Tactical adjustments and the midfield

[jloome]

Hey All,
I tend to think yesterday's game was a prototypical TFC road game: as soon as we sat back defensively (a hedge against the heat maybe) our link-up play in the midfield disappeared.

This wasn't about Dero and ching running Toronto over. It was about us not holding onto the ball. At all. In fact, Ricketts, Wynne and Brennan were the only guys on the field who didn't hoof it to the lead man as soon as they got the ball.

Harmse and Robinson were, in a word, atrocious. I'm not sure Harmse touched the ball more than twice the entire game, and his marking was non-existent. Robinson was not holding up the play until players could move upfield and into channels.

And this is always the problem as soon as this team gets flustered -- it falls onto the back foot and starts playing long ball, when they should've been taking Houston's team speed out of the game by slowing down the pace and stroking the ball around.

I realize we need a DP striker, but it's clear we also need a backup midfielder to Guevara who is a playmaker. We need to rebalance the mid so that when Guevara isn't around, there's someone else who can make the pinpoint pass that starts a break or gives people time to move. Ricketts kept drifting inside to take on this role, becuase no one else was doing it (and I think Carver gave him license to roam a bit) but he's a winger, not a central guy.

Even if it's an older player, we need someone in the mid who can pass and hold up. Robbo isn't good enough -- he's a good holder but that's it. His passing is all short-scope.

Harmse, the less said the better. He was fucking terrible yesterday.

IT wasn't just the centre mids, of course; the defensive shape was very weak yesterday. Marvel Wynne seems so confident of his own speed that he leaves the back corner open, knowing he can track back -- but never realizing that allowing his man in that deep gives all the opposing attackers time to get into the box.

Velez's positioning was very weak at times, and James's was horrendous in the first half, although his speed made up for it a few times.

Just a very poorly played game.

[joelakeshore]

Great analysis as usual jloome. I guess it takes his absence to really realize it, but I think watching Harmse ghost through the game made me appreciate Edu a lot more. Edu and Carl just seem a lot more comfortable together holding the ball and giving the attack more time to group and push up- not to mention Edu's marking, tackling, touch - well, everything - is miles better than Harmse. I wonder how Edu would handle a more creative role in Guevara's absence- not playing in the hole like Guevara, but pushing up more and leaving Carl back more for cover.

[jloome]

Great analysis as usual jloome. I guess it takes his absence to really realize it, but I think watching Harmse ghost through the game made me appreciate Edu a lot more. Edu and Carl just seem a lot more comfortable together holding the ball and giving the attack more time to group and push up- not to mention Edu's marking, tackling, touch - well, everything - is miles better than Harmse. I wonder how Edu would handle a more creative role in Guevara's absence- not playing in the hole like Guevara, but pushing up more and leaving Carl back more for cover.

He excelled at it a few times last year. Maybe we could diamond the mid when Guevara's away, and play two up top and Robinson deeply recessed?

[ag futbol]

Great analysis.

One thing i'd add is: possession. It was damn hot out last night and we needed to keep the ball more. We need a few more guys out on the field who are stronger on the ball.

[ensco]

I think we just played a bad game.

One thing about the positional/tactical analysis of road games where we stink - it's damn near impossible to have a clear picture of what's going on by watching on TV (especially when you have bad camera work, like last night). On TV, you only see what's working, as opposed to what isn't. Guys get pulled out of position all the time because they're trying to cover for a teammate, and you wind up blaming the wrong guy when you rely on the tube. I think this may have happened to Velez on the DeRo goal, for instance.

[rocker]

"ghost" is a good term for Harmse. Maybe it was the far back camera but I hardly noticed him on the field... like he was just taking up a position. he seems like a placeholder.

[kdzb]

We can't say that Canadians don't get the chance to play in TFC but when they get it, most of them make it so easy on the coach to put them on the fucking bunch or cut them loose.
I'm very disapointed with the performance of Harmes. I really thought that he didn't get his chance to shine before, but after a couple matches without Edu, I can tell why he is not in demand anywhere else.

[Oldtimer]

We can't say that Canadians don't get the chance to play in TFC but when they get it, most of them make it so easy on the coach to put them on the fucking bunch or cut them loose.
I'm very disapointed with the performance of Harmes. I really thought that he didn't get his chance to shine before, but after a couple matches without Edu, I can tell why he is not in demand anywhere else.

Most Canadians that we could get would be of similar quality or lower, unless we get a Canadian DP (which might not be our best use of the slot), or Houston's coach goes insane and gives us DeRo.

[jloome]

He's still young enough to get a DP deal here after he's done in Houston and take the big money home. He's getting $325,000 now but that's retardedly undervalued for a guy of his attacking skill. If we could swap him for Edu and an allocation or even Edu and Cunny right now I'd do it in a heart beat. Edu is gonzo soon, and Cunningham is, I'm starting to believe, a relic from the league's weaker days.

[ExiledRed]

I think we just played a bad game.

One thing about the positional/tactical analysis of road games where we stink - it's damn near impossible to have a clear picture of what's going on by watching on TV (especially when you have bad camera work, like last night). On TV, you only see what's working, as opposed to what isn't. Guys get pulled out of position all the time because they're trying to cover for a teammate, and you wind up blaming the wrong guy when you rely on the tube. I think this may have happened to Velez on the DeRo goal, for instance.

There were at least three incidents of aggression between both teams, and the camera went and hid in the corner. I couldnt figure it out.
I think they were actually censoring the 'violence'