Reflection…

[Stowwall]

Hope we can follow up on yesterday's win with a win against Watford. Would be very handy.
QP HaHa Ha at Leicester, and Huddersfield home to Leeds , Stoke home to Boro, Sheff Wed v Rovrum, Brum h to Soton.
COYL

 

[Phlion54]

Yesterday's game points was a bonus for us cause no one really thought we would get anything to be honest but it's the home form that's needs addressing , just must improve cause it will be the saving objectives can turn it around

 

[robbo555]

The gameplan was simple as I mentioned yesterday. The extra midfielder sitting in meant that they couldn't pass through us through the middle and so had to keep going wide. High balls into the box is something we usually deal with quite well and so it played into our hands.
As I said, and if you watch it back, Saville hardly touched the ball but with Honeyman, Mitchell and Longman all staying tight beside him as a unit, he was just there to block any through balls. It worked perfectly.
How many times recently, under both Rowett and Edwards, have teams just played or run through our middle. The 5 at the back always left us a man short in there. Having the extra man in the middle made all the difference. Having Flemming more central also helped.
Who'd have thought it, a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 works for us.
No, we didn't actually attack much or have much of the ball but not many teams can do what Southampton do.

It's a really good point and it's something Harris mentioned afterwards. It disrupted their flow and blocked off the middle of the pitch. Harris said that is why he picked Leonard and Danny as the full-backs because he knew they could handle their one-on-one duels and even if they didn't it would result in a cross which our central defenders are more than capable of handling. Flemming also dropped onto their deep lying playmaker when we were in a defensive shape.

It's interesting what you say about an extra body in midfield. I thought this was a problem in the latter end of the Rowett reign and definitely under Edwards. Particularly against teams that like to control the game. That was evident when we played Ipswich and Coventry. Like you say, the extra man at the back is a false security measure because it just invites pressure and that usually tells eventually in a game. Aston Villa play a very narrow 4-4-2 under Emery and it forces teams to play wide and suffocates the centre of the pitch.

 

[robbo555]

I should also add that @Phlion54 makes a fair point. Playing that way can work when we are away, but it's another matter at home. If we do do that the crowd can get restless and that transmits to the players and they can get nervous and make errors. If we go gung-ho then we could end up being picked off. Our home crowd's mood can be so crucial. It basically won us the game against Norwich and the players fed off it. If Harris can somehow tap into that then our home form can improve and there is no one better at knowing how to do that than him.

 

[heh-now]

We really, offered next to nothing up front but managed 2 goals while the park the bus attitude was resurrected , nice to see the lack of passing out from the goalie and the Harris hoof was used to get the ball away from our box ,players look more comfortable with the passing game but we do not want the same tactics at home please....just get an attacking plan in place for home games

Yes. I still fear this appointment hoofball is gone. Has he learned anything