| The midfield hole 15:20 - Sep 21 with 5252 views | Beckenhamhoop |
This team is its own worst enemy. After slowing the play down to a snails pace allowing the opposition to retain shape, we resort to play passes into players, usually tight to the touch line, who’re tightly marked and got their backs to goal. Often there is no supporting QPR player within 20 yards. They have no where to go and are immediately under pressure. This often tends to be Saito or Dembele both of whom are not physically strong enough to cope with receiving the ball in this way. We either lose the ball or it goes out for a thrown in.
This seems to be an option as the midfielders just don’t show for the ball. Im going to single out Field and Varane on this as they are the deeper lying midfielders. Varane, who Im still far from convinced by, is often positioned behind an opposition player when the CB’s are in possession effectively taking himself out of the game. He often has a tendency to stand and watch rather than affect the game by at least searching out space in which to receive the ball and turn the play around. The ability to do this was apparently one of the reasons we identified Varane as a player to turn defence into attack. I’ve seen precious little of any of this. I’d like to see what % of his passes actually go forward compared to other DM’s in the league. His tendency to pass backwards slows our play down again.
I’m not sure you can excuse his lack of experience of the championship for this as to my mind searching out space to receive the ball is basic midfield play regardless of what league you play in. He’s good at breaking up play when out of possession, which is what his stats showed before we bought him.
Field is better out of possession than in it. He is a disrupter and nothing more. He’s technically quite poor and has no ability to advance the play through the thirds (as they say). As a result we effectively have this gaping hole in the middle of the team. When push comes to shove later in the game, we resort to the basic tactic of pushing Jimmy Dunne further up the pitch and knocking it long(er). This has paid off several times but I’d rather not have to rely on this to get us out of a hole of our own making.
It could be an option to play Madsen in a deeper role but he seems to lack the workrate and grit needed for that position. Colback has occasionally been a liability but I can’t see any player in the squad that plays this DM position better than he does.
It’s all very well having game winning players like Dembele or Chair in your team if you struggle to get the ball to them quickly with the opposition retreating at pace (see Freys goal today). |  | | |  |
| The midfield hole on 13:02 - Sep 22 with 467 views | dannyblue |
| The midfield hole on 12:08 - Sep 22 by davman |
Cutting through much of the tactical jargon on this thread, the one point from the OP that resonated with me is that no-one comes looking, demanding the ball. Yes, Paal has started to get in those positions, but he just stands there. If he does get passed to (rarely), his instinct is to keep possession by playing a safe ball back to the CBs. Field in the same,butter least he looks for it.
Varane is showing some signs of wanting the ball, but is no better as he looks back first. Colback is the only one that shows signs of wanting to progress.
...and in front of them, I see the same. No-one demands the ball as though they have been banned from doing something other than the "sacred game plan". Too formulaic, too predictable.
We need to do something different and better. |
You know who was actually very good at this? Dom Ball.
Now his pass didn't always arrive where it was meant to. But he was excellent at receiving from the centrebacks, and turning forward, often dummying or beating the press. It made me very nervous but I don't really remember him getting caught.
He was a relatively limited footballer. If Warbs could get him to do it, you'd hope Marti could get these better players to do it eventually. EDB and JV have all the physical characteristics to turn and accelerate past the press. So then we come down to bravery, as stated. |  | | |
| The midfield hole on 13:04 - Sep 22 with 466 views | SK_hoops |
Yesterday reminded a bit of watching England in the Euros, a lot of passing it about safely at the back, but no real options in front. Also, a lack of risk taking going forward. The goal came from a piece of individual brilliance too, which is great, what a goal, but as someone said you can't keep relying on that. To some extent, I can understand playing against top clubs away from home (or at home, so the season has gone so far), but it's only Millwall! | | | |
| The midfield hole on 13:12 - Sep 22 with 442 views | 1JD |
| The midfield hole on 13:02 - Sep 22 by dannyblue |
You know who was actually very good at this? Dom Ball.
Now his pass didn't always arrive where it was meant to. But he was excellent at receiving from the centrebacks, and turning forward, often dummying or beating the press. It made me very nervous but I don't really remember him getting caught.
