Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Who told you this?

Seriously?

We went from a high pressing team under Poch, to a low block defensive team under Mourinho, Nuno, and Conte.

The team that implemented the high press is always going to press more than the team that sits back...

 

[shelfstandspur]

It has been interesting reading/listening to all of the information coming in on Ange and his approach to the game. There are concerns/worries but I think that given some initial patience we have reasons to be very excited:
- Attacking football vs dire football under Conte.
- Squad not matching his Celtic approach - the information coming out suggests he is wedded to attacking football not the 433.
- Flexibility, not the Conte fixed mindset. I think he will look at Kane, Porro, Son, etc. and think "how can I best use them" rather than "can I crowbar them into my one and only way of playing". Keep Kane's 30 goals and add a load more!
- Coaching our players! Seeing and developing talent.
- He wants to be our manager - we aren't "lucky to have him" - he wants to succeed with us.
- The purchasing of young talented players/club purchases won't be a bad thing as you don't only care about the now. I think we will look at the whole of the squad and see what goodies he has to play with.

It may be (yes it probably is) over optimism but I really can see us having a season we will be happy with next season (with at least a new GK, CB & AM to bolster the squad....). Good football, a manager we can relate to, goals, Top 4 and real goes at the cups. COYS

 

[jbstarr14]

He'll certainly run up to them.

Press and try to win the ball? No, not anymore.

Pressing in the modern game isn’t about having the ‘strikers’ win the ball - it’s about pressurising opposition defenders into making poor passes into midfield. Then when the turnover occurs, the ‘strikers’ are already high up the field with at least one opposition defender out of position.

 

[eViL]

Pressing in the modern game isn’t about having the ‘strikers’ win the ball - it’s about pressurising opposition defenders into making poor passes into midfield. Then when the turnover occurs, the ‘strikers’ are already high up the field with at least one opposition defender out of position.

I don't worry about my positioning, passing and posession if I know I'm not going to get tackled.

 

[Gilzeanking]

Pressing in the modern game isn’t about having the ‘strikers’ win the ball - it’s about pressurising opposition defenders into making poor passes into midfield. Then when the turnover occurs, the ‘strikers’ are already high up the field with at least one opposition defender out of position.

Sure, but watching Sonny attempting a press, I've not noticed that intelligence. I recall a moment when oppo defender had the ball and all avenues to pass were blocked bar one. Sonny had to make mebbe 2 steps to complete the press...but no. Drove me mad.

True, maybe he's not been asked, but he's getting on now, hope Ange can get him to change..and hope he can pull out of the dismal trajectory of his form last season too. He's very honest and has admitted he's letting people down.

 

[crippsy25]

I don't worry about my positioning, passing and posession if I know I'm not going to get tackled.

If your not being pressed your the one we think is most likely to make a bad pass/ decision.
Pressing isn't 1 bloke running up to you trying to get the ball of you.
Pressing is a team movement, it needs to be co-ordinated well timed and planned out to where you want the ball to be won and where you want your players in transition.

 

[jbstarr14]

I don't worry about my positioning, passing and posession if I know I'm not going to get tackled.

Maybe there’s a reason ‘we’ are happy for ‘you’ to have the ball 25 yards from your own goal…?

 

[eViL]

Maybe there’s a reason ‘we’ are happy for ‘you’ to have the ball 25 yards from your own goal…?

So I can thread it past Dier for a guaranteed goal?

 

[eViL]

If your not being pressed your the one we think is most likely to make a bad pass/ decision.
Pressing isn't 1 bloke running up to you trying to get the ball of you.
Pressing is a team movement, it needs to be co-ordinated well timed and planned out to where you want the ball to be won and where you want your players in transition.

So we weren't worried about any RB/WB we played against last season?

*sigh*

 

[olliec]

Now this is an Ange team I could get really excited about. Kulu might be the weakest link, so swap him for someone like Chiesa who wants to leave junventus and we could be seriously cooking next season.

 

[Styopa]

Seriously?

We went from a high pressing team under Poch, to a low block defensive team under Mourinho, Nuno, and Conte.

The team that implemented the high press is always going to press more than the team that sits back...

