| Barrowcelona 16:01 - Feb 10 with 1959 views | itfcjoe |
https://theathletic.co.uk/1579893/2020/02/04/barrow-national-league-rooney-guard
Fascinating article on The Athletic about Barrow, managed by Ian Evatt, and how they are trying to play.
Basically taking inspiration from Pep and playing great football in the National League, currently 7 points clear at the top of the league with one of the smallest budgets in the league.
It's the sort of stuff I'd love to hear our manager talking about here, and like Unstableblue with a Technical approach....just a small snippet below here
Then there are what Evatt describes as the “non-negotiables”. Some are quite intriguing. For example, when Barrow play a 4-3-3 formation, their winger on the opposite side of the pitch to the ball has to stay high and wide even when they’re not in possession. “He cheats,” Evatt says. “Our centre-forward occupies their two centre-halves. And so it always gives us that out ball – bang, counter-attack.”
Another relates to the psychological side of the game. “At half-time, our players have to run in. That’s non-negotiable. It sends that mental message that we’re relentless. And you’ll see that tomorrow.”
One non-negotiable is absolutely fundamental to how Barrow play. “Regardless of what the opposition do [when Barrow have a goal-kick], whether they’re pressing high or not, my players have to show [for the ball]. Then, it comes down to decisions.
“If teams do commit bodies to stop us playing out, we will try and be brave, even if it means using the keeper [to create an overload] or the midfield players rotating. But we have this set plan where we [the three centre-halves] will go into the six-yard box as you are allowed to do now and the wing-backs will then stay high and wide.
“The midfield players will probably suck their midfield players in towards our goal if they’re going man-for-man and pressing high, and then we’ve got that opportunity to go bang, straight into Quigs [striker Scott Quigley], a bit like Ederson does with [Sergio] Aguero at times. And then, it’s more or less four-v-four. But our structure, how we look to play out, is non-negotiable.”
It is fascinating to listen to and feels like a ballsy way to set up at non-League level. Even though there are an increasing number of clubs trying to play football these days – Evatt and his staff list eight or nine in the National League – there is still a higher proportion that prioritise brawn over brains.
“It’s massively ballsy,” Evatt says, nodding. “But what is football? What do you believe in? I believe that football is there as an entertainment industry. Supporters work hard, 9-5, five or six days a week, to be able to afford to come to football. If my team are just going to set up to win games by set pieces and long balls, it’s not what I would want to spend my hard-earned money to watch.”
That said, Barrow’s own supporters had to be “re-educated” about the new style of football they were seeing and that process is ongoing, as The Athletic discovers 24 hours later. “When we first started, there were moans and groans – and there still are one or two when we recycle the ball. ‘Get it forward!’ ‘Get it in box!’” Evatt says, mimicking a northern accent.
Within the National League, managers and clubs have generally been very complimentary about the way that Barrow play. Yet there is also some curious post-match feedback at times that leaves Evatt and Atherton slightly baffled.
“When you go and speak to some managers, they say: ‘We’d love to play how you play but I haven’t got the players.’ Hang on a minute, your budget is three times what mine is – if you want to play football, recruit footballers. It’s that simple. Then coach them. Teach them. Improve them,” Evatt says.
“I don’t believe there are any footballers brought up to be physical, play for set pieces, direct. Nobody sets out to play that way. People do it because they think it gets them results. It might be OK for some teams and some managers to put up with that. I couldn’t sleep at night if I was going about trying to win football matches that way. I want my teams to be possession-based, attacking and free-scoring.” |  |
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| Barrowcelona on 16:03 - Feb 10 with 1909 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
Really interesting Article, cheers for posting.
That article is why I want Nathan Jones as our manager. He has a system, it is real driving football, he always had a go. He has a philosophy which he sticks to. Which is obviously where PL has gone wrong. |  |
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| Barrowcelona on 16:04 - Feb 10 with 1895 views | Kieran_Knows |
| Barrowcelona on 16:03 - Feb 10 by TRUE_BLUE123 |
Really interesting Article, cheers for posting.
That article is why I want Nathan Jones as our manager. He has a system, it is real driving football, he always had a go. He has a philosophy which he sticks to. Which is obviously where PL has gone wrong. |
With regards to Nathan Jones, given our overload in central midfield, we're set up to play how he does already (diamond midfield). |  |
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| Barrowcelona on 16:06 - Feb 10 with 1879 views | TheTrueBlue1878 |
Really good post, thanks for putting it up Joe.
This is something I am a strong believer in and really caught my attention:
“When you go and speak to some managers, they say: ‘We’d love to play how you play but I haven’t got the players.’ Hang on a minute, your budget is three times what mine is – if you want to play football, recruit footballers. It’s that simple. Then coach them. Teach them. Improve them,” Evatt says.
“I don’t believe there are any footballers brought up to be physical, play for set pieces, direct. Nobody sets out to play that way. People do it because they think it gets them results. It might be OK for some teams and some managers to put up with that. I couldn’t sleep at night if I was going about trying to win football matches that way. I want my teams to be possession-based, attacking and free-scoring.” |  |
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| Barrowcelona on 16:06 - Feb 10 with 1880 views | itfcjoe |
| Barrowcelona on 16:04 - Feb 10 by Kieran_Knows |
With regards to Nathan Jones, given our overload in central midfield, we're set up to play how he does already (diamond midfield). |
I think he went away from that at Stoke which is a worry, similar to Hurst here who failed not on their own terms | |
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| Barrowcelona on 16:08 - Feb 10 with 1857 views | Reuser_is_God |
Evatt in. |  |
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| Barrowcelona on 16:08 - Feb 10 with 1859 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
| Barrowcelona on 16:06 - Feb 10 by itfcjoe |
I think he went away from that at Stoke which is a worry, similar to Hurst here who failed not on their own terms |
He did try it at Stoke, not sure why he went away from it, if he did. He was on sky talking about it the other day, and essentially said it was still his way of playing.
He was my choice when Mick went, I still want him if I'm honest. | |
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| Barrowcelona on 16:55 - Feb 10 with 1748 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
What is frustrating at our club is the fact that the leaders talk about a long term goal, but there appears to be no structure or strategy.
I agree that I would love to hear PL (or ANother) taking in a more technical, strategic way, rather than making things up about young squads or fixture congestion. |  |
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| Barrowcelona on 17:00 - Feb 10 with 1731 views | LankHenners |
| Barrowcelona on 16:04 - Feb 10 by Kieran_Knows |
With regards to Nathan Jones, given our overload in central midfield, we're set up to play how he does already (diamond midfield). |
I like Jones, and don't think his spell at Stoke can be read into too much as they weren't really right for each other, but my concern with us is that I fear we'll always need a Mick/Warnock (who should be here already) type as the structure at the club isn't good enough to support someone like Jones who would need it. |  |
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| Barrowcelona on 17:20 - Feb 10 with 1683 views | J2BLUE |
There are so many little things which on their own are meaningless but together can combine to make a real difference. Team sitting in the changing room in their respective groups etc.
Beyond that some creativity would be nice. If we get a free kick where Garbutt can't shoot why not treat it like an NFL play? We are so predictable. |  |
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| Barrowcelona on 19:03 - Feb 10 with 1564 views | Swansea_Blue |
Super article. They get it. |  |
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| Barrowcelona on 19:08 - Feb 10 with 1556 views | BackToRussia |
Not really related, but sure Sheff Utd's no.2 talk about how when him and Wilder took over, they watched the team play before they took charge. It was a very boring game, and the main thing they wanted to instil was attacking football, with 2 strikers. He actually called it working class football but I won't get political here. |  |
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