[Albion] Potter's tactics against Newcastle?

[Dick Swiveller]

There must be a fair chance we are the first PL team to play 3 defenders, all centre backs, with one at centre back and the other two as full backs. There is so much flexibility that it wasn't like that all the time but based on average positions, that was the line up for me.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

We’ve been playing various tactics, formations, call it what you like all season. I’d say we’re one of the most flexible in that regard in the league. It was highlighted yesterday as we scored and took 3 far harder chances than we’d managed to miss against Palace and West Brom especially.

What I particularly liked was our ‘pissing about with it’ outside our box, sucking Newcastle out with a high press, then pinging it long into channels where our centre forwards were lurking. Newcastle were damned if they sat, damned if they pressed.

Hodgson and Allardyce were branded tactical geniuses on this very board for getting results against us - and yet their only difference with Bruce is that they caught us missing chances for fun. In some respects I felt Newcastle defended better than both as we really didn’t have as many absolute clear cut chances to be fair to Bruce.

 

[osgood]

Not sure why people are so hung up on systems, but to my untrained eye it was a 3 4 1 2 without a central striker, the 2 strikers were told to play wide to pull their central defenders apart leaving space for the Number 10 (Tross) and the wide midfielders (Gross and Moder) to exploit the space in the middle, whilst nullifying the 3 Newcastle midfielders using a high, almost mob like press when we didn't have the ball.

Call it what you like. I thought it was great but it would probably only work against a bunch of overpaid donkeys intent on doing sweet fa with the ball. So for Newcastle, it was perfect.

Very True , many fans, reporters and some pundits must find a numerical description of the days tactics, some games are easier than others !

 

[KZNSeagull]

Very True , many fans, reporters and some pundits must find a numerical description of the days tactics, some games are easier than others !

We will have to name it the Potter False 5,6,7,8,9,10,11 system because, as others have pointed out, other than the 3 defenders and Biss, everyone else was playing wherever they liked.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

I'll have a go.

What we saw last night was an evolution on again from the Sheffield United and Palace games.

Against the low block we've struggled to score as teams sit in.

How do you beat a low block? Width. The gameplan was to overload the wide area on one side and create space through the middle.

Maupay playing as a False 9 meant the CBs were isolated or drawn out. Then the midfield and wide men, looked to overload out wide or in the half spaces, creating space in behind the Newcastle defence. The runs of whomever was coming from deep were flexible, either out wide or into the half space giving options. Wellbeck's goal was helped by the run of Moder into the half space, drawing out Lascelles.

Trossards was made by Wellbeck coming deep, drawing the fullback out and Moder attacking the half space and drawing the midfield and defence.

The hardest part was creating the space as Newcastle sat. There was lots of playing it around the back trying to draw Newcastle forward. When they eventually did, the plan as always is to quickly and incisively move the ball forward and overload.

 

[Sheebo]

It was good to see him be proactive with his team selection, we knew Newcastle would just try to park the bus so we played a much more attacking system than usual, I know Moder/Gross were meant to be wing backs but they played more like wide midfielders or wingers most of the time because Newcastle are so negative we could safely play that way.

I think he’s learnt this from some of the other games like West Brom or Sheff at home. Exactly how I took it - he basically lined up with a system that meant 3 defenders and 7 attackers - don’t get me started on the wide strikers and Gross and Moder roles as I’m as confused as the OP for sure in a way - but gladly confused.

 

[Sheebo]

I'll have a go.

What we saw last night was an evolution on again from the Sheffield United and Palace games.

Against the low block we've struggled to score as teams sit in.

How do you beat a low block? Width. The gameplan was to overload the wide area on one side and create space through the middle.

Maupay playing as a False 9 meant the CBs were isolated or drawn out. Then the midfield and wide men, looked to overload out wide or in the half spaces, creating space in behind the Newcastle defence. The runs of whomever was coming from deep were flexible, either out wide or into the half space giving options. Wellbeck's goal was helped by the run of Moder into the half space, drawing out Lascelles.

Trossards was made by Wellbeck coming deep, drawing the fullback out and Moder attacking the half space and drawing the midfield and defence.

The hardest part was creating the space as Newcastle sat. There was lots of playing it around the back trying to draw Newcastle forward. When they eventually did, the plan as always is to quickly and incisively move the ball forward and overload.