He was a relatively limited footballer. If Warbs could get him to do it, you'd hope Marti could get these better players to do it eventually. EDB and JV have all the physical characteristics to turn and accelerate past the press. So then we come down to bravery, as stated. |
Dom Ball was indeed excellent at this. It’s a skill that is assumed a CM has, but not many actually have it. See Declan Rice, an 105m DCM, and pretty much all of our CMs since Faurlin, who cannot do it. | | | |
| The midfield hole on 14:19 - Sep 22 with 325 views | hubble |
Got to say I think the OP is completely wrong to single out Varane as a problem, if anything, the reverse is true: for me he's one if the few players who came out if that game looking good, and we were a much better team second half with him in the side. The real conundrum for me is Madsen: what does he offer? As others have said, he looked like he was hiding half the time; no link up play, no line-breaking passes, and certainly no tackles or interceptions; for such a big bloke, he has all the presence of a powder puff. I get that he has technical ability, but he seems scared to use it. With the featherweight Saito to the left and Andersen flanning around in the centre, and another lightweight in Dembele on the right, we had no midfield presence at all. It was a massive problem. That changed when Varane replaced Madsen and Smyth replaced Saito. Because although Smyth is another lightweight, he's also a tenacious terrier snd retains possession better. Varane is one I'm really excited about; I think he's the real deal. |  |
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| The midfield hole on 15:26 - Sep 22 with 228 views | 1JD |
| The midfield hole on 14:19 - Sep 22 by hubble |
Got to say I think the OP is completely wrong to single out Varane as a problem, if anything, the reverse is true: for me he's one if the few players who came out if that game looking good, and we were a much better team second half with him in the side. The real conundrum for me is Madsen: what does he offer? As others have said, he looked like he was hiding half the time; no link up play, no line-breaking passes, and certainly no tackles or interceptions; for such a big bloke, he has all the presence of a powder puff. I get that he has technical ability, but he seems scared to use it. With the featherweight Saito to the left and Andersen flanning around in the centre, and another lightweight in Dembele on the right, we had no midfield presence at all. It was a massive problem. That changed when Varane replaced Madsen and Smyth replaced Saito. Because although Smyth is another lightweight, he's also a tenacious terrier snd retains possession better. Varane is one I'm really excited about; I think he's the real deal. |
Agreed. I’m wondering whether Varane is a typo and the OP means Madsen instead, who actually started the game, and fits the description of being missing in action.
Varane has a lot to like about as DCM. Physical, athletic, can tackle. All of the standard DCM fare, but is showing touch, technique and the ability to play out on the half turn under pressure which is more promising. Not always, but the core ability is there, and can be built upon. The more he plays and acclimatises the better he will get.
Madsen clearly has talent on the ball, but it’s few and far between. He is very much a peripheral figure, neither involved in on the ball play demanding for it, showing for it, or off the ball in terms of positioning, tracking, getting stuck in. Getting Andre Dozzell vibes at this stage | | | |
| The midfield hole on 16:38 - Sep 22 with 129 views | Beckenhamhoop |
| The midfield hole on 15:26 - Sep 22 by 1JD |
Agreed. I’m wondering whether Varane is a typo and the OP means Madsen instead, who actually started the game, and fits the description of being missing in action.
Varane has a lot to like about as DCM. Physical, athletic, can tackle. All of the standard DCM fare, but is showing touch, technique and the ability to play out on the half turn under pressure which is more promising. Not always, but the core ability is there, and can be built upon. The more he plays and acclimatises the better he will get.
Madsen clearly has talent on the ball, but it’s few and far between. He is very much a peripheral figure, neither involved in on the ball play demanding for it, showing for it, or off the ball in terms of positioning, tracking, getting stuck in. Getting Andre Dozzell vibes at this stage |
No, I did single out Varane rather than Madsen as Varane was playing the deeper role and therefore more likely to be taking the ball from the CB’s. I do think Varane has improved since his first horror showing. If you watch him when we’re fannying about across the back 4 (or sometimes 3) he seems to switch off, especially after having passed backwards. He just stops offering himself as an option to pass to. Hopefully he’ll carry on improving. | | | |
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