As much as I have been critical of Harden, as I just do not think he has what it takes to be a CB, that is a team stat. It is hard to beleive that we play with a four man back-line with two DMs and we are simply not playing hard enough and/or smart enough to keep the shots on goals down.
Defending in someways is simple and it starts with hard work, positioning, and keeping shape. Something you would think is relatively easy to achieve, and hence why most teams around the world that are not very tallented try to rely on it to get points. Yet after almost 5 years is elludes us.
This.
LA subscribed to this thinking when they were short-handed at the beginning of Arena's tenure while they waited for reinforcements, including their DP. They gutted out something like 12 draws, mostly on the road, before their team was at full strength.
It seems to be something this team has overlooked.
Well all this and the coach needs to realize when the players aren't doing their jobs and start yelling out orders from the sidelines.
The space between our midfield and backline was ridiculous. It was obvious to me, it was obvious to Taylor Twellman in the booth after like the 5th minute. Winter should have been ripping Yourassowski and Tchani a new asshole after those two early goals.
I would seriously play Stinson and Cordon in the middle next game before starting those two useless cunts. Total lack of effort and professionalism. They don't deserve to play for TFC putting in an effort like that.
They had good shape for the first 20 minutes because they were playing slowly and patiently, keeping the correct distance between the midfield and defence.
After about 20 minutes, NY switched its focus to playing a wide counterattack deliberately, to speed up the pace of play. They also dropped Solli back (until they were 2 goals up) to mark out Plata.
By turning it into a running game, they took advantage of our poor positional intelligence, and there was way too much space between the backline and the midfield, allowing NY to cut it apart passing.
Our central midfielders played too tight to each other as well, which doesn't help. Hard to defend wide in a three-mad mid if one side can never get there intime.
^ That is why if playing a 4-3-3, your wide forwards must help out in defence. They wide forwards need to drop back and help out on the wings. As I often point out, Inter did it against Barca two years ago, the wide players Eto'o included dropped way back, almost playing like fullbacks at times.
Spacing between the mids is also big if your two holding mids are right next to each over.
^ You could almost hear the click when NY changed their tactics.
Rather see this. I guess, but we need some new blood ASAP.
As this is it's probably a bit too 4-4-2 for Winter but at least the midfield should be shored up and with Plata playing back and slightly more central he could drop back to advance the ball and distribute. Also playing Plata on the other wing would allow some overlapping runs with Eck. No solid answer until we get some better players but that is a topic for next spring.
----------------------Frei-------------------------
---Eck-------Attakora----Williams----Sturgis
-----------DeGuz---------Frings---------------
--------------------Tchani-----------------------
--------Plata--------------------------------
-------------------------------------Santos-------
------------------Koevermans------------------------
Last edited by Ultra & Proud; 07-08-2011 at 12:13 PM.
Exiled, I'm on an important conference call, sneaking a peek but needing to hold it together here, and you do this to me???!!!
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
Sorry I'm late to the convo ... just been racking up the billable hours (my house isn't going to renovate itself, yaknow?) ... what'd I miss?
lol.