Excellent intelligent post Graham

 

[amexer]

Just so much with a week to prepare was odd about Bruce approach to game. Apart from no effort to attack amazed how when Sanchez got the ball they retreated allowing him choice of players to pass to. So many sides to stop us push up to force us to kick long which of course becomes a 50/50 ball

 

[Biscuit]

Welbeck/Maupay close/narrow when ball is with our defence.
Central defenders therefore mark them
Then as we move up the pitch, the go out wide.
Central defenders either leave them (so W/M have space and can receive ball).
If central defenders follow/mark them, that creates space in middle for Gross/Moder who cut in. Then Newcastle have to work out who to mark Gross/Moder.
I suspect a better oppo/manager would have gone to 3 a the back (with assisting wing backs to mark Welb/Maupay) to deal with this, 4 at the back would not work well.

Excellent post.

 

[El Presidente]

The Albion played with two false number 9’s by playing them both out wide.

Newcastle played with a false number 9 by having a complete fraud up front.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Winner always gets to be adjudged a tactical genius, whether it's deserved or not. Them's the rules. It's like a horse wins the Gold Cup. Trainer says we always laid the horse out for this race blah blah. Like the other trainers didn't? If [MENTION=1416]Ernest[/MENTION] still walked amongst us, he'd be rightly calling it after-timing

 

[amexer]

Keeper
Right Back Centre Half Left Back
Right Half Left Half
Right Wing Inside Right, Centre Forward, Inside Left, Left Wing

Everything comes round

 

[maltaseagull]

If anyone finds an article or podcast explaining the wizardry that Potter performed with his tactics then please share it.

Myself, Steve Bruce and the Newcastle defence are still trying to work it out.

MOTD showed a graphic of a few occasions when Welbeck was wide left, Maupay was wide right, with Moder arriving late in the middle.
It was clearly a masterclass but it has still left me struggling to understand what the hell was happening and who was supposed to be doing what.

One highlight of the evening was when Dubravka took time to get treatment and the camera focused on Steve Bruce, Graeme Jones and the Newcastle players trying to fathom out who should be doing what.

If anyone can find a report that doesn't just go on and on about Newcastle's problems without more than a passing comment on how well we played it would be appreciated.

 

[father_and_son]

It was good to see him be proactive with his team selection, we knew Newcastle would just try to park the bus so we played a much more attacking system than usual, I know Moder/Gross were meant to be wing backs but they played more like wide midfielders or wingers most of the time because Newcastle are so negative we could safely play that way.

This. What it boils down to was Potter thought about what Bruce would do and set up for it. Bruce didn't do anything other than be incredibly predictable, and so played straight into Potter's hands.

Not so much a master class in tactics but one manager doing a little research and one completely out of his depth.

 

[Change at Barnham]

 

[scooter1]

If anyone can find a report that doesn't just go on and on about Newcastle's problems without more than a passing comment on how well we played it would be appreciated.

This.
There’s no denying Newcastle we’re shite, but there isn’t a huge amount coming our way crediting us for making them look so poor, so easily....

 

[Washie]

As said elsewhere I think it was something like:-

Sanchez in goal.

Dunk centre back

Bissouma deep lying centre midfield.

Now it gets a bit fuzzy.

Veltman and White - centre/wing back inside midfielders.

Groß and Moder inside forwards, from a wing back position.

Lallana halfway to box.

Wellbeck and Maupay winger centre forwards.

Trossard deep lying false inside centre forward.


All fairly straight forward.

Sanchez was in goal?

 

[osgood]

Keeper
Right Back Centre Half Left Back
Right Half Left Half
Right Wing Inside Right, Centre Forward, Inside Left, Left Wing

Everything comes round

Just need to move Keeper over a bit, behind the centre half !

 

[rogersix]

Not sure why people are so hung up on systems, but to my untrained eye it was a 3 4 1 2 without a central striker, the 2 strikers were told to play wide to pull their central defenders apart leaving space for the Number 10 (Tross) and the wide midfielders (Gross and Moder) to exploit the space in the middle, whilst nullifying the 3 Newcastle midfielders using a high, almost mob like press when we didn't have the ball.

Call it what you like. I thought it was great but it would probably only work against a bunch of overpaid donkeys intent on doing sweet fa with the ball. So for Newcastle, it was perfect.

not sure wot? on a football message board? and then go on to discuss the system? you're cagier than potter

 

[rogersix]

Newcastle set up looked familiar to me

oi! be nice. he's not been their manager for donkey's