Playing out from the back.

Frozen Horse

Well-known member
I've said before that I think playing out from the back is effective if you have better players than your opponents, but pure fools gold if your players are no better than the opposition. When a poor team does it, it always looks like a pretentious affectation rather than a means of improving results.

However, does anyone actually think it's a fundamentally attractive way of playing? I've heard one or two commentators call it "the right way of playing", which I don't really agree with (I don't think there is a right way). I've got frustrated and bored in the past when we've strung passes across the back, but tonight Derby were tedious in the extreme trying to do it.

Are we actually more entertained by teams who do that, or does it only have a reputation as "attractive football" because the best sides do it well.
 
I hate it with a passion.

England are stubbornly sticking to it and it's led to us conceding some absolutely stupid goals.

I can't remember many it's led to us scoring, but we scored 3 against Spain by hoofing it up field and scoring some beauties.
 
It depends if you have the players to do it, and that involves having an understanding of why they are doing it.
 
It depends if you have the players to do it, and that involves having an understanding of why they are doing it.
Agree with this. It's very much become the way we're now expected to coach kids to play, which I very much support. Kids should know how to give and receive a ball under pressure, regardless of where the end up positionally. However, this mustn't be to the detriment of learning how to defend against direct, fast attacking play. Nor should those players be forced to play out when they clearly don't have the system or the personnel for it. That Derby defence/midfield could not play out and certainly couldn't handle being turned by our direct football
 
As soon As the third pass between the centre backs goes on your stomach drops cos you know there is going to be a **** up.
Then a defender has a chance to clear the ball but doesn't and after four or five passes it goes back to the keeper who hoofs it upfield.
The defender passes it to a central midfielder who has oceans of space does he turn and run forward. Don't be stupid he passes it back to the defender.
Who was the Cambridge manager who did a study that most goals are scored after very few passes. He had big success with Dion Dublin and another big forward.
There has to be a mixture of passing and long balls most clubs are not good enough to play ticky tacky all the time
 
Wasn't John Beck insane, sure I heard a Darren Huckerby interview saying the bloke was nuts, up there with Bobby Gould and his wrestling mosh pit in training
 
Even the quality teams get it wrong sometimes, but there is a reason for them. But to do it the Championship is ridiculous unless you have 4 Johnny Howsons in defence!
 
Its fine if you have ball playing centre halves, but equally I love how we knock it long from the back and attack the second ball - its incredible (but certainly no coincidence) how we win so many.

Its refreshing honest and actually good to watch, putting teams in the back foot so quickly.
 
Playing it out from the back and playing it across the back are two very different things. One is effective, the other is statistically good. There is too much sideways or backwards play in football generally, give me someone in midfield who can receive the ball and either turn and run or turn and play it.
 
It's ok if you've got the players to do it. I just don't understand now why it's become 'a thing' and everyone tries it because city and Liverpool do it well (very much down to goal keepers).

Derby first half looked and accident waiting to happen. Then again the way we press seems to make teams look vunrable.

The worst I've seen was QPR away this season. The amount of times they arsed it up was stunning.
 
I love it when we allow other teams to start doing it before we then start to press. It’s like we set a trap for them. Saville plays a particularly important role in it.
 
You need to mix it, if you only play one system you're easily sussed out. We tried to pass the ball out last night as well as being more direct.
 
I think very few teams in world football can do it well, never mind Derby County.

From our point of view though, I actually love how no nonsense Betenelli is - straight up the pitch every time, I've warmed to it a lot to be honest.
 
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