Been thinking about tactics and how a major complaint about Walter’s football is the lack of midfield build-up and how this is a terrible tactic.
Hürzeler did the same thing at St. Pauli last season and this season with Brighton. At St. Pauli, his 3-4-3 formation was called a 3-0-7 because they completely vacated the midfield areas in build-up. At Brighton, he’s gone to a back four but the principle is the same. Their 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1 has the single or double pivot vacate the midfield areas in build-up so it’s more like a 4-0-6. It worked at St. Pauli and it’s working at Brighton, even if they’re playing a risky high line and being vulnerable to counter-attacks.
The principle itself isn’t terrible and it evidently can be used in English football but for Walter he just hasn’t executed it properly with this crop of players. With the exception of Hughes, the back four just lack the passing range and technical ability to execute this unorthodox tactic. The problem is, Walter is too stubborn and set in his ways/philosophy to adapt to what he has available. He won’t have the midfield drop deeper to assist the technically-limited back four during build-up because it goes against his philosophy.
It feels like we play 4-0-0