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Tactics for the 2018/2019 Season


PieFacE

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5 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

There's like 1 and 3/4's of a season's worth of evidence to support this. 

We scored an awful lot of goals last season and conceded no so many so not too much improvement needed to go up this season.

Edited by pintpotvilla
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Not quite as simple as that though...

1. Press and get ball back

2. Give ball to Grealish

3. Run into some space

...then depending on if you are a striker or not...

4. On receiving the ball are you a striker within 20 yards fo goal?

Yes: Make space and shoot.

No: Give the ball to Grealish.

There you go. Sorted. 

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Not tactics per se but this is how much our players have participated in pre season by minutes.

GOALKEEPERS 

Jed Steer - 450

Mark Bunn - 90

DEFENDERS 

Alan Hutton - 400

James Chester - 354

Tommy Elphick - 268

Ritchie De Laet - 267

James Bree - 238

Neil Taylor - 230

Mitch Clark - 136

Ahmed Elmohamady - 109

Easah Suliman - 107

Jacob Bedeau - 70

Jake Walker - 10

Dominic Revan - 6

Micah Richards - 0

MIDFIELDERS

Jack Grealish - 349

Glenn Whelan - 326

Conor Hourihane - 284

Henri Lansbury - 275

Gary Gardner - 161

Mile Jedinak - 122

Birkir Bjarnason - 109

Jake Doyle-Hayes - 88

Jacob Ramsey - 10

Lewis Brunt - 10

Jack Birch - 6

Jozef Pastorek 6

Charlie McConnachie - 5

Indiana Vassilev - 5

Luke Ige - 2

Aaron Tshibola - 0

ATTACKERS

Albert Adomah - 328

Jonathan Kodjia - 309

Andre Green - 270

Harvey Knibbs - 146

Keinan Davis - 98

Corey Taylor - 50

Jordan Cox - 20,

Kelsey Mooney - 20

Dimitri Sea - 6

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy - 0

Scott Hogan - 0

Obviously the WC and injuries have to be taken into account.

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I don't really mind if we play 3-5-2 as long as it's not some fad and Bruce has the players working his system well and with cohesion.

Do I have confidence in that? Not particularly.

I would highlight what others have said as cause for concern, bar one thing, and that is changing the system. It should be apparent to Bruce whether or not players have the ability to apply what he is going for and in the event it does not look like a feasible approach the sooner it is ditched, the better. That's all yet to be seen though.

We still will have some talented attacking players, certainly more so than in defense, and I don't see why we shouldn't be backing that ability in our tactics.

One of our issues last season at times was that Adomah, Grealish and Snodgrass would receive the ball too deep and have to do too much on their own to get the ball down the pitch, as we know passing systems are not exactly Bruce's forte. If 3-5-2 is only going to exacerbate that then we're in for a slow start.

I still think we have some of the best personnel in the league, players like Lansbury and McCormack don't even look like getting a look in. So I look forward to being pleasantly surprised by what's to come.

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Like I posted in the match thread, I would like to see the more defensive midfielder dropped for a ball playing one. Lansbury makes good decisions, one-twos and off the ball runs. He also isn't afraid to have a ping at goal and has a decent shot on him at this level, I'd say better than Hourihane, and better than Whelan and Thor combined. Thor got some praise for his toe poke goal, Lansbury is yet to do it for Villa but had some stunners for Forest. What I really want to see from him though is that pass and move mentality that he did well at Forest and has done at times here, only for his teammate on the ball to not be attuned to his intent and movement in time for it to be effective.

Having a midfield three of Lansbury - Hourihane - Grealish would allow us more control on the ball and opportunity to play it on the floor between the flanks, taking the onus off individual efforts to get the ball down the pitch, and making us more of an attacking threat by creating a style of play that gives us far more options and greater potency through midfield and on to the final third.

Sure, cover for the back four is compromised and it would then require us to adopt an 'attack as the best form of defense' philosophy and to be effective in possession to the point where we create the quality chances needed. But I think we could pull it off. Grealish and Lansbury have good shots on them, and Hourihane is not afraid of a goal when the opportunity is created for him, so all three would not only be responsible for moving the ball through midfield and from flank to flank, but chipping in with goals too.

All that is left in the recipe is Bruce to run drills and implement some sequences in training that we can emulate come match day, preferably tailored to our opponent.

I know it's been mass-debated in the Bruce thread and throughout the forum, but I really think the difference between Fulham and us in that POF, and perhaps throughout the year, was that they had better organisation as a team when in possession, and I think Cairney's "football won" comment has validity.

