Encouraging Signs Under Wilder

Humpty

Well-known member
We're making some stratospheric leaps forward in the way we play but it's not going to click over night.

Defensively, we've literally restricted them to two chances one of which was of our own doing and the other was a good header albeit resulting from poor marking. The structure we have when we lose the balls is poles apart from that which Warnock was employing. As soon as the ball is lost in the middle or final third, there's an immediate press. Whilst the press is happening the three centre halves constrict and Howson drops in tight in front of them. You might miss that on TV.

If the ball is lost in the middle, the wing backs drop 10-15 yards in from the touch line to constrict space centrally, block balls in behind them and force the ball out wide. We're playing the percentages. If teams can break that down then fair play to them.

With the ball, we finally after god knows how many years, seem to have a methodology and purpose to the way we attack. Over lapping centre halves were again in play, creating over loads down the flanks. We created a lot of 3 on 2's which we didn't benefit from as much as we probably should have. Peltier hitting the bar being a prime example of overlapping centre halves working well though.

When we have the ball in the final third down the flanks, we also look to play moving triangles. A set move where the ball carrier find one of the two options and then makes a run past them to create a new triangle. Watch out for it in the next game.

Set pieces were varied but also structured and with purpose. Theyve clearly been worked on at the training ground. Hallelujah. Their execution will only get better and i'm really looking forward to that.

Our through balls weren't quite up to scratch last night but if we can be a little more direct when we break, we'll get much more out of Sporar and Watmore.

The bones are most definitely there but there's still some tweaking to do. As much as i enjoy Jones going forward, if i was an opposition manager i'd be looking to target his flank all day long. We also desperately need a keeper and a right wing back. If Ikpeazu goes another striker. A left footed centre half would be nice but not crucial.

I'd agree with Wilder regarding the players attitude 2nd half. Sporar stuck out like a sore thumb for me. He was very arrogant in position. Him a Tav had an argument on the pitch over it at one stage.
 
We're making some stratospheric leaps forward in the way we play but it's not going to click over night.

Defensively, we've literally restricted them to two chances one of which was of our own doing and the other was a good header albeit resulting from poor marking. The structure we have when we lose the balls is poles apart from that which Warnock was employing. As soon as the ball is lost in the middle or final third, there's an immediate press. Whilst the press is happening the three centre halves constrict and Howson drops in tight in front of them. You might miss that on TV.

If the ball is lost in the middle, the wing backs drop 10-15 yards in from the touch line to constrict space centrally, block balls in behind them and force the ball out wide. We're playing the percentages. If teams can break that down then fair play to them.

With the ball, we finally after god knows how many years, seem to have a methodology and purpose to the way we attack. Over lapping centre halves were again in play, creating over loads down the flanks. We created a lot of 3 on 2's which we didn't benefit from as much as we probably should have. Peltier hitting the bar being a prime example of overlapping centre halves working well though.

When we have the ball in the final third down the flanks, we also look to play moving triangles. A set move where the ball carrier find one of the two options and then makes a run past them to create a new triangle. Watch out for it in the next game.

Set pieces were varied but also structured and with purpose. Theyve clearly been worked on at the training ground. Hallelujah. Their execution will only get better and i'm really looking forward to that.

Our through balls weren't quite up to scratch last night but if we can be a little more direct when we break, we'll get much more out of Sporar and Watmore.

The bones are most definitely there but there's still some tweaking to do. As much as i enjoy Jones going forward, if i was an opposition manager i'd be looking to target his flank all day long. We also desperately need a keeper and a right wing back. If Ikpeazu goes another striker. A left footed centre half would be nice but not crucial.

I'd agree with Wilder regarding the players attitude 2nd half. Sporar stuck out like a sore thumb for me. He was very arrogant in position. Him a Tav had an argument on the pitch over it at one stage.
Good post - I needed some positives this morning to cheer me up.

Just one point - Tav needs to sort himself out before giving advice to others.
 
Really good post. Strangely i do hope Sporar has been carrying a niggle because his contribution particularly in the second half was weak.

He will have been.
Subbed at half time on Saturday with an ankle injury, I was actually shocked he started today.