Exactly this. During the last few years, we have clearly been set up to sit back, soak up the high press and utilise Son's press on the counter. It would be very odd to have the majority of the team sitting whilst Son pressed.

And anyway, as @mil1lion alluded to, you can't really single players out for pressing or not pressing when the whole team isn't pressing. The same people complaining about so and so not pressing would be the same people complaining about so and so being dragged out of possession leaving loads of space for the opposition to attack.

I actually think the lack of press has contributed to some of the malaise that has descended on the club. At least when a team is pressing, they look like they are trying. There can be something very grim about watching low-block football, particularly when the results are not going well and there is not 100% buy-in.

I hope Ange can energise the whole club immediately - even if the results are not great- simply by virtue of the way he sets up the team.

 

[bombarda]

A manager that can adapt their approach and formation to the players around them is much better than one that comes in and insists on new players for a set formation.

 

[mil1lion]

Now this is an Ange team I could get really excited about. Kulu might be the weakest link, so swap him for someone like Chiesa who wants to leave junventus and we could be seriously cooking next season.

View attachment 127691

No chance we sign Chiesa with a limited budget and no European football. We could actually go get a 6 like Hatate in this system and have Maddison compete with Kulusevski. Then you also have Richarlison compete with Son on the left for a very competitive forward line. The fullbacks are very attacking but we also have the more defensive options of Davies (who i would replace if possible) and Emerson so can mix between 2 or 1 attacking with 1 defensive.

 

[Trix]

Pressing is about so much more than just winning the ball, setting traps, getting the opposition into areas you want them to be, winning it when your ready to break/the team is set.
Forcing play into certain areas so you win it Forcing transition how you want it to be, creating overloads at the right time and place.
Could be that he has been asked to press space/passing lanes etc

There are 3 fundamental reasons for pressing and they are taught at even the basic levels and has been the same for decades

1/ to stop the opposition playing forward
2/ to force your opponent to play where you want them to/make mistakes
3/ to win the ball back

Right now Son does none of those and players just pass round him because he just charges in full tilt and then just stops dead where he shouldn't. I love him to bits for other things he does, but right now he's one of the worst pressing forwards in the league if not the worst.

 

[jbstarr14]

A manager that can adapt their approach and formation to the players around them is much better than one that comes in and insists on new players for a set formation.

Hi Daniel

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

A manager that can adapt their approach and formation to the players around them is much better than one that comes in and insists on new players for a set formation.

When you can tell me a manager with more trophies than Mourinho who “works with what he has” I’ll believe you.

 

[crippsy25]

So we weren't worried about any RB/WB we played against last season?

*sigh*

Which right back should we have been worried about?
If there such a threat you wouldn't want a forward with hardly any ability in the tackle to be on them, but you might want him as an extra body stopping easy passes/inside runs especially in a defensive set up.
Not saying son is great at pressing, but that we have had years of not pressing and concentrating on shape

 

[olliec]

No chance we sign Chiesa with a limited budget and no European football. We could actually go get a 6 like Hatate in this system and have Maddison compete with Kulusevski. Then you also have Richarlison compete with Son on the left for a very competitive forward line. The fullbacks are very attacking but we also have the more defensive options of Davies (who i would replace if possible) and Emerson so can mix between 2 or 1 attacking with 1 defensive.

I like Hatate and could certainly get behind him as well.

 

[g_harry]

Fixing the issues we have after 5 /6/7 managers in just a few seasons is never going to be an overnight job. It’s actually reassuring to know he is willing to work with what he has and slowly build towards what he ideally wants.

How long Levy going give him after failing to provide with the tools he needs. It will fracture pretty quickly. Seen it all before I'm afraid.

 

[Trix]

Fixing the issues we have after 5 /6/7 managers in just a few seasons is never going to be an overnight job. It’s actually reassuring to know he is willing to work with what he has and slowly build towards what he ideally wants.

Personally I think it's fixable within a year if you really want it to happen, and are prepared to back it fully. We aren't as far off personnel wise as many think. Just depends how much money we are prepared to write off to get it done. Every one of our outcasts are sellable but only at the right price, and I doubt we(I say we but I mean the board and Daniel) are willing to take the hits to get them all out.