Tactics Under Maresca

[cityfanlee23]

When I see this I imagine Bruce Forsyth or some other 90s gameshow host saying "Here's what you could have won!":

On 14/04/2024 at 23:51, splinterdream said:

                                                               Mads

                                       Coady            Vesty            Doyle

               Fatawu         Ricardo          Winks           KDH           Mavididi

                                               Cannon           Vardy

But instead we end up going home with a toaster

[Sly]

I know this isn’t Leicester based but it’s an interesting listen. 
 

However they discuss tactics around the 30 minutes mark and how teams have tried to adapt the “Pep” style.

 

A lot of it rings true. 

[kingpower]

Enzo, take note from Emery at Villa. Chasing a goal to stay in Europe so he changes his system with over 10 mins + stoppage time to go by playing two upfront (Watkins & Duran) and going more direct…and what do you know…both players causing mayhem in the box and Villa get their equaliser…stop being so fkin stubborn 

Edited 18 April 2024 by kingpower

[StriderHiryu]

Time to revisit my own thread for the first time in a while! Life has been busy!

 

In the end, despite a massive wobble at the end, we did it and we are back in the Premier League. Recently we saw some good performances that show 2 sides to our game.

 

First up, the type of game we saw for most of the season, playing against opponents with a vastly inferior wage and transfer budget who decide to park the bus to try and steal something from the game:

 

 

Against Southampton we played a team that had very good overall quality in terms of players and put them to the sword twice. 

 

 

In both cases we see the ability to keep the ball under pressure, play our way out of trouble and engineer chances from it.

 

Going into the Premier League, the Southampton games give me reasons to be a little optimistic. Very few teams park the bus in the Premier League these days. Hodgson left Palace, Moyes is likely to leave West Ham and I'm not sure if Nuno will still be at Forest next year. Everton will probably still play defensive, but these days even Bournemouth go for it. That means that we could get a lot of success by allowing the opposition to have more possession than we do and to pick them apart on the transition. 

 

I think that's going to be what dictates our fate next year. I think this season Burnley were too naive. If you push up too high and leave your defence high and dry, in the Premier League too many teams have players that will punish you. We definitely need to maintain an element of keeping the ball and dictating play as you can't play without the ball for 90 minutes. But if we do too much of it we will get killed, whereas if we are a bit more cautious I think we will surprise a lot of good teams, because our transition is really good and we have some quality attacking players.

 

What do I think will happen? We will have to wait and see. I think Enzo will try to keep heavy possession to begin with, after a few losses we will see if he changes it. 

[Chelmofox]

2 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

Time to revisit my own thread for the first time in a while! Life has been busy!

 

In the end, despite a massive wobble at the end, we did it and we are back in the Premier League. Recently we saw some good performances that show 2 sides to our game.

 

First up, the type of game we saw for most of the season, playing against opponents with a vastly inferior wage and transfer budget who decide to park the bus to try and steal something from the game:

 

 

Against Southampton we played a team that had very good overall quality in terms of players and put them to the sword twice. 

 

 

In both cases we see the ability to keep the ball under pressure, play our way out of trouble and engineer chances from it.

 

Going into the Premier League, the Southampton games give me reasons to be a little optimistic. Very few teams park the bus in the Premier League these days. Hodgson left Palace, Moyes is likely to leave West Ham and I'm not sure if Nuno will still be at Forest next year. Everton will probably still play defensive, but these days even Bournemouth go for it. That means that we could get a lot of success by allowing the opposition to have more possession than we do and to pick them apart on the transition. 

 

I think that's going to be what dictates our fate next year. I think this season Burnley were too naive. If you push up too high and leave your defence high and dry, in the Premier League too many teams have players that will punish you. We definitely need to maintain an element of keeping the ball and dictating play as you can't play without the ball for 90 minutes. But if we do too much of it we will get killed, whereas if we are a bit more cautious I think we will surprise a lot of good teams, because our transition is really good and we have some quality attacking players.

 

What do I think will happen? We will have to wait and see. I think Enzo will try to keep heavy possession to begin with, after a few losses we will see if he changes it. 

Do we think Michael Thomas is Enzo, or part of his team?

