The Tactics Board

[FarehamSaintJames]

To summarise, I’m pretty confident I have better footballing tactics and style of football than Russell Martin.

Slight tweaks to his style (which he’s insistent on sticking by) would make all the difference to the team.

I don’t understand for the need for a tika taka style of play. The ball needs to be moved forward as quickly as possible, more directly.

Take a simple 4-3-3 with a holding midfield, (like we currently do).

When you are attacking you have the freedom for the full backs to push up with the holding midfielder sitting deeper. You effectively transfer to a 3-4-3 and overwhelm the opposition half.

Your wingers stay high up right up to the point that your lone striker drops deep, whether that be to help defend or recieve the ball. Suddenly those two wide players drastically can’t inside and get in behind the opposition CB and FB.

You then change in transition again. The wide players should have the freedom at all times to stay high and be prepared to cut in and run through the centre. You Striker that drops deeper adds another body to the centre for cover and allows for the wide players to move in.

This would mean we utilise stocky players like Onuachu down the centre, pacey players through the centre and out wide like Sulemana, Edozie dare I say it Brereton-Diaz.

At the moment we don’t utilise certain players when we should be.

Effectively, the ST drops in so the holding mid drops deep as a third CB, thus pushing the two other. AB’s slightly wider, pushing the full backs high, and the wingers coming in and moving central. Full quick pace transition.

Edited 14 November, 2024 by FarehamSaintJames

[FarehamSaintJames]

Ralph had a high press 4-2-2-2 which would be fantastic for a first half, but leave players puffing in the second half.

Puel had similar to RM in that 4-3-3, we effectively went from a 4-3-3 with Koeman with an attacking midfielder to a holding midfielder.

Jones was five at the back, works a treat when you desperate for goals playing the most defensive formation you can.

[Fabrice Fernandes no.1 fan]

The reality is, we don't have good enough players to dominate the ball at this level and think we'll win, we need to approach each game with a mindset of "what gives us the best chance of winning here" instead of always playing Russ ball.

The next game is Liverpool and they will press us high and over-run us. Albeit a different manager on both sides, but we scored 4 against them not that long ago, and a lot of that was direct running in midfield and in behind, the same as how Forest beat them. For me, Dibling and Fernandes would be key, but also we know they want to play high and in behind us, and Salah is a quality we can't leave one on one. I'd play 4 at the back (5 just leaves a gap between LCB and LWB for Salah to have) and put KWP on Salah. Mccarthy is our best available shot-stopper so he has to start. Sugawara has the pace we need, and I think there is a good partnership in Bednarek and THB we haven't fully seen. To counter their midfield, I'd play Downes and Lesley (I know he's not been very good but hopefully in a double pivot he works better). I'd then have Fernandes as a 10, Dibling coming off the right, Armstrong off the left (his defensive work-rate and pace in behind would be of use) all playing with Archer as the focal point trying to get in behind. We'd play at least 6 behind the ball, but with the intention Downes and Fernandes move the ball quickly between the lines, and the front 3 are all happy running in behind or playing a bit more direct.

 

[Weston Super Saint]

 

This is our 'attacking' one.

 

[FarehamSaintJames]

Completely agree FF, we need to be counter attacking, not dominating the ball being pressed and panicked into errors

[saintant]

2 hours ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

To summarise, I’m pretty confident I have better footballing tactics and style of football than Russell Martin.

Slight tweaks to his style (which he’s insistent on sticking by) would make all the difference to the team.

I don’t understand for the need for a tika taka style of play. The ball needs to be moved forward as quickly as possible, more directly.

Take a simple 4-3-3 with a holding midfield, (like we currently do).

When you are attacking you have the freedom for the full backs to push up with the holding midfielder sitting deeper. You effectively transfer to a 3-4-3 and overwhelm the opposition half.

Your wingers stay high up right up to the point that your lone striker drops deep, whether that be to help defend or recieve the ball. Suddenly those two wide players drastically can’t inside and get in behind the opposition CB and FB.

You then change in transition again. The wide players should have the freedom at all times to stay high and be prepared to cut in and run through the centre. You Striker that drops deeper adds another body to the centre for cover and allows for the wide players to move in.

This would mean we utilise stocky players like Onuachu down the centre, pacey players through the centre and out wide like Sulemana, Edozie dare I say it Brereton-Diaz.

At the moment we don’t utilise certain players when we should be.

Effectively, the ST drops in so the holding mid drops deep as a third CB, thus pushing the two other. AB’s slightly wider, pushing the full backs high, and the wingers coming in and moving central. Full quick pace transition.

