[Albion] Dicking About In Our Own Goal Area

Tom Hark Preston Park · Dec 9, 2019

Eddiespearritt said:
I don't entirely accept the argument that only by playing around with the ball in our six yard box will we eventually bypass the opposition - there are better and classier ways to achieve this.

I'm with you on this one. The only opposition players sniffing around our weird 6 yard box thing are those that would normally be bypassed anyway ie their strikers. Tho I guess TeamPotter must have done the maths and found otherwise. Sincerely hope so anyway.

Doc Lynam · Dec 9, 2019

Tom Hark said:
I'm with you on this one. The only opposition players sniffing around our weird 6 yard box thing are those that would normally be bypassed anyway ie their strikers. Tho I guess TeamPotter must have done the maths and found otherwise. Sincerely hope so anyway.

It’s partly there in my view to draw the attack as they think they’ve got a sniff, this in turn draws out the midfield who want to back up the attack, it’s very much a case of you thought you had us, no you didn’t. But again this only works with ball playing defenders, the defence is truly the start of our attack.

Kalimantan Gull · Dec 9, 2019

I enjoy it. Exciting, heart in mouth stuff, beautiful when it works. What's not to like?

I loved it when Poyets team were doing it and I love it now

A1X · Dec 9, 2019

I've been concerned when we've tried to play with Shane Duffy in this way. Webster and Dunk are good enough on the ball we can expect to get away with it more often than not, but much as I love Big Shane he's not someone who naturally fits that style of play. He's alright (but still not brilliant) at those 15 yard passes to Dunk / Montoya when 30 yards from goal, like we used to do a lot, but not for the intricate stuff.

Bold Seagull · Dec 9, 2019

Eddiespearritt said:
I also made the point in the Potterball thread that this is risky - and it bothers me. Bothers me even more if we are asking Shane Duffy to attempt tricky passes in the six yard box - which we did against Leicester - when he's crap at passing and often a bit tired and emotional.

We did concede the second goal against Leicester from a passing out screw-up, and many of our remainng home games (especially the last few) are against the most accomplished teams. I think we need to be very cautious with this stuff.

I don't entirely accept the argument that only by playing around with the ball in our six yard box will we eventually bypass the opposition - there are better and classier ways to achieve this.

Clearly a balance. We also played a lot of long balls yesterday, obviously one of those leading to our opening goal. Think it's about variety, having the composure to keep possession when being pressed and not aimlessly lumping it away, but also sucking the opposition in and hitting a long ball pass when the opportunity arises.

DavidinSouthampton · Dec 9, 2019

Wozza said:
It's nerve-wracking, but players keeping composure when under pressure is bloody impressive. Must be pretty draining on the opposition.

This. It makes me nervous, but one realises there is a purpose behind it.

The Wizard · Dec 9, 2019

Tom Hark said:
I'm with you on this one. The only opposition players sniffing around our weird 6 yard box thing are those that would normally be bypassed anyway ie their strikers. Tho I guess TeamPotter must have done the maths and found otherwise. Sincerely hope so anyway.

That’s not true though, if it was only the strikers being bypassed by the ‘dicking about’ then the opposition would be leaving an almighty hole between their strikers and midfield, the whole point of this is that the opposition have to commit some of their midfield to cut off our midfield options receiving a simple pass, this is why when we do beat the press players like Mooy and Gross get a lot more space to do their bit than they would normally.

It’s risk reward, given how little time Potter has been here in the grand scheme of things and the style prior to him coming I personally think we are pretty good at it. Particularly when we are playing with Burn at LB and an unnatural right back.

boik · Dec 9, 2019

It's high risk, but high reward. It's not just their strikers that we are drawing towards us, but their midfield too, otherwise they will be leaving huge gaps. Considering we have only been playing this way for a few games I think the players that looked scared before are being braver and creating more chances (Stephens being a prime case). It will go wrong on a fairly regular basis, but as long as it creates more chances for us than for them then I can live with it. 2-2 is much more enjoyable than the old boring 0-0s.

Johnny RoastBeef · Dec 9, 2019

Tom Hark said:
Apologies for repetition, touched on this in the 'Atmosphere' thread, but IMHO well worthy of a thread of its own. Here's what I wrote:

And here's what the very excellent poster [MENTION=21158]Weststander[/MENTION] replied:

'At times that was heart stopping. Jiminez was waiting to tuck away one of our ludicrous crosses across our own 6 yard box. It’s going to happen.'

Any further thoughts anyone? Is it all part of some Potterball tactical Masterplan (cue Oasis vid)? Or is it just brainless dicking about? WELL?

Without the threat of Connolly running in behind them, we lost the get out option of playing the long ball into space, this allowed them to set traps, on Alzate in particular.

Not a major issue, we didn't lose. Move on.

