Style of Play

Even the best teams in the world adapt slightly against different teams. So no reason why we cannot have an intensly attacking style with a slight switch to very good counter attacking football for europe to stop us conceding as many.

That is anges biggest weakness and he will be found out. He'll go guns blazing vs City and get punished severely.

 

Yes

 

I've flip-flopped on this so much in the past. At first, I was all for a more attacking style of play in Europe; then, after some absolute hidings, including at CP, I decided I want us to play defensively.

However, I think I'm changing my mind again. We need to have a growth mindset like Ange was talking about. Becoming competitive in Europe might easily be a 5-year project even from here (let alone 2 years ago). We've been talking about following the Porto/Benfica/Ajax model for a decade, but we've only been doing it in a half-assed fasion, e.g. hanging on to people like Edouard or Boyata for an extra season when they didn't want to be here and not really investing the money well from Virgil, etc. What we saw with Giakoumakis and Juranovic is the way forward: Want to leave? OK. Sell, replace with younger players with the potential to be even better, rinse and repeat. That goes for ANYONE. If Kyogo wants to go, we do that. If Jota wants to go, we do that. And importantly, we keep to the same principles and playing style throughout.

 

It’s not really an either or.

Being more compact could also be having the team press better as a unit instead of Kyogo or Maeda just running around like a headless chicken with nobody going with them.

 

Of course, but work would have to be done on the training ground, as you just can't flick a switch and go from one style to another.

It might be old hat, but I'd rather we went 3-5-2 in every game.

 

No, but something like the Bodo approach under Knutsen seems appropriate. Plays a similar style to Ange in the league by all accounts, but tweaked things to some degree in Europe without completely changing course or throwing out all their principles. They sat back against us quite a bit at Celtic Park, soaked up pressure and hit us repeatedly in transition. Yet there were still occasions when they were on the front foot and looking to control the game.

 

Ange wasn't very pragmatic in Europe and most of us could see that. In some ways I liked that we didn't sit back but I think we need to have a middle ground for those days or a plan b in general.

 

One of the things that got to me about our performances in the CL this season was how close we were to coming out with different results.

Kyogo & Maeda missed some real sitters. We got some bad decisions from handballs etc..

But we weren't that far away. Postecoglou plays in a way that is focused on attack. We leave ourselves open but the idea is we score more. If we get it wrong then we get hammered.

I like it. Kyogo will be better at it next time as will the rest of the squad. I'd like us to stick to it but it really depends on the next manager. Without Postecoglou it will be difficult to continue in that way, but not impossible.

It's sore loosing, but get it right & we'll batter anyone.

 

With attacking full backs we are playing a 3-5-2 style of football. So why now have a 3-5-2 formation?

If you want to be more attacking then have three as 2 CBs and one DM.

But if we keep leaving the CBs exposed, we'll keep getting rogered in Europe.

And I know a good rogering is part of the Euro away experience, but I'd prefer it if that was restricted to us rogering the "Sugar Frosties"

 

You have to be sensible

We where running about like headless chickens most of the time in Europe and you’re against teams that know exactly how to deal with it

 

There is absolutely no reason we can't play attacking, free-flowing football in the league, and make some tactical tweaks to be more defensive/solid for Europe, without sacrificing every inch of attacking output.

Look at how midtable teams (i.e. Brighton, Brentford) in bigger leagues perform against the top teams consistently without being ultra-defensive. You need to adapt your regular, existing tactics, not throw it fully out the window. The one thing with Ange is it just seemed the exact same in Europe.

It's one reason why I'm all for Iraola getting the job: he has experience beating teams with better players, whilst still playing attacking football.

 

Nothing wrong with being slightly more compact whilst playing progressive football.

The gaps between our players and the ability to set traps for the opposition will be key in how we progress. Not just our forwards sprinting at the ball.

It’s clear we didn’t work on defensive shape all too often.

 

While the majority of our games can be played as all out attack when it comes to Europe we do need to be able to take a different approach. So being pragmatic, at times, is the sensible option.

 

In Europe yes, it's a no brainer to me. That doesn't have to mean put 10 men behind the ball but nothing at all wrong with tweaking formation if plan A doesn't work aand playing on the counter if need be. The all guns blazing no matter approach was as much about Ange's ego as it was anything else. Fun to watch? Aye maybe but seeing us win and get more than 2 * points would have been a * of a lot more fun.

 

This is why i'm all for Iraola. His pressing is outstanding and it seems to be effective to a higher level against better sides. I think he's took a couple of tankings though but tbf he's probably got his team punching well above their weight over the last couple of seasons.

 

It just needs little tweaks and ultimately some better quality in certain positions..

I genuinely don't want us going back to some slog type pish just so we can bag a draw at home to Leipzig..

We have a core of good players who in the main have done well playing exciting, attacking football..

It isn't faultless and some points about being open to the counter or the press no being up to scratch are bang on. Need more athleticism and physicality also..

Most champions league sides are flooded with both as well as quality. 9 times out of 10 that will prevail. If we add it and get a system that is better in the press and no as open to the counter....we'll be on to something..

We can do it by still playing attacking stuff..

 

I don't even think it's debatable tbh. It's an absolute must if we want to progress in the CL.

 

Naw, if we had been able to finish some of the chances we created in the the champions league this year we could of done a lot better .It's far better to watch us trying to win than trying not to get beat,the Celtic way