Pressing... that's the bloody answer

[See-Goals]

I was moaning about the lack of pressing and closing down, particularly by Hemed on their back four.

Then when Stephens lost it they scored on the counter in 4 passes. That's why we weren't pressing high and that's why CH is a top flight manager and I moan in the stands.

 

[TheDuke]

Pressing like they did was incredible to watch. But they are the elite. They're the best of the best. Their fitness levels and skill levels are far above us.

If we'd have tried to press them as they did us we'd be ****ed by half time and they'd have hit us for 5 or 6.

My point exactly. We cannot match them for football skills but we should be able to be as fit as they were... is our training regime lacking?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

My point exactly. We cannot match them for football skills but we should be able to be as fit as they were... is our training regime lacking?

They're much fitter than us because they are the best in the world. We're a championship team with some decent additions.

 

[Albumen]

You don't press with high intensity against a great pass and move side. You let them have the ball but give them no space, which is what we did very well. I watched the Liverpool City game last year and saw how Liverpool didn't press them as much as they do weaker teams. They let them come at them, squeeze the space then hound them to counter attack - that was why that game was so mental, constantly end to end. If you constantly press a great pass and move side you'll be dead on your feet within the hour.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

I think on Saturday chris employed the correct tactics to a degree, solly doubling up with Bruno worked really well and we almost pulled off a 0_0. I would have liked to see a bit more of a press from the front 3 whilst keeping the shape behind. We did have chances of a decent break on 5/6 occasions, but lacked the correct ball or hemed failed to hold the ball and pass. We definitely need knocky and a pacy striker, then we may surprise a few of the big boys.

 

[TheDuke]

They're much fitter than us because they are the best in the world. We're a championship team with some decent additions.

Don't understand. Sure they are the best in the world (probably!) but that's got nothing to do with fitness... we MUST be able to be as fit as any other team.

 

[pishhead]

As mentioned against a team as technically proficient as city they will create overloads where they are 2 on 1 against you. The key is to maintain your shape and make it as difficult as possible for them to find the gaps.
We will set up similarly against most sides and the key will be in being able to transition defence to attack a lot quicker.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lense]

True, their defensive line was stood on the half way line most of the time!

As others have said, possession of 80% allows that, but also the lack of genuine pace against you means you are not worried about leaving space behind you. The plan would have been to pick the ball up and look to play the ball into those areas left by Danilo and Walker, pulling the centre-halves out of the middle - there were flashes, Murphy in the 1st half, lots of runs by Gross but Hemed and Murray will struggle.. We just couldn't get the quality of the ball or have the pace to make the runs needed - Vardy and Leicester were/are good at this..

 

[Mackenzie]

Limiting City to two goals and having a couple of chances ourselves was a pretty good effort, I don't think we could have played any other way than that and improved the result.

 

[martin tyler]

Don't understand. Sure they are the best in the world (probably!) but that's got nothing to do with fitness... we MUST be able to be as fit as any other team.

The actual fitness levels would not of been that far apart in reality. The fact of the matter is they had better players who can keep the ball have a breather as they play keep ball for 2 minutes where as we struggled to keep the ball for any sensible period of time before we lost it and that was the big difference in the side the ability on the ball. so if your chasing 80% of the time then your going to tire a lot quicker than the team with the ball.
It would of been suicidal to press them all the way up the pitch. The ability of Silva, Aguero and KDB in particular to find gaps in-between the lines when in reality there was hardly any space at all to work in was incredible really. If those gaps were 10 yards wider they wold of picked us off much more easier and we would of been hammered

 

[lost in london]

Don't understand. Sure they are the best in the world (probably!) but that's got nothing to do with fitness... we MUST be able to be as fit as any other team.

It's not just 'fitness', I'm sure the sprinters in the 100m final at the World Championships are all equally 'fit', it's just that some are more gifted athletes than others. The top players combine incredible natural technical ability with equally incredible natural athleticism with an equally incredible commitment to training and improvement.

