Marti Cifuentes - Style of Play, Tactics and Analysis

[StriderHiryu]

I will do some analysis of our lack of chance creation this Tuesday on Blue Tinted Glasses.

 

Marti loves a line-breaking pass from Vestergaard or Winks to bypass the opposition midfield into the False 9 or 10 into a bounce pass to turn the opposition lines and create a 4 on 4. But this has barely worked all season, and when the opposition snuff out these passes it leads to massively dangerous turnovers, or worse, a direct goal attempt as for the Norwich goal. 

 

I also think it's massively telling that when we go direct, espeically down the wings, that we look much more dangerous. Not just for JJ's goal, but JJ put in a great cross for Daka, and even the Reid goal came from the ball bouncing in the opposition area and Daka chesting the ball. Admittedly that was atrocious defending from the Canaries, but still, it shows that we have the superior quality to capitalise on such situations.

 

We can only hope Marti learns some of these lessons for the next game, but I will hold my breath on that one. 

Edited 10 November 2025 by StriderHiryu

[lcfc_forever]

45 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

I will do some analysis of our lack of chance creation this Tuesday on Blue Tinted Glasses.

 

Marti loves a line-breaking pass from Vestergaard or Winks to bypass the opposition midfield into the False 9 or 10 into a bounce pass to turn the opposition lines and create a 4 on 4. But this has barely worked all season, and when the opposition snuff out these passes it leads to massively dangerous turnovers, or worse, a direct goal attempt as for the Norwich goal. 

 

I also think it's massively telling that when we go direct, espeically down the wings, that we look much more danagerous. Not just for JJ's goal, but JJ put in a great cross for Daka, and even the Reid goal came from the ball bouncing in the opposition area and Daka chesting the ball. Admittedly that was atrocious defending from the Canaries, but still, it shows that we have the superior quality to capitalise on such situations.

 

We can only hope Marti learns some of these lessons for the next game, but I will hold my breath on that one. 

Football has moved on - physicality, stamina and transitions are you rightly say regularly are as key as possession. 

 

Rather than the 3Ps, a lot of our football is plodding, pedestrian and passive as we struggle especially with the team pressing us in the middle of the pitch. The likes of Winks and Thomas have technical ability but lack physique so can get bullied. Get more direct, work on set pieces and sort the players' stamina, we should not get bullied. 

[South Shire Fox]

He doesnt have a style of play or tactics? Sets him team up to try and not get beat rather then going for the win. Temu Claude Puel

[Paninistickers]

2 hours ago, lcfc_forever said:

Thomas have technical ability

Goodness ms

[StriderHiryu]

9 hours ago, lcfc_forever said:

Football has moved on - physicality, stamina and transitions are you rightly say regularly are as key as possession. 

 

Rather than the 3Ps, a lot of our football is plodding, pedestrian and passive as we struggle especially with the team pressing us in the middle of the pitch. The likes of Winks and Thomas have technical ability but lack physique so can get bullied. Get more direct, work on set pieces and sort the players' stamina, we should not get bullied. 

Ha ha love those 3p’s you put there! I am stealing that! 😂

[Collymore]

13 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

bounce pass to turn the opposition lines

These have been really noticeable. You do see some of the tops teams doing it and it's so quick and effective.

 

With us it just looks like we do it for doing it sake sometimes. 

[StriderHiryu]

1 hour ago, Collymore said:

These have been really noticeable. You do see some of the tops teams doing it and it's so quick and effective.

 

With us it just looks like we do it for doing it sake sometimes. 

For me the issue is we seem to try it every single time. It would be way more effective if instead of trying it 8 times out of 10, we tried it 2 times out of 10 instead. 

 

 

[Richmondfox]

27 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

For me the issue is we seem to try it every single time. It would be way more effective if instead of trying it 8 times out of 10, we tried it 2 times out of 10 instead. 

 

 

Or just pass to the winger who is unmarked and the defence out of position, instead of 10 passes for Thomas to be too scared to try anything so sends it backwards to repeat. 

[Richmondfox]

15 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

I will do some analysis of our lack of chance creation this Tuesday on Blue Tinted Glasses.

