Last nights starting line up.
Typical starting line up Southampton under Pochettino
In possession
What I notice about the attacking system.
It doesn't look the same as Southampton under Pochettino
Typical starting line up Southampton under Pochettino
In possession
What I notice about the attacking system.
It doesn't look the same as Southampton under Pochettino
- Our forward line looks Isolated, especially the centre forward. As in the screenshot above there is a gaping distance between the front 4 and the more defensive minded players. (OK i picked the worst time to take this because Paulinho had deployed is camouflage)/
- At Southampton they frequently used 3x central mids with the addition of overlapping full backs helped plug the gap to the front line. In defence two of these central mids would furiously press the opponent, something I never see us do.
- The tempo is slow, tries frequently to pass through the middle and almost always forced wide to full backs and then ends up passing backwards/sideways. (Again, the screen shot above, such a slow tempo has allowed every man and his dog to get between us and our forwards).
- The only time we seem to make inroads is through big mistakes or when the centre backs dangerously join the attack!
- Full backs seem reluctant to make runs higher up the pitch (maybe with the exception of rose) whether it's by instruction or through fear of exposing the back line if possession is turned over I don't know. Davies especially looks very indecisive going forward, there's no assertiveness to his runs.
- We don't have a capable half-back style midfielder like Schneiderlin, we have Capoo or Stramboulli, I actually think Stramboulli might the be better of the two in that role after last night.
- Our wide play is hopeless, lacking in pace and directness. Often ends in Lamela running cross field or loosing possession. We seem to have no get out of jail card like we used to with our wide play (from in form Bale and Lennon speed merchants).
- In fact we seem to lose possession a great deal everywhere, maybe through frustration of lack of opportunities they players are trying to dribble their way though the midfield when sadly they are not technically able.