Barton believes Pompey’s 4-4-2 won’t get them where they need to be.
He has probably got a point. Do Pompey play 442 as their default this season. Sure they played 352 last year.
I think Pompey look very strong this season and will be in the top 6. 442 makes a lot of sense for them as they’ve got 2 very good wingers in Dale and Curtis. But also got 3 strikers to pick from in Bishop, Pigott and Scarlett
Barton believes Pompey’s 4-4-2 won’t get them where they need to be.
He has probably got a point. Do Pompey play 442 as their default this season. Sure they played 352 last year.
I think Pompey look very strong this season and will be in the top 6. 442 makes a lot of sense for them as they’ve got 2 very good wingers in Dale and Curtis. But also got 3 strikers to pick from in Bishop, Pigott and Scarlett
It's still leaves the 2 v 3 problem in the middle. Let alone the teams that play 4 centre mids.
Barton believes Pompey’s 4-4-2 won’t get them where they need to be.
He has probably got a point. Do Pompey play 442 as their default this season. Sure they played 352 last year.
I think Pompey look very strong this season and will be in the top 6. 442 makes a lot of sense for them as they’ve got 2 very good wingers in Dale and Curtis. But also got 3 strikers to pick from in Bishop, Pigott and Scarlett
It's still leaves the 2 v 3 problem in the middle. Let alone the teams that play 4 centre mids.
It does but the Cowlyeys can play quite direct so are probably happy to sacrifice a midfielder so that they can get 2 strikers and 2 wingers on the pitch.
Bristol Rovers formation from that game looks more interesting. Apparently a 3-3-3-1 so it looks like Barton did try and overload the middle of the park
I think the Plymouth game has certainly boosted ours but good to see we are creating the most xG from open play in the league. It has been noticeable that our set pieces have really not threatened and that shows here with the lowest xG created from set pieces
(edit I have just seen the column titles aren’t on the screenshot. But 6.24 is our open play xG and then 0.30 set play xG)
Bizarre comments as ever from Barton. By all means debate the merits of formations, but a post match interview isn't the place, especially if you've just lost 3-1 to a team playing a 'crap' formation?
I went to a showcase game yesterday with two sides from Kinetic foundation academy with North London against South London and it was parents and Scouts there. In my experience and conversations with head of recruitments for professional clubs they really don't talk the way you hear fans talk about the minutiae of formations.
The head of Recruitment for Hibernian youth academy flew down recently and he was in his late 60's and back in the day was a scout for Blackburn when they won the Premier so I get to hear what they want to see in a young player. I alway say about Keeper's over doing the dribbling when a forward is near and pleased to say the Professionals agree that the Jeopardy involved is madness as demonstrated by Mendy last week.
The scouts there yesterday were from Prem down to league 2; last season there was a Dortmund Scout when they had even younger show case matches. The guy I chatted to and watched the game with was head of youth recruitment for a pro club. He was in his early 50's and said all the talk of this lad is a number 8 or number 6 isn't the way he and many others do their analyst. He had come to watch a central striker and a defender as he saw them play recently and wanted to check up again. Interesting that the tall number 9 was different to what they already had in their academy. Forwards who could play any where up front but not a centre Forward/ central striker who was already 6ft 2in just a month before his 17th birthday.
Pleased that Sky did a 4 minute feature on Kinetic foundation this morning and had Harry and James who started the academy 11 years ago(as 22 and 21 year olds after University at Southampton) and had their 62nd Scholar sign a pro contract last week.
I think Russell Martin did similar with his GK Andy Fisher at MK Dons. Played a back 3 which the keeper made into a back 4 when they were playing out from the back
I think Russell Martin did similar with his GK Andy Fisher at MK Dons. Played a back 3 which the keeper made into a back 4 when they were playing out from the back
(number in each box is our percentage possession in that area of the pitch)
For comparison, here is Ipswich who currently lead the league in overall possession statistics:
Illustrates the problem we have at the moment in that we struggle to get the ball into the opponent's half and sustain possession there. If we can do that then Stockley will suddenly look a lot more effective than us knocking it about our box with him on the halfway line.
This shows we are trying to press but it’s not really working for us. Stockley as a lone striker is definitely holding us back. Our press looked a lot better first half on Tuesday with Leaburn leading it.
Swindon were 4th in League 2 for PPDA last season but 5th from bottom when it came to high turnovers. Garner has showed he can quickly implement his possession game quite well but in terms of the high press (which is obviously very important to TS) our press is proving to be just as ineffective as Swindon’s was last season so far
I did find it bizarre when Sandgaard was going on about the high press. When probably the most notable improvement from Adkins to Jackson was that we pressed a lot better. To then appoint Garner didn’t make much sense if his main reason was our press. Fair enough if he’d been saying he wants us to be more attacking or have more possession as Garner delivers that. But as a pressing side we are worse now than last season
I did find it bizarre when Sandgaard was going on about the high press. When probably the most notable improvement from Adkins to Jackson was that we pressed a lot better. To then appoint Garner didn’t make much sense if his main reason was our press. Fair enough if he’d been saying he wants us to be more attacking or have more possession as Garner delivers that. But as a pressing side we are worse now than last season
Thought we pressed very well in JJ's early days but by the end it was practically non-existent.
I did find it bizarre when Sandgaard was going on about the high press. When probably the most notable improvement from Adkins to Jackson was that we pressed a lot better. To then appoint Garner didn’t make much sense if his main reason was our press. Fair enough if he’d been saying he wants us to be more attacking or have more possession as Garner delivers that. But as a pressing side we are worse now than last season
Thought we pressed very well in JJ's early days but by the end it was practically non-existent.
