Just seen this on another site, excellent summary in my view! At the end of the day all I want to see is defenders, whoever they are putting their bodies on the line to stop the other lot getting past. Mid fielders looking at making space and moving forward. Strikers shooting on goal. I know its simplistic but I have never been on a FA coaching course so don't know how to make it complicated.
Tactics are very important, especially the way the tem lines up. If you play a 4 man midfield against a 5 man midfield it is very difficult to keep control of the centre of the park. The only team in the premier league I have seen get away with it on a regular basis is Man City. Having said that, AN did make one comment that really is important and it was the "winning your personal battles on the pitch" comment. It may seem obvious but if each player concentrates on that you are in with a very good chance of winning the game. For that you need the high work rate that we have been missing this season at times.
Guns don't kill people rappers do.... No tactics has a big effect in some outcomes, though however you set up each player needs to pull his weight!
There's a difference between tactics and formations though, Kemp. You're right about the importance of positioning, and also about work rate, both of which Brentford had in abundance. As for tactics, the emphasis is currently very much on sideways passing and possession football which too often results in a slow build up against a well settled defence. For some reason, midfield changes perhaps, we seemed to go to the other extreme which is 'hoofball' or 'hit and hope'. Brentford's fast moving, high tempo passing triangles moving quickly into the penalty area were a masterclass in what we were getting wrong. Let's hope for better against Birmingham.