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Can't quite recall the precise details, but I'm sure there's an article out there on tinternet, where some woman from the Guardian is talking to Bruce and he says, "I don't do tactics". Anyone seen it? Think it would really add something to the debate in this thread.

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27 minutes ago, Lerner's Driver said:

Can't quite recall the precise details, but I'm sure there's an article out there on tinternet, where some woman from the Guardian is talking to Bruce and he says, "I don't do tactics". Anyone seen it? Think it would really add something to the debate in this thread.

This sounds around about right.

He looks at the players he has and decides the best format (4 3 3 last year) then tells them to sit in when the other team has the ball and only press when they think they can definitely win the ball back.

Its hardly tactical genius.

What he does well is decide on those players and motivate and keep them "up" for what is a long hard season.

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2 hours ago, A'Villan said:

Like I posted in the match thread, I would like to see the more defensive midfielder dropped for a ball playing one. Lansbury makes good decisions, one-twos and off the ball runs. He also isn't afraid to have a ping at goal and has a decent shot on him at this level, I'd say better than Hourihane, and better than Whelan and Thor combined. Thor got some praise for his toe poke goal, Lansbury is yet to do it for Villa but had some stunners for Forest. What I really want to see from him though is that pass and move mentality that he did well at Forest and has done at times here, only for his teammate on the ball to not be attuned to his intent and movement in time for it to be effective.

Having a midfield three of Lansbury - Hourihane - Grealish would allow us more control on the ball and opportunity to play it on the floor between the flanks, taking the onus off individual efforts to get the ball down the pitch, and making us more of an attacking threat by creating a style of play that gives us far more options and greater potency through midfield and on to the final third.

Sure, cover for the back four is compromised and it would then require us to adopt an 'attack as the best form of defense' philosophy and to be effective in possession to the point where we create the quality chances needed. But I think we could pull it off. Grealish and Lansbury have good shots on them, and Hourihane is not afraid of a goal when the opportunity is created for him, so all three would not only be responsible for moving the ball through midfield and from flank to flank, but chipping in with goals too.

All that is left in the recipe is Bruce to run drills and implement some sequences in training that we can emulate come match day, preferably tailored to our opponent.

I know it's been mass-debated in the Bruce thread and throughout the forum, but I really think the difference between Fulham and us in that POF, and perhaps throughout the year, was that they had better organisation as a team when in possession, and I think Cairney's "football won" comment has validity.

Yeah I'm still unsure as to why Bruce doesnt rate Lansbury. Or Barney for that matter. We look a better passing team with them both in. This should be our main midfield three with room to rotate. 

Im a Bruce in camp for the time being but this does infuriate me. 

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So it seems we're making a few signings?

Personally I think it's pointing to using a 3-5-2 formation? What you think?

                   

                           Nyland

                Axel   Jedinak Chester

                           Whelan

Elmo       McGinn   Hourihane    Bryan 

                          Grealish

                             Kodja

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8 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

So it seems we're making a few signings?

Personally I think it's pointing to using a 3-5-2 formation? What you think?

Nope, it'll be 4-5-1 all season IMO. We don't have the centre backs to play three at the back and it seems like we won't be signing one which is a bit of a worry.

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Quote

Can't quite recall the precise details, but I'm sure there's an article out there on tinternet, where some woman from the Guardian is talking to Bruce and he says, "I don't do tactics". Anyone seen it? Think it would really add something to the debate in this thread.

The article is from 2011 after Bruce's sacking at Sunderland. The full quote is below:

Quote

Shortly after taking charge at Sunderland Steve Bruce was asked if he had considered experimenting with a Christmas Tree formation. "I'm not really into tactics," he replied. At the time that response was easy to interpret as a deliberately flippant or, perhaps, a self-deprecating means of avoiding answering the question. As the seasons passed, though, the suspicion grew that the former Manchester United captain had simply been honest.

The review of his time at Sunderland does include some interesting parallels to his time at Villa - high wages, some good and some not good buys, non-existent tactics, etc.

Here is the link

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  • 3 weeks later...

352 is looking good now.

                Nyland

Tuanzebe Jedinak Chester

Elmo                             Hutton

    Grealish Whelan McGinn

           Abraham Kodjia

As is 433

                   Nyland

Elmo Chester Jedi/Axel Hutton

      Grealish Whelan McGinn

Bolasie     Abraham    Kodjia 

 

With the likes of Thor, El Ghazi, Albert, Conor in reserve.

It's decent at this level, really is. Just pray to **** Chester stays fit.

 

 

 

 

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