A Tutu won't do. V Cambridge at the Unibol Tues Feb 1st, 8-0'clock. 1

[BWFC_Insane]

When a team sits deeper make them defend their box time and time again. Work crossing positions and overload the box. As we did to Sunderland numerous times. Including specifically for Charles’ second.

Make them defend their box and it’s likely something happens. Play in front of them all night and it’s exactly what those teams want.

It's about making space to play into.

We can just boot the ball into the box with our side. Certainly not the 11 we started against Sunderland.

We have to move their defensive unit around and create one-on-ones and overloads, which is actually what we did vs Sunderland. We drew defenders out of position, shifted their defenders across the pitch and then hit men in the space on the other side of the box, which we'd created with passing and movement. That will be more difficult against Cambridge, but the principles will be the same.

You work the space obviously. Nobody wants to see us just chuck it in from everywhere. But against Sunderland it was one or two passes before a cross or shifting it back. The system is built for overloads down the sides and in the box and that’s how to play a team who sit deeper. Work positions put the ball in.

Charles is sharp enough that knock downs or scuffed clearances can be pounced on.

[GhostoftheBok]

You work the space obviously. Nobody wants to see us just chuck it in from everywhere. But against Sunderland it was one or two passes before a cross or shifting it back. The system is built for overloads down the sides and in the box and that’s how to play a team who sit deeper. Work positions put the ball in.

Charles is sharp enough that knock downs or scuffed clearances can be pounced on.

We were able to play that quick ball in behind Sunderland over and over because they came out. The whole point is that Cambridge don't tend to do that. You can't play quick ball into space behind defenders when there's no space behind defenders.

You can't beat every team the same way.

[BWFC_Insane]

You work the space obviously. Nobody wants to see us just chuck it in from everywhere. But against Sunderland it was one or two passes before a cross or shifting it back. The system is built for overloads down the sides and in the box and that’s how to play a team who sit deeper. Work positions put the ball in.

Charles is sharp enough that knock downs or scuffed clearances can be pounced on.

We were able to play that quick ball in behind Sunderland over and over because they came out. The whole point is that Cambridge don't tend to do that. You can't play quick ball into space behind defenders when there's no space behind defenders.

You can't beat every team the same way.

Our third goal against Sunderland is what I’m talking about. Work down the sides put it in the box. Sunderland were deep at the time too.

You won’t break down Cambridge or a deep sitting side with slow build up play. Evatt is saying the same thing. Play quickly. Get the ball into the box. It will be harder to break down a side who sit deeper of course. But you need to build pressure and make them defend the box. What you don’t do is let them shuffle across the edge of their box watching it go sideways.

[Bruce Rioja]

It's about making space to play into.

Indeed, however, it's equally/ more so even about capitalising on that space.

For half a season we've seen sides put two and three players on Afolyan and our inability to even look to exploit the resultant gaps has been embarrassing.

Things are clearly looking different under the new system and long may it continue, but let's not get carried away just yet (that's a general comment not a personal one).

[GhostoftheBok]

Our third goal against Sunderland is what I’m talking about. Work down the sides put it in the box. Sunderland were deep at the time too.

No, they weren't. Sunderland were in that position because we'd just had a throw in after running their high line. We intentionally played backwards and drew them out. We looked for Williams as the deep pivot, their midfield stepped out looking to press. That left our attackers on their defenders without any shadowing.

Williams played the ball wide to Jones and when Sunderland pressed him Williams got the ball back between the lines. The ball went wide to Fossey whose marker had followed him up the pitch. Then there was the kind of little passing interchange and third man run we train for and Jones was in space behind their defence in a wide area.

This had pulled their whole defence across the pitch because of the gaps their press caused. Jones hit the space he knew we'd made on the far side of the box and at that point their defensive cohesion had fallen apart completely.....because they pressed.

Cambridge will present a totally different kind of challenge. If we play backwards against Cambridge their midfield isn't going to go hurrying after the ball and opening 20 yards of space between them and the back four for us to play neat passes through. We will need to play in tight to them and make them lose their discipline to drag them out kicking and screaming, at which point we can play around them.....or hopefully we can. We can also use the fact we have a few lads now who can ping it in from 25 yards if we can pin them back with running patterns.

God forbid they score first.

[GhostoftheBok]

The other option, of course, is we start Dad Bod. But as I said earlier, that's a brave call off the back of a 6-0.

[GhostoftheBok]

Things are clearly looking different under the new system and long may it continue, but let's not get carried away just yet (that's a general comment not a personal one).

We are a long way from the finished article.

We (hopefully) can be a lot better than we've been in the last three games. Cambridge will be a huge test. If we can beat them that's huge. If we somehow manage to do so comprehensively, THEN I may get a bit carried away

A draw wouldn't be the end of the world. Any win against a team like that in their form is fantastic stuff.

[BWFC_Insane]

Our third goal against Sunderland is what I’m talking about. Work down the sides put it in the box. Sunderland were deep at the time too.

No, they weren't. Sunderland were in that position because we'd just had a throw in after running their high line. We intentionally played backwards and drew them out. We looked for Williams as the deep pivot, their midfield stepped out looking to press. That left our attackers on their defenders without any shadowing.

Williams played the ball wide to Jones and when Sunderland pressed him Williams got the ball back between the lines. The ball went wide to Fossey whose marker had followed him up the pitch. Then there was the kind of little passing interchange and third man run we train for and Jones was in space behind their defence in a wide area.

