This is why we play a highline. Because its how we get results. Tell me how its better to have 35% of the ball and be waiting to attack, rather than owning the ball and dictating the game at your own terms?
People will point to the United game, but Partey didn't play that game, and fact is not every game will break in your favour. We did enough to get a result at Old Trafford, but the final execution just wasnt there. Plus you also need to acknowledge other teams have their own qualities and sometimes you will concede goals for this reason. But we dusted ourselves off following the 3-1 loss to United, kept playing our highline and since then have gone 3-0 away to Brentford and 3-1 home to Spurs.
This is why I fully support the aggressive highline, because it's expansive and bullies the opposition when executed right. We have the players to play this brand of football, so I couldnt understand 'dropping deeper'. Thats what Gary Neville would do if he was our manager. Its what Southgate does for England.
Everytime the team card is shown it has Xhaka next to Partey, but in reality Partey is the sole pivot and Xhaka occupies the same forward space on the left side as Odegaard does on the right. In simple terms its 4-1-2-3. In possession is 2-5-3.
I can understand fans watching us get forward and seeing all that vacant pace with so many of our players forward & getting excited. But before that counter attack can happen, you need to deal with the fact we have the ball and all these players in your opposition third. Spurs won that penalty from a counter attack, no doubt Gary Neville calls this naive. But do you know what also naive, Spurs Sitting so deep. Allowing Partey to pick his spot with no pressure, or allowing Saka one of many runs at Perisic & Lenglet one of these runs which lead to Lloris fumble. Simple law of averages, the more time Martinelli and Saka get to run at the opposition fullback, the greater our chances are of the next goal.
Were playing Liverpool this week. And guess what, were playing the highline.
