Critchleys tactics

B

Bigpommo

Well-known member
Forgetting how tedious the footballs been for a second can someone with coaching badges or more footballing knowledge than me explain what our tactics are trying to achieve. (Not a thread to bash Critchley but a genuine question)

For 3 and a half games now its been give it to big Marv who sends it long to lavery or a big switch to the wing practically every time we’re in possession. It happens so frequently that it has to be part of the coaching. Clearly its not working but hypothetically if it was working what would that look like?

I don’t see how it can cause any problems for defences at all because whenever the player receives the ball its always been in the air for eternity and then the receiver has to bring it down at chest or head height under pressure and more often than not go back.

So i suppose my question is why are we doing it? Critchley isnt stupid so there must be some purpose to it but i just don’t get it at all?
 
He's using our least technical player (Marv) to start the moves off and as far as I can see it's just long balls up to beesley who can't hold it up or lavery who is tiny.

I'm sure last time we were in league one he tried some weird formations early on and ended up just going back to 4-4-2.
 
He’s trying to engineer three against two in midfield, when that lump ball goes up to the front and then finds its way back into midfield.
 
We’re trying to use a CDM as a ‘quarterback’ and it relies on intelligent position switching from CB’s and WB’s (depending on adequate cover being in place) but also on intelligent use of space from CM’s in order to make themselves available. Ultimately like Burton 1st half we should be able to launch attacks and be difficult to defend against as we can play through the middle, over the top and from out wide… however teams packing the middle has disrupted our ability to find spaces and seemingly disrupted the ability of the WB’s and CB’s to understand when to switch positions.
Seemingly Marv has taken over the QB role in order to free up the CDM to allow for more options in the middle (and hopefully for more space to be available for attack minded players) but that hasn’t paid dividends at all yet.
The CM’s haven’t done anywhere near enough to create space nor have they got involved on the ball enough. The WB’s don’t have the confidence to get forward as they don’t seem to know if the cover is in place or if a CM will support their attacks and actually play a reverse pass if they make the overlap beyond them.

We’re not doing what we can potentially do - in my opinion - due to the failings of the CM’s. Carey and Morgan have to press more, but also find space and get on the ball more. They also have to think quicker in order to release the maurauding WB as and when that happens.

Speed of transition is key. I think it will come but it will take time for the squad and the individuals to learn and trust the exact positions of their team mates in any given pattern of play.

I fully expect Gabriel in at RWB when fully fit. I also think Critchley recognises the CM’s aren’t yet up to scratch despite actually having plenty in the squad - as we seem intent on bringing in more.
 
The attacking Midfielders tend to drift very wide which firstly creates a lot of congestion on the flanks and leaves the strikers a bit isolated, I'd bet that is part of the critchley method the AMs on the flanks. It seems easy to defend against, the only joy we've had in the last two games has been down the flanks with hubby getting crosses in off his natural foot, likewise CJ and Lyons both after they switched.
 
One problem is Marv. He is decent until he has the ball. Doesn’t run with it and can’t pass less than 30 yards so has to hoof it otherwise he puts us in danger. That said he was John Stones compared to Orients big centre half. He was not a footballer and our most dangerous player
 
What was Pennington like on the ball because for me Casey is now a shoe in and if he is going to play 3 at the back then I'd say Marvin might lose his place.
 
LA1 Seasider said:
We’re trying to use a CDM as a ‘quarterback’ and it relies on intelligent position switching from CB’s and WB’s (depending on adequate cover being in place) but also on intelligent use of space from CM’s in order to make themselves available. Ultimately like Burton 1st half we should be able to launch attacks and be difficult to defend against as we can play through the middle, over the top and from out wide… however teams packing the middle has disrupted our ability to find spaces and seemingly disrupted the ability of the WB’s and CB’s to understand when to switch positions.
Seemingly Marv has taken over the QB role in order to free up the CDM to allow for more options in the middle (and hopefully for more space to be available for attack minded players) but that hasn’t paid dividends at all yet.
The CM’s haven’t done anywhere near enough to create space nor have they got involved on the ball enough. The WB’s don’t have the confidence to get forward as they don’t seem to know if the cover is in place or if a CM will support their attacks and actually play a reverse pass if they make the overlap beyond them.

We’re not doing what we can potentially do - in my opinion - due to the failings of the CM’s. Carey and Morgan have to press more, but also find space and get on the ball more. They also have to think quicker in order to release the maurauding WB as and when that happens.

Speed of transition is key. I think it will come but it will take time for the squad and the individuals to learn and trust the exact positions of their team mates in any given pattern of play.

I fully expect Gabriel in at RWB when fully fit. I also think Critchley recognises the CM’s aren’t yet up to scratch despite actually having plenty in the squad - as we seem intent on bringing in more.
Click to expand...
Im glad i asked the question now. What a good answer, thanks for taking the time to type that out. Next time i see big marv hoofing one out of play at least i’ll know the reason
 
Bigpommo said:
Forgetting how tedious the footballs been for a second can someone with coaching badges or more footballing knowledge than me explain what our tactics are trying to achieve. (Not a thread to bash Critchley but a genuine question)

For 3 and a half games now its been give it to big Marv who sends it long to lavery or a big switch to the wing practically every time we’re in possession. It happens so frequently that it has to be part of the coaching. Clearly its not working but hypothetically if it was working what would that look like?

I don’t see how it can cause any problems for defences at all because whenever the player receives the ball its always been in the air for eternity and then the receiver has to bring it down at chest or head height under pressure and more often than not go back.

So i suppose my question is why are we doing it? Critchley isnt stupid so there must be some purpose to it but i just don’t get it at all?
Click to expand...
If you watch our warm up routine pre match, they do a session of starting from Centre back on half way who then plays wide to wing back who crosses first time for Lavs and Bees to finish alternating wings………if the opposition are watching we are showing them our only move as outlined in your post!
 
charnleysball said:
If you watch our warm up routine pre match, they do a session of starting from Centre back on half way who then plays wide to wing back who crosses first time for Lavs and Bees to finish alternating wings………if the opposition are watching we are showing them our only move as outlined in your post!
Click to expand...
After derby the team the team reverted to very set patterns of play coming out from the back. The Burton and derby games and most of the time pre season we were much fluid, but in the second half of both those games we gave possession away a bit too easily. I could assume from critchleys general "play it safe" approach that the fluidity was compromising possession, which is his be all and end all.
Saying that, the rigid patterns we are playing are easy to read so we lose possession quite quickly anyway, because we are under a press that is often predicting the next pass or we go long with hopeful balls. It wasn't just Marv though losing possession norburn was guilty of it as well, which tells me there's an issue with how the midfield, wing backs, and strikers are set up when on the attack.
Something else I noticed on Saturday was the lack of players getting into the box, which was a problem early doors in the L1 promotion year and the year after in the champs. If we do get around the defence, any pass or cross has to be very accurate to pick out the 1 or 2 players in tangerine amongst a sea of defenders.
I can see there's a plan, and defensively it's working, even though we very much rode our luck on Saturday, but he has to do something about the way we attack, or even just function when we are in possession.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top