All very well but wouldn't out possession stats drop like a stone? Asking for a friend.

[FarehamSaintJames]

Just now, saintant said:

All very well but wouldn't out possession stats drop like a stone? Asking for a friend.

You can tell Russ not to worry about that, as that isn’t a priority 😂😉

[Convict Colony]

2 hours ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

To summarise, I’m pretty confident I have better footballing tactics and style of football than Russell Martin.

Slight tweaks to his style (which he’s insistent on sticking by) would make all the difference to the team.

I don’t understand for the need for a tika taka style of play. The ball needs to be moved forward as quickly as possible, more directly.

Take a simple 4-3-3 with a holding midfield, (like we currently do).

When you are attacking you have the freedom for the full backs to push up with the holding midfielder sitting deeper. You effectively transfer to a 3-4-3 and overwhelm the opposition half.

Your wingers stay high up right up to the point that your lone striker drops deep, whether that be to help defend or recieve the ball. Suddenly those two wide players drastically can’t inside and get in behind the opposition CB and FB.

You then change in transition again. The wide players should have the freedom at all times to stay high and be prepared to cut in and run through the centre. You Striker that drops deeper adds another body to the centre for cover and allows for the wide players to move in.

This would mean we utilise stocky players like Onuachu down the centre, pacey players through the centre and out wide like Sulemana, Edozie dare I say it Brereton-Diaz.

At the moment we don’t utilise certain players when we should be.

Effectively, the ST drops in so the holding mid drops deep as a third CB, thus pushing the two other. AB’s slightly wider, pushing the full backs high, and the wingers coming in and moving central. Full quick pace transition.

Nothing says confidence more than this line 

 

[saintant]

36 minutes ago, Fabrice Fernandes no.1 fan said:

The reality is, we don't have good enough players to dominate the ball at this level and think we'll win, we need to approach each game with a mindset of "what gives us the best chance of winning here" instead of always playing Russ ball.

The next game is Liverpool and they will press us high and over-run us. Albeit a different manager on both sides, but we scored 4 against them not that long ago, and a lot of that was direct running in midfield and in behind, the same as how Forest beat them. For me, Dibling and Fernandes would be key, but also we know they want to play high and in behind us, and Salah is a quality we can't leave one on one. I'd play 4 at the back (5 just leaves a gap between LCB and LWB for Salah to have) and put KWP on Salah. Mccarthy is our best available shot-stopper so he has to start. Sugawara has the pace we need, and I think there is a good partnership in Bednarek and THB we haven't fully seen. To counter their midfield, I'd play Downes and Lesley (I know he's not been very good but hopefully in a double pivot he works better). I'd then have Fernandes as a 10, Dibling coming off the right, Armstrong off the left (his defensive work-rate and pace in behind would be of use) all playing with Archer as the focal point trying to get in behind. We'd play at least 6 behind the ball, but with the intention Downes and Fernandes move the ball quickly between the lines, and the front 3 are all happy running in behind or playing a bit more direct.

 

Unfortunately for us Russ doesn't know what a double pivot is - he probably thinks it's a wrestling move.

[benjii]

21 minutes ago, saintant said:

Unfortunately for us Russ doesn't know what a double pivot is - he probably thinks it's a wrestling move.

This is one feature of his entire tenure - the same last season. The entire midfield unit gets caught wrong-side of the ball. We are far too attacking in the positions our players take up in possession. We often don't even have one pivot, never mind two, which is why we always look so vulnerable on the break. 

[Osvaldorama]

He doesn’t know how to set up a midfield. 
 

Downes bailed him out in the championship because he’s class.  But now he’s been totally found out. 
 

You can’t play Adam lallana and Aribo as defensive midfielders at this level. It’s moronic. 

[FarehamSaintJames]

34 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

Nothing says confidence more than this line 

 

 

[tdmickey3]

Well, I’m bored with the tactics 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

2 hours ago, saintant said:

Unfortunately for us Russ doesn't know what a double pivot is - he probably thinks it's a wrestling move.

I too have better footballing tactics than Russell Martin, and I know that this means more work to fix the turf.

No wait, that's a double divot...

I too have better tactics than the groundsman...