WATFORD zero · Dec 9, 2019

I think it's absolutely fundamental to Potter's style and philosophy and it's exactly the right way to go in 21st century football, to beat the high press (which was last week's thing).

It was interesting against Everton because they refused to press at all, no matter how much we tried to encourage them to. I think if they had, we would have taken them apart.

I'm sure I saw stats a few weeks ago, that said we play more short goal kicks than any other team in the Premier (think Man City were in 2nd place). I'm completely on board with it and believe it's one of the reasons we are looking so good this season.

Still scares me shitless though :wink:

Bozza · Dec 9, 2019

The second GIF here...

https://www.northstandchat.com/content.php?830-Potterball-In-Five-Gifs

...illustrates EXACTLY what it is intended to achieve. We suck Arsenal in as we "dick about" before moving into the space left behind.

CheeseRolls · Dec 9, 2019

Tom Hark said:
I'm with you on this one. The only opposition players sniffing around our weird 6 yard box thing are those that would normally be bypassed anyway ie their strikers. Tho I guess TeamPotter must have done the maths and found otherwise. Sincerely hope so anyway.

Are you in the North Stand or low down?

In the rarefied atmosphere of the upper stands you get a different perspective on the game. Wolves yesterday were defending 5-4-1 and pushing the 5 up a long way, forcing us to play in a very small section of the pitch. If we can draw a couple more in 5-2-3 or 4-3-3 improves both the ratio of attackers to defenders and the size of the pitch we can play in.

dazzer6666 · Dec 9, 2019

WATFORD zero said:
I think it's absolutely fundamental to Potter's style and philosophy and it's exactly the right way to go in 21st century football, to beat the high press (which was last week's thing).

It was interesting against Everton because they refused to press at all, no matter how much we tried to encourage them to. I think if they had, we would have taken them apart.

I'm sure I saw stats a few weeks ago, that said we play more short goal kicks than any other team in the Premier (think Man City were in 2nd place). I'm completely on board with it and believe it's one of the reasons we are looking so good this season.

Still scares me shitless though

All of this (including the scaring shitless bit sometimes) - those moaning about it might as well stop, because it's here to stay. Liked the way we did mix it up a bit yesterday too though with seemingly more longer kicks from Maty. I fully expect to us to concede at least one goal this season that'll end up on a 'worst ever bloopers' DVD, but we've created so much more by adopting this approach. The amount of time Stephens in particular is getting on the ball in the centre is chalk and cheese to last season.

GT49er · Dec 9, 2019

So why didn't it work when we were fannying around at the back under Hughton? Or was that a different sort of fannying around?

TWOCHOICEStom · Dec 9, 2019

This is similar to the transition we all went through from the "get it forrrrwarddd!!" days to us being content watching Poyet's side turn teams inside out with possession football.

So download tik tok, start playing some fortnite and get down with the kids. This is here to stay.

Dick Knights Mumm · Dec 9, 2019

I think us supporters just need to relax. Have some confidence - but it's difficult not to take a sharp intake of breath when it actually goes across the six yard box. Poyet educated the Albion faithful in possession football - this take us to another level.

super-seagulls · Dec 9, 2019

We have to ‘dick’ and ‘fanny’ about, teasing and tantalising a bit in order to open them up, then we aim for penetration.
Sometimes we’ll lose the way, leave ourselves open and concede an own goal, but that’s life and more importantly that’s Potterball.

Get used to it, thankfully, and unless Spence gets their way, it’s not going anywhere!

London Irish · Dec 9, 2019

Uh_huh_him said:
I assume the purpose is precisely to lure the opposition on to us, and then pass round them.
Beating the press, I believe I heard someone say.

Seems a decent way of creating some space.

But yes it's going to go disastrously wrong at some point.

I think beating the press is fine but it needs judgment, as in all things on the football pitch. Webster put Propper in the shit because it was a pass Propper wasn't expecting and he had his back to most of the Wolves players so couldn't adequately gauge where their players were, and then Propper compounded a danger situation x 100. It was just bad football and playing a progressive style of passing from the back will never excuse poor decision-making.

Doc Lynam · Dec 9, 2019

GT49er said:
So why didn't it work when we were fannying around at the back under Hughton? Or was that a different sort of fannying around?

dazzer6666 · Dec 9, 2019

London Irish said:
I think beating the press is fine but it needs judgment, as in all things on the football pitch. Webster put Propper in the shit because it was a pass Propper wasn't expecting and he had his back to most of the Wolves players so couldn't adequately gauge where their players were, and then Propper compounded a danger situation x 100. It was just bad football and playing a progressive style of passing from the back will never excuse poor decision-making.

Yep - it was poor execution, not poor tactics. Davy didn't look up, and had relied on Webster telling him to square it, he clearly hadn't seen the onrushing Wolf who intercepted.

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[Albion] Dicking About In Our Own Goal Area

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