 

Marti loves a line-breaking pass from Vestergaard or Winks to bypass the opposition midfield into the False 9 or 10 into a bounce pass to turn the opposition lines and create a 4 on 4. But this has barely worked all season, and when the opposition snuff out these passes it leads to massively dangerous turnovers, or worse, a direct goal attempt as for the Norwich goal. 

 

I also think it's massively telling that when we go direct, espeically down the wings, that we look much more dangerous. Not just for JJ's goal, but JJ put in a great cross for Daka, and even the Reid goal came from the ball bouncing in the opposition area and Daka chesting the ball. Admittedly that was atrocious defending from the Canaries, but still, it shows that we have the superior quality to capitalise on such situations.

 

We can only hope Marti learns some of these lessons for the next game, but I will hold my breath on that one. 

Reid is limited but is more of a team player than Ayew.  He has proven to be the bottle neck in the team. Such a waste when Marti starts him. Reid tried to make the flick on and bring the attackers into play. Ayew stops still and passes backwards in counter attacks, hogs the ball and falls over, sometimes at the expense of a counter. 
 

He seems more composed in front of goal as well compared to Ayew.  He had time to control the ball but went for the volley and just smashed at it, Reid controlled the ball and finished it.

 

Both can not play on the wing, the difference is Reid can play as a team member behind the striker. 

[fazzyfox]

A few of the things that frustrated me, particularly on Saturday, you wonder if they're part of his instructions and philosophy or not:-

 

Allowing the opposition all the time in the world to put their crosses in - I'm not talking about the situations where they've beaten a man and put a cross in front of players to attack, it's the deeper ones which yes are easier to defend but if you at least press the player, hurry him, get in his line of vision there's a chance he'll miscue the angle, over-hit or under hit. Standing and watching from a distance does none of that and gives them every chance of making it a decent ball in. It's often the full backs putting in these deeper crossed which falls on our wingers to be pressing them and getting close. The standing off was excruciating, it was like a crowd of fans watching a pro-golfer tee-off, admiring their technique. If you want to just watch buy a ticket like the rest of us.

 

Sloppy passes when we've committed men forward - I don't want to be a hypocrite after bemoaning the large amount of safety first passes, I'd encourage them to play with more risk with balls that hurt the opposition but in situations where we've committed bodies forward and would be in a mess if the move breaks down, be sure of it, never gamble or hit a blind no-look pass like Fatawu did twice, inside behind the entire midfield who had run already ahead of him. And Vestergaards telegraphed "pass" which led to the goal, OK, try it if you've got plenty of bodies around but losing it there with the ratio of attack vs defence bodies was ludicrous. The phrases "Not There" and "You have to be sure" were in heavy use!

 

Ayew Left Wing - Everything just ground to a halt, like a dead end street when it reached him, there was no chance of getting beyond his man and hurting them in the box. It's like a rugby style of territory gain with him, get it to him, he digs his heels in, shields the ball, draws the foul and we advance 20 yards, all well and good if we're seeing out a lead but at 0-0, at 0-1? Especially first half, no opponent full back is going to be tired enough to be beaten by him at that point. Monga is very good at that too but at least with him there's a chance he'll go at the man and beat him at times too.

 

The thing Fatawu's right leg is propped on - Can he use his right at all? There were a couple of occasions where he'd beaten his man / men, had clear daylight to the near post, just needed to drill in a straight cross along the ground but instead did his usual cut inside on his left and curled one over the bar. Love to watch him play but sometimes mix it up, sometimes the simple thing can pay off, the straight direct ball into the 6 yard box, the bread and butter stuff over the worldie attempts. Probably trying to force the issue through frustration at how the games are going.

 

At throw in's and free kicks I found myself yelling "Who wants it" time and time again (and found myself surrounded by ladies ), no movement, no one brave enough to want the ball when the going gets tough and inevitably we lose possession. It's a set piece that you have control of, it's a ball not a hot potato.

 

And that was a game we won ! 

 

Marti, sort it out, Marti Marti sort it out please.

[Steve Earle]

I couldn’t find the tactics thread? Maybe this is it?