🙂

[FarehamSaintJames]

Everyone has the own opinion about who should play and how we should play, it’s intriguing to hear

[Toussaint]

I think every saints player should kick the nearest Liverpool player as hard as they can as early in the game as possible, somewhere debilitating. I’ll let the players choose where they want to kick them as I like them to express themselves. So the kick off whistle goes, you each have an assigned target, you sprint to target, kick the target and return immediately to your position. Then you look as innocent as you can. If the ref intervenes just tell him you have a video of him with some white powder or taking a bung, or have a photo of him on Epstein’s island, one of those things is bound to be true so he will immediately retreat.

 

Genius, pure and absolute genius!

[Rebel]

Downes is OK playing as a the lone defensive midfielder in the Championship - and in a team where we dominate the ball - but he's not really suited to the role in the Premier League.  

We really need to play him in a double pivot where he is the box-to-box midfielder (which I think is his natural position) and play a defensive midfielder alongside him.  She Charles probably would have been good for this - but hopefully Lesley Ugochukwu can play this role for now.

At the moment our squad look like it suits a 4-2-3-1 set up with a No. 10/AM better than a 4-3-3. 

Maybe we could get away with a 4-3-3 if we played Lesley as the CDM alongside Downes and Aribo/Fernandes/Smallbone as the CMs.  

I think midfield is one of the many key areas we need to strengthen in January. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Football is a very simple game. Tactics make it complicated. Russell Martin makes is complicated.

[tdmickey3]

Looks familiar....... 

[Miltonaggro]

Undercover pic of Rasmus Ankersen's 'de rock steady crew' hard at work in Staplewood.  The black box has been replaced by a wheat grass smoothie bar and hypoallergenic bean bags.  Here the team are working out how to stop Chris Wood prior to the Forest game, with Torkild's suggestion of Jan Bednarek being sprayed with Lavender oil and Ben Brereton Diaz being given space to breathe making it on to the Board.

 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

5 hours ago, tdmickey3 said:

Looks familiar....... 

Needs more connections between CDs and GK. But the main principle of noone having any connection with the striker is there.

[lumuah]

On 15/11/2024 at 11:29, tdmickey3 said:

Looks familiar....... 

Too many links between 5, 7, 8 and 4.

What is completely lacking in this diagram is the bulk of the passes between 2 and 3, occasionally involving 5 and 4.

You've also missed the one way passes from 9, 10 and 11 to 1. 

[James G]

Liverpool press the space, anticipate the passing passages, so this will lead to goals from defensive errors this week. They also push players forward to overwhelm space, so to win, we need to go forward fast and outnumber them after they have come forward. If we play as usual, I can see Liverpool scoring a few

[Zorba]

 

Well, I think it's great that we have a manager whose personality really shows through his tactical genius.

[lumuah]

13 hours ago, Zorba said:

 

Well, I think it's great that we have a manager whose personality really shows through his tactical genius.

The best representation of Russball I have ever seen. Hats off to you sir!

One day, this will be in all football coaching manuals

[Wade Garrett]

Work hard to win the ball.

When we’ve got the ball move it quickly.  This requires players to move quickly.

Man for man marking at corners.

Get down the lines and cross the ball.

Forwards - anticipate the crosses and make the necessary movement in the box.

Don’t be afraid to have a shot.

Tackle hard.

Play percentage football when the ball is deep in our half.  Midfielders, show for the ball and play on the half-turn instead of just giving it back.  Anyone can do that.

Too much emphasis on tactics now.  Too many pundits with too much time to fill.  High block, low block, transition, fuck off you boring cunts.

Football is a fairly simple game that requires talent and a lot of stamina.

[tdmickey3]

14 hours ago, Zorba said:

 

Well, I think it's great that we have a manager whose personality really shows through his tactical genius.

That is spot on sir

 

[FarehamSaintJames]

On 19/11/2024 at 20:57, Zorba said:

 

Well, I think it's great that we have a manager whose personality really shows through his tactical genius.

Brilliant 🤣🤣

[Roo1976]

On 15/11/2024 at 11:29, tdmickey3 said:

Looks familiar....... 

FIFA...................

[Bakovnetski]

On 14/11/2024 at 17:50, saintant said:

Unfortunately for us Russ doesn't know what a double pivot is - he probably thinks it's a wrestling move.

More likely he's looked it up as a kama sutra position.

[FarehamSaintJames]

Any chance if we are going down we could go down with a bit of fight?

Whats the point in having a defensive five? Chuck that extra player up the pitch and have a go.

These players have got nothing to lose now.

It just baffles me that we aren’t going out to attack teams.

Opposition know they have to press us the tiniest bit and we crumble, maybe it’s time we gave it a go. Even if it means we have the likes of BBD and Onuachu up top, just have a fucking go and put players in the top third of the pitch.