The manner in which we lose...

Horses for courses.
Plus it's generally away where we play a lot deeper and positional than we do at home.

 

Very long post but it's all about team shape and what might have changed since we were on our good run compared to recent losses. Look at these 3 team shapes that we had earlier in the season, all 3 goals were impressive wins. We have Luton, Cardiff and Huddersfield victories.

Luton 2-1 win


Cardiff 3-1 win


Huddersfield 3-1 win


One thing that you can clearly see is that the back 3 have some shape, usually the central one sat a dip deeper but there was a kinda of line that alters depending on opponent. Also, the wing backs are further forward or at worst level with the CMs. The only way this system works is if your wing backs are brave and high and usually are on average in the other teams half. One final thing, the striker stays up top but also his attackers, mainly Pointons 23 circle are high and near the forward. Whoever was up top was a pressing striker with options around.

Now, here are 3 recent defeats to Huddersfield, Cardiff and Mansfield.

Huddersfield 1-0 defeat shape below. Look at this shape compared to the rest. Lets start with the back 3, it's not alarmingly bout of shape, but the 4 circle is noticeably deeper than when we were winning. Tilt is tucked in nicely but Baldwin is practically in a right full back slot. Also, the wing backs, rather than being pushed up and brace, their average positions were in our own half with Neufville in the first half level with Baldwins slot. The attacking midfielder, are just not attacking. They are far far too deep and Humphrys was always set up to fail in this tactic. But he didn't stay up and central either, he was trying channel movement from his average slot and that never caught on. One final thing, look at the CMs. When we were playing well, we either played as a compact team and quick play as above, or the team gave the CM space. You could throw a blanket over Power, Metcalfe and White. When we were playing well, the gap between the CMs and the central CB wasnt that big, there's a canyon between Power and Wright.


Cardiff 2-1 defeat below. At least the wing backs were high in this one, but look how spaced out that back line was. Touray and Baldwin have very little shape with Tilt as the central CB, they are far far too spread and Cardiff played in those pockets none stop in the first half. Again, the CMs are far too tight, they really need to space out or have separate roles because when they play so tight together, the gaps between the midfield and defence just get torn through. Pointon was at least higher up again, but WTF was Sarcevic doing as the most central forward? He was a mile away from Neufville and even further forward than Swan. When we won, the striker stayed up top and caused problems for teams playing out, but when the striker is this deep and we have gaps like we did, it was no wonder Cardiff were passing it around like they were. The Cardiff shape is the best of the 3, probably no surprise that this was the best we played in the 3 games.


Mansfield 3-0 defeat below. CBs are at least in shape but again, the 5 and 18 circles are so wide, Wright in the middle had very little help. Touray, far too deep at LWB, Halliday wasn't too bad. Again, Metcalfe and Power were tight but at least had a little space between. I have no idea what the front 3 were supposed to be doing. Wright is never a player to work centrally and Touray is not the bombing on wing back, he needs a left attacker in front, Humps and Kav far too deep to know who was supposed to be the striker and who was supposed to be an outlet on the left or right.



When we were winning, the central CB looks to have mainly been a good 5 yards further forward on average at least, it looks like the back 3 are playing a touch deeper lately. When we were winning, we had a forward who stayed forward, that's not really happening anymore. We had attacking mids who played with their wing back and gave that support on the channels, in the 3 defeats that just doesn't exist, the attacking mids are nowhere near where they were when the shape worked barring Bobby against Cardiff.

I think we just need to be braver again. The CBs are playing far too spread if you have Tilt or Wright as the central one, the CMs are far too close, the attacking mids and wing backs need to be braver and play forward again and get out of each others way.

 

I think that the players are upset that so many pals have been thrown out the club, after all they are all just over grown schoolboys

 

Will know in the first ten minutes how the game will go on Tuesday as if we start poorly we never seem to improve in the game.

 

I watched both games Cardiff and Dog woofers and the midfield seemed at some points no existent. Power needs to relinquish some responsibilities and lets someone else do dead ball stuff. I can give you Cardiff's midfield but dog boys were there for the taking.. or at least competing against. We did neither...

 

All the North East clique have gone now.

 

Power is shit scared of getting a booking as he’ll miss 2 games and this has taken an edge off his game.

 

That's understandable but to see him playing half committed for fear of a booking for the last few games makes the ban a lot longer
Should play his normal game take the consequences (and ban) and get back to normal
We never know when he is banned we may find someone who can take a free kick/corner

 

Interesting stuff. But I think what your post overlooks is the tactics of the opposition. Those three wins against Cardiff, the Dogs and Luton were all achieved against teams who, early season, were wedded to playing out from the back. This allowed us to press from the front and allowed our wing backs and central mids to to push up. This also meant that our back three could keep a compact shape without being dragged so wide as they have been recently. Even though we didn’t have much possession we were camped in the opposition half, pinning them in, forcing mistakes and winning second balls leading to creating chances.

But this isn’t happening now. Teams have sussed us out. No one is attempting to pass out from the back against us - even leaders Cardiff went long, as did the Dogs. Without that press our technical limitations are exposed. We don’t have the players to pass our way through midfield, the wide diagonals are being countered and we are left resorting to endless hoofball. Something drastic has to change in either our personnel or our tactics or we are going to drop out of the playoffs before long.

 

He was lucky to not get booked on Saturday when he dragged one of their players back.

 

Absolutely spineless tonight. Clueless. There was absolutely nothing in that performance to get excited about. Nothing. Limp, pathetic.

Rupp, Sparks, Gent and Sharpe need to pull their fingers out of their arses and deliver. Days left before we drop out of playoffs, the bank of goodwill is bankrupt, and the mood seriously turns.

 

TBF that was when Rahic was at the reins and Rupp was in the background with no interest in the running of the club.

 

Nearly everytime I watch them on tv they look clueless. Doncaster, Huddersfield and Lincoln spring to mind obviously.

 

It would appear then Sir that YOU are the problem. Stop bloody watching them on the telly.
Problem solved.....

 

Maybe I am just viewing things negatively, but it seems that every team we play against, even when we win, have players with far better close control and ability in tight spaces than any of ours. We really are very poor in that respect.

And now we seem to have even stopped having a go. I am going to hate myself for saying this, but look at the attitude and willingness to have a go at his man, of Jordan Gibson compared to Tyreik Wright. There I said it.

 

I don't think you are on your own with your train of thought at all.
Lots of us see the same in the flesh the players seldom talk on the field.
We have looked very disorganised of late it's almost as if we haven't played together.
It's not pretty to watch and to be honest the team haven't produced a performance lately to get the support enthusiast vocally.
Unfortunately booing the team seems to be order of the day which you get with terrace frustration.
I don't subscribe to the above choosing to be shall we say more outspoken with my language which in turn as it's draw backs with youngsters around.
I must learn to tone it down a bit that's for sure perhaps sign language would be more appropriate in such circumstances.

 

Even if Rahic wasnt there he still wouldnt have put a penny and this window shows his real ambition

 

Well, we will know for sure within 4 and a bit days won't we?