So... first of all, I am not at all in "Ange out" camp. That would be mental at this situation. Every manager needs time. Time to implement his style, time to change the squad to his liking etc. So everything that follows is nothing more than some ventilating and few observations/things to keep an eye out between now and end of the season.
- one major issue right now that has been pointed out too - teams know how to set up against us.
Play deep line to take room for Son/Johnson/Werner to run behind the line.
Keep the middle part of the field in your own half overcrowded, so that Spurs players cannot turn with the ball.
Always let them move to wings, cause more often then not delivery is lacking and there is little heading ability from attackers. Biggest issue with it are low-balls that could be converted to own goals.
Attack directly and on the counter, when Spurs have lifted all the lines high.
Rinse and repeat.
And it works. Just look at our recent run of games. It works like a charm. I am absolutely sure that all of the sides bar Woolwich, ManCity, Liverpool and Chelsea in the remining fixtures will use this approach.
- another major issue is - our midfield in 2nd half of the season has been clearly sub-par
it means that it cannot do much of anything - not providing enough defensive cover, not moving the ball quickly and decisively enough to open up room for attackers, not pitching in with goals themselves either. Though in all honesty this is amplified due to reason number 1 - as teams defend deeper, even if midfield tries to move ball quicker, it is more difficult than in the start of the season.
- and like this is not enough - we tend to shoot ourselves in foot by giving easy goals keeping opposition in play with some regularity
and this too amplifies the first issue - if we give weaker team the lead, their lines will drop even deeper to invite pressure on themselves. This can be seen from the Newcastle game too - while it was 0:0, there was some real tension in the game. Could swing both ways. Then we let them score, and this time even two in the row. And from there on it became EXTREMELY comfortable game for them. Could have scored 6th and 7th before us opening scoring.
- though I believe it is partly impacted by lack of suitable players to the way Ange wants us to play
I mean, it has been repeated to no end - this system relies on wingers to create room, chances and goals. But in order to be effective in EPL (and to increase Madders efficiency too) - we also need a vocal point/targetman in the front line too. But here is the thing - we don't have those kind of players.
We could play Deki as "winger-target-man" who keeps the ball upfield. But then we immidiately sacrifice the directness from one wing. But if we have no such player in front line (and THIS ROLE Son cannot fulfill) and we saw it in Newcastle game, how not having a single forward player that ball properly sticks to will affect our game. Other issue in this department is Werner. Though it was not easiest of chances, if he'd have clinical finishing on him and he would have put away Johnson early cross - it would have been a different game. But he cannot finish nor create chances to himself.
But not to just point out issues, I have also some ideas that could change those factors -
OPTION 1 -
Play Deki as central targetman with instruction of feeding Son and Brennan with as early balls as possible.
So basically-
------Son------Johnson-----
-----------Deki-------------
----Madders--Bentancur--
--------Biss/PEH---------
OPTION 2 -
Play with 2 number 10's and 2 finishers; which would at least put Son in position that suits him best, and would put Deki in more natural position too (keep saying - he is good player, but not a RW in Ange system). But the ball has to move faster with more player exchanges in that setup in order it to work. Also defenders could not centrally focus on just Son, but also have Johnson to worry about.
So basically -
-------Son-Johnson---------
--Madders----Deki--------
---Bentancur/Sarr---------
-----Bissouma/PEH ------
- one major issue right now that has been pointed out too - teams know how to set up against us.
Play deep line to take room for Son/Johnson/Werner to run behind the line.
Keep the middle part of the field in your own half overcrowded, so that Spurs players cannot turn with the ball.
Always let them move to wings, cause more often then not delivery is lacking and there is little heading ability from attackers. Biggest issue with it are low-balls that could be converted to own goals.
Attack directly and on the counter, when Spurs have lifted all the lines high.
Rinse and repeat.
And it works. Just look at our recent run of games. It works like a charm. I am absolutely sure that all of the sides bar Woolwich, ManCity, Liverpool and Chelsea in the remining fixtures will use this approach.
- another major issue is - our midfield in 2nd half of the season has been clearly sub-par
it means that it cannot do much of anything - not providing enough defensive cover, not moving the ball quickly and decisively enough to open up room for attackers, not pitching in with goals themselves either. Though in all honesty this is amplified due to reason number 1 - as teams defend deeper, even if midfield tries to move ball quicker, it is more difficult than in the start of the season.
- and like this is not enough - we tend to shoot ourselves in foot by giving easy goals keeping opposition in play with some regularity
and this too amplifies the first issue - if we give weaker team the lead, their lines will drop even deeper to invite pressure on themselves. This can be seen from the Newcastle game too - while it was 0:0, there was some real tension in the game. Could swing both ways. Then we let them score, and this time even two in the row. And from there on it became EXTREMELY comfortable game for them. Could have scored 6th and 7th before us opening scoring.
- though I believe it is partly impacted by lack of suitable players to the way Ange wants us to play
I mean, it has been repeated to no end - this system relies on wingers to create room, chances and goals. But in order to be effective in EPL (and to increase Madders efficiency too) - we also need a vocal point/targetman in the front line too. But here is the thing - we don't have those kind of players.
We could play Deki as "winger-target-man" who keeps the ball upfield. But then we immidiately sacrifice the directness from one wing. But if we have no such player in front line (and THIS ROLE Son cannot fulfill) and we saw it in Newcastle game, how not having a single forward player that ball properly sticks to will affect our game. Other issue in this department is Werner. Though it was not easiest of chances, if he'd have clinical finishing on him and he would have put away Johnson early cross - it would have been a different game. But he cannot finish nor create chances to himself.
But not to just point out issues, I have also some ideas that could change those factors -
OPTION 1 -
Play Deki as central targetman with instruction of feeding Son and Brennan with as early balls as possible.
So basically-
------Son------Johnson-----
-----------Deki-------------
----Madders--Bentancur--
--------Biss/PEH---------
OPTION 2 -
Play with 2 number 10's and 2 finishers; which would at least put Son in position that suits him best, and would put Deki in more natural position too (keep saying - he is good player, but not a RW in Ange system). But the ball has to move faster with more player exchanges in that setup in order it to work. Also defenders could not centrally focus on just Son, but also have Johnson to worry about.
So basically -
-------Son-Johnson---------
--Madders----Deki--------
---Bentancur/Sarr---------
-----Bissouma/PEH ------
so it can’t be a bad approach!