This had pulled their whole defence across the pitch because of the gaps their press caused. Jones hit the space he knew we'd made on the far side of the box and at that point their defensive cohesion had fallen apart completely.....because they pressed.

Cambridge will present a totally different kind of challenge. If we play backwards against Cambridge their midfield isn't going to go hurrying after the ball and opening 20 yards of space between them and the back four for us to play neat passes through. We will need to play in tight to them and make them lose their discipline to drag them out kicking and screaming, at which point we can play around them.....or hopefully we can. We can also use the fact we have a few lads now who can ping it in from 25 yards if we can pin them back with running patterns.

God forbid they score first.

It was a couple of quick passses and Jones just looped a cross in with half a yard of space. He didn’t check back. He didn’t turn round and pass it back. He got it in the box. It wasn’t a graceful cross. He put it in hoping more than anything. Turned into a good ball.

That’s what I mean. It’s about doing things at pace. Not playing slowly. Get half a yard get it in. Don’t turn round and pass it back again.

[GhostoftheBok]

It was a couple of quick passses and Jones just looped a cross in with half a yard of space. He didn’t check back. He didn’t turn round and pass it back. He got it in the box. It wasn’t a graceful cross. He put it in hoping more than anything. Turned into a good ball.

That’s what I mean. It’s about doing things at pace. Not playing slowly. Get half a yard get it in. Don’t turn round and pass it back again.

It wasn't just a couple of quick passes, though. It was an entire phase of play designed to create the space Dapo was in. It wasn't hoping, it was entirely by design. It's why we went backwards and sideways, to create that space on the opposite side.

It absolutely requires quick ball, or they adjust and you lose that space. That has always been the hallmark of this kind of play when it's actually working. Pull teams apart by showing them a ball they can't quite get to and they move the ball rapidly to exploit gaps.

Again, Jones wasn't hitting and hoping. He hit space the entire team had worked to create. They all knew the plan.

[Prufrock]

I'd put it more starkly. When Jones hits the cross it's 3v3 in the box. I'd expect Cambridge to have 6, 7, 8 from a similar position.

[GhostoftheBok]

I'd put it more starkly. When Jones hits the cross it's 3v3 in the box. I'd expect Cambridge to have 6, 7, 8 from a similar position.

Yes.

On the other hand, we will utterly batter them

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Third goal against Sunderland came after 10 passes, of which only three were forwards; the others were about moving Sunderland around, making a gap, then exploiting it.

DJ-Lee (throw) - sideways
Lee-DJ (return) - sideways
DJ-MJ (25 yards infield) - backwards
MJ-Geth (inside right channel) - backwards, slightly
Geth-MJ (had moved fwds & right) - FORWARDS
MJ-Foz (on wing) - FORWARDS
Foz-MJ (coming across to help) - backwards
MJ-Geth (overlap) - FORWARDS
Geth-Dapo (cross) - sideways
Dapo-Dion (header) - sideways

Funnily enough, the best video to watch this on is Jonny's comedy one:

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I agree it is absolutely, absolutely about intent: passing to pull them out. And this will be harder against a drilled deep-lying Cambridge than a somewhat gung-ho, overconfident Sunderland. PPDA stats show they are the least proactive team - but those stats only cover beyond 40 yards from your own goal. We don't know where their trigger point is but that's the point we need to probe: find where they come at us, then pass round them. What we absolutely shouldn't do is pass it around on our halfway line, but equally what we also shouldn't do is hoik it into the box at every opportunity.

[GhostoftheBok]

but equally what we also shouldn't do is hoik it into the box at every opportunity.

Not least because they are extremely effective in transition.

Conversely, we will absolutely murder them if we can turn them over at that stage as they do get bodies forward on the counter.

[BWFC_Insane]

I'd put it more starkly. When Jones hits the cross it's 3v3 in the box. I'd expect Cambridge to have 6, 7, 8 from a similar position.

Indeed. But put it in there with sharp strikers and you have a chance. And if they break you can try and win the ball back and then you have the transition.

The thing that we must avoid is just passing it sideways across them as that’s what a team sitting deep want.

[Bijou Bob]

We’re bound to face a brick wall tonight, with eleven shirts behind the ball for much of the game. Tempo is going to be key to breaking them down and I hope we can maintain the press and move the ball quickly on the transition tonight. If we can get a reasonably early goal, their game plan will have to go out of the window and we now have the pace and outlet down the channels to exploit opponents if they get drawn out. If we concede first, we’ll have to throw the kitchen sink at them!

Fwiw, I reckon a dull, tight nil nil until late and a DadBod headed winner on 84 minutes. I’d take that.

[TANGODANCER]

Good to have somebody (Charles)who plays well with his back to goal (theirs). Quite a few strikers were uncomfortable in that situation (I was myself until I accepted I was better used as a wing back where I did well). I liked Doyle, but he lacked that bit of pace that Charles has. Here's hoping he gets a sack-full for us. Time for a COME ON YOU WHITES...''


A hard won 2-1 us..

[DJBlu]

Hi guys,

The couch will be available later. The game is available on ifollow so if you fancy funding the club then please do, if you can't then you are more than welcome to come and take a seat.

Same place!

[TANGODANCER]

Hi guys,

The couch will be available later. The game is available on ifollow so if you fancy funding the club then please do, if you can't then you are more than welcome to come and take a seat.

Same place!

[TANGODANCER]

Just Bakayoko for Keiran Lee apparently acording to Iles...

[Spartan2]

Seems an odd replacement for Lee, change of shape? Or Dapo for Lee and Baka for Dapo?