 

Anyway I wondered if others had spotted* the tactical tweaks that have accompanied our mildly impressive three-game run? [* These might be figments of my imagination of course.]
 

Our initial press has improved IMO due to the security offered by the Skipp/JJ axis, which, whatever the merits/demerits of Winks, Soumare & Choudhry, simply works. It’s a beautifully balanced 6/8 combo & long may it continue. The press was particularly effective vs Ipswich, if not as dramatically as theirs on us for their solitary goal.
 

Possibly the other biggest difference I’ve noticed is our RBs playing as orthodox full backs, instead of inverting. Ricardo had his best game for ages on Saturday as an orthodox RB who rarely overlapped (cf the third goal). With Ricky mostly where he should be, & Nelson assured next to Vesty, we look almost solid in defence. Unless, of course, our opponents attack down our left…

 

[Mark_w]

25 minutes ago, Steve Earle said:

With Ricky mostly where he should be, & Nelson assured next to Vesty, we look almost solid in defence. Unless, of course, our opponents attack down our left…

 

Or we pass the ball to them in our box

[Chelmofox]

45 minutes ago, Steve Earle said:

I couldn’t find the tactics thread? Maybe this is it?

 

Anyway I wondered if others had spotted* the tactical tweaks that have accompanied our mildly impressive three-game run? [* These might be figments of my imagination of course.]
 

Our initial press has improved IMO due to the security offered by the Skipp/JJ axis, which, whatever the merits/demerits of Winks, Soumare & Choudhry, simply works. It’s a beautifully balanced 6/8 combo & long may it continue. The press was particularly effective vs Ipswich, if not as dramatically as theirs on us for their solitary goal.
 

Possibly the other biggest difference I’ve noticed is our RBs playing as orthodox full backs, instead of inverting. Ricardo had his best game for ages on Saturday as an orthodox RB who rarely overlapped (cf the third goal). With Ricky mostly where he should be, & Nelson assured next to Vesty, we look almost solid in defence. Unless, of course, our opponents attack down our left…

 

We were pressing in 'waves' again like we were against Fiorentina (who we have found out are sh1te - but never mind).

 

I dont know if the pressing is something that been tweaked because we are better defensively with Skipp, or its something we can only do against certain sides? I think when teams are very deep its difficult to do. 

[whoareyaaa]

46 minutes ago, Steve Earle said:

I couldn’t find the tactics thread? Maybe this is it?

 

Anyway I wondered if others had spotted* the tactical tweaks that have accompanied our mildly impressive three-game run? [* These might be figments of my imagination of course.]
 

Our initial press has improved IMO due to the security offered by the Skipp/JJ axis, which, whatever the merits/demerits of Winks, Soumare & Choudhry, simply works. It’s a beautifully balanced 6/8 combo & long may it continue. The press was particularly effective vs Ipswich, if not as dramatically as theirs on us for their solitary goal.
 

Possibly the other biggest difference I’ve noticed is our RBs playing as orthodox full backs, instead of inverting. Ricardo had his best game for ages on Saturday as an orthodox RB who rarely overlapped (cf the third goal). With Ricky mostly where he should be, & Nelson assured next to Vesty, we look almost solid in defence. Unless, of course, our opponents attack down our left…

 

I think the main difference in defense is Skipp covers if one of our defenders is out of position this was not happening previously

[Muzzy_no7]

Still haven’t a clue what he’s trying to do. 
 

He ain’t gonna push on our full backs so our wingers haven’t got a chance atm. 
 

We can’t really resort to a 3-5-2 because we haven’t got the strikers or good enough wing backs.

 

Same with a diamond, we haven’t got the full backs for it.

 

I mean I hate the guy but it might be time for Hamza to get a run in the side at full back. 
 

Okoli and Souttar need to be Involved ASAP. Okoli at full back and Souttar for Vesty. 
 

Guessing Souttar isn’t registered?

 

Braybrooke needs to be recalled in Jan, no doubt. 
 

Is it at the point where Faes gets minutes at fullback? 😳

 

Can we recall Coulibaly? At least he wouldn’t be spanked in 1v1s as often as LT and Ricardo.