Leave Lua Lua up when defending?

Behind Enemy Lines · Aug 23, 2015

I'm not a fan of the 11 men behind the ball when we defend. If it's in the last couple of minutes of a really important match then fine but this has become too much of a habit often with still 20 minutes or so before the end. Isn't it too defensive?

Why not leave an outlet, someone with some pace, like Lua Lua, on the half way line or near it, who can then break? It would mean we'd increase our chances of grabbing another goal, the opposition would have to leave 2 men back and it'd ease the pressure of numbers against our defence.

Thoughts?

essbee · Aug 23, 2015

I agree to an extent. Something that really frustrates me about our play is that when we're on a break
- it often just gets deliberately slowed down by our player for some reason - giving the opposition defence
time to get back. We don't make enough of our chances that way.

Tom Hark Preston Park · Aug 23, 2015

Forget the exaxt Blackburn move, but seem to recall in the first half how good - and effective - Kaz was at tracking back. Whatever the club has done to him over the Summer, it's like having a whole new player.

Hampster Gull · Aug 23, 2015

O'Grady is good ar holding up

Dunk · Aug 23, 2015

Great to see Lua Lua getting 90 minutes these days. Not sure if it is more trust from the manager or improved fitness or some other reason, but with him on the pitch the game is much better to watch.

Regarding his defending, I would not put him on the halfway line, I would have him somewhere where he can get the ball to feet when we clear. If he can get the ball and run at the defenders from deep then he can take the pressure off and draw a foul/card. Getting him chasing a long ball might work but it isn't what he does best in my opinion. Kind of a Gary Hart with stepovers.

Houghton seems to prefer a "if we defend we all defend" ethos. I'll defer to him at the moment as it has worked OK so far.

stss30 · Aug 23, 2015

Based on Blackburn's performance of launching almost every ball/throw in in and around our area perhaps it was a tactical move. You would think they'd put a lot of work in on the training ground on dead ball situations if they play like that all the time so maybe best to man mark every player just in case they try to spring a surprise.

nwgull · Aug 23, 2015

COG is the best man to leave up in a backs to wall situation. He has the strength to hold the ball for the breaking players and did it brilliantly for the entire second half of the 1-0 win we had up at Ewood park last year.

Carrot Cruncher · Aug 23, 2015

Lua Lua at Fulham deep in injury time did exactly that...

studio150 · Aug 23, 2015

nwgull said:
COG is the best man to leave up in a backs to wall situation. He has the strength to hold the ball for the breaking players and did it brilliantly for the entire second half of the 1-0 win we had up at Ewood park last year.

So you're saying COG is better than Zamora. Brillant insight.

tigertim68 · Aug 23, 2015

I agree Lua Lua would be much more effective being left on the half way line , either wide or central . It would gives us a get out ball as well . Blackburn had 2 players up front from our corners , and looked dangerous on the break .
No point in kaz being a defender anyway we have enough players doing the defending

BensGrandad · Aug 23, 2015

Hampster Gull said:
O'Grady is good ar holding up

He is good at holding up when to actually move, that is about his limit so much so that even Div 1 clubs dont want him. BZ coming on for the last 15 mins cant come soon enough for me.

As regards Lua Lua I would leave him in the centre circle just in our half especially for corners they will then leave at least 2 men back to mark him If he is in the middle a ball over the top there or to either wing and you would expect Lua Lua to get there first. and at the worst stop them punting the ball back to our box.

Triggaaar · Aug 23, 2015

BensGrandad said:
He is good at holding up when to actually move, that is about his limit so much so that even Div 1 clubs dont want him.

Who says League 1 clubs don't want him? Many may not be able to afford his wages, but I'm sure a lot would want him.

BensGrandad · Aug 23, 2015

Triggaaar said:
Who says League 1 clubs don't want him? Many may not be able to afford his wages, but I'm sure a lot would want him.

You may have a point but meantime we are lumbered pity we couldnt have off loaded him in part ex for Murphy but Adkins is not a fool.

bobby baxter · Aug 23, 2015

Behind Enemy Lines said:
I'm not a fan of the 11 men behind the ball when we defend. If it's in the last couple of minutes of a really important match then fine but this has become too much of a habit often with still 20 minutes or so before the end. Isn't it too defensive?

