[Albion] Playing the ball out from the back

[rippleman]

Can't believe people would rather see us lump it up towards Trossard, Maupay, Connolly etc

You mean the big lads up top?!

That's what we did first half against Sheffield Utd and look where that got us. I was really surprised to see us just lumping the ball after the way we've been playing this season.

I like the playing out of the back when we do it quickly - as we did v Bournemouth. Everything was so much quicker and in particular the speed we moved it through our midfield. Propper, Biss and Mooy all sparkled playing the quick give and go style. I understand that Stephens has a role to play, particularly against top 6 sides, but I do love the pace and flow when he isn't on the pitch.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Can't believe people would rather see us lump it up towards Trossard, Maupay, Connolly etc

Exactly. Expecting Ryan to pick out one of the three dwarfs from 50 yards is just another fairy tale.

 

[doogie004]

I was chatting to a mate today about this. It seems a large number of fans are very uncomfortable with it and audibly moan when the players and keeper are getting closed down. Are YOU comfortable with it?

It seems to me and the mate I was discussing it with that it’s a much more sensible option than just hoofing or throwing the ball long. Playing this way we have a good chance of losing the ball quite often. Sure we are going to get badly caught out occasionally with a mistimed/executed pass but it hasn’t happened that much and the players seem quite comfortable with it. Ryan, imo, is up there with the best in the league with ball skills and seldom gets it wrong (watch it happen against Chelsea now I’ve said that!)

So is it most of us or just some louder mouthed people who are making it sound from the stands like it’s not generally liked?

I think, from Potter’s body language reaction to the crowd moaning that we might be hearing an “I might as well go and play golf” style comment soon

Poll to follow

The issue we have is that after they get closed down Ryan is then rushed into booting it to anyone downfield and more often than not going to the opposition so nothing gained


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[CheeseRolls]

As long as we continue to play Bissouma in place of Stephens, we'll be fine.

Tsk - I THINK ! I THINK !! it is your opinion, not a fact.

I think As long as we continue to play Bissouma in place of Stephens, we'll be fine - Interesting, fair enough, disagree but your opinion.

As long as we continue to play Bissouma in place of Stephens, we'll be fine. - What are you, some all seeing footballing deity?

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Not sure there's an option in the poll which really covers my position. It makes me nervous but I "get" it, so I voted happy with it. I enjoy in general the way we're playing at the moment, and that is part of it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Having spent most of my life watching teams depressingly and unimaginatively wallop the ball to a lump up front I’m totally fine with it. And how many goals have we conceded directly as a result?

 

[SollysLeftFoot]

I'm on the fence, but then again I enjoy how we're playing under Potter and this is a major part of his style.

Against teams who use forward pressing, we need to be more urgent but otherwise it's all good. However, there's been occasions this season where it's left me feeling a bit sick seeing how we're often pressed and hoofed it up field. This, of course can be coached out of the players and decision making comes with experience.

So, once we're confident against the more pressing teams then I'll be fully behind it. But other than that, some of our football has been great to watch.

 

[TimWatt]

Given that he’s employed Poyet, Garcia and Potter, isn’t the reality that this is the style of football Tony Bloom wants?

 

[studio150]

Yes let's abandon playing the ball out from the back, and instead hoof the ball 70 yards to the opposition and then run around for ages trying to get the ball back, and once we do, hoofing the ball forward again within a nano second to then.......

 

[Richy_Seagull]

It’s actually embarrassing listening to fans moan and groan when the team are trying their hardest to implement this new style which has got Albion playing the best football I have ever seen in my lifetime.

I was expecting far more goals where a mistake was made at the back compared to what we have seen. Yet still the “ just ****ing clear it” brigade carry on thinking they know best.

No wonder Potter is getting pissed off at the home “support”.

 

[Stat Brother]

I thought the point was to draw the opposition out of position, then move fast past them. While it is a tactic that people can see, most players can't help being drawn into it.

That's my only minor irritant with the plan.

The 5/6 players (inc Stephens and/or Propper) on the whole do really well attracting the opposition then moving the ball on.

The ball is finally, snappily, played forward but the impetus for that pass nearly always vanishes.

The team plays really well to get the perceived advantage, but doesn't kick on through the final third anywhere near quick enough for that advantage to play out.

 

[dazzer6666]

my concerns are you need very good footballers, which arent necessarily brilliant defenders, to achieve this style. also passing the keeper when right infront of his goal is asking for an accidental goal. and knowing when to recognise no pass is on and getting the ball up pitch. thats were our players probably will get caught out.

20 games in now how many times has this happened ? I can't recall a goal coming from a Maty error.................

 

[Scunner]

It was noticeable that with Duffy in the team on Saturday that we didn't do this as much. Stephens takes responsibility for the out ball as well and no one was there to do that either as Bissouma and Propper don't want it. Thus we went long a lot, just like Hughton-ball at times...

