Style of play

[Markyruk]

Taking into account what we’ve seen in pre season and the players we’ve brought and are still bringing in I think we’ll see a different style of play this season.

I think that our pass count will be down and that our attack will be much more direct. Not long ball but getting the ball forward much quicker with fewer passes across the back four.

To be honest I’m not sure how JWP will fit into this as I feel that he slows the play down whereas when Diallo gets the ball his immediate thought is to get the ball forward.

[SuperSAINT]

2 minutes ago, Markyruk said:

Taking into account what we’ve seen in pre season and the players we’ve brought and are still bringing in I think we’ll see a different style of play this season.

I think that our pass count will be down and that our attack will be much more direct. Not long ball but getting the ball forward much quicker with fewer passes across the back four.

To be honest I’m not sure how JWP will fit into this as I feel that he slows the play down whereas when Diallo gets the ball his immediate thought is to get the ball forward.

I predict defensive howlers & lapses.

[Toussaint]

1 minute ago, Markyruk said:

Taking into account what we’ve seen in pre season and the players we’ve brought and are still bringing in I think we’ll see a different style of play this season.

I think that our pass count will be down and that our attack will be much more direct. Not long ball but getting the ball forward much quicker with fewer passes across the back four.

To be honest I’m not sure how JWP will fit into this as I feel that he slows the play down whereas when Diallo gets the ball his immediate thought is to get the ball forward.

I think JWP can play a fast passing game, we’ve been so poor and bereft of confidence I don’t think there were many opportunities to play the ball quickly. When he turned out for England just be for the Euros I was very impressed with his quick passes

[Wurzel]

8 minutes ago, Markyruk said:

Taking into account what we’ve seen in pre season and the players we’ve brought and are still bringing in I think we’ll see a different style of play this season.

I think that our pass count will be down and that our attack will be much more direct. Not long ball but getting the ball forward much quicker with fewer passes across the back four.

To be honest I’m not sure how JWP will fit into this as I feel that he slows the play down whereas when Diallo gets the ball his immediate thought is to get the ball forward.

More often than not due to lack of runners/movement ahead of him. A bit more intelligent pace in our front line would definitely give him more options for a creative forward pass now and again

[egg]

11 minutes ago, Markyruk said:

To be honest I’m not sure how JWP will fit into this as I feel that he slows the play down whereas when Diallo gets the ball his immediate thought is to get the ball forward.

I've been saying this for ages. He's slow at using the ball and slows is down massively. I think that's why he didn't make the Euro squad. If he's still here next season, it'll be the same again. 

[CanadaSaint]

I think we’ll see a lot more width, with pace. We’re moving from last season’s ridiculous (no FB cover) to decent depth in the WB positions, and I’m not convinced that a Williams loan is completely off the table unless something has happened that I missed. The ‘recycling’ at the back will hopefully be drastically reduced with the aim of getting the ball wide and forward faster. JWP becomes more peripheral to that style, with more of a destructive remit, including the press - as well as his set pieces. He’s never been very creative anyway. That would leave Armstrong to move around behind the front two. If we maintain our width he’ll find plenty of space, and could score 10 or more. Romeu will be Romeu.

The key variable for me is whether Theo and Redmond can contribute to the forward momentum rather than kill it by turning back.

[Nemi]

35 minutes ago, egg said:

I've been saying this for ages. He's slow at using the ball and slows is down massively. I think that's why he didn't make the Euro squad. If he's still here next season, it'll be the same again. 

For me it’s because his positioning and composure aren’t up to par. Too often he receives the ball facing home and passes straight back to the CB, or he drops in as a third centre back but then it just goes side to side as there is no-one in midfield to pick it up. How often do we see him pick the ball up in between the lines on the half turn ready to play a quick pass forward? Very rarely. 
 

Disappointing because he does it very occasionally and it works well (I remember Ings scored against Palace in the 3-1 after a quick JWP pass into Adams). And he has the technical ability to do it more but crucially I don’t think mentally he’s strong enough.

Edited 9 August, 2021 by Nemi

[skintsaint]

3 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

I predict defensive howlers & lapses.

Will still be plenty of that with our current defensive players.

[Jeremy Corbyn]

One of the few positives about the second half of last season was seeing how effective Armstrong was in CM.  Having a player willing to get the ball in the middle and carry it 20 yards in to opposition territory is hugely effective, however, doesn't really fit with the current 4-2-2-2 (JWP and SA is a soft underbelly).

Also, with our average CBs and attacking full backs, a 3-4-3/3-5-2 seems sensible, something like:

                                     Forster
                Stephens Vestegaard Salisu
KWP/Tino                                               Perraud
                                    Romeu
                     JWP                 S. Armstrong

                       Adams        A. Armstrong

AOC would play the S.Armstrong role well.

Obviously not going to happen and we'll continue with the 4-2-2-2 forever.

[ErwinK1961]

1 hour ago, Jeremy Corbyn said:

One of the few positives about the second half of last season was seeing how effective Armstrong was in CM.  Having a player willing to get the ball in the middle and carry it 20 yards in to opposition territory is hugely effective, however, doesn't really fit with the current 4-2-2-2 (JWP and SA is a soft underbelly).

Also, with our average CBs and attacking full backs, a 3-4-3/3-5-2 seems sensible, something like:

                                     Forster
                Stephens Vestegaard Salisu
KWP/Tino                                               Perraud
                                    Romeu
                     JWP                 S. Armstrong

                       Adams        A. Armstrong

AOC would play the S.Armstrong role well.

Obviously not going to happen and we'll continue with the 4-2-2-2 forever.

