1. Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!

Defending narrow leads ...

Discussion in 'Sunderland' started by Smug in Boots, Sep 14, 2021.

  1. Exactly. By conceding the ground,you invite them on. I would much rather we continued to play attacking football,looking for a third,and try to pin them back,than rely on shoring up the defence and conceding ground and possession.If they manage to break through,so be it.If we have belief in our attacking strategy....and it's worked for 80 minutes of the match...why alter it.
    I understand the opposition mentality of " if we're a goal behind we may as well go for an equaliser and if we concede another what does it matter",but that's them controlling the match rather than us. If we're on it,the moment they take up that mentality,we should be looking for more goals,
    and putting the match beyond them.
     
    #101
    clockstander likes this.
  2. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2015
    Messages:
    6,796
    Likes Received:
    11,918
    Because they didn't have to due to the course that the game was taking. That's a very different scenario. Fleetwood took the game to us on Saturday, forcing us on to the back foot. When the game looked to be over, we brought an extra defender on because they were hitting long balls into the box constantly. Hardly an avant garde tactic.
    You suggested Tuchel didn't change anything. He did. My point being that sometimes you have to change things depending on the way the game is playing out.
    What I meant was that we had to become more defensive because of the way Fleetwood started playing. We can't continue to commit men forward if they're bypassing our pressing by going direct. Our tactics will necessarily reflect the tactics of the opposition at times.
     
    #102
    Nordic and Sunderpitt like this.
  3. Good,thoughtful post mate. It's generally agreed that we tried to sit back after we took the lead...the debate is whether or not it's standard practice to sit defensively and hold on for the last 15 mins. Player mentality,particularly in a young team like ours,is often affected from the bench....although someone with McGeady's experience may not be so affected by it.
    In my opinion,if we start to try to protect a lead,whether one goal or more,ten minutes + what could be 5 mins added time..it's a mistake....we should keep playing our game.
    We just aren't good enough defensively to withstand a bombardment in this league.......let's play our football further up the pitch,pin them back,retain possession and snuff them out.
     
    #103
  4. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2015
    Messages:
    6,796
    Likes Received:
    11,918
    Did we though? It looked more to me like Fleetwood changed their approach slightly, forcing us backwards.
     
    #104
    Sunderpitt likes this.
  5. Well, even if the opposition change their approach,if we're the better side,we should still be able to manage it and adapt it into our game plan. In every match we play,the opposition are going to have times of possession and pressure on our goal.....we have to be good enough to manage it,whether it's the 20th minute or the 80th minute.
     
    #105
  6. Saf

    Saf Not606 Godfather+NOT606 Poster of the year 2023

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2018
    Messages:
    30,941
    Likes Received:
    39,758
    I'm not sure I get this, mate. It sounds like we should just submit to other teams tactics when they change them up.

    I'd rather our tactics force the game rather than adjusting the way we play because of the opposition tactics. We should be confident that the way we play will see off any team in this division. If every team we play against now starts launching the ball from the first minute to the last from CB to CF, does that mean they will be forcing us to go defensive and we'll need to change our tactics to counter the opposition?

    At times like that, I'd be more inclined to push McGeady and Gooch even further up the pitch telling them to chase every player and pass down to stop them putting the longs balls over in the first place.
     
    #106
  7. samwise_new

    samwise_new Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2019
    Messages:
    3,822
    Likes Received:
    11,014
    think this is the million dollar question though, did we change because fleetwood suddenly went all 'gung-ho' or did fleetwood get the upper hand because we sat back more...i need to watch the full 90 again but my impression was that we stopped passing the ball around and therefore keeping control which allowed them to press, there again, i guess if we got 10 lads who were all watching the game they could all see things slightly differently.
     
    #107
    The Norton Cat likes this.
  8. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2015
    Messages:
    6,796
    Likes Received:
    11,918
    I thought we did manage it fairly well, in tactical terms. They started bypassing the midfield where we had the upper hand so we soaked that up and started hitting them on the break. The introduction of Broadhead helped with that. Good movement by their forwards and a lapse of concentration by Winchester got them back into it. We didn't bring the extra defender on until we were into added time at which point it seemed sensible. Another individual error cost us when Wright put his hands on Morton. It seemed to me these individual errors, which its hard for the coaching staff to legislate for, were what McGeady was complaining about in his interview, rather than the tactics.
     
    #108
    Nordic and sad-eyed prophet like this.
  9. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2015
    Messages:
    6,796
    Likes Received:
    11,918
    This is very true.
     
    #109
  10. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2015
    Messages:
    6,796
    Likes Received:
    11,918
    I think that's the thing though. I don't agree that we went defensive, particularly. They were bypassing midfield where were strongest. So, as they were forcing us back, we started hitting them on the break. Broadhead for Embleton is not a defensive change. We still had chances to go further ahead after they became more direct.
     
    #110
    sad-eyed prophet likes this.

  11. Good post mate.
     
    #111
    Whittylad likes this.
  12. And another.
     
    #112
  13. I agree Broadhead for Embleton isn't a defensive change....despite that individual change,.it's the mentality which changes.The rest of the side weren't geared up to use him...they were already in defensive,defend at all costs,deeper and deeper mode. That's what we have to change.
     
    #113
  14. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2015
    Messages:
    6,796
    Likes Received:
    11,918
    I certainly agree that the mentality to see a game out might not be right. It looks like McGeady thinks that too and, from what he said, that the manager does too.
     
    #114
    Nordic and sad-eyed prophet like this.
  15. Spot on mate!
    By the way, good discussing things with you...what the forum is all about.
     
    #115
    clockstander and The Norton Cat like this.
  16. clockstander

    clockstander Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2013
    Messages:
    19,691
    Likes Received:
    33,604
    Our pressing was inefective and in the wrong area thats the whole point, I cant really be bothered to argue with you but if you think I don't rate Tuchel you have missed my earlier posts, I love Tuchel, a straight talker if ever their was one, a complete contrast to the people you seem to worship, I repeat for your benefit, I was talking about his tactics after Chelsea were two up, again, as you well know.
     
    #116
  17. BackO'TheNet

    BackO'TheNet Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2011
    Messages:
    3,592
    Likes Received:
    2,408
    Especially in this Leage, when, on paper, we appear to have best outfit from top to bottom....and superia attendace support !
     
    #117
  18. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2015
    Messages:
    6,796
    Likes Received:
    11,918
    And with you! Its good to be able to have an in depth discussion about these things. <cheers>
     
    #118
    sad-eyed prophet likes this.
  19. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2015
    Messages:
    6,796
    Likes Received:
    11,918
    I haven't suggested that you don't rate Tuchel. Who do I worship? Johnson? If this is about me defending him last season when people were criticising his terminology, I stand by what I said at the time- I hear that kind of terminology all the time, its not unusual. That's hardly worshipping him, although he does seem to be doing a good job as I anticipated he might.
    Like I said, Tuchel didn't need to change anything after they took the lead due to the way the game went after he made his change.
     
    #119
  20. E.T. Fairfax

    E.T. Fairfax Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2012
    Messages:
    8,140
    Likes Received:
    9,287
    Just an example really. My point being that an oppositions momentum dictates individual players mentality (whether to defend or attack), not just tactics.
     
    #120
    Nordic and The Norton Cat like this.

Share This Page