Jump to content

Team shape, tactics and personnel


MaVilla

Recommended Posts

I still think we could play a very good 3-4-2-1.

————————Watkins————————
———Bailey———————Ramsey———
Digne———Kamara—Luiz————Cash
————Donk—Mings—Konsa—————
———————Martinez—————————

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Delphinho123 said:

I still think we could play a very good 3-4-2-1.

————————Watkins————————
———Bailey———————Ramsey———
Digne———Kamara—Luiz————Cash
————Donk—Mings—Konsa—————
———————Martinez—————————

Donk as left sided centre back? What about Carlos?

I’d also rather Buendia in the starting XI somehow even in this system.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Donk as left sided centre back? What about Carlos?

I’d also rather Buendia in the starting XI somehow even in this system.

You know what, I forgot about Carlos! Yeh, he'd slot in there I guess.
Buendia could play ahead of Ramsey as an example. Either way, we definitely have the players to play this formation. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Delphinho123 said:

You know what, I forgot about Carlos! Yeh, he'd slot in there I guess.
Buendia could play ahead of Ramsey as an example. Either way, we definitely have the players to play this formation. 

So like this...

————————Watkins————————
———Bailey———————Buendia———
Digne———Kamara—Luiz————Cash
————Mings—Carlos—Konsa————
———————Martinez—————————

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Interesting coming up against Villarreal who are further down the Emery route. 

We are playing out from the back but it looks stretched and hazardous at times. 

Compare to Villarreal and they are so sharp in the short passes to build from the back. 

I'm assuming that's where we will end up...but it may take a couple of signings first in some important areas. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, May-Z said:

Interesting coming up against Villarreal who are further down the Emery route. 

We are playing out from the back but it looks stretched and hazardous at times. 

Compare to Villarreal and they are so sharp in the short passes to build from the back. 

I'm assuming that's where we will end up...but it may take a couple of signings first in some important areas. 

yeah, great observation, you can see the tactical similarities.

They were much crisper and composed playing out from the back, it shows we need a few upgrades to reach that kind of level.

On a positive note, we also played some good football at times, and its clear that we do have some players who are very good in terms of close control composure, intricate passing etc, so we do have a spine of players who are capable, we just need a few more in who can match that.

We also need more pace/technical ability/composure up front, having a rapid player who is technically good up there with bailey, would make us a different beast.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

With us looking at having an in possession and out of possession shape I wonder if we’re going to whack Konsa out at RB for the tougher opponents so when in possession we end up with 3 at the back in Mings, Carlos and Konsa with Digne pushing up, so a 4231/442 becoming a 3241 in possession.

Konsa has played out wide before and his dribbled past stats are one of the best in the league, or they were. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, burchy said:

With us looking at having an in possession and out of possession shape I wonder if we’re going to whack Konsa out at RB for the tougher opponents so when in possession we end up with 3 at the back in Mings, Carlos and Konsa with Digne pushing up, so a 4231/442 becoming a 3241 in possession.

Konsa has played out wide before and his dribbled past stats are one of the best in the league, or they were. 

Emery does like a more defensive RB and a more progressive LB.  At Villarreal he used Juan Foyth at RB, who is not really an attacking full back.  Perhaps when Carlos is back Konsa could play there in a similar role.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Two years ago we played vs wolves, injurie time penalty won us the game.

line up that day:

————-Martinez,———-

Cash—- Konsa—-Mings——Targett

—————-Louiz————-

Traore—McGinn—Ramsey—Grealish

——————Watkins—————

Two years later, In our last game vs Brighton, the only changes were Digne/Targett, Kamara-Traore, Buendia-Grealish and Ings/Watkins. Not much progress, proberly the oposite. I know Baily and hopefully Carlos will strengheten the team. But we definetly need more.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, villa82 said:

Two years ago we played vs wolves, injurie time penalty won us the game.

line up that day:

————-Martinez,———-

Cash—- Konsa—-Mings——Targett

—————-Louiz————-

Traore—McGinn—Ramsey—Grealish

——————Watkins—————

Two years later, In our last game vs Brighton, the only changes were Digne/Targett, Kamara-Traore, Buendia-Grealish and Ings/Watkins. Not much progress, proberly the oposite. I know Baily and hopefully Carlos will strengheten the team. But we definetly need more.

