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This was plain to see against Southampton. Van Dijk opens up the pitch for us with his passing range which finds people in space or in behind when teams press our CB. If they stand off at all, Matip or Gomez step out with the ball drawing opponents which creates space between the https://twitter.com/braad_/status/1346816732472758274
lines.
Fabinho and Henderson - for whatever reason - were not doing either of those things. But particularly the second ones. They were just shuttling the ball to the full backs, who got pinned against the line - who went long - and lost possession continuously.
Fabinho and Henderson - for whatever reason - were not doing either of those things. But particularly the second ones. They were just shuttling the ball to the full backs, who got pinned against the line - who went long - and lost possession continuously.
This isn't about 'blaming' them for the performance. Just acknowledging that Henderson doesn't play as RCB in the way Gomez or Matip does and that REALLY hurts us in both directions. Neither does Rhys or Phillips, who at least defend better. Likewise Fabinho doesn't play LCB like
Virg, he isn't hitting Trent and Salah every time someone presses us high leaving space either behind, in the middle or on the flanks for us to exploit.
Henderson has never liked being pressed in midfield. So he certainly won't like it in defence where the cost of losing the ball is even greater. I'm not surprised he won't step out with the ball. Maybe we need to try Gini there is we are playing a side who isn't going to kill us
with a big target man up against him?
I'm really low on ideas though unless we sign someone. Neither Phillips or Rhys are that guy - they are stoppers. A Vidic next to a Ferdinand if you will.
I'm really low on ideas though unless we sign someone. Neither Phillips or Rhys are that guy - they are stoppers. A Vidic next to a Ferdinand if you will.
If your players are expecting your CB to do something - they position themselves and move for that to happen. When means when the ball shuttles to the FB instead - they aren't available to support them.
Now ordinally you solve that on the training pitches but with a game every
Now ordinally you solve that on the training pitches but with a game every
3 hours, or so it feels, every session is about recovery and preparation for the next match. So there is just no time to do it.
This is the first midweek we have had and I will be VERY curious to see how we have used it. But I suspect Lijnders wanted to put as much time in as
This is the first midweek we have had and I will be VERY curious to see how we have used it. But I suspect Lijnders wanted to put as much time in as
possible into how we move the ball, create space for each other, support the man on the ball, create angles for him, who-when-where is the ball being carried out, who-when-where are we aiming to hit teams when stretched, etc
Think as well as the problems in defence, our attack has been a little static. I commented in one of our recent matches (can't remember which, but they all feel the same) that Firmino was literally the only player who was moving without the intent to get the ball.
He was moving simply to drag defenders, create space for others etc. Mane, Salah and our midfielders only moved to try and get on the ball which made the whole team easy to make as they were playing like individuals and not a team, a system.
When Gini came on, he started making those runs from deep and 3rd man runs to move people around. I don't think he got the ball once as a result of them but it was creating some space for others to do so which is all we needed.
But our entire system cannot depend on Gini &
But our entire system cannot depend on Gini &
Bobby to make space for everyone else on the pitch. They all have to be doing this for each other. If Hendo is RCB, he needs to step up the pitch 10 yards, draw the press towards him and then play it - because then there will be space for Trent to play it into midfield behind the
guy who just pressed Hendo.
If Hendo - or whoever plays there - doesn't do that first thing - the whole chain collapses. It is then a battle to get the ball from full back to Salah or into midfield. Then Firmino will have dropped deep to help midfield and it becomes a battle to
If Hendo - or whoever plays there - doesn't do that first thing - the whole chain collapses. It is then a battle to get the ball from full back to Salah or into midfield. Then Firmino will have dropped deep to help midfield and it becomes a battle to
connect MF & Atk. And then once the ball is with Mané or Salah they just look isolated. They can't give and go as they love to do. They have to win a wrestling match against someone and hope the ref gives a foul if they are manhandled - which they haven't been getting.
