10-04-2026, 02:00 PM
(10-04-2026, 09:33 AM)GentlemanBob Wrote: Just a question really of more modern thinkers than me. Why do defenders attempt 45 yard back passes? How does his team benefit from his clueless failure to construct a forward pass? It seems to have become a norm as does the idea that keepers should wander around outside the penalty box. I'm not convinced that BC would tolerate either!!
On one hand, it primarily it makes you create higher percentage opportunities when you spot the right ball to play, and should minimize low percentage passes. The whole point behind a system like (for example) Pep's is to maintain possession, which forces the opponent to chase the ball, which saps mental and physical strength, and then looking for passes that expose weaknesses in the block after you've moved the opponents around time and again. Also, it may spread out a defensive block that has dug in outside their 18 yard box--if you play the ball back the opposition should start to move up the pitch again, and that should create potential spaces between the lines. If you play low percentage balls often you will turn over possession often, and the way modern football is (with pace and power present in almost any decent side) if you give the ball away in "poor" positions you leave yourself open to deadly counters. Which was how we played much of the time last season. Elanga became an essential aspect of that system last year, as was our defensive resilence. His pace and direct approach was murder for many sides to deal with, and our defensive solidity allowed us to absorb pressure until we win the ball, and then away we go. I think any tactical amalgam has relative strengths and weaknesses--even Pep, Jose or Klopp---all of their systems have weaknesses as well as relative strengths. It's all about exploiting any systems' weaknesses.