 

[beorhthelm]

You don't press with high intensity against a great pass and move side. You let them have the ball but give them no space, which is what we did very well. I watched the Liverpool City game last year and saw how Liverpool didn't press them as much as they do weaker teams. They let them come at them, squeeze the space then hound them to counter attack - that was why that game was so mental, constantly end to end. If you constantly press a great pass and move side you'll be dead on your feet within the hour.

this is true. however, the front two should do some pressing so that you give yourself a chance, move their midfield about a bit, maybe pick up an error. needs the forwards to have energy run around a lot though, something we lack (aside from Baldock).

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

The first goal was basically the first time we got outnumbered after giving the ball away with players further up the pitch.

It would be suicide against a team like City. Against 'lesser' opposition perhaps.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Get CMS back

 

[stss30]

As others have said, possession of 80% allows that, but also the lack of genuine pace against you means you are not worried about leaving space behind you. The plan would have been to pick the ball up and look to play the ball into those areas left by Danilo and Walker, pulling the centre-halves out of the middle - there were flashes, Murphy in the 1st half, lots of runs by Gross but Hemed and Murray will struggle.. We just couldn't get the quality of the ball or have the pace to make the runs needed - Vardy and Leicester were/are good at this..

Yep, I know. We really missed Baldock/Knockaert as City were not concerned whatsoever about us getting behind them which is why they held such a high defensive line. March had a decent game overall (not MOTM in my book) but still lacks the attacking runs to become a top class winger, and they were obviously not going to be worried about Hemed or Murray beating them for pace!

 

[perseus]

Selective pressing is valid, conserves energy.

I like the idea of passing to players on the same side as well.

 

[BBassic]

Selective pressing is valid, conserves energy.

I like the idea of passing to players on the same side as well.

Madness, it'll never catch on.

 

[Surf's Up]

I am also convinced that we need to press and move much more, all over the pitch. Both Huddersfield and Bournemouth do this very successfully and have thus succeeded in achieving some success with players who are technically not up to the players at clubs like City, Spurs, Arsenal etc. We are in the same position as them in terms of the quality of players at our disposal and that we can attract and I think we need to develop much more of a pressing a pressing game (or even a targeted pressing game as Huddersfield did on Saturday - whenever Zaha got the ball they were all over him like a rash) than we currently employ. To achieve this we need young, hyper fit players who can keep going at a reasonably high pace for 96 minutes....this obviously puts a question mark over some of our current squad but the incomers over the next 2/3 weeks need to reflect this.....IMHO of course.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

The first goal was basically the first time we got outnumbered after giving the ball away with players further up the pitch.

It would be suicide against a team like City. Against 'lesser' opposition perhaps.

Exactly. I don't understand how this is not obvious to supporters. We played the right way, sitting back and then pressing when they got near to our area when we could get near. If Stephens hadn't made a mistake, it could have worked. A much better judge of our tactics will be how we play at Leicester this weekend.

 

[Spiros]

I am also convinced that we need to press and move much more, all over the pitch. Both Huddersfield and Bournemouth do this very successfully and have thus succeeded in achieving some success with players who are technically not up to the players at clubs like City, Spurs, Arsenal etc. We are in the same position as them in terms of the quality of players at our disposal and that we can attract and I think we need to develop much more of a pressing a pressing game (or even a targeted pressing game as Huddersfield did on Saturday - whenever Zaha got the ball they were all over him like a rash) than we currently employ. To achieve this we need young, hyper fit players who can keep going at a reasonably high pace for 96 minutes....this obviously puts a question mark over some of our current squad but the incomers over the next 2/3 weeks need to reflect this.....IMHO of course.

Would that be the same Bournemouth that got done 4-0 up at City last season and then managed to keep the home fixture to a 2-0 defeat by changing their style to a more stifling game? Or a different one?

If Hudds play their normal game against City then unless they get a lucky break they will get spanked. Tactics that are successful against our friends up the road won't necessarily work against the likes of Aguero, De Bruyne and Silva