 

 

In theory - that team was solidly midtable.

Problem is - and has been - we haven't been able to replace Grealish's dribbling and directness since his departure. Buendia can pass but his dribbling is so so. Bailey can dribble but not nearly as well as Grealish and he's been injured for a majority of his tenure. Ings can score but is a little past his prime at this point.

In both attacking methods - counterattacking and when the opponent is set up, we have missed Grealish's sole ability to carry the ball, thus freeing up his teammates from doing so. Ramsay has done his parts but has been unable to take control of a whole match and can often go missing for long parts of it. So, really, a lot of our problems (primarily scoring) stem from that loss and lack of replacement.

Other parts can definitely be strengthened but until we have either an elite dribbler or a few good ones, then we will continue to look a bit awry.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, DJBOB said:

Other parts can definitely be strengthened but until we have either an elite dribbler or a few good ones, then we will continue to look a bit awry.

I think there are loads of options for this, both expensive and inexpensive. Grealish is a little unique but someone like Cherki could be classed as having dribbling skills on par, if not better than Grealish (Cherki is as good with both feet allegedly). He’s not the quickest though but neither was Grealish. Schjelderup is another younger option that’s in the mould of Grealish. On the expensive side there’s Kvaratskhelia but don’t think he’d come here. Almada looks decent also.

Personality I’d like us to bring in one of the above types of players and a pacey LW/RW option to. Could we get someone like Gakpo or Chiesa? Failing that someone like Bakayoko at PSV, Pino, Chukwueze, Hlozek, although not sure of the latters pace, thunderous shot though. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The high line is something I'll take a while to get used to. 

We didn't actually get punished for it from general play (although there were many nervy moments of Liverpool getting in behind)

However, we did get exposed much more on the high line from set pieces. The first goal is an example, and the disallowed goal where four Liverpool players all broke free in acres of space and luckily for us it was the only one who was offside who headed it in. 

I think it's probably going to led to a lot of goals until we employ a couple of sprinters in defence who can make the stroker for pace. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

442, with John McGinn on the right side of midfield?  Don't like it and we are shoehorning people into the side until they are replaced. Played a narrow four but we don't have the physicality at the moment. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, duke313 said:

Didn’t see much of a high line today against Spurs. Strange that he used it vs. Liverpool, is it perhaps something we’ll see at home and will sit deeper away?

We were behind early in that game so the high line was a higher risk to try get back into the game. Plus we were at home 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, duke313 said:

Didn’t see much of a high line today against Spurs. Strange that he used it vs. Liverpool, is it perhaps something we’ll see at home and will sit deeper away?

Kinda worked as we caused Liverscum all sorts of problems. Same approach as today against Liverpool and we’d have had a routine 2-0 loss imo. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, duke313 said:

Didn’t see much of a high line today against Spurs. Strange that he used it vs. Liverpool, is it perhaps something we’ll see at home and will sit deeper away?

There’s a certain gamble in playing that high line vs Liverpool - primarily that it let Villa press very high as Liverpool will play risky passes to try and beat the press and we had a lot of opportunities intercepting high up the pitch. Additionally, Liverpool had tons of players who can play a good through ball if given time to pick up their head. Even then, they still risked a few first time balls over the top that caught us out. 
 
Conversely, Spurs strengths lie from wingback overloads and Kane/Son picking the ball up between the lines and finding a pass or run.

So Unai played that 6-2-2 and allowed Hojberg and Bissouma to have the ball, knowing their quality wasn’t there to break the lines or go over the top. Perisic got away with two clever runs but that’s about it. 
 
Buendia and McGinn were great playing as additional wingbacks, crucially staying switched on and engaging them early to prevent the crosses. Mings and Konsa attacked Kane and Son immediately so they couldn’t easily turn and of course Luz-Kamara were a perfect blend. 
 
One thing for certain - Unai has got the plans and is confident in changing to fit our opponent. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, duke313 said:

Didn’t see much of a high line today against Spurs. Strange that he used it vs. Liverpool, is it perhaps something we’ll see at home and will sit deeper away?

Probably a bit more attacking as we were at home yeah.

There was very little wrong with the setup at home to Liverpool. They're a better side and we made enough chances to give them a game. Just the usual mob who miss Gerrard and cry if we don't win every game.

Edited by Tomaszk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...
Â