He ran about far less last night, which is probably understandable if he's not fully fit.
 
Tav is trying to hard to force the issue. He needs to go back to basics and start again. Too often he's looking for a killer pass or a shot when it's not on. The argument stemmed from Sporar holding onto the ball far too long and putting Tav in trouble once he finally released it. I'd have had a go at Sporar if i were him as well. We need to persevere with Tav. He'll fit this system perfectly.
 
Tav is trying to hard to force the issue. He needs to go back to basics and start again. Too often he's looking for a killer pass or a shot when it's not on. The argument stemmed from Sporar holding onto the ball far too long and putting Tav in trouble once he finally released it. I'd have had a go at Sporar if i were him as well. We need to persevere with Tav. He'll fit this system perfectly.
Great post, positive and educational
 
We're making some stratospheric leaps forward in the way we play but it's not going to click over night.

Defensively, we've literally restricted them to two chances one of which was of our own doing and the other was a good header albeit resulting from poor marking. The structure we have when we lose the balls is poles apart from that which Warnock was employing. As soon as the ball is lost in the middle or final third, there's an immediate press. Whilst the press is happening the three centre halves constrict and Howson drops in tight in front of them. You might miss that on TV.

If the ball is lost in the middle, the wing backs drop 10-15 yards in from the touch line to constrict space centrally, block balls in behind them and force the ball out wide. We're playing the percentages. If teams can break that down then fair play to them.

With the ball, we finally after god knows how many years, seem to have a methodology and purpose to the way we attack. Over lapping centre halves were again in play, creating over loads down the flanks. We created a lot of 3 on 2's which we didn't benefit from as much as we probably should have. Peltier hitting the bar being a prime example of overlapping centre halves working well though.

When we have the ball in the final third down the flanks, we also look to play moving triangles. A set move where the ball carrier find one of the two options and then makes a run past them to create a new triangle. Watch out for it in the next game.

Set pieces were varied but also structured and with purpose. Theyve clearly been worked on at the training ground. Hallelujah. Their execution will only get better and i'm really looking forward to that.

Our through balls weren't quite up to scratch last night but if we can be a little more direct when we break, we'll get much more out of Sporar and Watmore.

The bones are most definitely there but there's still some tweaking to do. As much as i enjoy Jones going forward, if i was an opposition manager i'd be looking to target his flank all day long. We also desperately need a keeper and a right wing back. If Ikpeazu goes another striker. A left footed centre half would be nice but not crucial.

I'd agree with Wilder regarding the players attitude 2nd half. Sporar stuck out like a sore thumb for me. He was very arrogant in position. Him a Tav had an argument on the pitch over it at one stage.
Agree with most of that. Disappointed to have got one point from two home games we should have won. Hopefully as well as improving the style of play Wilder can strengthen the mentality.

We couldn't chase and put them under pressure on the ball at the back after Watmore went off and as in a few other games this season we tired after 70 minutes, while the opposition went through our midfield unchallenged on a number of occasions. Hopefully all things he can work on.

As I think I have said previously I wonder when, if ever, Siliki will ever be up to speed and Hernandez is only good for a twenty minute cameo at the end!
 
Hernandez really disappointed me last night, especially considering I'd made the call for him to start alongside Watmore as a second striker pre-match.

There was a moment where I think he could have either played Jones in or had a shot, as the space seemed to open up for him but he held onto the ball and the opportunity went.
 
I only watched it on TV, so appreciate, especially with no replays, you don't get the full picture.

I'm less hopeful based on what I saw last night. I think the system looks like it could and probably should work; however I don't think we have the players to make it work, as it stands.

The way they fell to bits towards the end was pretty embarrassing and we seem unable to convert what chances we do create.
 
Hernandez is no better than Jones and isn't our player and probably never should be! He's probably less effective than Djed Spence and is why I never get too excited when we loan players in!
 
I would play howson where Jones is when payero is fit. He's the best right back at the club, and better there than in midfield.
Howson and McNair alongside Bamba, Hall or Fry would also work imho, especially if you have more defensive minded wing backs who allow them to bring the ball out.
 