 

Only thing I will say about Southampton is they didn't press or challenge like a PL team. It was far more noticeable at the game compared to any highlights I saw, as highlights largely focussed on our possession. They were really weak and slow off the ball (shockingly so). Look at that Fatawu goal where 3 players jog towards him, if you played Millwall he would have had 2 big bastards on him immediately. I think the Bournemouth game is a better barometer where we still did well though, but i think from the middle of the 2nd half Bournemouth pressed and challenged less. 

 

I do think there will be less emphasis on possession stats next year.  In the Southampton game we controlled the game through the press (the players were almost possessed - it was intense at times). Emphasis will be on what we can do when in possession, which is why playing out the back is key.  I can see us generating lots of opportunities like the 5th goal against Southampton, and everyone saying we are playing counter attacking football.

[StriderHiryu]

1 hour ago, Chelmofox said:

Do we think Michael Thomas is Enzo, or part of his team?

 

 

That would make a lot of sense if so! They seem to be able to publish highlights that you get on Wyscout or similar, so it's possible. 

 

1 hour ago, Chelmofox said:

 

I do think there will be less emphasis on possession stats next year.  In the Southampton game we controlled the game through the press (the players were almost possessed - it was intense at times). Emphasis will be on what we can do when in possession, which is why playing out the back is key.  I can see us generating lots of opportunities like the 5th goal against Southampton, and everyone saying we are playing counter attacking football.

 

I hope so, because that's the way we stay up IMO! In 15/16 teams did not respect us and pushed up suicidally high, leaving Mahrez and Vardy in acres on transition. Our new style means it's not just a case of pumping the ball long every time, we can keep and control if if needed. But as you say, the gaps will be there and the core of our team can exploit them.

 

I think rotation options for Mavididi / Fatawu are important signings we need to make for this reason. Wingers can have off games, and having players that carry a threat on the break will net us a lot of goals. Kasey McAteer had a good game against Preston but if that was a Jayden Philogene or Jack Clarke we'd be even deadlier. Sebastian Nanasi on the continent has also been linked, though I suppose the most realistic of all is Glover pulling out a name we haven't heard of yet. I like Yunus, but he doesn't have that clinical edge to his game and seemed better suited as an 8. 

 

 

[Aleksz]

I think we’ll very much stay the same with our in possession stuff, he see’s it as non negotiable. To be fair he might find it become even more effective with the thinking that next to no one is sitting back against a promoted team in that league.

 

I think he’ll have to - even if he has to learn the hard way, to become a bit more pragmatic out of possession. He’s going to have to ditch the man to man press at times - at times last week vs Southampton Vestergaard was following Rothwell, and Faes with Che Adams, right to the edge of their own penalty area. We’ll get murdered away at the Etihad and Anfield playing like that. Didn’t help us at Chelsea.

 

Enzo is going to have to channel his inner Italian in that regard and learn how to drop off into a stubborn mid/low block.

 

Anyway, class work this season @StriderHiryu. Been class debating the tactical stuff in here with you and others this year. Here’s to another successful year of Enzoball.

 

[cruzFOX]

Great points guys I’d like to add one more point and that is intensity & focus!

when the Enzo way is at its best is when the players are 100% alert, the passes are slick and precise, the pace is fast and the play a combination of direct and indirect that leads to multiple chances on goal.

I don’t think in a million years Enzo wants the players to fail playing his style.

He has every confidence in them to execute properly. The issue is when certain players get injured or get tired or just not in the mood does the system break down.

we saw it with Bodgers too. When the players were in top form they were pinging the ball around like peak barca. When they weren’t they became a liability & vulnerable like Enzo’s team. ADAPTABILITY is the key takeaway for Enzo for when those rainy days come ( and they will) how can they cope. The goal is to win games and if not don’t lose! I hope and pray Enzo has learnt some lessons this season it’s ok to be humbled that’s how we learn. 

[moore_94]

This is how Man City now play with Stones isn't it?

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/what-chairman-tops-comment-reveals-9266219

 

It was a twist on the usual defensive set-up. This season, City have lined up with a back four when out of possession, but with one of the full-backs moving into midfield when they do have the ball, with the rest of the defence shuffling into a back three.

