AEK Athens (H) pre match

[sacreblueits442]

7 hours ago, murphy said:

True.  People moan at 5 atb as if it were a flat back five.  Perhaps it would be better if we called it 3-4-3.

 

 

...not so much the formation, as to what actually happens when we attempt to play this way!!!

Having your Wing Backs pushed so far forward leaves a gaping hole for the opponents to cause havoc between the CB and RWB/LWB. Caught on a counter we are far too vulnerable in that area and teams are easily in our box committing our CBs. We need to close the space, which means a higher line and if the opposing team are not blessed with any sort of pace then our mobile CBs can cope.

  AEK are technically good on the ball and they will be more than capable to utilise any space afforded to them by using a system with WBs and CBs disengaged.

[gw_leics772]

On 07/12/2020 at 23:15, NaijaFox said:

I can cite a bunch of English Language Dictionaries or I can simply rephrase and use “set pieces” instead, so I opt to rephrase. 

Not pedantic enough! 

 

[gw_leics772]

On 07/12/2020 at 23:15, NaijaFox said:

I can cite a bunch of English Language Dictionaries or I can simply rephrase and use “set pieces” instead, so I opt to rephrase. 

Is a penalty technically a set piece? 😱🤪😋😎

[messerschmitt]

38 minutes ago, sacreblueits442 said:

...not so much the formation, as to what actually happens when we attempt to play this way!!!

Having your Wing Backs pushed so far forward leaves a gaping hole for the opponents to cause havoc between the CB and RWB/LWB. Caught on a counter we are far too vulnerable in that area and teams are easily in our box committing our CBs. We need to close the space, which means a higher line and if the opposing team are not blessed with any sort of pace then our mobile CBs can cope.

  AEK are technically good on the ball and they will be more than capable to utilise any space afforded to them by using a system with WBs and CBs disengaged.

Totally agree with this, we'd be so much better playing this with a fully fit Soyuncu, trying it with Fuchs or Morgan and you can see why we've conceded on the break. It also means we rely on the width from players who haven't been that creative, ie we're missing Ricardo and Castagne and it's difficult for anyone trying to replace what we miss without them going forward.

[Gamble92]

50 minutes ago, gw_leics772 said:

Is a penalty technically a set piece? 😱🤪😋😎

Yes

[foxinsocks]

21 minutes ago, Gamble92 said:

Yes

No.

[englebert]

1 hour ago, gw_leics772 said:

Is a penalty technically a set piece? 😱🤪😋😎

Perhaps if you do this:

 

[volpeazzurro]

7 hours ago, MGLCFC said:

Swap Choudhury for Perez  for me. Don't think we need 2 defensive midfielders against a team who have lost 10 of their last 11 European games.

Absolutely agree, we should be confident enough to take the game to the opposition tonight, let them do the worrying. Whilst I'm feeling a little light headed in actually calling for Perez to be selected 😅, it has to be acknowledged how well he played compared to others at the weekend. Iheanacho is no Vardy granted but, there is no reason why these two, combined with the pace and trickery of Under and Barnes can't cause havoc. If you never try, you never know. 

[MGLCFC]

Most of those would have had to be retaken if VAR had been around, as there is encroachment 

[shen]

17 minutes ago, englebert said:

Perhaps if you do this:

 

 

5 minutes ago, MGLCFC said:

Most of those would have had to be retaken if VAR had been around, as there is encroachment 

Exactly! The Neymar, Chiba, Malouda and Seung-gi ones are particularly galling 

[Guest Danny Clender]

1 hour ago, gw_leics772 said:

Is a penalty technically a set piece? 😱🤪😋😎

If Maddison strikes the ball at the opposition defenders, yes it is. 

[OntarioFox]

1 hour ago, gw_leics772 said:

Is a penalty technically a set piece? 😱🤪😋😎

I say we get Kasper to man mark the forward in those cases. Far too stand-offish with this zonal crap, how can you expect to win the ball in a one-on-one when they're 12 yards away? 

Edited 10 December 2020 by OntarioFox

[don_danbury]

45 minutes ago, englebert said:

Perhaps if you do this:

 

number 6  

[sacreblueits442]

...you do know that if we get a penalty tonight, someone will try this!!!

[sishades]

Zonal marking annoys me more than playing 5 at the back.

[fox_up_north]

12 minutes ago, sishades said:

Zonal marking annoys me more than playing 5 at the back.

I don't know why teams stick with it. What's wrong with sticking your big man on their highest jumper/ aerial threat and getting your midfielders to fill the box and be ready for a counter?

[OntarioFox]

1 minute ago, sishades said:

Zonal marking annoys me more than playing 5 at the back.

In terms of pure CBs employing it, I'm not necessarily against it - HOWEVER, it requires a far stronger intuitive reading of the game than simple man-marking. You need to be imperious in the air and also posess that second-nature understanding of when and where the ball is going to drop in order to time your interception. With respect to Little Wes and Cags, that's something that relies less on physical attributes but which rather you simply learn through your career. And Fuchs isn't an out-and-out Centre Back which is why we find ourselves regularly outmuscled when he plays in a back 3.

 

Our backline isn't sufficiently drilled in zonal marking, and we also have less 'well built' players and non-defenders guarding the danger areas at set pieces. Wilf being back will be a big help in that regard, but i've now lost count of the times in the past year that we've conceded after leaving Fuchs or Justin to zonally mark the tallest man in the box. Happened again on Sunday with the combined might of Tielemans and Justin left to deal with McBurnie, while Fofana was left in a different 'zone'.

 

Wouldn't have happened if we just did the basics and got an actual centre back on the one guy with the most aerial threat. 

[weller54]

Wonder if AEK will put out a full strength side tonight.. it's a dead rubber for them.

[Always Next Year]

3 hours ago, AKCJ said:

Sooner see us rest players considering we've got Everton, Spurs and then Man Utd coming up. Three teams that will fancy themselves for top 4. We have to take points off them if we want to be up there too.

You obviously don’t what us to be top of our group and risk going out when we draw a better opponent than we would have if we had topped the group,.

Correct me if I am wrong the next Euro games are in Feb so plenty of time for players to readjust to 1 game every week until then.

[Nalis]

17 minutes ago, sishades said:

Zonal marking annoys me more than playing 5 at the back.

For me, its a non complicated and potentially effective strategy if well executed. Would love to know the amount of scored against teams that man mark as opposed to those that zonal mark, bet the man markers would concede more.

 

I just think that its under more of a microscope and looks worse to the observer when someone scores against those who zonal mark as opposed to a team scoring against those who man mark.

[gw_leics772]

19 hours ago, ALC Fox said:

More importantly, Little Wes wears full kit either in his own gaffe or when visiting the barber 

FKW shaved in the back above the dodgy heart. 

[gw_leics772]

18 hours ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

There's a feeling among some fans that 3 at the back is more defensive than 4 at the back.

Wing backs are not always defensive.

Is 3-5-2 more defensive than 4-4-2? Not necessarily. 

Simpson-Morgan-Huth-Fuchs was pretty damn defensive.

You have to look beyond the actual formation.

 

Unfortunately, after looking to the evidence on the pitch, it currently suggest being more shit

[Ric Flair]

Personally, I'd like to see Sidnei Tavares involved tonight.

[StanSP]

2 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Personally, I'd like to see Sidnei Tavares involved tonight.

[Gerard]

7 hours ago, Webbo said:

I could see Ndidi playing centre half just to give him game time and Hamza in midfield to give Mendy a rest. 

Good shout to play Ndidi at CB to give Evans and Fofana a rest for a very heavy schedule coming up.