Tactics will change

[BlueMoonAwoken]

What might happen is we go out attacking , then teams just use the same tactics we was using and get an odd goal or counter attack us and we end up losing more than we win.

[ronk]

I'm starting to get a bit puzzled by Bobby's regular referenes to our 'injury problems'. Yes, we have been unlucky with the lack of availability of key defenders and Mario being out but on Sunday we had as full a squad available to us as your likely to have over the course of a season. His comments and constant reference to this would have you believe that our squad has been ravaged by injury, it hasn't really and for Bobby to come out and say his style of play is being shaped by injuries to the squad is a bit of an odd one for me.

I wondered when somebody would say this. I agree that he has made more of it than he should have. I suspect other teams have had more injuries and Spurs have for definite.

I think Roberto deliberately makes statements like this with a bit of tongue in cheek, not to make excuses, but for disinformation for other people. A bit like saying chelsea are going to win the premiership. I believe that was to wind up baconface, not because he has given up already. Its possible he's playing mind games and is subtle enough that nobodys figured it out yet.

Possibly, but we've still actually had injury problems. We're joint top of physioroom and we've consistently been there or thereabouts with major players missing. Especially because most of the injuries have been in areas where the players who might cover have been injured together. Despite our squad quality we've gone through a lot of changes and we don't have huge amounts of depth. We have a lot of inexperience. We've seen that with some of the teams we've been forced to put out.

We have 14 players who've started 2 or more prem matches so far and regular enforced changes to the team. Despite that we've been building a mostly well drilled (with notable exceptions) defence. All the top teams have been solid defensively, they might have got the attention for their attackers, but it was their defence that sustained them. Arsenal set a CL record a few years back for length of time without conceding, they did it with a makeshift defence. Scum have spent big on defenders since before my time and have always had quality. Chelsea moved the bar up in terms of spending across the defence and Liverpool (when they were not falling apart) were built on some very solid defenders.

For us, a huge part of winning is just being more sensible in terms of when to send additional players forward. How many goals have I seen us concede in recent years because players took risks going forward when the reward wasn't really there. This time we've been more cautious in terms of making it easy for the opposition and it's been really tough for them. They can't count on a few cheap chances a game because someone gives the ball away with defenders caught in no man's land. It's not really defensive though, the players can be just as effective at getting forward despite doing it less.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

I'm really hoping that 2 attackin fullbacks mean we can change the front 3, as I don't see us needing less stell in the middle if we are exposing our backline more.

For me having fullbacks attacking means we can change from 1 striker and 2 wide attackers/wingers to 1 playmaker behind 2 strikers.

Still 433, but more bodies in the box to get goals.

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

We're second in the league. Keep doing what you're going Bobby!

[the_georgian_genius]

Excatly what i said in this thread;

viewtopic.php?f=119&t=35080

I think its very easy to say we have players like Tevez, Johnson, Silva, Ballotelli ect and expect us to be attacking teams like no tommorrow and scoring 3 or 4 goals every game. It's just not gonna happen, especially 6 weeks into a new team.

I think Mancini is cautious at the minute and who can blame him? He can be cautious for the first 2-3 months and get enough points on the board so that when he feels more comfortable with the players he has got (meaning they have settled and gelled as a team) we can then kick on and show our potential or he can do it from the start, get mixed results and face losing his job.

Anyone who has watched Mancini's teams in the past especially Inter will know that his teams are attacking and exciting but as with any great manager and any italian, you build from the back and that is what he is doing.

the Potential vs Performance title heading was i presume aimed at the players but it can also be aimed at Mancini. He is giving us satisfying performances at the moment with the results but it is nowhere near his potential as a manager. He's only been here for 10 months, i cannot wait to see what he produces in 2-3 years if we are paitent.

Listen to me folks, i know what i see and i know what im talking about ;-)

[the_georgian_genius]

It's all well and good but it was his decision not to buy anyone attacking to central midfield.

Milner, Toure and Silva are hardly 3 nigel de jong's are they?

[Colin the King]

My prediction is we'll see something like a diamond formation once everyone's fit and available. If I'm not mistaken that's how Inter were usually set up when he was in charge. Silva at the tip, with Barry and Touré to either side and de Jong just in front of the back four. Something like this:

Boateng---------Touré-------Kompany-------Kolarov
-------------------------de Jong------------------------
-------------Touré----------------Barry----------------
-------------------------Silva----------------------------
--------------Tevez-----------Balotelli------------------

A problem teams often find with that formation is how narrow it is (no wingers) but presumably Boateng and Kolarov will be encouraged to push so far forward that they'll offer plenty of width. My only concern is how we'll cope defensively with that. The centre halves and Hart are fine, and de Jong obviously, but neither Boateng or Kolarov are the most convincing defensively; they'll both definitely be a threat with crosses and overlaps (and I'm expecting a few goals from Kolarov) but with teams running at us, I'm not so sure. Two of the three midfielders will probably be tasked with filling the empty spaces left by them when we counter-attack, with Silva left to roam and do his thing behind the strikers.

If he does go with a system like that, it's hard to see where Johnson fits in. He's obviously a great option to come on and offer us something different on either flank but in that formation there's nowhere for him. Milner could come in and do a job in any of the four midfield spots and then there's Adebayor as the main striking threat. Beyond that I think the likes of SWP, Lescott and Bridge will be rarely seen unless we have injuries.

