PDC tactics

Not sure how it will work out in the long term, but the man sure is making the right noises imo

PAOLO Di Canio wants his improving middle men to continue looking for the killer ball, rather than playing safe.

Central midfield double-act Seb Larsson and Alfred N’Diaye have shone in Sunderland’s back-to-back wins over Newcastle and Everton after making immediate progress under Di Canio’s stewardship.

Although fellow midfielder Craig Gardner will return from suspension for Monday’s trip to his former club Aston Villa, the Brummie may struggle to break up the Larsson and N’Diaye partnership.

Head coach Di Canio has been impressed by the pair, hailing Larsson as “one of the best” players in the Premier League after last Saturday’s victory over Everton.

But the Italian is keen for both his central midfielders to continue contributing in an attacking sense, rather than looking backwards or sideways.

“I don’t like midfield players that touch 100 balls and don’t create anything,” said Di Canio.

“They never make mistakes and the statistics show they make 100 passes and 100 of them are good, but they are to the goalkeeper.

“I prefer to see my midfielders make 10 passes forward, seven mistakes, but three effective deliveries and then we’re going to score.

“The second goal at Newcastle came when Sebastian beat his opponent and then delivered it to Adam (Johnson) straightaway.

“The heart of the game is in the middle. If you don’t put pressure on your opponents and let them play, at this level they’re going to smash you.

“It is not just down to my central midfielders, but also my wingers when they play compact.

“Everyone in modern football wants to go down the middle to damage the opponents. But if we are a good unit, with good discipline and aggression, that can cause problems to the opponents and give you an advantage.”

Central midfield has been an area where Sunderland have struggled this season, particularly after the loss of skipper Lee Cattermole, whose campaign largely came to an end in November.

But Di Canio attributes Sunderland’s improvement to his training ground strategy to make the team more harmonious as a unit.

He added: “If you work together either on the ball or off the ball, for sure you are going to save energy.

“It’s crucial these days to maintain distance between players and move in time and then you can be in the right place.

“We have to move in time and that comes from the training sessions.

“It’s not just about physical work, it’s in the head as well.

“You have to tell them why and show them why. Now they are realising straightaway because I’ve shown them.”

 

The man talks sense and makes it sound very simple. Loving the guy!!

 

I don't wanna sound negative and i'm not a football coach and may be wrong, but sometimes you do wanna pass sideways and look for the easy ball, as the guy next to you may be able to play the killer pass you cant or because you just wanna retain the ball and wear the opposition down. Or because you are being closed down fast and have no other option available but to just get rid.

But, he has won us games against the unwashed and the toffees, so who am i just to pipe up

 

I dont think he meant in a literal sense he only wants to see the ball going forward. But all to often this season how many times under MoN did we pass backwards or sideways when we should have moved forward? We only seemed to play counter attacking football, and it wasn't until 9 of them were in our half did we try to get forward with a hoofing long ball up to our lone striker. Attack is the best form of defense, so us going forward more means we are less likely to concede.

 

They both played well against Everton like I have to say.

 

Think what he want's is the wingers and sess to make themselves to recieve the ball quickly by making themselves available so the ball doesn't go sideways or backwards.

He's talking classic exciting counter attacking football which lets face it, outside the top 5 is essential. MoN's counter attacking philosophy failed miserably because he was scared exposing the defence so sat deep and relied on the ball being played out when won back by defenders where as PDC presses higher up and relies on the midfielder to win the ball. Seb played the perfect cattamole game against Everton which shows why we've always been better when catts plays. Midfielders winning the ball back before defenders are called upon.

PDC is a very good manager from what I've seen.

 

I am a football coach - OK at Under *'s but I always try to get the boys passing the ball. Look for an open man and find him is the basics of the game. Sometimes sideways is better and we work on a lot of get the ball played to someone in a position to play an "easier pass" than the difficult one you're trying. I hate the coaches who say "Lump it forward as the lad up front is fast - and my son is the one playing up front!) Try to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible and make the passes easy ones - although I don't coach at the level Di Canio does!!

 

Pretty much this ^ for me, he will have watched every match we have played in, if you think back to the first quarter of our home games this season, colback in mid for example, every time he got the ball it either went sideways or backwards, very frustrating it was, we were getting on his back and Mons for the negativity, we didnt score against 11 men for ages and couldnt even break 10 men down, then we saw the same against Norwich more recently, and posters had there fill against qpr at home which was gash.

He has taken a good look and is saying what most of us, if not all of us tbf, have been saying all season in one way or another