Thierry Ennui Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 This isn't about our performance, it's more of a tactical observation. I noticed yesterday that Bryson and Dawkins were constantly switching. Dawkins spent much of the first half in the centre. Were they doing that last season? I don't recall it. Also noticed a small period where Hendrick and Hughes swapped. Have we become less rigid with our positions or am I just not remembering it? Wondering if it's a ploy to confuse teams that set up deep and organised against us at home, or to drag teams that strictly man mark. Because on paper it's a nice idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozza Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 it's good to switch , so long as the left leg is knowing what the right leg is doing.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McRamFan Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Switch people around and the defenders start to get confused. Kinda a bit like the Dutch total football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cannable Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I noticed it too. Hendrick was even playing wide right for a few minutes. Stevie said in the Wembley programme that his time spent in Holland developed his philosophy. I never thought he'd have us playing total football though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VulcanRam Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Dawkins spent most of his time in the middle. As did Russell. Doesn't mean they were supposed to. Most of the time when one or both of them were keeping the Rotherham massed ranks company we had nodoby on the flanks at all. So if it was tactics then it wasn't working very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thierry Ennui Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 Dawkins spent most of his time in the middle. As did Russell. Doesn't mean they were supposed to. Most of the time when one or both of them were keeping the Rotherham massed ranks company we had nodoby on the flanks at all. So if it was tactics then it wasn't working very well. Russell wasn't so bad but Dawkins was often our most central player - surely it was an instruction rather than his own decision? I think poor individual performances cost us more goals yesterday ahead of anything else. When Martin is off colour we are massively compromised. If conscious changes were made yesterday then I'm happy about that, rather than McClaren changing the formation and hoping for the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VulcanRam Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Russell wasn't so bad but Dawkins was often our most central player - surely it was an instruction rather than his own decision? I think poor individual performances cost us more goals yesterday ahead of anything else. When Martin is off colour we are massively compromised. If conscious changes were made yesterday then I'm happy about that, rather than McClaren changing the formation and hoping for the best. I don't know because when he was playing centrally no-one seemed to be filling his position. Same with JR. I did see Bryson make some excellent diagonal runs first half down the left into the space where Dawkins had been, but he was never spotted/picked out. So I'm not sure. Steve Mac doesn't seem like someone who hits and hopes for the best, so I'm with you, I'd like to think they're trying new stuff. Time will tell I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climbon Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Switch people around and the defenders start to get confused. Kinda a bit like the Dutch total football. Don't know about the defenders but some of our fans might get confused. Was sat next to someone yesterday who I swear was only there to moan, complained whenever a pass went backward or sideways. Kept calling bucko "jack", and kept saying "who's that bloody number 7, he's ****, get him off". If lots of fans are like him then switching positions will only confuse them further. In that case its a yes from me...grant upfront anyone?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCFC1388 Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I think the idea is in attack our full backs go forward...our holding mid drops back to form a back 3...bryson and hendrick go forward...martin drops deep to form a 3 with bryson and hendrick to interchange passes (normally a ball to martins feet, he lays off to bryson or hendrick and they then feed russell or dawkins or go wide to the full backs)...russell and dawkins come centrally for balls behind the defence (like russell vs huddersfield)...then if it gets congested in the middle our full backs are forward to offer width and to put crosses in. All of that happened yesterday apart from our full backs keeping the width and going forward...not sure why but they both were uncertain when to stay or go. Saying that Christie was our best player yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YorkshireRam Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I think the idea now is not to play with 2 wingers and a striker but to play with 3 strikers, 2 playing behind Martin, hence why Dawkins was inside so much. I'd rather play with proper wingers though that hit the byline and swing a cross in because this drags the full-backs out, giving the midfielders more space down the centre. This was apparent yesterday when the middle of the park became extremely congested. Even McClaren said he wanted the players to use width more (wide right he mentioned specifically). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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