Barrow AFC.net

Jonty wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 1:52 pm

Middleton Nick wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 1:46 pm Wasn't a fan of the tactics yesterday of letting them have the ball. I thought we should have been at them from the off with their away record. It was only after they scored that we seemed to have a go.

Correct. We stood off them and let them have it right up to the half way line. Allowing them to move it unchallenged and pick passes. Horrible tactic. Think the first foot in tackle we did was in the second half and it drew a cheer from the crowd. Don't know if its a modern football thing but i grew up on good strong tacklers who wouldn't give you a minute on the ball. Now we mark pass lanes.

As you will appreciate there are a variety ways to set a football team up out of possession. Yesterday the team were set up initially in a 4-4-2 formation, sitting deeper than usual in a ‘mid-block’ when without the ball and looking to counter attack when possession was gained (see https://www.thefa.com/bootroom/resource ... -mid-block for more on this tactic).

As you saw, the ‘line of confrontation’ was the half way line and Salford were rarely pressed in their own half.

Playing the high-press isn’t always the best way - especially against certain teams. It also takes a lot of energy to play that way for the full 90 minutes in every match! The deeper 4-4-2 was clearly a change from our previous 15 league games, but not a surprise after recent results.

Was it effective? We only had 39% possession, which is to be expected from such a tactic. However, we had 20 shots (second only, I believe, to the 22 shots we produced against the ten men of Leyton Orient), versus the 9 that Salford mustered from their greater possession. Whilst only 4 of our shots were on target, their keeper did make three high-class saves that I can recall, any of which could have easily resulted in a goal. There was also the Luke James shot dragged narrowly past the post with the keeper beaten in the second half, Reid missing an open goal (admittedly not the easiest chance as the ball came to him at pace), Quigs scuffing his shot with only the keeper the beat and at least one stonewall penalty that the ref chose to ignore.

So, whatever we might think about the way the team should be set up there is no doubt that on the basis of chances created and conceded we should have beaten Salford on Saturday. Just a pity we fluffed our finishing and the ref hadn’t brought his glasses The irony is that if just two of our chances had gone in, this thread would have half the number of posts and DD would be hailed as a tactical genius!

For what’s worth I think most of us agree that we want the team to attempt to play the same way as last season, subject to having the right players available. Let’s hope when Hardcastle, Mike Jones and James Jones are all fit we will once again see the flowing passing football and the ‘six second rule’ we took for granted under Evatt and have seen in flashes this season (e.g. Mansfield & Cambridge away).

Presume it’s pretty difficult to play football on our pitch at the moment? Looks appalling.

+[ [[Kris]] ]+ wrote: ↑Mon Dec 07, 2020 8:20 am Presume it’s pretty difficult to play football on our pitch at the moment? Looks appalling.

Have to agree with that. Very bumpy. You could a distinct upward bounce of the ball just as Henderson was going to put it in the net for another Salford goal near the end on the match. It looked a glaring miss but was, in fact, completely due to the pitch surface.

Excellent vison from four hundred miles away.

Hadrian wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:35 am Excellent vison from four hundred miles away.

Very clear on iFollow.

russell_anderson wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:46 am

Hadrian wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:35 am Excellent vison from four hundred miles away.

Very clear on iFollow.

Very obvious from behind the goal too.

I am sure it must have been the same at the other end when Quigley was clear through and scuffed it well wide

Jim wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 12:20 pm I am sure it must have been the same at the other end when Quigley was clear through and scuffed it well wide

No that was the Salford telekinesis coach doing her stuff. A real case of mind over matter!
Money talks, it don’t sing and dance.............

Nothing whatsoever wrong with that performance bar we didn't take our chances. Easier said than done but we need another 10+ goal goalscorer in the the team. January maybe?

32mile_cul-de-sac wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 2:24 pm Easier said than done but we need another 10+ goal goalscorer in the team. January maybe?

Not sure if we need any more strikers. More a case of our existing forwards converting their chances. In Courtney Baker-Richardson we also have a new player to come into the squad, once fit. Plus, we now have Dimitri Sea.

Would like to have see more of Dimitri Sea in the Salford game.I thought pitch was a bit bobbly as well.Mind you we would have been waterlogged previous years.

liverpoolann wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 6:39 pm Would like to have see more of Dimitri Sea in the Salford game.I thought pitch was a bit bobbly as well.Mind you we would have been waterlogged previous years.

People keep asking for more of Sea, but I think there is a big difference between what was effectively one brief cameo performance in the cup game and giving a young, inexperienced player a start in an important league game. Certainly, it might be worth giving him 20 minutes as sub in a league game to see how he gets on.

Matty Bassdriver wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 5:13 pm

32mile_cul-de-sac wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 2:24 pm Easier said than done but we need another 10+ goal goalscorer in the team. January maybe?

Not sure if we need any more strikers. More a case of our existing forwards converting their chances. In Courtney Baker-Richardson we also have a new player to come into the squad, once fit. Plus, we now have Dimitri Sea.

Jim wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 7:11 pm

liverpoolann wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 6:39 pm Would like to have see more of Dimitri Sea in the Salford game.I thought pitch was a bit bobbly as well.Mind you we would have been waterlogged previous years.

People keep asking for more of Sea, but I think there is a big difference between what was effectively one brief cameo performance in the cup game and giving a young, inexperienced player a start in an important league game. Certainly, it might be worth giving him 20 minutes as sub in a league game to see how he gets on.

I would agree with you if we had been in any way successful in our 'important league games' so far.