What did Gordon Strachan mean?

[GoldWithFalmer]

I think it was if you let us have time on the ball we can hurt you. If you press we do not have a plan B and are not up to much.

The 1st Goall was plan A part 2 subsection 3 moving to plan B

 

[Paris]

Strachan's just another football caveman. One of these past/present managers the tabloids/Sky cream themselves over when they say something mildly amusing. Holloway's another one. Not for me

 

[basque seagull]

I think he´s right. If other teams let us play we will dominate them and probably win, even though we still struggle to convert the chances we make.

But more teams are coming up with a plan to stop us playing and we haven´t yet worked out ways to win if they do that successfully.

In my opinion that´s the next step. Gus has said he´s happy as long as he sees us improving, and I´m sure he´s working on that. Once we can develop our normal game so we can unlock teams who try to stop us, and improve our finishing, the future looks very bright indeed.

This.

 

[BigGully]

The theory is you force the ball back to the goalkeeper by pressing on to the wing backs and the other centre back. When the goalkeeper has the ball you then press hard with your strikers marking the centre backs, 2 midfielders on the fullbacks etc meaning the only option is to kick it long. You are right in saying this will leave a man free in an advanced position but it takes an incredible pass to pick him out and plus whilst the ball is in the air you have time to get across and meet it. Being taller than them you will generally win possession this way unless they have a good hold-up player. Obviously you have to be very tactically adept to know when to press and how hard you press and it has to be a whole team effort otherwise you will be picked off very easily.

Lets take BHA out of the equation here.

Of course there are ways to press I accept that, but just to say 'lets press' isn't the answer against side that have good technical players and it isnt giving those teams/players that have to use great technical skill to execute it enough credit.

No doubt teams have been pressing Arsenal forever without too much success, Wigan and Swansea haven't been quite so successful with their style of play, so personnel is key.

We wont bore the other posters by implementing our own Gary Neville's masterclass here discussing each others unqualified philosophies, however too many are suspicious of possession football, whilst offering snippets of views on how easy it is to STOP our style of football, almost ignoring our own tactical aims.

It would be nice to sit down with Wenger, Martinez, Laudrop, Mourhino and Guardiola and see Allyardyce rip their ethos to shreds, yeah right !!!

 

[Westdene Wonder]

We have lost quite a few points this season as our style of play is known and we dont vary it much,Newcastle gave us more scope to keep possession in their half,hope Gus does not feel he can stick to his normal plan as a result of our victory over Newcastle.

 

[maltaseagull]

I think the only way you can overcome teams closing you quickly is for the players around the ball to be quick to offer numerous passing angles to give options for the man on the ball

This, and also players with the quality to receive a pass under pressure and move the ball on but keeping possession. We are definitely getting there

 

[trueblue]

Pressing us isn't going to make much difference if the centre back can hit a 50 yard pass to an overlapping full back. Exposes the fashionable 'no plan B' phrase for the bullshit it is, bandied around by fans because they've heard people say it on the telly.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Agree with trueblue here - we seem to have developed a long ball options which wasn't used earlier in the season.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Pressing us isn't going to make much difference if the centre back can hit a 50 yard pass to an overlapping full back. Exposes the fashionable 'no plan B' phrase for the bullshit it is, bandied around by fans because they've heard people say it on the telly.

Agree with trueblue here - we seem to have developed a long ball options which wasn't used earlier in the season.

How quickly people forget the 50 yard ball to Bridge to knock in for Orlandi to score yesterday. We can, and do mix it up occasionally.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

We want possession of the ball, if Newcastle sit off on purpose and look to play on the break 'giving us most of the possession' rather than trying to stop us playing keep ball, he thinks it suits us.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

How quickly people forget the 50 yard ball to Bridge to knock in for Orlandi to score yesterday. We can, and do mix it up occasionally.

We need more mixing,but as for plan b as others have said the 1st goal was certainly not plan A,that was the 2nd and if we play with tempo and do that more often,we will tear teams apart,if that was in the match later in the day yesterday,in fact they would be raving...

 

[Thunder Bolt]

We need more mixing,but as for plan b as others have said the 1st goal was certainly not plan A,that was the 2nd and if we play with tempo and do that more often,we will tear teams apart,if that was in the match later in the day yesterday,in fact they would be raving...

Another example is Dicker's pass cross field to Bridge who scored at Ipswich but that was probably down to the poor keeper.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Strachan has previously cast doubts on Rodgers "philosophy" at Liverpool - I think he is doubts managers that get labelled with a football philosophy. For example he noted that Liverpool played the passing game for a long time before Rodgers arrived.

I think Gus is actually quite flexible in his approach as it happens. As long as we have control of the game.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Strachan has previously cast doubts on Rodgers "philosophy" at Liverpool - I think he is doubts managers that get labelled with a football philosophy. For example he noted that Liverpool played the passing game for a long time before Rodgers arrived.

I think Gus is actually quite flexible in his approach as it happens. As long as we have control of the game.