 

[Weststander]

Other.

I recognise that it’s worked in playing a part in our improved football.

But think we should vary tactics. I haven’t seen any of the Bmuff footage, but posters have told me that did vary things when in possession at the back.

 

[Half Time Pies]

Probably the same fans that moaned when we lumped it forward to Murray!

There is a Bloke behind me who doesn't stop going on about it the whole game, he nearly busts a blood vessel complaining at the players for passing backwards or sideways.

On Saturday I pointed out to him that the players are simply following Potters orders, its the way the teams he manage always play, so by moaning he is effectively criticising the players for following instructions!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I get why they play like that, but it is a bit heart-stopping at times and there are occasions, when the ball is going around the back line for about 20 passes where I think 'just get rid of it'. However, there were occasions where Ryan (or Dunk/Duffy) did exactly that and it ended up being hoofed straight to a Bournemouth player. So in effect all they've done is waste a bit of time knocking the ball around between themselves.

However, when it does work, it's a joy to watch. I'm enjoying it more and fearing a mistake less, so I guess we just put our faith in the players that they don't mess it up!

 

[CheeseRolls]

Not that I see pre-match warm-ups very often, but a staple of this always seemed to be a version of "piggy in the middle" where one player tries to intercept the ball being knocked about by the players forming a ring outside them.

Assuming they still do that, I can now see that it serves a purpose. Short, sharp passes that are terrifyingly close to the "piggy" and inches away from being intercepted.

It isn't easy to ascertain from just watching a match, but I am pretty sure there is a full team sequenced choreography to this. An overhead camera, some stop start video equipment and a whiteboard, I reckon I could work it out, which is what I suspect Sheffield United did. Watching it live, there is too much of a distraction, willing us not to get caught in possession, to notice when and why Stephens decides to drop short to collect the ball, or Mooy drifts to the right of the centre circle to collect the ball.

I suspect the forwards are also part of the sequence, which is why sometimes, we don't seem to take advantage of the space we have created in midfield. The way that the opposition react can be really unpredictable, so the chance to run at pace at a certain defender, who is weak on his left side, may not present itself very often.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

The way we used it against Bournemouth was much more clever, we played it short a few times so then they started trying to push up at which point we utilised the option of going long/wide to Burn who won absolutely everything. Like that Potter has thought about it, gives us a different option so teams can’t just push up and high press us.

Yeah, I much preferred how we did it against Bournemouth too. It seemed equally effective but with less risk. I did assume it was down to Duffy being in the team and his lack of ball playing in tight positions ability though rather than any meaningful tactical shift. I guess we'll find out when Webster returns to the team.

 

[dazzer6666]

It isn't easy to ascertain from just watching a match, but I am pretty sure there is a full team sequenced choreography to this. An overhead camera, some stop start video equipment and a whiteboard, I reckon I could work it out, which is what I suspect Sheffield United did. Watching it live, there is too much of a distraction, willing us not to get caught in possession, to notice when and why Stephens decides to drop short to collect the ball, or Mooy drifts to the right of the centre circle to collect the ball.

I suspect the forwards are also part of the sequence, which is why sometimes, we don't seem to take advantage of the space we have created in midfield. The way that the opposition react can be really unpredictable, so the chance to run at pace at a certain defender, who is weak on his left side, may not present itself very often.

Definitely. Pretty sure at least a couple of times on Saturday Dunk pinged the ball along the ground through the midfield straight to Maupay around halfway - the tactic just creates space as the oppo have to press to try to get the ball - it's up to our tippy-tapping defenders to spot those spaces and either pass through them or run into them. Several times on Saturday too the ball was also chipped out to BDB on the left wing from Maty - the passing along the back, coupled with the movement from the rest completely outfoxed Bournemouth in the middle of the park. I also don't think Howe expected (or set his team up) to deal with Ali on the wing (none of us expected it either so he hardly could've done LOL)

As others have said we now seem to be introducing more variety into how we play out - previously it seemed we always passed across the back until Stephens was in enough space to take a short pass but on Saturday it was any of the midfield three coming short, Ryan putting it to the wings and occasionally hitting a longer ball, Dunk hitting long diagonals to Ali or Burn etc etc. Great to watch.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Interesting. What struck me most about Duffys performance against Bournemouth was how uncomfortable he looked with the ball. He would play his passes under little pressure straight to Propper or Montoya when they had someone close to them, who then had no choice to play it back to Duffy, who would then go back to Ryan when he was closed down. It all worked out, but the way we play it, and why Webster is good, is that the passes from the defender are delayed, even under pressure, and made to an outlet who is in space so they can turn or pass it on to someone further forward.

I agree. I love Big Shane, but comfortable on the ball he is not.