| The McKenna system/tactic are we going to see a shift, with a view to the future 09:20 - Jul 19 with 981 views | unstableblue |
5pm today the pre-season gets into gear in Austria. A back-up left centre back been added, a back-up/back-up keeper, and ONE squad difference maker in central midfield.
Our woeful results as we returned to the Premier League last term were all down to THE GAP.
Player/squad quality, player physicality, the depth of opposition benches were too big a gap to bridge.
But also perhaps McKenna needs to put his hands up and say did he change the system and approach sufficiently to counter the gap and make the best of the players we had?
Our League One and Championship promotions were built on the following system/formation elements of the 4-2-3-1:
1. A right back who could sit deep and create a three
2. Allowing Davis to push right up as a winger at times with the left attacking midfielder able to come inside
3. A double pivot in midfield, with the central two deep, giving her goalie the ability to pass to one, who’d then switch wide
4. A physical right attacking midfielder who could be found with higher ball for knock backs
5. The attacking midfield three being dynamic and being fed for goals by the loan striker
6. Some fast transitions to pull opposition out of shape, sometimes all the way from a keeper short pass - pure McKenna ball
I feel like we’re about to see exactly the same approach? What do you think?
And frankly with our squad being superior to most in the Championship (although I would caution the league is improving - think Brum, Saints etc will be a real test) this should prove successful again.
But in the Prem once Davis was pushed back by the quality of Prem right winger, the double pivot was too deep and didn’t transition forward enough or broke the lines. And once the attacking three hit some real quality midfielders and centre backs, they became disconnected from each other and the striker, and with Burns/Ogbene.
I wonder whether see some new approaches?
Perhaps Matusiwa can bring a difference, Morsy did often turn and he did break the lines (rarely in Premier League) - but there hasn’t been enough ball carrying.
Can we encourage Greaves to come up field more?
Will a new right back or Johnson change the dynamic and make that a more attacking position.
Can we cement Szmodics as a ten who will bring more dynamism and box penetration than Chaplin.
Can Clarke and Davis combine in a different way to hit the byline more (we don’t hit the byline enough).
Will the other incoming players mean we move away from the double pivot?
Do we change the right attacking midfield role?
QUESTIONS UPON QUESTIONS… do you have any thoughts?
Excited to see how it developed. Promotion the aim. But changing how we play for the Prem also key. |  |
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| The McKenna system/tactic are we going to see a shift, with a view to the future on 09:25 - Jul 19 with 899 views | Chris_ITFC |
McKenna constantly evolves. He did that last year, with the 3-5-2 flexibility.
Any tactic will maximise Davis, so our current system does that well. Remember how many assists he got doing that last time?
It is a slight concern that Davis and Jack Clarke excel in the same spaces. But hopefully Clarke will continue to adapt with a proper preseason. |  |
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| The McKenna system/tactic are we going to see a shift, with a view to the future on 10:15 - Jul 19 with 672 views | Horsham |
Our system is pretty flexible. Ok you can write it down as 4-2-3-1 but equally you could argue to write is as 4-4-2 when out of possession and 2-3-5 when we’re in a dominant position (which didn’t happen much last season - but probably will a lot more this season.
It’s the front 5 that’s especially interesting now. Essentially they end up as below
———————-R10——————-L10——————-
RW——————————-9———————————LB
McKenna likes the R10 to be left footed like Omari and Chaplin and the right 10 to be right footed like Szmodics, Broadhead, Clarke or Philogene. Can Philogene potentially cover the right 10 as he’s pretty adept with both feet? Suspect so and after all he’s £20m player.
So could potentially see a team of
Palmer
Johnson O’Shea Greaves Davis
Matusiwa NEW
Ogbene Philogene Szmodics /Clarke
Hirst
And then a lot of people losing their minds that Philogene and Szmodics are playing in the wrong positions (even though it would be for a very specific reason) [Post edited 19 Jul 10:45]
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| The McKenna system/tactic are we going to see a shift, with a view to the future on 10:54 - Jul 19 with 519 views | unstableblue |
| The McKenna system/tactic are we going to see a shift, with a view to the future on 09:25 - Jul 19 by Chris_ITFC |
McKenna constantly evolves. He did that last year, with the 3-5-2 flexibility.
Any tactic will maximise Davis, so our current system does that well. Remember how many assists he got doing that last time?
It is a slight concern that Davis and Jack Clarke excel in the same spaces. But hopefully Clarke will continue to adapt with a proper preseason. |
I’d argue that the switch to a 5 came a bit late, and relied heavily on a fit Tuanzebe to work. See Godfrey disaster.
I’m not sure it was flexible enough last term. Forest completely changed system at Christmas in their first survival season. Very deep; then wide pacey transition to feed players running forward in the middle.
Out attacking midfield 3’s system never really changed, and led to some really ineffective games - the likes of Bournemouth away and Chelsea away aside.
We have to get Clarke and Davis working, and we have to play Clarke, they’re too similar in role in the system. Needs to change. Saw it work a few times at Fulham away, ending in that pivotal post hitting moment! Is see that in my dreams!! | |
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| The McKenna system/tactic are we going to see a shift, with a view to the future on 11:32 - Jul 19 with 393 views | Chris_ITFC |
| The McKenna system/tactic are we going to see a shift, with a view to the future on 10:54 - Jul 19 by unstableblue |
I’d argue that the switch to a 5 came a bit late, and relied heavily on a fit Tuanzebe to work. See Godfrey disaster.
I’m not sure it was flexible enough last term. Forest completely changed system at Christmas in their first survival season. Very deep; then wide pacey transition to feed players running forward in the middle.
Out attacking midfield 3’s system never really changed, and led to some really ineffective games - the likes of Bournemouth away and Chelsea away aside.
We have to get Clarke and Davis working, and we have to play Clarke, they’re too similar in role in the system. Needs to change. Saw it work a few times at Fulham away, ending in that pivotal post hitting moment! Is see that in my dreams!! |
Clarke looked very lost to start with, understandably as he was basically asked to play LW in a completely opposite way to Sunderland… but second half of the season he started to grasp it. Learning to fly a plane in the air, when the air is the Premier League, is a BIG ask - I expect him to be much better this season.
But did you really just say we were ineffective in attack at Bournemouth (win) and Chelsea (2-0 up)…? I dread to think what you made of the other games.  | |
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| The McKenna system/tactic are we going to see a shift, with a view to the future on 11:36 - Jul 19 with 379 views | muccletonjoe |
As yet we don't have the players to change systems, too many players in similar positions. |  | | |
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