Pochettino = Tactical Genius

[Charlie Wayman]

The proposition of the OP is absurd, MP has not been here long enough to have made any significant impact on the way we play except to perhaps fiddle with some details. We are doing nothing that we didn't do under NA and in my view we are still on the roll that started after the Sunderland game at SMS.

 

Players maybe are putting in 90% instead of 85% just to impress the new guy but that would be about it in terms of discernible impact and change. Most on here surely have followed football fork long enough to have worked out that change in football happens slowly. The slick fast passing style that we now seem so good at has taken nearly 4 seasons to perfect.

 

The time to rush to judgement will be at season's end not after two games when most players will not have had much contact with him or his coaches.

[Matthew Le God]

The proposition of the OP is absurd, MP has not been here long enough to have made any significant impact on the way we play except to perhaps fiddle with some details. We are doing nothing that we didn't do under NA and in my view we are still on the roll that started after the Sunderland game at SMS.

 

Well you are wrong, for a start Saints are now pressing significantly higher up the pitch than they did under Adkins and the defence has a higher line.

[Bucks Saint]

Idiot thread

[Shroppie]

Well you are wrong, for a start Saints are now pressing significantly higher up the pitch than they did under Adkins and the defence has a higher line.

 

Agreed. Pressing higher, forcing errors, anticipating passes and intercepting far more than under NA. The number of times we disposessed MU last night in their own half was very impressive.

[georgeweahscousin]

I was very impressed with that second half last night, and it debunks the theory that the players will struggle with the lack of English. They knew exactly what they were doing last night.

 

Substitutions worked well too.

[Olallana]

The proposition of the OP is absurd, MP has not been here long enough to have made any significant impact on the way we play except to perhaps fiddle with some details. We are doing nothing that we didn't do under NA and in my view we are still on the roll that started after the Sunderland game at SMS.

 

Players maybe are putting in 90% instead of 85% just to impress the new guy but that would be about it in terms of discernible impact and change. Most on here surely have followed football fork long enough to have worked out that change in football happens slowly. The slick fast passing style that we now seem so good at has taken nearly 4 seasons to perfect.

 

The time to rush to judgement will be at season's end not after two games when most players will not have had much contact with him or his coaches.

 

You didn´t see any difference from how we approached this game compared to.....let´s say......Liverpool at Anfield?

At Anfield we sat back from minute 1 because players weren´t ready for it, a lot because Adkins did talk that game and stadium up all week before the game..... IMO.

[Frank's cousin]

Of course there were differences between the way MP did things yesterday and the the way we have seen NA do things in the past... BUT FFS, that is normal they are two differnt people... NA gave a huge amount to this club and the way we play is testament to his influence and hard work - we CAN acknowledge that and be appreciative of it AND at the SAME time recognise that MP also has something to add that can BUILD on what NA did... why the need to constantly compare to prove pathetic points ... jeez...

[Andre]

Was shocked to see two subs at half time, but Lallana's arrival and Ramirez's departure made total sense. Puncheon was playing well though, and Davis did little other than a few long shots over the bar or wide, so I didn't agree with that one, but overall it's good he had the balls to make the changes.

[aintforever]

He deserves credit for changing things around but the opening post is typical SWF knee-jerk b*ll*x.

 

The same dumb ***t will probably be the first to cut his wrists if we lose Saturday.

[Charlie Wayman]

Well you are wrong, for a start Saints are now pressing significantly higher up the pitch than they did under Adkins and the defence has a higher line.

 

No I am not, we were pressing further up at the start of the season - which clearly you've forgotten already - with the result that we were constantly getting caught on the break with our midfielders too far forward and we leaked goals like a sieve and believe you me if ManUre hadn't lost interest in the game when they were 2-1 up last night they'd have had at least 4 by the break and slaughtered us after the break when we had to chuck everything forward to try and get back in it.

 

Unless you hadn't noticed, Arsenal chuck everyone forward every game at the expense of defending, sometimes it works out most times they let in a hatful as well. Unfortunately we don't have their talent to recover from 5-1 down to win 6-5 so NA had to work out the vital compromises to be made between all-out attacking and keeping the ball out of our net. MP hasn't woken up to this yet but we must hope that he does soon otherwise on another night we'd be back where we started.

 

The game is in front of you so study it with a bit more insight.

[Lord Duckhunter]

There aren't many teams that can go to OT and dominate them like we did second half. I was impressed with the way we played and took the game to them after the break. Dont think Nigel would have changed 2 like that as it would have been very unlike him. But, we just dont know what result we would of got had he still been in charge.

