Any new tactics for next season after watching the Euros?

[mikes smalls]

Having watched nearly all the matches in the Euros and listened to dozens of podcasts I have been pondering whose tactics I would like us to adopt for next season.
For me the Germans moved the ball around the quickest of any team, I think we could do with quickening our passing at times. I'd also be interested to see us adopt the spanish pressing technique without the ball, I enjoyed watching athletic Bilbao employ the same tactic in the Europa league.
It was noticeable that very few teams played with out and out wingers in this tournament. Most of the width was provided by fullbacks with Jordi Alba having an outstanding tournament. Gus clearly likes to play one winger and two if we are chasing the game and I thought Spain looked a much more dynamic side when Pedro came on and ran at the full back.
I thought the team that played most like us was Denmark, they passed the ball out from the back, sometimes gifting a chance to the opposition.
for me Italy were an average team with two great players but they did show how dangerous a ball over the top can be with Mario getting in behind against England and Germany's defences.
So in short the speed of passing from the Germans, Spanish pressing and movement and the direct passing of Italy for CMS to get in behind the defence and keep a winger in the team!

 

[backson]

Three tactics, having watched how England and Spain got on


1. Keep

2. The

3. Ball

 

[Mellotron]

Having watched nearly all the matches in the Euros and listened to dozens of podcasts I have been pondering whose tactics I would like us to adopt for next season.
For me the Germans moved the ball around the quickest of any team, I think we could do with quickening our passing at times. I'd also be interested to see us adopt the spanish pressing technique without the ball, I enjoyed watching athletic Bilbao employ the same tactic in the Europa league.
It was noticeable that very few teams played with out and out wingers in this tournament. Most of the width was provided by fullbacks with Jordi Alba having an outstanding tournament. Gus clearly likes to play one winger and two if we are chasing the game and I thought Spain looked a much more dynamic side when Pedro came on and ran at the full back.
I thought the team that played most like us was Denmark, they passed the ball out from the back, sometimes gifting a chance to the opposition.
for me Italy were an average team with two great players but they did show how dangerous a ball over the top can be with Mario getting in behind against England and Germany's defences.
So in short the speed of passing from the Germans, Spanish pressing and movement and the direct passing of Italy for CMS to get in behind the defence and keep a winger in the team!

So basically, buy better players. Which I think we are doing.

 

[Randsta]

Cross the ball ....a lot of goals came from headers!

 

[jonny.rainbow]

Three tactics, having watched how England and Spain got on


1. Keep

2. The

3. Ball

Agreed but look at Spain's second last night. Quite a direct style which we rarely saw at the Albion last season. Kick out from the keeper wide on the halfway line. 3 passes then a through ball. This style would really play to CMS's strengths and I for one would like to see us mix up the triangles with this once in a while.

 

[banjo]

Was said on another thread. Invade Spain.

 

[BensGrandad]

Do exactly what we have been doing but more efficiently. It really annoyed me hearing Shearer and Hansen saying about the GK being like a 5th man sweeper and impossible to stop, what were we doing all last season and clubs stopped us playing.

 

[jonny.rainbow]

If you can't beat them, join them.

 

[FamilyGuy]

Agreed but look at Spain's second last night. Quite a direct style which we rarely saw at the Albion last season. Kick out from the keeper wide on the halfway line. 3 passes then a through ball. This style would really play to CMS's strengths and I for one would like to see us mix up the triangles with this once in a while.

Agreed, I love the way that we've been playing but we do need a Plan B and need to be able to change and be more direct when the opportunity arises.

 

[Mellotron]

Do exactly what we have been doing but more efficiently. It really annoyed me hearing Shearer and Hansen saying about the GK being like a 5th man sweeper and impossible to stop, what were we doing all last season and clubs stopped us playing.

Exactly. Get more players comfortable under pressure on the ball like Greer and Ankergren.

 

[misterspatch]

Kidnap all the families of the whole spain squad and hold them to ransom to play for us next season. It'd work..

 

[backson]

Do exactly what we have been doing but more efficiently. It really annoyed me hearing Shearer and Hansen saying about the GK being like a 5th man sweeper and impossible to stop, what were we doing all last season and clubs stopped us playing.

The thing about Spain, is that they did the pressing high up the pitch when Italy got the ball, which made it harder for them to play from the back. That's one thing we didn't really do last year; we'd lose the ball, CMS might go for a run towards the player with the ball, but everyone else would come back to a line of 5 across the half way line.

 

[perseus]

Sign a younger version of Sergio Ramos! If we had somebody really good at the back it would allow one of our defenders to get forward into midfield.

I like out lop-sided 4-3-3 with a left winger and overlapping right back. However, I think I would tend to play a fortress type 4-4-2 for difficult away games (like Hull).

Spain played more like Total Football with players not just playing to their strengths but able to play anywhere on the park.

 

[Arkwright]

I don't think anyone played it in Euro 2012 but I think 3 - 5 - 2 would suit us and play the ball out via the centre halves and sweeper and then pack midfield and actually play two up and not an isolated one man.

Play the full backs as wing backs and push them up with more fereedom when in attack.

Well that's my idea and to keep the ball for 90 minutes.

 

[beorhthelm]

Cross the ball ....a lot of goals came from headers!

its that sort of analysis the lead to 4-4-2 and the longball game.

 

[BigGully]

Agreed, I love the way that we've been playing but we do need a Plan B and need to be able to change and be more direct when the opportunity arises.

I would suspect that Poyet has a plan A that he knows if executed correctly will offer good possession and goal chances, if plan A is failing I bet his plan B is for the players to execute his plan A correctly.

 

[Simster]

What sets Spain apart is not only their passing ability but their pressing when they haven't got the ball. As has been said, they are so good that the they can and do press very high up the pitch. I literally couldn't believe what I was watching in the second half when the Italians were struggling to get out of the first half of their own half, never mind anything else. This was Italy, a team who would have embarrassed England by 3 or 4 on a day when they could actually finish, and Spain made them look like a pub team.

So do I want Albion to be as good as Spain? Well, yes, obviously. But to play their style? Well yes and no. I like the passing philosophy when in possession. Afterall, if you have the ball, they can't score. But we'd get slaughtered if we defended by pressing so far up the pitch against some teams.

 

[mikes smalls]

What sets Spain apart is not only their passing ability but their pressing when they haven't got the ball. As has been said, they are so good that the they can and do press very high up the pitch. I literally couldn't believe what I was watching in the second half when the Italians were struggling to get out of the first half of their own half, never mind anything else. This was Italy, a team who would have embarrassed England by 3 or 4 on a day when they could actually finish, and Spain made them look like a pub team.


So do I want Albion to be as good as Spain? Well, yes, obviously. But to play their style? Well yes and no. I like the passing philosophy when in possession. Afterall, if you have the ball, they can't score. But we'd get slaughtered if we defended by pressing so far up the pitch against some teams.

Why would we get slaughtered? If the whole team presses then it could work, if only a few players press then it is a waste of time. All pressing requires is a high level of athleticism and organisation.

 

[JCL666]

Why would we get slaughtered? If the whole team presses then it could work, if only a few players press then it is a waste of time. All pressing requires is a high level of athleticism and organisation.

They teach this at the kids level as "hunting in packs", so they work together in pressing and isolate the player on the ball.

 

[Randsta]

its that sort of analysis the lead to 4-4-2 and the longball game.

How is that leading to the longball game lots of the spanish goals came from crosses - I'm not saying toss it in the box!