Luton’s Tactics

[Bez]

I’m rewatching the game currently (yes I am a glutton for punishment). 
 

I wanted to watch from a Luton perspective as to how they countered our tactics. 
 

Watching back it’s obvious to see what their game plan was and that this loss is down to tactics more than anything. 
 

Countering High Press

 

Monk has us press them high and ‘get at them’. 
It’s clear that he had told them to play with high tempo and press their defence. 
 

Every time we swarmed in their half of the pitch they hoofed it long at Lees or Borner and caused them tons of problems, exposed without full back cover. 

 

They clearly knew Borner and Lees are weak when exposed and out of a tradition centre back position. 
 

Their hoof ball either saw them gain possession and run at these two or we won the header and they swarmed on the rebound against weaker, smaller midfielders.  

Luton in possession

 

Luton had their striker drop deep time and again, which dragged Lees or Borner into midfield and left gaps.  
 

Their midfielders ran into the gaps this created and went wide, receiving the ball over the top and dragging Iorfa wide too. 
 

Time and again they then played low balls back across goal to players running free because Lee, Bannan and Windass weren’t covering the runs.  
 

How this didn’t end up 3-0 I don’t know because the simple tactic gave them three chances for unmarked players.  
 

Tight defending

 

When we came forward they made the area around the box compact and swarmed in 2s or 3s, happy to smash it long as soon as the ball broke to them.  
 

Our formation was obviously supposed to be attacking so they made sure it was a battle any time we got near their box. 
 

Forcing us into traps

 

Another obvious plan of theirs was to press Bannan with 2 or 3 men when he had the ball and force him to pass back.  They didn’t really try and dispossess him, but let him pass to Lees or Iorfa again and again. 
 

Why?

 

Because when Iorfa has the ball they gambled every single time on him having a bad touch and trying to take them on. 
 

This cost us the goal. 
 

They also let Lees have the ball.  Always open.  But when he got it, one man put pressure on him and they were anticipating a long ball with two men ready, marking Wickham and later, Nuhiu.  
 

Every time they pressed Lees he either hoofed or played a stray short pass.  Only one of his long balls went to Windass but he fluffed the chance. 
 

Our attacking plan

 

What was it?  I can’t tell?!

 

We didn’t seem to be planning on crosses as no one was attacking the box.  Most of the time we cut back and played it into the centre of the park rather than putting it in. 
 

I assume, if we weren’t crossing, we were looking for slick passing and a through ball.  

Almost every time we went forward, someone tried playing it through a gap on the floor to Wickham, Da Cruz or Lee, but they made the area very compact so most of our attempts were cut out. 
 

I think this was the plan the more I watch and Forestieri wasn’t sticking to it because he chooses long shots from outside the box three times, and each time he does that, the strikers seem to be annoyed at him. 
 

Perhaps why he got subbed off? 
 

Conclusion

 

Monk got out managed and his plan failed miserably.  
 

He clearly tried to change things with Nuhiu, Harris and Murphy changing the dynamic to crossing and balls into the box.   
 

You can tell because Nuhiu, Wickham and Da Cruz suddenly start getting into the box when the wingers have the ball.  Sadly, their swarming defence cut out most of the crosses. 
 

 

tl;dr

Luton’s tactics perfectly countered ours and we lost. 

[Derick Mills]

Their will be a managers job at S6 coming up soon you fancy it, 

13 minutes ago, Bez said:

 

 

[helmut_rooster]

Other tactics.......

 

Stand in front of every free kick and block it weather it was a shot on target or at our own corner flag, battle for everything, kick the ball away at 0-0 every chance they got......and play better than we did

[Bez]

Just now, Derick Mills said:

Their will be a managers job at S6 coming up soon you fancy it, 

 

I would take it in a heartbeat if only to hear the chant of ‘F*** Off Bez’ coming from the Kop when we are 5-0 up. 

[runningaround]

Would agree with the op, in fact attack wise our plan used to be to have the wide players hug the touchlines and the mid partner of bannan (or whoever chosen, hopefully Luongo) to gain adequate space to do so. This is in order for the counter diagonal wing attacks to happen, who then cut inside more often than not and influence the game. For that to be less than predictable it needs a target man or link player with a goal/aerial threat.

 

So it was effectively a 50/50 choice for opposition which meant this was sucessful before. The downside was when we are at home the onus is on us to control so this I think was why we were so prolific away upto and including the Brighton FA cup game. Fletcher was perfect foil because of his strength, intelligence, aerial threat, ball retention and all round link up play. 

 

Tonight though, it was difficult to see the patterns or attacking intent in the 1st half, I did feel the intent was to be more patient but it was the wrong call, he needed strength and ball retentionn as a means to stop the high frequency of turnovers in our attacking phase. Nuhiu was maybe the best option for this as with Harris and Murphy outside to support. He got it horribly wrong 1st half.

 

The main issue going forwards?

 

The downside is our main cb (Lees) and both goalkeepers cant pass accurately through a low to moderate amount of pressing with reliability at all. I think this is why Bannan has to sit so deep and be protected by his partner, in order to execute the attack with any real purpose.

 

For me, Borner or Hutchinson is much more reliable with this as is Iorfa so should start, in order to get Bannan a higher starting postion in order to dictate play 5 yards futher forward or so. It is because of Lees (as good as his defensive work is) the team in a defensive phase has to adjust its set up a lot in order to reduce the risk of losing possesion or exposing the final 3rd too frequently. 

[pachyderm]

From what I saw, have seen, we don't possess worth ashit.

 

Our passes, I'm assuming that's what those random kicks/flailing attempts were, are seemingly directed to no one in green, or blue and white, depending on the venue. 

 

Are we fast? Because I don't recall winning too many races to the ball either. 

 

Oh well... Roll on Shitfield Wednesday. 

Edited February 13, 2020 by pachyderm

[CrosbyKitchens]

It could all just be that Bannan got owned in midfield again.