 

Taking Nigel's line and drawing a line under his era , I'm pleasantly surprised how well we played and how the players appear to be wanting to play for this guy. One thing's for sure we will play a lot worse and pick up points. If we play like that all season we'll be safe, no bother.

[Lord Duckhunter]

No I am not, we were pressing further up at the start of the season - which clearly you've forgotten already - with the result that we were constantly getting caught on the break with our midfielders too far forward and we leaked goals like a sieve and believe you me if ManUre hadn't lost interest in the game when they were 2-1 up last night they'd have had at least 4 by the break and slaughtered us after the break when we had to chuck everything forward to try and get back in it.

 

Unless you hadn't noticed, Arsenal chuck everyone forward every game at the expense of defending, sometimes it works out most times they let in a hatful as well. Unfortunately we don't have their talent to recover from 5-1 down to win 6-5 so NA had to work out the vital compromises to be made between all-out attacking and keeping the ball out of our net. MP hasn't woken up to this yet but we must hope that he does soon otherwise on another night we'd be back where we started.

 

The game is in front of you so study it with a bit more insight.

 

Complete and utter nonsense.

 

There is a difference between chucking everyone forward and the way we played last night and if you cant tell the difference I would stop advising others to study the game. The difference last night was that our central midfield played further up the pitch and pressed the ball higher up the pitch. We pressed as a unit, whereas earlier in the season we didn't, this meant sides could pick us off and have clear 2 on 1's particularly down the sides. When we pressed we did so in isolation, sides could get out easy. Adkins changes were around getting protection for the full backs, but the defensive midfield players still played deeper than they did last night.

[Graffito]

Well you are wrong, for a start Saints are now pressing significantly higher up the pitch than they did under Adkins and the defence has a higher line.

 

We did this under Adkins first half away to Everton and they just exploited the gaps in midfield, especially down the flanks. We appear to be playing a higher line under MP and all of the players are maybe trying that bit harder for a new manager so the pressing tactics worked better against Everton at SMS. I would add that you need pace at the back to play the high line and there is more available now than when we played Everton away.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

The proposition of the OP is absurd, MP has not been here long enough to have made any significant impact on the way we play except to perhaps fiddle with some details. We are doing nothing that we didn't do under NA and in my view we are still on the roll that started after the Sunderland game at SMS.

 

Players maybe are putting in 90% instead of 85% just to impress the new guy but that would be about it in terms of discernible impact and change. Most on here surely have followed football fork long enough to have worked out that change in football happens slowly. The slick fast passing style that we now seem so good at has taken nearly 4 seasons to perfect.

 

The time to rush to judgement will be at season's end not after two games when most players will not have had much contact with him or his coaches.

 

Wow, that's an impressive amount of wrong for one post.

 

Firstly, even the players talk about the changes in playing style the manager has made. Lallana referenced as such in his post-match interview.

 

Secondly, this is just rubbish.

 

Thirdly, that style only stated to happen under NA - who was in charge 2 and a bit years, not 4 seasons. The complaint many had with Pards was that he was long-ball and clueless tactically. Similar to what has been alleged about him at the barcodes.

[Cestrian Saint]

Let's not forget the man who masterminded our second half performance at Old Trafford and give credit where it is due.

 

Would Adkins have had the balls to make that double half-time substitution that changed the game? Seriously doubt it.

 

Pochettino already proving to be a better tactician. Not missing Nigel at all!

 

Oh please!

 

A 0-0 draw and a 2-1 defeat hardly makes him a tactical genius. You fool.

[paris]

Fox starting over Shaw good that ....................

[pap]

Fox starting over Shaw good that ....................

 

Defo, if Shaw is ill.

[110_Persaint]

Blimey you lot aren't half cynical about all this. Cut me some slack!

 

First of all I am NOT Nicola - my English is far too good. I didn't "take" the decision to sack Nigel. If it were up to me I would not have "made" that cruel, unjust and untimely decision.

 

Second I loved and still do love Nigel just as much as any fellow Saints fan. He was, is and always will be a legend in my book.

 

Third I was merely stating a fact that MP is a better tactician! I remember saying to myself at HT yesterday "come on MP, don't 'do a Nigel' and make a half-time change ffs"... turns out he not only made one but TWO changes, both ATTACKING. Instantly went up in my estimation and earned my respect. Not just the changes, but like others here have mentioned the formation, gameplan (shut out Carrick), etc. were all spot-on and a stroke of genius IMO. I just can't for the life of me think NA would of done something similar (Liverpool game anyone?)

[saintbob40]

Man Us first two substitutes were defenders. They were genuinely rattled by us in the second half and played like a pub team at times. Get Cork, Shaw, Morgan on long term deals. Extend SRL say 'till he's 33 and to go with Adam, Clyne, J Rod, Ramirez ( ....I think-though he needs to get physically stronger on the ball.....),JWP and we have the makings of a very good young (SRL excluded...)side in the next couple of years.