Dinosaur pundit. There was a feature on Liverpool on MOTD earlier in the season and both Hansen and Shearer went to town criticising Joe Allen for playing it short and keeping the ball moving, they then did a love and admirarion piece on Gerrard showing some 50 yard balls, he made about 50% but a few sailed out of play.

There are some people who won't ever want to accept a change in the game and there's nothing wrong with that but the game has changed and there is a whole new outlook on it. It works for us. Watch Newcastle and you're watching disjointed, unco-ordinated play with no control and a reliance on individuals producing.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Dinosaur pundit. There was a feature on Liverpool on MOTD earlier in the season and both Hansen and Shearer went to town criticising Joe Allen for playing it short and keeping the ball moving, they then did a love and admirarion piece on Gerrard showing some 50 yard balls, he made about 50% but a few sailed out of play.

There are some people who won't ever want to accept a change in the game and there's nothing wrong with that but the game has changed and there is a whole new outlook on it. It works for us. Watch Newcastle and you're watching disjointed, unco-ordinated play with no control and a reliance on individuals producing.

I think there is danger on both sides of thinking there is only one way of playing the game. That Gerard pass to Suarez for his second goal the other night was a thing of beauty. Should he have played a short pass to ensure they retained possession ? Really ?

I love the way we play the game - but when the opposition press we do sometimes need to knock the ball into the space their pressing has created. Sometime you really do just need to do what the opposition want the least.

And we also rely on individuals producing. That is the "quality" Gus talks about. They have to know about possession and control of the game - but the players he wants are the ones that can also produce the individual magic.

I would not bracket Strachan with Hansen and Shearer. I saw that exchange about Allen - and it was truly cringe-worthy.

 

[JCL666]

Pressing us isn't going to make much difference if the centre back can hit a 50 yard pass to an overlapping full back. Exposes the fashionable 'no plan B' phrase for the bullshit it is, bandied around by fans because they've heard people say it on the telly.

EXACTLY

Plan A = retain possession of the ball and work an opening. Exploiting that opening includes the option of a HOLLYWOOD pass as well as an easier ball to someone 10 yards away.

We do mix it up and we did do last season as well. I wish some people would recognise that it's not the style of football that means we haven't scored tons of goals, it's the inept finishing.

 

[HenryC]

We have lost quite a few points this season as our style of play is known and we dont vary it much,Newcastle gave us more scope to keep possession in their half,hope Gus does not feel he can stick to his normal plan as a result of our victory over Newcastle.

No. We've lost a lot of points this season through a combination of poor finishing and some bad luck. At home only Watford deserved to beat us. Cardiff deserved their point but we should have won all the other games and created enough chances to do so. Not much wrong tactically except for lack of a top goal scorer.

 

[HenryC]

EXACTLY

Plan A = retain possession of the ball and work an opening. Exploiting that opening includes the option of a HOLLYWOOD pass as well as an easier ball to someone 10 yards away.

We do mix it up and we did do last season as well. I wish some people would recognise that it's not the style of football that means we haven't scored tons of goals, it's the inept finishing.

Totally agree!

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I think there is danger on both sides of thinking there is only one way of playing the game. That Gerard pass to Suarez for his second goal the other night was a thing of beauty. Should he have played a short pass to ensure they retained possession ? Really ?

I love the way we play the game - but when the opposition press we do sometimes need to knock the ball into the space their pressing has created. Sometime you really do just need to do what the opposition want the least.

And we also rely on individuals producing. That is the "quality" Gus talks about. They have to know about possession and control of the game - but the players he wants are the ones that can also produce the individual magic.

I would not bracket Strachan with Hansen and Shearer. I saw that exchange about Allen - and it was truly cringe-worthy.

I do agree, there is no right way to play football. I think you need to pick a style and sign players for it, as we have done and are doing but I think we/Gus has also learnt that you can't rely on plan a. You need to change it up and be able to control games in a different way. I think in Crofts we have a player who can make us play higher tempo and get involved further forward, and then we have Hammond who will add more stable posession in midfield. The third option is Dicker who sort of does a mixture of the two.

I love Steven Gerrard and his range of passing is amazing, you quoted a perfect example and there are many more. But generally speaking, you make it more 50/50 when you play those balls. Switching right to left in a controlled long pass is different, but a general punt forward is not going to keep much control. I'm not putting my across at all well here!

 

[Stat Brother]

Pressing us isn't going to make much difference if the centre back can hit a 50 yard pass to an overlapping full back. Exposes the fashionable 'no plan B' phrase for the bullshit it is, bandied around by fans because they've heard people say it on the telly.

EXACTLY

Plan A = retain possession of the ball and work an opening. Exploiting that opening includes the option of a HOLLYWOOD pass as well as an easier ball to someone 10 yards away.

We do mix it up and we did do last season as well. I wish some people would recognise that it's not the style of football that means we haven't scored tons of goals, it's the inept finishing.

I don't see it like that.
We have Plan A then A.1, A.2, A.3 at infinitum.

But when plan A isn't working there doesn't seem to be much else in the tank.
Hence our appalling record when we go behind.

I don't know what the answer is, but it is an aspect Gus needs to get his head around (like he doesn't know that already, and needs me telling him).