Anyway, I think the people who are dissatisfied with the way we're playing are so not because of the shape or personnel, but the way we move the ball. Against Newcastle we passed it in pretty patterns and it was all very pleasant but there was no cutting edge as such. Kolarov and, in particular Balotelli, are aggressive, ferocious kind of players so I'd expect them to offer more of an 'attack with purpose' edge.

[carl_feedthegoat]

[quote="Ted Hughes"]The player he's missed most is Bellamy.

I wonder if he'll risk Balotelli v Arsenal (if fit) or whether it'll be a bench job? It would be very unboblike to drop one of his grafters against a passing team like Arsenal but their defence is very very dodgy & they know nothing about Balotelli, so he could turn them over. Wenger won't know what to tell his defenders re dealing with him. Difficult one.[/qu

If we had Bellamy would we be 1st ?........Im not missing him or his rantings to be honest with you.

[kinkylola]

I don't agree that bellamy is a player that you could say we have "missed" ... of course having a player of his quality will always improve a team, but I don't think there's been a game where I've sat back and thought, "well if we had bellamy we woulda won it"

[mcfc1632]

I'm starting to get a bit puzzled by Bobby's regular referenes to our 'injury problems'. Yes, we have been unlucky with the lack of availability of key defenders and Mario being out but on Sunday we had as full a squad available to us as your likely to have over the course of a season. His comments and constant reference to this would have you believe that our squad has been ravaged by injury, it hasn't really and for Bobby to come out and say his style of play is being shaped by injuries to the squad is a bit of an odd one for me.

I wondered when somebody would say this. I agree that he has made more of it than he should have. I suspect other teams have had more injuries and Spurs have for definite.

I agree in principle Doug but I really think his game plan was width from the FBs - NDJ and Barry providing cover when they were upfield supported by Ya Ya - and whilst we have FB cover - we do not have replacements with thw capability to do that - so we have to change tactics - proof will be in whether he makes the change (to the team CTK suggests) when they are back - I hope so (although I would want to see AJ get regular run outs - either from the bench of starting in some adaptation)

It does make you think though....... all the shit we got about the size of the squad etc - just as fucking well we have these players to draw upon - this season has proven the need for top teams to have such a squad - we are better placed in that regard than any of our competitors - including (or especially) scum and Chelsea

[mcfc1632]

[quote="Ted Hughes"]The player he's missed most is Bellamy.

I wonder if he'll risk Balotelli v Arsenal (if fit) or whether it'll be a bench job? It would be very unboblike to drop one of his grafters against a passing team like Arsenal but their defence is very very dodgy & they know nothing about Balotelli, so he could turn them over. Wenger won't know what to tell his defenders re dealing with him. Difficult one.[/qu

If we had Bellamy would we be 1st ?........Im not missing him or his rantings to be honest with you.

Ditto

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

It's all well and good but it was his decision not to buy anyone attacking to central midfield.

Milner, Toure and Silva are hardly 3 nigel de jong's are they?

Neither Silva nor Milner play in central midfield. Toure, while absolutely excellent box-to-boxer and player I really like, is no attacking playmaker. He'd be brilliant sandwiched between proper playmaker and Nigel De Jong by the way. That midfield would boss the league.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

My prediction is we'll see something like a diamond formation once everyone's fit and available. If I'm not mistaken that's how Inter were usually set up when he was in charge. Silva at the tip, with Barry and Touré to either side and de Jong just in front of the back four. Something like this:

Boateng---------Touré-------Kompany-------Kolarov
-------------------------de Jong------------------------
-------------Touré----------------Barry----------------
-------------------------Silva----------------------------
--------------Tevez-----------Balotelli------------------

A problem teams often find with that formation is how narrow it is (no wingers) but presumably Boateng and Kolarov will be encouraged to push so far forward that they'll offer plenty of width. My only concern is how we'll cope defensively with that. The centre halves and Hart are fine, and de Jong obviously, but neither Boateng or Kolarov are the most convincing defensively; they'll both definitely be a threat with crosses and overlaps (and I'm expecting a few goals from Kolarov) but with teams running at us, I'm not so sure. Two of the three midfielders will probably be tasked with filling the empty spaces left by them when we counter-attack, with Silva left to roam and do his thing behind the strikers.

If he does go with a system like that, it's hard to see where Johnson fits in. He's obviously a great option to come on and offer us something different on either flank but in that formation there's nowhere for him. Milner could come in and do a job in any of the four midfield spots and then there's Adebayor as the main striking threat. Beyond that I think the likes of SWP, Lescott and Bridge will be rarely seen unless we have injuries.

Anyway, I think the people who are dissatisfied with the way we're playing are so not because of the shape or personnel, but the way we move the ball. Against Newcastle we passed it in pretty patterns and it was all very pleasant but there was no cutting edge as such. Kolarov and, in particular Balotelli, are aggressive, ferocious kind of players so I'd expect them to offer more of an 'attack with purpose' edge.

They switched between 4-2-1-3 and sort of hybrid 4-4-2 midfield diamond. Personally I'm huge fan of 4-4-2 diamond but like you said the problem would be squeezing our second best attacking player, AJ, in. We did experiment with it in pre-season and in some game (can't remember which) last season. Getting rid of Ireland though would make me think that he may not go for it consistently.

My main fear is that we are going for 4-3------------------Zero,nada,zilch------------------3 formation with attacking fullbacks. I personally don't rate that system especially in England and I don't think we would ever dominate consistently with that.