Jump to content

Debunking myths


Recommended Posts

As we prepare for another assault on the trail that leads to Premier League gold, let's start by debunking one of several myths often quoted by Wednesday fans. Last seasons more pragmatic approach, we were told, was designed to combat teams who came to stifle the way we played. Was this really true though? To a certain extent, teams always try to negate their opponents strengths, that much is true, but to imagine that every club in the league had devised a special plan, solely to stop us, is as deluded as you can get. 

Look around, there has been a tactical shift amongst the top clubs, not just in this country, but all over the world. Sides commonly now play with just the one up, and with one, and sometimes two, holding midfielders. Players are also now bigger, and fitter, and with the pace to counter attack. This is not some system devised to stop Wednesday, and it's ridiculous to claim that it is, it's merely the modern approach to the game. I'm not sure what is behind Carlos's thinking on this, for he has spouted something similar himself, but far from teams coming here to stifle us, it is in fact us whose first priority seems to be, negate the opposition at all costs. Do the tactics we've employed enable us to eventually play our own brand of attacking football? No they don't, on the contrary, most of the sides for whom the tactics were designed to combat, play with a far greater freedom than us. Teams with just one striker generally play a more expansive game than us.

Yes the tactics we employed last season, brought a degree of success, but at what cost? We were terrible to watch, and the tactics still didn't get us over the line. In fact, worse than that, we developed a sort of siege mentality that was difficult for us to escape from. 

Football has moved on these last couple of years, and we need to recognise the changes or we will be left behind. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Certainly agree..many top teams are now employing 3 at the back and 2 defensive midfielders, full backs are defunct and wide players are more attack minded. These teams tend to play 1 up front but for that you need a tall mobile forward who can hold the ball up.  There are one or 2 managers in championship looking to employ these sort of tactics, its if they can get enough time in the job to build their squads to play that way. Imo 2 or 3 years down the line its going to be the way most teams will try to set up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest oz_owl

Popular formations and tactics come and go very often.  This past season is nothing new there really.  It's only the fact that so much was made of Chelsea switching formation.  Many teams have played that way in the past, and it won't be long before someone is successful with a different formation and it becomes the vogue thing to play.

 

As for us, I don't really agree that we were terrible to watch last season (I've fidgeted through a hell of lot of seasons where we've played much MUCH worse) or the implication that we shifted to a more "pragmatic" style overall.  I think we played the games against the top sides differently, but apart from that I saw a lot of teams pushing up higher against us to disrupt our patient build up, and us being a little one dimensional most of the time in trying to stick to that style.  Whether that was a deliberate tactic to combat our style of play, or simply that more teams are starting to play that way overall doesn't really matter - the outcome for us is the same.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Big Ron's Sovereign said:

No myth at all. Teams have changed at Hillsborough, they used to come and play us now it's just stifling us ( admittedly we do some of that ourselves :duntmatter:) We were too easily beat last season, including the Final. Summat needed to change

 

Exactly, and something need to change this coming season too - ideally a style of playing takes the best of each of Carlos' seasons here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thing that really clashed for me was that we apparently attempted to play this very modest, frugal, careful sort of game - to shore things up and grind out results with consistency, if not any real emphasis - and yet we've amassed an absolute hatful of strikers and no wingers. The signings we've made mean we can't possibly try to play the trendy 'one up top' game with a staggered five in the middle, it'd rightly cause uproar.

 

We've arguably painted ourselves into a bit of a corner in that regard; the playing staff we've collected at Hillsborough mean we really ought to be playing a 4-3-3 or a variation of 3-5-2, but Carlos seems reluctant to experiment with such a dramatic shift. Not sure whether he'll feel more at liberty to do so this year or not, as I can't see the pressure easing off much this season vs last.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd go as far as to say that traditional wingers are a thing of the past. It's the full back that is expected to do that task now with the screening across done by good DMs. It's all about getting the right players in for the roles, 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The main miracle pulled off by Antonio conte was to find a system that made Victor Moses look good.

the main 'sin' of Carlos was to find a system that made all our attackers look bad. 

I am a fan and delighted he has got the chance to take us over the line but summat has to change or else he has to clear out four from Dave, Lucas, Sam W, JR, GH and SF. (he's not allowed to get rid of Hirst Jr or Fessi or I will sulk)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, gurujuan said:

As we prepare for another assault on the trail that leads to Premier League gold, let's start by debunking one of several myths often quoted by Wednesday fans. Last seasons more pragmatic approach, we were told, was designed to combat teams who came to stifle the way we played. Was this really true though? To a certain extent, teams always try to negate their opponents strengths, that much is true, but to imagine that every club in the league had devised a special plan, solely to stop us, is as deluded as you can get. 

Look around, there has been a tactical shift amongst the top clubs, not just in this country, but all over the world. Sides commonly now play with just the one up, and with one, and sometimes two, holding midfielders. Players are also now bigger, and fitter, and with the pace to counter attack. This is not some system devised to stop Wednesday, and it's ridiculous to claim that it is, it's merely the modern approach to the game. I'm not sure what is behind Carlos's thinking on this, for he has spouted something similar himself, but far from teams coming here to stifle us, it is in fact us whose first priority seems to be, negate the opposition at all costs. Do the tactics we've employed enable us to eventually play our own brand of attacking football? No they don't, on the contrary, most of the sides for whom the tactics were designed to combat, play with a far greater freedom than us. Teams with just one striker generally play a more expansive game than us.

Yes the tactics we employed last season, brought a degree of success, but at what cost? We were terrible to watch, and the tactics still didn't get us over the line. In fact, worse than that, we developed a sort of siege mentality that was difficult for us to escape from. 

Football has moved on these last couple of years, and we need to recognise the changes or we will be left behind. 

Great piece of garble and misquotes explains a win v loss % of 52 v 28 lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Rogerwyldesmullet said:

The main miracle pulled off by Antonio conte was to find a system that made Victor Moses look good.

the main 'sin' of Carlos was to find a system that made all our attackers look bad. 

I am a fan and delighted he has got the chance to take us over the line but summat has to change or else he has to clear out four from Dave, Lucas, Sam W, JR, GH and SF. (he's not allowed to get rid of Hirst Jr or Fessi or I will sulk)

A little unfair. We have and continue to develop but we don't have the same kind of tools in the box as Chelsea.

 

Maybe 3-5-2 or even 3-6-1 with FF heading a central diamond, but we are 2 CB's short at the moment and lacking numbers of those who could play wing back.

 

No manager can nail the players from his wish list so we have to be patient and adapt. We can't go to the Prem just because we want it !  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Teams that play one up top inevitably have more bodies in midfield,making it more difficult for teams playing 4-4-2 to play 'football'. When you play teams like Hudders, that essentially play 3-1-5-1 when in possession (enabling them to dominate possession), that becomes even more difficult. The fact we have so many strikers of (seeming) quality presents the problem - we have too many to play the 4-5-1 the rest of the squad is crying out for. I have the utmost appreciation for Carlos but until we find a solution to this - bypassing via the long ball is not an option - then people will continue to complain about the style and/or results. Changing the formation might (or might not) be the solution but are people prepared to see three of Rhodes, Fletcher, Hooper and Winnall on the bench, assuming Carlos can trust FF on the left, otherwise it will be four? There are no easy solutions - otherwise we'd all be doing it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, owler66 said:

Peters,Ball,Charlton,Stiles 4 CM with Hunt just behind the  loan striker Hurst,Alf could manage today.

 

Just before else sees it lone not loan unless Alf had a deal with West Ham but then again ar'nt all England players on loan from their clubs,getting confused nowlol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...