. I think it is a lot simpler than they make it out to be (hence why I made the point about there being no way that Hurzeler explains tactics in the same way these analysts do).

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dazzer6666 said:

The language/words/ethos of the article seems pretty broadly in line with how coaches and other staff discuss tactics at the elite level from what I’ve heard………lt alone supporters not getting it, the ‘translation’ in every sense of this into simple instructions to a player (who may not be the sharpest tool in the box, and probably doesn’t have English as a first language) is another issue !

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Nobby Cybergoat said:

I think this is the doubt that I have.

Even if a player is highly intelligent and has excellent English , translating high levels of complex instructions in the 100 mph harum scarum world of the PL seems a little implausible. And is likely to be counterproductive

I don't doubt the team work on specific patterns of play in training with the idea of it being second nature by the time matchday comes. And I don't doubt the coaching staff are highly tactically proficient and speak to each other in that way. But I imagine most pre game and half time instructions to players will be relatively straight forward. On the pitch, in the PL, there just isn't the thinking time for much else

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sussex_guy2k2 said:

You said one thing and then argued the opposite because you couldn’t believe that the thing you initially said was true, and because you like the idea that football is a simple game.

That’s great and all, and probably true at local level, and maybe even up to, say, League One and Two level.

But if you think Premier League sides aren’t discussing tactics on this level, or probably on an even more complicated level, then you’re absolutely kidding yourself. Just because Match of the Day never discusses such things in any detail, doesn’t mean the clubs don’t internally.

For example, and this isn’t meant to sound patronising so apologies if it does, but things like pressing triggers can happen from when one single player in an opposing team receives the ball. Or when that player receives the ball on their wrong foot rather than their correct foot. That can set off a whole chain of events where specific players, or specific amounts of players press in groups. The amount of time they press, and from which angle they press will be key to the success of said press. How players in defence position themselves in case that press is played through will be considered, and is part of the reason we’ve had the rise of inverted full backs over the past few years. And I’ve barely scratched the surface of this one tiny topic, not even covering baiting of the press and other sub topics.

Basically, you’re completely wrong on this. If anything, I’d argue the article has tried to dumb it all down so that everyday fans can try to grasp some of the more complicated concepts and comprehend what they’re watching beyond the surface level of “yay we scored a goal, I’m happy”, or “boo, we conceded, I’m sad”.

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lost in london said:

You're quite forthright aren't you?

I don't think football is simple. All I'm trying to say (clearly not very well ironically) is I would like to hear tactics explained in the way that a non-native English coaching group probably explain them to non-native and mixed intelligence players. I think I would have a better chance at understanding them than very analytical academic articles.

I don't for a second doubt the coaches and managers discuss tactics endlessly and attempt to deploy them, I just wouldn't understand them so want the noddy version please.

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