Yup I was thinking this as well. The pressing game works very well when you have Fred in the midfield. Replace him with Eriksen and it won’t be as good albeit we will improve in other ways.
Our Pressing
- Thread starter Adisa
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Much better in this game.Tbf Spurs make it easy with their negative approach. Still a job well done. Hope we keep it up.
I am also impressed by our pressing.
I'm amazed that we had such little possession. Only 52% according to the BBC. It felt like a 60-70% performance.
Aye, surprised me too. Spus possession must all have been in their own half, it’s the only way I can explain it.
It's a lot more precise, composed and generally better every game.
Better passing has been evident in a number of games this season already.
Their midfield didnt make a way through. Well yes, it was because of how we played and did the press.
The thing about pressing is that despite how the 'experts' on TV make it sound like it's all just about effort and desire, it actually requires a high-level of organisation and co-ordination.
Even one player not pressing correctly will undo the good work of the other nine outfield players, so it really must be drilled over and over again on the training pitch and everybody has to be bought in
Last night you saw that when there's actually a coordinated strategy and the players understand what they are supposed to be doing they are not lazy at all and they'll run their socks off
It also helps to have warriors like Casemiro and Martinez in the team and Bruno to be fair last night showed fantastic leadership and will to win
Even one player not pressing correctly will undo the good work of the other nine outfield players, so it really must be drilled over and over again on the training pitch and everybody has to be bought in
Last night you saw that when there's actually a coordinated strategy and the players understand what they are supposed to be doing they are not lazy at all and they'll run their socks off
It also helps to have warriors like Casemiro and Martinez in the team and Bruno to be fair last night showed fantastic leadership and will to win
Fred in that role is huge. When he was playing deeper he had to limit his pressing a lot more, so often it was Fernandes passing by himself. Last night we had Fernandes, Fred and Anthony pressing high putting defenders under pressure and forcing Spurs' attackers to come deep. That encouraged Dalot and Shaw to press higher too.
Having Casemiro, Varane and Martinez at the back meant we could press high in relative comfort without fearing a counter.
That's the template.
I haven't mentioned Sancho or Rashford because they were probably the weakest players in our press. They were okay at times, but I feel like they could do more too.
One thing with Rashford is that if he's closing down a defender but the defender gets past him he often just accepts it and starts walking. That can damage us if the rest of our attackers have committed to the press. It happened a couple of times last night, but I think on both occasions Tottenham players shot themselves in the foot by using the extra time and space to continue passing around the back.
Having Casemiro, Varane and Martinez at the back meant we could press high in relative comfort without fearing a counter.
That's the template.
I haven't mentioned Sancho or Rashford because they were probably the weakest players in our press. They were okay at times, but I feel like they could do more too.
One thing with Rashford is that if he's closing down a defender but the defender gets past him he often just accepts it and starts walking. That can damage us if the rest of our attackers have committed to the press. It happened a couple of times last night, but I think on both occasions Tottenham players shot themselves in the foot by using the extra time and space to continue passing around the back.
It also has to do with the way Spurs set up. Three at the back and three more defensive-minded central midfielders.
We also turned up from kick-off, which is not something we do every match for years now.
We did really well today however and I'm not taking anything away from a tremendous team performance today. We pressed and defended superbly as a unit, and I hope we can keep this intensity up for the rest of the season with minimal injuries.
We also turned up from kick-off, which is not something we do every match for years now.
We did really well today however and I'm not taking anything away from a tremendous team performance today. We pressed and defended superbly as a unit, and I hope we can keep this intensity up for the rest of the season with minimal injuries.
Absolutely this. One player should start the pressing but the rest of the team have to follow suit or they will be easily passed through. Spurs are actually quite good at beating press from other teams and they did so a few times yesterday as well. Our structure and discipline was so good though, that it did not mean they could counterattack us.
The signs have been there in other games this season, our pressing was at times very good vs. Newcastle, but it has not lasted. I think perhaps this is part of what ten Hag meant when he said we "lacked faith" earlier this season. The players did not trust that their team mates would do their bit, resulting in the pressing being inefficient. Against Newcastle, Fred was close to winning the ball lots of times and got into press very well but often we would lose the second ball because the rest of the team was static. This game, no one stood watching, they all wanted a piece.
