What was the general feeling about the tactics that were used on Saturday to try and counteract Brighton ? Basically when their keeper had the ball we had 6 outfield players in advanced positions to stop them playing out from the back, which left our back four on the half way line marking 4 Brighton attacking players....so more or less man for man, but the 6 advanced players weren't actually man for man but more zonal, if you get my drift. This meant we couldn't just rush in and challenge their keeper when he had secure possession, but we did if he could be put under pressure from an inaccurate pass. Now large parts if the ER crowd just couldn't handle watching this passive press (even though it worked and we won the ball back several times) and the cries of " get into em " etc were heard from all parts of the stadium, along with a general unease at what was being observed. Personally I found it fascinating and it was a proper battle of wills to see who would prevail. However when we went a goal behind (twice) some supporters just couldn't contain themselves any further and the boos rang out as we continued with the same tactics. Those fans clearly wanted to see a more aggressive approach to pressing Brighton and as we were losing demanded that we abandon our shape and revert to the more full on, flat out style we've been watching since Marsche took over. My feeling was that if that was the gameplan we'd worked on all week then it would be foolish and potentially catastrophic to abandon it just because we'd conceded first, especially as there was an hour of the match still to go. It seemed to me that those fans voicing their displeasure were not only harming the team out on the field but were being totally disrespectful to our new coach and his work. So how did it look to those of you who watched it away from the ground, were you also frustrated at the tactics, or perhaps watching on TV it actually looked like we had some control over proceedings ?
I thought it worked, they are a team of slick passers, by closing the length of the field down, I thought it restricted their options, they obviously opened us up at times but perhaps not as much if we had used the high press. We did similar at home to Man utd, so perhaps more of a scoobs tactic, that Javi has taken to.
Jammy Javi had a game plan and the players followed it and made sure we didn’t do a Jesse Marsch and go smashing into them because we would have been torn to shreds and got beat by 6. We frustrated a better team who will do some damage to other teams around us. A good point gained
First half I found it very frustrating Jammy for three reasons. Firstly, for the last 5 seasons, our game has been based on a high aggressive press, so just like we are told that it takes time for players to get use to a new system, it also takes time for us as fans to get used to it, even if we understand the reasons for it. Secondly I didn't think it was working too well in the first half, because by playing the passive press, it gave their players time to constantly put the ball over Ayling's head for Mitomo to run onto. Now whether this was a consequence of the system we were playing, or the fact that Luke was in a more advanced position than he was meant to be (to be expected again that is how he has been told to play for the last 4 1/2 seasons), and I felt we would've been lucky to go in at half time 1-0 down, never mind that we actually got level. This was then exasperated by the number of times that we gave the ball away cheaply with stray passes, so the idea of letting them have the ball and make a mistake with their forward passes wasn't working, because we were unable to hold onto the ball ourselves. Thirdly it was a reminder to me at least of the Everton again (appreciate that Gracia was not in charge for that), but it gave the perception of lack of effort (again something that goes against the game plan for the last 5 years), and I could quite understand that some fans would be thinking this is Everton all over again. Second half I think we played it a bit better. Whilst the passive press didn't change, I felt that we held the ball a little better, and that we were a bit more positive when in possession. I can't remember if Ayling dropped back a little that half but, to me at least he seemed to get caught out less than the first half. To say that those fans voicing their displeasure were being disrespectful to Gracia and the team is a bit harsh. The fans have had very little to get excited about over the last 2 seasons, some will say that we have taken a massive step backwards. With the added pressure of the Bournemouth result being known, the fact that neither the Everton, Southampton, or Chelsea games were anything to get excited about from a footballing perspective ( Fulham game in the FA Cup doesn't count, so I keep reading on here ), news that Everton has taken a first minute lead, and our team is 1-0 down and the playing style is very passive, then I can understand that some fans would be stood there, thinking, different manager, different tactics, same ****e game. Football is a passionate game, fans can be fickle, would I have been as laid back as I was watching the game from my hospital bed, if I had driven 2 hours across the Pennines, with the cost of petrol and ticket price, who knows.
I’ve only seen highlights so can’t comment really on the tactics. All I would say is there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Javi appears to have set up to frustrate them. Marsch would have tried to force errors from them. It’s hard to say what method would work best. We scraped a draw this time, we scraped a draw with them at home last year… we were second best but nearly nicked a point at their place earlier in the season. We were outplayed by them every time under bielsa. Doesn’t strike me any methodology we’ve tried has been very fruitful against them. They’re better than we are.
Good post Aski and some interesting observations However imagine our new coach was Diego Simeone, or someone else who's very highly rated but plays a more passive style. Do you think the fans who complained would have been more tolerant and understanding of the game plan and therefore more appreciative of the coach and his tactics ? Second home game in charge for Javi (having won the first) and they're giving his team, his tactics the bird.
Good point Jammy. Probably some big name coach would get more latitude, I agree. I don’t agree with crowds getting on the team’s back regardless of the coach.
Lot of fuss being made about a few boos from the crowd. Stuff like this happens and always will. Give the new coach chance to organise the squad and ignore them. If the players are not big enough to shrug it off then they are not the right fit for Leeds Utd. We go on about our passionate support well we can't have it both ways. Freedom to boo is every fans right. I do not boo but have used some choice words in my time.
Jonty on ja606 must have the samaritans on speed dial. Pop over and have a read but only if you are not depressed.
3 guesses each on ‘choice words’ wakey has used at football matches instead of booing. I’ll go first: 1. “Come on Leeds, that wasn’t very good” 2. “We’re better than that lads” 3. “F**********************KING USELESS C***********************NNNNNNTTTTTSSSS
Current odds to be relegated; Southampton 1/2 Bournemouth 4/6 Everton 5/4 Forest 11/8 Leeds 6/4 Leicester 3/1 West Ham 4/1 Wolves 11/2 Palace 7/1 So apparently we're not doomed after all.
He said he doesn’t boo but has used some choice words in his time and you jumped straight in. What he actually meant was :- 1) I’ve never done anything like this before in my life 2) Of course I love you 3) I would never cum in your mouth Little Wakey Dog is a scoundrel and no mistake
I have no idea to be honest Jammy, although we are talking about this in hindsight, knowing that we in my opinion got a good result. Majority of football supporters (not just Leeds fans) are results orientated. Poor football but winning will keep the dogs at bay on most occasions ( or at least it did when I was flying every other week from the Isle of Man to watch us when George Graham was in charge). Good football and poor results will give a coach some leeway. So on Saturday the Elland Road faithful found themselves watching a game where by we were 1-0 down, Brighton in the first half at least seemed to be attacking for fun, we were unable to pass or hold onto the ball, and we now also lacked the one thing that had been one of our few positives this season, intensity., and thus rightly or wrongly, in their eyes we were playing poorly No matter who the coach was, I would imagined those that showed their displeasure would have done so anyways at the way things were proceeding. I will admit, that whilst I was of course heavily medicated, it was an effort for me to keep my eyes open until Bamford equalised. Second half I was an avid viewer of the game As Wakey said, certain fans of every club will always find something to be disgruntled about and will vocalise it when they can. It's not something I agree with, I prefer my apathetic approach instead. For some maybe attending a live game is their one moment of happiness in a week full of misery, and expressing their disgruntlement about how they see the game unfolding, is just them being unable to control their emotions about something they are very passionate about. Of course they could all be like myself and just sit there quietly making very little noise, would that be more preferable ?