Why not leave an outlet, someone with some pace, like Lua Lua, on the half way line or near it, who can then break? It would mean we'd increase our chances of grabbing another goal, the opposition would have to leave 2 men back and it'd ease the pressure of numbers against our defence.

Thoughts?

One highlight of the season thus far is the play between the full backs and the wingers, the support play between Bong and Kaz has been excellent, also Bruno and Murphy looked like developing into an effective partnership yesterday.
For that reason, I would leave OGrady or Hemed up for the out ball.

BensGrandad · Aug 23, 2015

bobby baxter said:
One highlight of the season thus far is the play between the full backs and the wingers, the support play between Bong and Kaz has been excellent, also Bruno and Murphy looked like developing into an effective partnership yesterday.
For that reason, I would leave OGrady or Hemed up for the out ball.

Or preferably when fit bring on BZ he will do a better job than COG to kill the game off and hold the ball I am sure.

Behind Enemy Lines · Aug 23, 2015

bobby baxter said:
One highlight of the season thus far is the play between the full backs and the wingers, the support play between Bong and Kaz has been excellent, also Bruno and Murphy looked like developing into an effective partnership yesterday.
For that reason, I would leave OGrady or Hemed up for the out ball.

Leaving Lua Lua up gives the team a chance to break very quickly and create opportunities rather than just hold the ball up which would be more than likely with COG and Hemed. Plus we might need those two back for height? Anyway, just a thought.

perseus · Aug 23, 2015

No need for Tex

Play Lualua centrally from the start and play him as second striker, which gives him licence to go both deep and wide left. He will have to learn to run on to balls played not to his feet but in the space in front of him. Get him to watch some Suarez videos.

like an attacking midfielder in most modern 4-2-3-1 formations except "completely devoid" of any defensive responsibility.
http://genius.com/3665678 PS: he has the responsibility not to lose the ball and try to win it back if he does.

As he can go both ways and shoot with either foot it is waste playing him out wide.
See also false number 9 which might be a better description.

They are typically deployed at the beginning of the game as a striker. However they do not hang on the shoulders of defenders attempting to run past them as a traditional number 9 would. Instead, they retreat deeper into the pitch.

This causes problems for the opposing defenders, who are left with a conundrum — either they stay in their position and leave the striker with acres of space, or they continue following him to tightly mark, and leave acres of space where they’re supposed to sit for other players to run into.

BensGrandad · Aug 23, 2015

perseus said:
Play Lualua centrally from the start and play him as second striker, which gives him licence to go both deep and wide left. He will have to learn to run on to balls played not to his feet but in the space in front of him. Get him to watch some Suarez videos.

like an attacking midfielder in most modern 4-2-3-1 formations except "completely devoid" of any defensive responsibility.
http://genius.com/3665678 PS: he has the responsibility not to lose the ball and try to win it back if he does.

As he can go both ways and shoot with either foot it is waste playing him out wide.
See also false number 9 which might be a better description.

They are typically deployed at the beginning of the game as a striker. However they do not hang on the shoulders of defenders attempting to run past them as a traditional number 9 would. Instead, they retreat deeper into the pitch.

This causes problems for the opposing defenders, who are left with a conundrum — either they stay in their position and leave the striker with acres of space, or they continue following him to tightly mark, and leave acres of space where they’re supposed to sit for other players to run into.

Did you go to any games last season? They tried that and he was hopeless he has been better this year as he is playing wide, running at defenders and cutting in. Keep him doing that.

One Teddy Maybank · Aug 23, 2015

BensGrandad said:
Did you go to any games last season? They tried that and he was hopeless he has been better this year as he is playing wide, running at defenders and cutting in. Keep him doing that.

Yes, certainly my preference is to have him on the wing, every time he was in the middle last year he ran down blind alleys.

nwgull · Aug 24, 2015

studio150 said:
So you're saying COG is better than Zamora. Brillant insight.

Err? No.

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