Their video isn’t rocket surgery. You don’t have to be a brain scientist to see the plan in action, both with and without the ball. It is a clear explanation of what’s going on though.
Earlier this summer I was talking about PEHs long passes back to the keeper after moves slowed down and how it didn’t mean he was a negative player, it was a tactical choice.
Ralph said that he wants shots on goal within a certain time of taking possession. You either move from back to front securely and at speed or you force opposition errors high through pressing and transition to shooting opportunities.
The backwards moves are what happens if the first two aren’t possible or there are only low percentage passes. When it goes back to the keeper the opposition press and make space, as stated, but they also allow us to play long and over the top. This might concede possession but it does mean we can use our attack to force errors from uncomfortable defenders. I’ve lost count of how many direct scoring chances we’ve created from attacking player turnovers in the opposition third.
We don’t mind giving it away if we’re giving it away far, far from danger and in an area where we can cause pressure and difficulty. If one of our CM players misses a pass through the midfield zones to Ings or Redmond, then teams can break with between 3-6 players at speed against us.