Are our players too clustered in both defenses and attacks?

JeffFromHK

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Anyone feel that our players are too clustered together in both defenses and attacks?

When players are too clustered in attacks, we waste spaces on the pitch and reduce number of passing options.

In tonight's game at 80s', while we were in possession, I saw and don't get why Evans and Maguire were standing in 10 yards from each other when one of them was in position, it is essentially wasting space on the pitch.

Whenever we are defending set pieces, the players just cluster together, leaving far posts vulnerable (Rice's goal and crystal palace goal last week say hello), top of the box open (even brentford had a few chances tonight), and even if we win headers, it is hard to pick up loose balls.

Anyone feel the same or was it just me?
 
Can’t say I’ve noticed that. In fact I’d say we’re not compact enough as a unit. Long ball goes to the forwards and our midfield is never there win the second balls. On the ball we are never one of those teams that always seems to have a spare man/ passing option. And defensively everyone seems far apart playing in their own space with midfielders not covering runners.
 
We use a lot of vertical space but don't use the width of the pitch well at all. We are way too cluttered in the middle and don't try to make combinations out wide to get in good wide areas. I'd say it's our #1 problem in possession, and points more to shit tactics than anything else.
 
bosnian_red said:
We use a lot of vertical space but don't use the width of the pitch well at all. We are way too cluttered in the middle and don't try to make combinations out wide to get in good wide areas. I'd say it's our #1 problem in possession, and points more to shit tactics than anything else.
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Shit tactics or just a few players messing up the tactics?

You can see the team generally trying to spread the ball out wide to create gaps but most of the time you see Rashford and Bruno in the wrong position because they want to be the ones exploiting the gaps when the fullbacks are probably in a better position to do so.

Same thing with Casemiro in midfield, he’s supposed to be the DM but he just keeps trying to be a threat in the penalty box that he leaves us exposed in midfield once we lose the ball. The 3 of them really needs to start playing how the manager wants them to play instead of trying to do their own shit.

When defending set pieces, we try to crowd around the centre of the box because our defenders aren’t the best at heading and we give up marking at the supposedly safer areas to reduce the chance of conceding but it hasn’t really worked out with us letting a few ridiculously well hit goals that would miss the mark 9/10 times.
 
elmo said:
Shit tactics or just a few players messing up the tactics?

You can see the team generally trying to spread the ball out wide to create gaps but most of the time you see Rashford and Bruno in the wrong position because they want to be the ones exploiting the gaps when the fullbacks are probably in a better position to do so.

Same thing with Casemiro in midfield, he’s supposed to be the DM but he just keeps trying to be a threat in the penalty box that he leaves us exposed in midfield once we lose the ball. The 3 of them really needs to start playing how the manager wants them to play instead of trying to do their own shit.
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It's tactics. Shit players would be Antony being wide but not doing anything with the width. But at least providing the structure so the team play is naturally more balanced.

This isn't the first time Bruno has played on the right like this. Either Ten Hag is fine with it, or he needs to stop doing it. It's shit from EtH's part either way. We are asking far too much of Dalot to cover the entire flank, while also being an inverted fullback option to tuck in sometimes. And on the left, Rashford keeps some width but then the fullback always inverts.

You look at top teams and they pretty much always have 2 guys combining out wide with a 3rd option close to combine. They aren't all congested inside the width of the box, they have people literally hugging the touchline always as an option for big switches. We have players running from inside to go outside wide as a "oh feck there is space let me try to make an option there" but it's too late. They need to be naturally in just wider areas.
 
Our players lack any sort of chemistry when passing in tight spaces to each other. They end up freestyling and losing possession making silly flicks and passes. They also compete for the same ball and move into the same spaces a lot. This I put down to the pressure getting to them and they start being tunnel visioned on their own performance and lose focus on the game state as a whole.
 
The biggest problem for me is when we attack, we don't have off the ball runners. Everyone wants to come deep to get it to feet. When we do have runners (mainly Garnacho and Hoijlund) no one even attempts to find them.
 
Freak said:
The biggest problem for me is when we attack, we don't have off the ball runners. Everyone wants to come deep to get it to feet. When we do have runners (mainly Garnacho and Hoijlund) no one even attempts to find them.
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Yes, it was really infuriating that most of our players stood like statues when we were in possession chasing a goal.
 
Our width is definitely the problem. We aren't stretching deep compact defenses enough due to a lack of quality full-backs and wingers in the game who stay wide. Our injury problems aren't making things any easier. Our midfielders are trying to push through the narrow block, our wide forwards are cutting in and trying to push through the narrow block, our central striker who is fast doesn't have space to run behind, and we played Bruno out wide for the majority of the game. No surprises that it was a stalemate.

This was inevitable when one part of our squad for disproportionately impacted by the injuries and disciplinary issues.
 
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