 

The same principles were there, but this time Hamza Choudhury started from centre-back before moving into midfield. That meant James Justin, starting on the right, got to be more of a traditional full-back, allowing him the opportunity to advance down the flank and show off the athleticism and dynamism that made his name a few years ago.

[StriderHiryu]

 

An old video but one I wanted to share. Burnely dominated the Championship but struggled in the Premier League. They were the "Man City" of the Championship, but regualr old Burnley when promoted. So what went wrong?

 

 

Seems like a few things to me:
- Lost some of their best players in transition from Championship to Premier League (Maatsen, Tella, Harwood-Bellis)

- Replaced their Keeper with James Trafford who looks out of his depth at Premier League level

- Signed lots of young players, but not many experienced ones

- Insisted on playing out from the back, even when getting murdered by doing so and without the personell to do so at times

 

Burnley spent a LOT on new players upon their return, something we can't do. But we have a lot more experience providing not too many players go. Will Hermansen make the step up to Premier League? I think most of us are confident he will. But we will start on minus points and we do have a stubborn manager...

 

 

[davieG]

Sorry for the repeat posting but seem to fit a few threads that not everyone reads

 

Chelsea The Blues Army  · 

Follow

  · 

 

 

Enzo Maresca suits our squad. He has worked with Palmer and Lavia. Plus Shield, our best recruiter worked at City Academy with him and understands his demands.

Plays dynamic football geared towards dominating possession, overloading the midfield to sustain possession and stop transitions with inverted FB.

His possession is not dull, they buy their time and wait for openings or opportunities for players to make runs from deep. If there is a stat for third-man runs into the final third, they should be high up there in Europe.

Leicester have the best defence in the Championship and second-best attack despite their lack of squad depth that nearly cost them at the end. That squad wasn't elite for his football in any way. To get the players playing well within a few months surprised a lot of people, including me.

Centre-backs were Faes and Vestergaard. DM was Winks. Ndidi and Dewsbury-Hall as 8s. Vardy was injured or on the bench for almost 70% of the season. Plus two inexperienced wingers.

The point is, he can do a lot better with a squad that suits his football if well-backed.

I think his football is modern and dynamic with a lot of control and movements. I love my team to be dynamic and unpredictable.

He's not supposed to be my top choice or in the top 5 for Chelsea, but I have watched Leicester this season and admired his football, and feel his style suits our players. I don't think they will struggle to grasp it.

In the current shortlist, he's my absolute favourite, ahead of McKenna.

[Tom12345]

On 10/04/2024 at 15:43, Ricey said:

This is it for me. He's seen the inner workings of Guardiola's Man City and has come away from that thinking that there is only one way to do things. He thinks that changing shape, mixing up our patterns of play or going more direct at times is sacrilege and will cause the players and fans to believe in "the idea" less.

 

That works when you are Pep and you have the resources to back it all up, but we don't have that luxury. He has to be more flexible and realistic to where we are are, the squad we have and the situation we find ourselves in.

 

He feels more like a salesman for The Idea™ than a football manager who's job it is to get results.

This gives the wrong impression of Pep.

 

Firstly, Maresca only worked under Pep for one year. Not a long time understudy.

 

Secondly, he was not “the” number two.

 

Thirdly, Pep has more than one way. His tactics have not only evolved over time they change depending on the players he has. He said it as much. He adjusts based on who he has and also the general trend of other teams.  Pep is simply at God-like level. To compare Maresca to Pep is actually quite disrespectful to Pep.

 

Having said that, Maresca has a lot of potential.  He is a young coach who has only one decent managerial experience, in the second tier, with us.  He will learn and develop his style more. The key to how far he can go depends on his mentality.

 

We will see.

 

Personally, given the above, for him, he is much better off staying with us instead of going to Chelsea. He has not earned enough credit to entice another owner to give him a go except for Chelsea, but he won’t last for more than half a year with them, so his credit will only come from this one year with us. Not enough to show for.

[Dr The Singh]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

Sorry for the repeat posting but seem to fit a few threads that not everyone reads

 

Chelsea The Blues Army  · 

Follow

  · 

 

 

Enzo Maresca suits our squad. He has worked with Palmer and Lavia. Plus Shield, our best recruiter worked at City Academy with him and understands his demands.