I think having him and Martinez together would be an issue with their respective heights. One is ok but probably not two.
Yeah it’s odd but we let Spurs keep the ball around their defenders and keeper in the first half. Seems like we were happy to let them have it back there as they’re unlikely to create a good chance building from the back. Once the ball moved into the middle third and to their midfielders who aren’t blessed with the greatest on ball ability we pressed harder.
It was the best pressing game we have had, but you also have to look at the opposition as well. Spurs are a defensive side who look to hit on the counter. This made it easier to press as they dont press back.
The true test will be against Chelsea. Managed now by TH equivalent of playing the pressing game. This will show how much we have come on if we can play the same way and trap them in their own half for long periods.
The true test will be against Chelsea. Managed now by TH equivalent of playing the pressing game. This will show how much we have come on if we can play the same way and trap them in their own half for long periods.
That was probably the blueprint of Ten Hag Ball. I know we wont play like this every game this season but if we can play this way in more than than not, it will show good progress.
Just sticking up for my homey y'all.
Anyway. just because Richie doesn't have the dentistry of an American and the complexion of a living person like Damien Richardson doesn't mean he doesn't know a bit about football when he finds the sweet spot between death and drunkenness,
#theironcurtian #sugarpuffs #peoplesrepublicoftallaght
We looked really compact and in control last night, I thought everyone played a part even Sancho was getting a bit of stick. You and the honey monster are right, it's confidence that allows you be so compact, as well as the bodies on the front foot, you tend to stand off if you think a ball is going to bounce off someone.
Feck's sake. I was actually talking about Damo Delaney. Don't mind me, my mind is old and addled.
100% agree with this, it's a good point. Again, people don't realise a press is about confidence i.e. confidence in the game-plan and your teammates.
It boils down to this - the 1st player to press knows that they will likely not win the ball. The 2nd player to press also knows that it is highly-unlikely they win the ball either...and so on and so on...with the probability of winning the ball increasing with every 'pressing action'...because the 1st player will ensure the first pass is not quite perfect, and the 2nd player will ensure the 2nd pass is less than perfect etc...and before you know it, the opposition are under huge pressure, playing backwards or sideways in bad areas and this leads to mistakes!
However, as you say, if you've no confidence your teammates will join in, or be in the right positions if you do, it's soul destroying and not only that, absolutely pointless and actually detrimental tactically, as opposed to just staying in your position in the mid/low block.
It used to be a huge bug-bear of mine when I played if I forced an opponent to make a backwards/sideways or bad pass and my teammates hadn't joined in or had done so only half-heartedly. I'm not saying I was 'good' but I played a fair local/regional level with some good players in parts and they won't just give you the ball, you have to force them into making mistakes with co-ordinated defensive/pressing actions.
Same applies at any level where the opposition are above average players and can handle the ball (I discount Sunday League etc...because they will just give you the ball
)It's excellent practice from our perspective.
Fred was causing problems for Spurs all night; he would be so freaking annoying to play against. His game is extremely chaotic, which often comes back to bite him in the ass, but everything seemed to work today. Pure joy to watch it.
Fred playing to his strengths with the intense pressing at the right moments.
Still a limited footballer but if we play to his strengths then can be more than a useful squad player.
should be ahead of Eriksen in the big games.
Still a limited footballer but if we play to his strengths then can be more than a useful squad player.
should be ahead of Eriksen in the big games.
Fred and Bruno have always tried to press, but the fact that they were the only ones doing it meant they were quite easy to play around. Especially since Bruno would often do it at the wrong time and leave a gaping hole for the opposition to play into.
With Casemiro now joining in behind them (which has the knock on effect of pushing Fred into a position where he can do it even better than he already was), Antony on the right, Varane and Martinez being more aggressive at winning the ball behind them, and Dalot also looking to do it, combined with ETH actually providing a structure to it...it's hopefully just the beginning of an incredible improvement.
With Casemiro now joining in behind them (which has the knock on effect of pushing Fred into a position where he can do it even better than he already was), Antony on the right, Varane and Martinez being more aggressive at winning the ball behind them, and Dalot also looking to do it, combined with ETH actually providing a structure to it...it's hopefully just the beginning of an incredible improvement.
I don't think he's ready on the ball for a big team yet. Looks far worse than Salisu in that regard. Otherwise looks a really quality CB though, yeah.