Playing out from the back

[Chip Butty 111]

This may open a can of worms, but stood on the Holte watching the Juve game, with both teams playing balls across the back endlessly and not seeming to create much attacking wise made me question what's the point?
Don't get me wrong, the teams that have mastered it and could walk the ball to the opponents penalty area over the years have been unbeatable (Spain for a few years a decade ago, Barcelona for a while and Man City).
However, the number of goals conceded now by trying to be too clever and overplaying around your own penalty area is ridiculous, and we are as guilty of this as anybody.
Do others think we should mix it up a bit in how we play, as at the moment we look like gifting goals playing out from the back badly?

[Gaztonniller]

I kind of agree with the mixing it up line but only in certain situations. A complete change in philosophy to mix it up football will result in another search for another manager.

I think it calls for players especially goal keeper to use their footballing intelligence to know when to use the patient build up approach from the back, and when a change of pace and approach is needed or more advantageous opportunity presents.

There's times when I've thought that the time waiting  for our players to get into certain positions definately allows opposition to get back into their defensive positions which makes it a hell of a lot more difficult to them break down defensively.

Games have a certain rhythm and pace, and knowing when to go with the flow or change the pace is a skill some footballers don't have or recognise.

I also have to question whether the team is sufficiently equipped in the middle and up front with the type of players who have that quick footballing intelligence and skill when receiving the ball from the back four, and teams have had that time to get back into their defensive formation, to spot & make a quick incisive killer pass through defenses to the front line to create chances or scoring opportunities, but this also hinges on the front players making correctly time runs and getting into good position to receive such chances.
Add players with the ability to go pass players and problem sorted.

So 30% yes to your question with a 70% No !!

[claret+blue ed]

I thinks it's the same for every type of tactical set up, when it works well, it looks great and we are all purring over it like Arsenal at home, when it doesn't work, we all revert to 'get rid' or 'do it quicker'

If went to rushing everything up the pitch, we'd generally be not happy with the ball coming back too quickly and us being under pressure, then when it does work, it's like how simple is the game

Simple answer is we all celebrate the goals the same way regardless of how it comes, the style of play whatever the coach and players are comfortable with

[eye digress]

The problem we have with it is less the midfield, I feel, than getting it to stick up front when we play the longer ball. Tielemans, Onana, Kamara, Barkley, McGinn, are all plenty skilful enough to play off first time or turn if the option is there and they're given the right info. We have more trouble when playing it into Morgz and Ollie - which is normal to a degree, since the longer balls are harder to tame, but still, we could improve there.

Oh, there is one trap in particular we seem to struggle with, when under press, the full back and centre back end up zig-zagging back to the corner circle. We need to stop letting teams do that to us.

[AV82EC]

We should carry on but its a question of how you do that when the opposition commits to a five or six man press with everyone man marked?

By definition if the opposition are doing that then it must leave spaces and men free further up the pitch but we seem incapable, or are under instruction not to, of playing into those spaces when the press comes. In addition, invariably Cash is the spare man in space in these instances and he lacks the ability to move us up the pitch.

What has been noticeable from my perch in the Upper Trinity is that all teams are trying to get us playing down our right side and not allowing Pau to build the play as they've seen the damage he can do. Added to the man marking of Rogers our creativity has been massively stifled.

It would appear as though we are desperately missing Luiz in this regards who was a master at finding himself space and time in the press, we haven't adequately replaced that ability or found a way as yet to beat the press from teams that deploy it. I'm not sure if Brentford press or not but we're more likely to get a foothold in the game if they don't.