Plays dynamic football geared towards dominating possession, overloading the midfield to sustain possession and stop transitions with inverted FB.

His possession is not dull, they buy their time and wait for openings or opportunities for players to make runs from deep. If there is a stat for third-man runs into the final third, they should be high up there in Europe.

Leicester have the best defence in the Championship and second-best attack despite their lack of squad depth that nearly cost them at the end. That squad wasn't elite for his football in any way. To get the players playing well within a few months surprised a lot of people, including me.

Centre-backs were Faes and Vestergaard. DM was Winks. Ndidi and Dewsbury-Hall as 8s. Vardy was injured or on the bench for almost 70% of the season. Plus two inexperienced wingers.

The point is, he can do a lot better with a squad that suits his football if well-backed.

I think his football is modern and dynamic with a lot of control and movements. I love my team to be dynamic and unpredictable.

He's not supposed to be my top choice or in the top 5 for Chelsea, but I have watched Leicester this season and admired his football, and feel his style suits our players. I don't think they will struggle to grasp it.

In the current shortlist, he's my absolute favourite, ahead of McKenna.

£30mill show us the money you fecks

[RumbleFox]

To get promoted from the Championship as winners in your first full season as a manager is impressive whatever the circumstances. Yes we “should” have gone up based on our resources but we “shouldn’t” have gone down. He worked wonders on the mental side for me. The team was broken. I of course understand valid criticism and fears but the amount of folk who wouldn’t mind if he left or, want him to, is baffling to me. He may not become a top coach but he has to be given a chance and can’t really have done much more than he did last season.

 

The biggest plus for me was that when we NEEDED to deliver, we did. That mental side of the game has been out downfall for the last 5 seasons or so. Yes we had a dip but it did coincide with Ndidi being injured and the cloud of legal action. We were maybe also guilty of switching off slightly. But in the end, when it MATTERED. Enzo delivered. That’s huge for me. Hoping for a successful season. 

Edited 25 May 2024 by RumbleFox

[ARM1968]

Are we currently seeing in the FA Cup Final another example of possession not really mattering?

[Dahnsouff]

19 minutes ago, ARM1968 said:

Are we currently seeing in the FA Cup Final another example of possession not really mattering?

Not sure one cup game, bearing in mind who won the league again, should allow that conclusion. Sorry.  

[Unabomber]

24 minutes ago, ARM1968 said:

Are we currently seeing in the FA Cup Final another example of possession not really mattering?

Yeah this game just shows enzo hasn’t got a clue. Good shout 

[Dahnsouff]

Take that you (another) bald fraud

[ARM1968]

58 minutes ago, Unabomber said:

Yeah this game just shows enzo hasn’t got a clue. Good shout 

Except our best two wins at the end of the season came when we had less possession and were more direct. Except we won the Prem playing low possession football. Think all you possession fan boys are barking up the wrong tree. 🤣🤣

[Dahnsouff]

Just now, ARM1968 said:

Except our best two wins at the end of the season came when we had less possession and were more direct. Except we won the Prem playing low possession football. Think all you possession fan boys are barking up the wrong tree. 🤣🤣

Suggest you get a considerably larger sample size. 

[ARM1968]

27 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Suggest you get a considerably larger sample size. 

What, than winning the Prem?

[Dahnsouff]

35 minutes ago, ARM1968 said:

What, than winning the Prem?

Yes, maybe a few more times, and preferably more recently, as this tika taka thing wasn’t even so prevalent in the EPL when we won the league 

Edited 25 May 2024 by Dahnsouff

[RumbleFox]

34 minutes ago, ARM1968 said:

What, than winning the Prem?

Possession based football just won a record 4 in a row? 

[ARM1968]

21 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

Possession based football just won a record 4 in a row? 

OMG. Yes it did and if we had Man City’s squad I would suggest that was the way we went. We don’t, we won’t, so we have to be pragmatic and do something different. Are people really this stupid?

[Dahnsouff]

5 minutes ago, ARM1968 said:

OMG. Yes it did and if we had Man City’s squad I would suggest that was the way we went. We don’t, we won’t, so we have to be pragmatic and do something different. Are people really this stupid?

Well as this stemmed from Man Utds win over Man City in the FA Cup final and the alleged rebirth of non possession football, it would seem so…