We're making some stratospheric leaps forward in the way we play but it's not going to click over night.

Defensively, we've literally restricted them to two chances one of which was of our own doing and the other was a good header albeit resulting from poor marking. The structure we have when we lose the balls is poles apart from that which Warnock was employing. As soon as the ball is lost in the middle or final third, there's an immediate press. Whilst the press is happening the three centre halves constrict and Howson drops in tight in front of them. You might miss that on TV.

If the ball is lost in the middle, the wing backs drop 10-15 yards in from the touch line to constrict space centrally, block balls in behind them and force the ball out wide. We're playing the percentages. If teams can break that down then fair play to them.

With the ball, we finally after god knows how many years, seem to have a methodology and purpose to the way we attack. Over lapping centre halves were again in play, creating over loads down the flanks. We created a lot of 3 on 2's which we didn't benefit from as much as we probably should have. Peltier hitting the bar being a prime example of overlapping centre halves working well though.

When we have the ball in the final third down the flanks, we also look to play moving triangles. A set move where the ball carrier find one of the two options and then makes a run past them to create a new triangle. Watch out for it in the next game.

Set pieces were varied but also structured and with purpose. Theyve clearly been worked on at the training ground. Hallelujah. Their execution will only get better and i'm really looking forward to that.

Our through balls weren't quite up to scratch last night but if we can be a little more direct when we break, we'll get much more out of Sporar and Watmore.

The bones are most definitely there but there's still some tweaking to do. As much as i enjoy Jones going forward, if i was an opposition manager i'd be looking to target his flank all day long. We also desperately need a keeper and a right wing back. If Ikpeazu goes another striker. A left footed centre half would be nice but not crucial.

I'd agree with Wilder regarding the players attitude 2nd half. Sporar stuck out like a sore thumb for me. He was very arrogant in position. Him a Tav had an argument on the pitch over it at one stage.

Good post.

I noticed most of that.

A couple of things I'd add.

I don't know if it was a game plan of Preston or whether we simply forced them into it, but they seemed to set out to make themselves hard to breakdown and see what the could get on the break or set piece. Fair play to them, it worked like a dream on this occasion but they will rarely convert 2/3 of their chances or be presented with a mistake. What impressed me about the Boro was the way, for a good 70 minutes, we were constantly probing them for weakness, for a way to get through, within a framework that looks to be getting drilled into them. It looked to be with a purpose and it looked like the players were thinking hard. The best teams are intelligent ones, so this is a very good sign I think.

The other thing I liked, which should be a given but really doesn't always happen, was defensively we didn't stand off, we competed and at least tried to put a foot in. Like in a cup game against a team from a higher division. People did work hard chasing back.
 
I actually think there is scope to use the overlapping centre halves even more - I don't personally think it's been used as much as it could have been. This of course could be deliberate, "that's what they'd expect us to do".

On Saturday it was more often the wider midfielders in the three creating the overload with the centre forward - so on the right....crookes, jones and watmore. Worked really effectively as well.
 
Great shout. Howson did well in the CDM role last night mind.
I singled him out as looking good moving forward, not as good positionally and defensively for me. I definitely think Crooks could be coached into doing an effective job there with Howson at RWB till January at least. But as said, we would need Siliki or Payero to come into midfield.
 
I’m very positive despite the results. We’re creating more and retaining possession on the ground more while restricting teams to fewer chances. There are other clear improvements and adoption of the things they have been working on already. We’re missing some opportunities by sticking a little too rigidly to the plan at times but that’s expected while it’s being drilled into the team. The more it becomes embedded, the more we can learn to improvise. Payero should be perfectly suited for this system. I can see him being a real asset playing the triangles, hitting through balls and taking shots around the box.
 
Hernandez really disappointed me last night, especially considering I'd made the call for him to start alongside Watmore as a second striker pre-match.

There was a moment where I think he could have either played Jones in or had a shot, as the space seemed to open up for him but he held onto the ball and the opportunity went.
Hernandez reminds me of a balloon that has been inflated and then let go. Flies around in ever decreasing circles and ends up flat!
 
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