[FMPR]

We played the same formation in the second half, Lallana coming on made a big difference.

 

Or was it Ramirez not playing?

[Matthew Le God]

Or was it Ramirez not playing?

 

Do you need reminding you predicted Lambert and Lallana would struggle in the Championship, let alone the Premier League?

[Professor]

If a new line of inflatable Nigel Adkins dolls comes on the market, are there any people on here would like one as a bed warmer?

 

It was Adkin's players, with a little help from the previous regime (likes of Lambert, Schneiderlin, Lallana) who played at Old Trafford bu8t would Adkins have made the same starting selection or substitutions? Probably not, as he tended not to play 2 strikers in away games and generally made his substitutions later in the second half, but does that make Pochettino a genuis? Different, Yes, but genuis is rather OTT.

[Wes Tender]

It was Adkin's players, with a little help from the previous regime (likes of Lambert, Schneiderlin, Lallana) who played at Old Trafford bu8t would Adkins have made the same starting selection or substitutions? Probably not, as he tended not to play 2 strikers in away games and generally made his substitutions later in the second half, but does that make Pochettino a genuis? Different, Yes, but genuis is rather OTT.

 

Did we play 4-4-2 then? Or was Rodrigues playing left wing, which was described as a dismal failure by many on here when Adkins tried it before.

 

Whether Adkins would have started with the same selection or made the same substitutions is impossible to know, but for anybody claiming that MP is the better tactician, it must be admitted that the first half wasn't great tactically, but we improved massively in the second half. But Adkins' teams were also capable of having a poor half and then come out the second half playing much better football too, so what's the difference? It is arguable that a briliant tactician would have instilled his game plan into the players' minds so that they implemented it right from the first whistle. The MOTD pundits, (well, Shearer, actually) claimed that we pressed United right from the start and used the early goal to illustrate it. But then for the rest of the half we didn't particularly press them back until the beginning of the second half, when they had already scored the two goals that gave them the three points. And it could have been more than two goals too.

 

Perhaps a half-time rollicking and the two substitutions removed the players that MP blamed for not pressing high enough, but it was certainly strange that Ramirez and Puncheon hadn't offered that, as they usually have marauded upfield in most matches they've played for us. So what will be the lesson learned by Pochettino from this? That we cannot reasonably play Ramirez and Lallana together? That Davies offers more to the pressing high up the pitch game plan than Puncheon?

[monosaint]

I'm not sure the accolade of tactical genius can apply when Shaw was left on the bench.

He wasn't fully fit. You may want to listen to MP's Solent interview.

[Glasgow_Saint]

Be honest...... Does anyone regret celebrating the defeat last night?

[Wes Tender]

He wasn't fully fit. You may want to listen to MP's Solent interview.

 

He was fit, but it was a mis-translation. He had meant to say that Shaw wasn't fit to play ahead of Fox, but the interpreter translated it as Shaw wasn't fully fit, so Fox would play instead. But MP changed his mind having seen Fox's poor positional play.

 

He now realises that a 90% fit Shaw is better than a 100% fit Fox.

[Barry Sanchez]

Erwin Rommel was a known tactical genius but he got his arse kicked out of Northern Africa, the point of my comment is about as relevant as this thread.

[pap]

Rommel was up against it in Africa, and managed to kick a lot of arse until the Allies got the Med sown up.

[Whitey Grandad]

I don't want a tactical genius, I want an expert strategist.

[pap]

I don't want a tactical genius, I want an expert strategist.

 

Very encouraged by what I've seen so far.

[Whitey Grandad]

Very encouraged by what I've seen so far.

 

Yes, maybe not as bad as feared but too soon to tell, really.

[Toadhall Saint]

Although I was not unhappy that NA was replaced it is disingenuous to him and everything he achieved at SFC to belittle him. Rather than slating NA in hindsight let's enjoy Pochettino without the need for comparisons - I have a feeling we have found a gem as our new manager.

 

My thoughts - hollow comparisons do not serve anyone.

[The9]

Let's not forget the man who masterminded our second half performance at Old Trafford and give credit where it is due.

 

Would Adkins have had the balls to make that double half-time substitution that changed the game? Seriously doubt it.

 

Pochettino already proving to be a better tactician. Not missing Nigel at all!

 

If I was being mean spirited I might point out that if Pochettino had been more tactically astute we might have either held our fluke lead or actually got any kind of point from the match.

 

Adkins probably would have left Lambert on the bench so we'd have had the impact of him late on.

 

Or this may all be based on utter drivel spouted about other matches this season, guess.