I would agree with that. Though I think that was more due to lack of effort as we had nothing to play for rather than poor coaching. We are putting in the effort at the moment but I don't think Garner can coach a high press well as shown by his Swindon numbers and what we have seen so far. Stockley is very easy to bypass so maybe it would be different with another striker
Well the coaching set up showed yesterday that we have a ‘plan b’ and even a ‘plan c’.
Though how 4-4-2 was our 4-4-2 yesterday, if that’s what it was, when we changed to it?
Felt like Rak-Sayki was very narrow and almost up there alongside Stockley and Leaburn much of the time.
Rak-Sakyi did play narrow with Egbo providing the width on the right, I think that partnership could lead to a lot of goals from that side as we saw yesterday.
I would still go back to the 4-3-3 next week, but with Leaburn up front. We’ve all been saying Stockley can’t play on his own but he had a strike partner for most of the game yesterday and still didn’t look like getting close to scoring. It’s just not happening for him at the moment so he needs to be out of the team
With our current squad there are certain players that have to play of fit, that doesn't include any of the defence currently however that doesn't mean I would replace them with midfielders!
Fraser, JRS, CBT, Stockley, Leaburn, Dobson all need to be on the field. I'd add Aneke into that but he just cannot be relied upon buying being a bonus player to be taken out of protective packaging for a few games at 2 maybe 3 different points of the season.
Pick a back 4 and stick with it, its one thing our lack of goals however if you are as vulnerable as we are you will drop more points than you gain.
A midfield of Dobson, Fraser and Leaburn isnt out of the question, into that midfield I would also have a fit JFC, Albie Morgan, Jack Payne or McGrandles. You can then have one or the other of JRS or CBT pushed much higher up and tucked in tighter to stockley. The thinking is with a narrow midfield diamond and full backs like sessegnon and Egbo they will provide the width in possession and in possession Leaburn can be much more of a 10 and get up closer to Jayden
Out of possession the midfield is a 5 made up of CBT/JRS, Dobson as the 4, Fraser as the 8, Leaburn 10 and McGrandles or Clare as your box to boxer. The idea is the closeness of that bunch to move together, one of the 5 cover gaps and space left by overloading full backs but the more advanced midfielders or Leaburn, Fraser, CBT are driving more directly at space. The key elements would be Dobson staying central and on occasion almost playing as a sweeper, Clare and Fraser as watchdogs up crucially as the legs and beating heart. Leaburn as the one who goes early to push up and beyond Stockley who should have CBT or Raksak much closer to him ready to pull wide or go in behind hopefully taking an extra player with him wherever he goes
Comments
(edit I have just seen the column titles aren’t on the screenshot. But 6.24 is our open play xG and then 0.30 set play xG)
In my experience and conversations with head of recruitments for professional clubs they really don't talk the way you hear fans talk about the minutiae of formations.
The head of Recruitment for Hibernian youth academy flew down recently and he was in his late 60's and back in the day was a scout for Blackburn when they won the Premier so I get to hear what they want to see in a young player. I alway say about Keeper's over doing the dribbling when a forward is near and pleased to say the Professionals agree that the Jeopardy involved is madness as demonstrated by Mendy last week.
The scouts there yesterday were from Prem down to league 2; last season there was a Dortmund Scout when they had even younger show case matches. The guy I chatted to and watched the game with was head of youth recruitment for a pro club. He was in his early 50's and said all the talk of this lad is a number 8 or number 6 isn't the way he and many others do their analyst. He had come to watch a central striker and a defender as he saw them play recently and wanted to check up again. Interesting that the tall number 9 was different to what they already had in their academy. Forwards who could play any where up front but not a centre Forward/ central striker who was already 6ft 2in just a month before his 17th birthday.
Pleased that Sky did a 4 minute feature on Kinetic foundation this morning and had Harry and James who started the academy 11 years ago(as 22 and 21 year olds after University at Southampton) and had their 62nd Scholar sign a pro contract last week.
(number in each box is our percentage possession in that area of the pitch)
I am suspicious that these have a direct correlation with the result.
Illustrates the problem we have at the moment in that we struggle to get the ball into the opponent's half and sustain possession there. If we can do that then Stockley will suddenly look a lot more effective than us knocking it about our box with him on the halfway line.
Though how 4-4-2 was our 4-4-2 yesterday, if that’s what it was, when we changed to it?
Felt like Rak-Sayki was very narrow and almost up there alongside Stockley and Leaburn much of the time.
Fraser, JRS, CBT, Stockley, Leaburn, Dobson all need to be on the field. I'd add Aneke into that but he just cannot be relied upon buying being a bonus player to be taken out of protective packaging for a few games at 2 maybe 3 different points of the season.
Pick a back 4 and stick with it, its one thing our lack of goals however if you are as vulnerable as we are you will drop more points than you gain.
A midfield of Dobson, Fraser and Leaburn isnt out of the question, into that midfield I would also have a fit JFC, Albie Morgan, Jack Payne or McGrandles. You can then have one or the other of JRS or CBT pushed much higher up and tucked in tighter to stockley. The thinking is with a narrow midfield diamond and full backs like sessegnon and Egbo they will provide the width in possession and in possession Leaburn can be much more of a 10 and get up closer to Jayden
Out of possession the midfield is a 5 made up of CBT/JRS, Dobson as the 4, Fraser as the 8, Leaburn 10 and McGrandles or Clare as your box to boxer. The idea is the closeness of that bunch to move together, one of the 5 cover gaps and space left by overloading full backs but the more advanced midfielders or Leaburn, Fraser, CBT are driving more directly at space. The key elements would be Dobson staying central and on occasion almost playing as a sweeper, Clare and Fraser as watchdogs up crucially as the legs and beating heart. Leaburn as the one who goes early to push up and beyond Stockley who should have CBT or Raksak much closer to him ready to pull wide or go in behind hopefully taking an extra player with him wherever he goes