Edited - Ignore, I'm an idiot

Edited 10 August, 2021 by ErwinK1961

[Markyruk]

Tella’s pace will frighten a lot of teams. Not sure if he’ll get into the starting 11 or be used as an impact sub.

[warwicksaint]

In terms of how we play, I just hope we revert back to the high pressing game we did backend of 19/20 and first half of 20/21. Clearly it was working in parts given we were 4th/5th in form throughout the 2020 annual year table- just need to do it all in one season. I’m not quite sure why we stopped, it seemed after the 9-0 dicking Ralph reverted back to boring backwards, sideways passing. 

I take the view the pressing game is going to give you a shocker of a result once or twice a season as it can leave you vulnerable (Leeds got a drubbing a few times) but the benefits much outweigh these negatives. We don’t have the players to play neat passing round the team trying to carve oppositions open, so we have to play to our strengths and work our bollocks off 

[Jeremy Corbyn]

6 minutes ago, Markyruk said:

Tella’s pace will frighten a lot of teams. Not sure if he’ll get into the starting 11 or be used as an impact sub.

It's the combination of his pace, directness and confidence of youth which is so exciting to watch.  If he can gain experience without losing any of those, he's going to be an excellent premier league player.

[Markyruk]

Staring line up against Everton

                                    Forster

KWP.           Bednarek          Salisu        Perraud  

                              Romeu     Diallo

                              Tella         S Armstrong

                               Adams     Walcott

    

 

 

 

 

[tajjuk]

Seemingly we have a lot of pace now in the team, with all the signings supposedly being very quick so hopefully we should be better on the counter. 

[beatlesaint]

28 minutes ago, Markyruk said:

Staring line up against Everton

                                    Forster

KWP.           Bednarek          Salisu        Perraud  

                              Romeu     Diallo

                              Tella         S Armstrong

                               Adams     Walcott

    

 

 

 

 

you appear to have forgotten Redmond.........Ralph will pick him for sure

[Jeremy Corbyn]

7 minutes ago, tajjuk said:

Seemingly we have a lot of pace now in the team, with all the signings supposedly being very quick so hopefully we should be better on the counter. 

Yep and on the recovery!

[Viking Saint]

1 hour ago, beatlesaint said:

you appear to have forgotten Redmond.........Ralph will pick him for sure

desperately want you to be wrong, but fear you won't be. Am trying to think of a Saints player who has ever wound me up more than Redmond, but haven't come up with anyone yet.....

[Saint_clark]

1 hour ago, beatlesaint said:

you appear to have forgotten Redmond.........Ralph will pick him for sure

I seriously hope he is on the bench from the start of this season. 

When is his contract up? 

[Viking Saint]

On 10/08/2021 at 11:50, Saint_clark said:

I seriously hope he is on the bench from the start of this season. 

When is his contract up? 

End of 2023 season

[SaintBobby]

I’m expecting us to stick to the 4-2-2-2 system. I’m sort of hoping that Ralph increasingly has his own players, rather than an inherited squad, to make it work.

On the downside, the fairly novel style - like many novel ideas - worked for a while but then opponents got wise to it.

I blame the Telegraph. They had a lengthy article dissecting and praising Saints’ tactics. Our collapse in form followed publication!

[Convict Colony]

I reckon we will experiment with a higher line again when we have the ball given currently bednerak is the slowest CB so Salisu can recover.

So when we are higher up the pitch we have a 

2-3-2-3 with perraud/KPW and Salisu the last 3.

This would also explain why we want a CB that can step into DM as they could join in the 2 in-front of the 3

Also expect us to be more explosive on the counter and be more direct (i take this back if redmond is on the left)

From a general point of view i expect to see less recycling the ball between midfield and CBs and also stop the slow throws to let opposition teams reset etc that bertrand was king of.

Edited 12 August, 2021 by Convict Colony

[Lallana's Left Peg]

When it comes to throw ins I think it would be less painful for all if we just agreed to throw it straight to the opposition and get on with things rather than wait 20 seconds and do it anyway after some half arsed attempt at movement and keeping possession from them.

[Markyruk]

I think it was Liverpool who were mocked for having a throw in coach. I wish we could appoint one, ours are painful to watch.

[Rebel]

we'll play 4-2-2-2 and the high press again - hopefully the squad are more suited to it this season.

At least with KWP and Perraud we'll have 2 attacking full backs.  And Vestergaard's lack of pace wont be exposed at the back. 

But I will be very P*ssed of if we don't have a plan B against the big teams for when 4-2-2-2 doesn't  work and a plan C against the teams like Burnely that sit back and long ball it so there is nothing to press.

Broja will give us some height up front if we have to go long and direct.

 

[Bstokesaint]

The way we played last season makes me very nervous when watching games and obviously we conceded a huge amount of goals but we finished 15th and we are anything but boring (not so good in the 2nd half of the season obviously!)

Would you rather be on edge with Ralph and finish 15th again or back to a boring Mark Hughes type trying to grind out a draw here and there whilst creating nothing? The squad we had last year with Ings injured so much should have finished in the bottom third so i cant see many managers doing a better job than Ralph with what he has but at least we get some excitement now and again rather than constant dross? Sad reality of football is that we are just whipping boys for the big teams with all the money so in that sense at least Ralph gives us something different

[suewhistle]

1 hour ago, Lallana's Left Peg said:

When it comes to throw ins I think it would be less painful for all if we just agreed to throw it straight to the opposition and get on with things rather than wait 20 seconds and do it anyway after some half arsed attempt at movement and keeping possession from them.

So it's not just my opinion then.. Perhaps Bertrand going will improve that side of the pitch. It's understandable to wait in certain circumstances, but we _never_ made use of the quick throw.