The "Zak Steffen" watch

When I say he invites unnecessary pressure, I don’t simply mean by passing out from the back.

I mean taking 5 touches instead of 2, or waiting until the last second before passing. It comes stupidly close to the pass getting charged down, or he ends up having to rush the pass so much that he misplaces it, or passes it into an area that the defender didn’t want to receive it.


The same basic football principles of two touch football , moving the ball quickly, apply to keepers as much as they do to outfield players.

Instead of control, touch, pass… Stefan is more like control, touch, touch, have a look around, touch, touch, have a look… argh **** the striker’s right there, pass it out of play.


He thinks looking super relaxed make him look a better, more confident player, but it doesn’t.




Rant over 🙃
Isn’t the entire point to get the forward players to close him down so we can pass into the space left?
 
Maybe not bizarre to be against it but I think a lot of fans are definitely behind the times and it shows a lack of understanding of the modern game.

We want to play on the front foot, be progressive in style and create and score lots of goals. It's finally happening so now some fans are moaning we take too many risks 🤦‍♂️ Can't have it both ways. I know which I prefer.
The results couldn’t have been much better under carrick, I find it bizarre that anyone is questioning his methods
 
The results couldn’t have been much better under carrick, I find it bizarre that anyone is questioning his methods
Fair point. Although I don't think a lot of those criticising Steffen don't understand that he's doing it under instruction from Carrick.

see quite a few on social media clamouring for Roberts on the basis "he won't fanny about with it at the back".
 
Isn’t the entire point to get the forward players to close him down so we can pass into the space left?

See my next post on the thread. I think it’s his decision making on when to move the ball on quickly and when to draw out the press that needs working on.

As kenny Rogers would say “you’ve got to know when to hold ‘em!…”
 
Watch ederson, allison et al. They all concede goals by getting caught out playing from the back. Its a risk reward strategy.

Steffen taking "two or three touches too many" is a very deliberate move. He wants the attacker to press him. It creates space in other areas of the pitch. He cant play those little 40 yards clipped passes into chuba in space if he hasn't drawn 2 or 3 players onto him and our defenders first.

If he hoofs it every time the opposition drop off and will probably win the majority of long balls as we are set up with footballers in attacking positions not bug physical players.

The people criticising his playing out from the back on here are very much the 44Fuc$king2 brigade.

Just to caveat that, I don't Steffen is immune from criticism, just not on this issue. He gets beat too easily for me on shots low down away from his body. He doesn't seem agile enough for me.
 
At Cardiff he had a very mixed game for me.

He made a few decent saves and caught a few crosses well.

However there was the Cardiff goal and also a corner that he seem to completely mis judge and a Cardiff player headed into the ground and the ball fortunately bounced over the bar.
 
Modern game or not, you can't gift the opposition forwards with chances regardless of who else may do it.
I think this is the issue though. There is clearly a thought that over the long term, by just putting your foot through it we will give away posession and ultimately concede more chances as a result compared to losing posession playing out from the back. Clearly when playing out goes wrong it gives away posession much closer to our own net but laws of averages will surely show, especially as we get better at it, that it works in our favour far more than against.
 
I think this is the issue though. There is clearly a thought that over the long term, by just putting your foot through it we will give away posession and ultimately concede more chances as a result compared to losing posession playing out from the back. Clearly when playing out goes wrong it gives away posession much closer to our own net but laws of averages will surely show, especially as we get better at it, that it works in our favour far more than against.
Also, if you're playing it out you're more likely to have players in covering positions if it does go wrong. Obviously on Saturday Paddy was essentially 'last man' and by going to ground he took himself out of the game. You'd hope that more often than not you'd get a chance at recovery.
 
Also, if you're playing it out you're more likely to have players in covering positions if it does go wrong. Obviously on Saturday Paddy was essentially 'last man' and by going to ground he took himself out of the game. You'd hope that more often than not you'd get a chance at recovery.
Yeah, if Paddy had just thought "sh1t, I'm not getting that" and defended 'normally' we probably would haver been fine.
Instead he panicked and lunged in.
 
It's an extreme example but if that style of play at the back costs us 20 goals a seasons but leads to 21 it's working.

If we can draw 2-3 opposition players in and break the press ,the chances of us getting into a goal scoring position are probably very high. In fact I'd love to see our stats on that - xG when breaking the first press?

Wednesday might be a nervy night though as we're playing against probably the best high press in the league. Need to brave though and try to keep the CMs higher up the pitch. This, in my opinion, was the issue against the Mackems - they pressed well which forced our midfield back and suddenly they could dominate our half of the pitch, first half at least.
 
This season

How many goals have we conceeded playing the ball short in defensive positions?

How many goals have we scored soon after short goal kicks?

I don't know but would be interested to find out.
 
it was clearly Steffan's mistake for the Cardiff goal. Hopefully he won't make as bad a mistake for the rest of the season. However, it didn't prove crucial, so we can move on. However, it does maybe highlight Steffan's issues with concentration and focus. He really needs to improve this area of his game, if he wants to play top level football, e.g. premier league.
 
Also, if you're playing it out you're more likely to have players in covering positions if it does go wrong. Obviously on Saturday Paddy was essentially 'last man' and by going to ground he took himself out of the game. You'd hope that more often than not you'd get a chance at recovery.
I think there was a chance of recovery even after Paddy went to ground. We were outnumbered but the covering midfielder does well to force the lad wide.

If Lenihen had stayed with the scorer instead of heading to the goal line we might well have got away with it (although would've been very lucky to!).

Harsh on Lenihen perhaps, obviously Paddy and Steffen the biggest culprits by some distance but do think Lenihen made a minor error there too.
 
Zac throws the ball to paddy who sees he is being closed down so plays it back to the keeper, watching the highlights it looks to me Paddy is expecting Zac to play the ball to Lenihan who is in more space on the other side so isn't switched on expecting the pass. Poor pass execution and wrong option from keeper, compounded by Paddy switching off a bit and then throwing himself to ground. Poor goal to concede, but last three games, 9 points, 8 goals scored, 1 conceded. And that was a gift. Not bad really and hardly a crisis.
 
Zac throws the ball to paddy who sees he is being closed down so plays it back to the keeper, watching the highlights it looks to me Paddy is expecting Zac to play the ball to Lenihan who is in more space on the other side so isn't switched on expecting the pass. Poor pass execution and wrong option from keeper, compounded by Paddy switching off a bit and then throwing himself to ground. Poor goal to concede, but last three games, 9 points, 8 goals scored, 1 conceded. And that was a gift. Not bad really and hardly a crisis.
And we got away with one against Sunderland but that was their confidence lifted and they dominated us from then on.
 
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