Minority Report v Swansea City

I wrote Minority Report last night, but I decided to sleep on it. We were very poor and I was angry and emotional. What I wrote reflected my anger and emotion. It was not my finest hour. I am calmer this morning and I have reviewed what I wrote. I hope that this is a more considered reaction, but I cannot guarantee it. Last night was bad.


I believe that we started as 4-2-3-1 but after 15 minutes, it became 4-3-3. There is actually very little difference. Swansea were 3-4-3 for the full 90 minutes. They played the same system as we usually do, but not in the same way. Two of their front 3 were in wide positions, which meant that there was no need for very advanced wing backs to make up the middle 4, and instead their central midfield players tried to get up in support of their centre forward, and their goals came from two fresh supporting midfield players. Their modus operandi was keep ball, and to do that their players must be comfortable passing under pressure, but they must also have a colleague in space, preferably ahead of the ball, but behind the ball would do in preference to giving it away. Whatever… Their method is to wear their opposition down by continually asking questions. Their possession percentage (79%) bears testimony as to how efficient they were at doing so.


For our part, we appeared only too happy to let them have it. Not only did we find it very tough to get the ball back, because we were so deep in defence of the tactic, there was also no-one ahead of the ball when we did so. We were so easily dispossessed that it looked like we were a willing party to their overall plan. Still, we were still level at half time, and where there is life, there is hope. I expected us to remove Cole and Frieser after an hour, and I expected us to at least get into the game with Leya Iseka and Morris replacing them. It was no different. In fact, it got worse, because with 15 minutes remaining, Swansea scored. Replacing a midfield player (Palmer) with a forward (Oulare) just smacked of desperation. It simply afforded Swansea more space in the centre of the pitch, where they were already dominant, and they scored again. It was inevitable with the space that the change afforded them and the confusion that it created. We were beaten and we looked like a side that had expected it from the very start.


There may have been worse first games in charge for a new Head Coach, but you probably need to go back a long way to find one. It just all so naïve. There was a new system, and there was no press. The team just dropped deeper and deeper, allowing the visitors to control much of the pitch. Gone were the high lines and the press that Ismael had used to put the team on the front foot and in the ascendancy, and in their place, we had the tacit yielding of ground, and a deeper and deeper block. There was no space when we won the ball back, and there was no time because Swansea were already in place and pressing. There was no-one ahead of the ball who offered a threat, and who might push their back line deeper in response to that threat. There was no-one ahead of the ball, and our player in possession had no-one beside him in space, and no-one ahead of him in space. He had no passing options. The players did not play well. Far from it. But when the team is set up so negatively, it is hard to find the unity of purpose to act and behave positively. As a result, our defensive lines just dropped deeper and deeper. At one stage in that first half, our forward line of 3 was pitched just 35 yards from our goal, and that was never going to work out well. In football, the teams just have to try to be positive, even when they does not feel it. That is something that Ismael’s time here taught me.


The main Swansea threat was from out wide, and that tied up both our full backs. We had just two big players on the pitch. They were marking just one forward, but even so, it is important that they keep their position in order to pick up the supporting players from deeper. At the game, for the Swansea first goal, I did not understand why Helik had been drawn forward leaving just Moon to pick up the runners from deeper. The highlights showed me that our midfield had lost concentration, and Helik was drawn forward to meet a threat. The fault was with tired midfield players rather than the player that I had picked out.at the game. Once again, the player at fault was not the obvious one. It is a team game, and the player nearest the ball is not always going to be the one at fault. Having said that, the point that I made in my pre-match Minority Report was that changing the system requires an understanding of how that system is meant to work. In particular, the team must understand how players cover for each other when things go wrong. The first goal was an example of what can happen. I realise that our new coach has been chosen in order to develop our young players, but he has to be streetwise and experienced if he is to win games in the Championship. We will see how he reacts.



Entertainment Index:

Barnsley -21

Swansea City 63

Match 42


Performance Index: -65


PotM Jordan Williams

 

Do you finally admit that Val wasn’t that bad?

 

If you mean was he successful, then there never was any doubt. If you mean was his football entertaining, then I have already accepted that my indexes proved me wrong. If you mean did I enjoy the football the team play under him, then no I did not. If you mean do I think that he would still be as successful with this team, then I doubt it.

 

Ismael wasn't bad. Without the ball, the team without the ball were incredible. And both him and the team have been given huge credit for that. In possession, it was horrible for very long periods.

 

Can't argue with any of that, RR, although your first draft would have made interesting reading.

I can't for the life of me understand why we didn't mix things up at half-time. There was only going to be one outcome, based on the first half performance, so why come back out doing exactly the same thing?

 

Very gallant of you to not single out a ‘midfield’ player for the first goal.

I will. Styles tracked his run and went with him - but made no real attempt to get in front of him and let him ghost in for a tap in. He didn’t exactly sprint off him and catch him off guard. Exceptionally poor - it was so easy.

As for the second goal, it gets more embarrassing the more you watch it.

Though the rest of your report I can’t disagree with any of whatsoever. It was as disappointing a first game for a new manager that I can ever remember.

 

Thank you, very enjoyable read. Or should I say depressing read?

 

What I meant was why did Helik leave his deep position, because had he been deeper, he would have been in a better position to intercept the cross. As it was, he left Moon as the only central defender in that situation.

 

I'd put it on a par with Morais' first game in charge - a relegation 6 pointer at home against a team below us where we managed to go a goal down in the 1st minute, were 2-0 down at half-time, and ended up losing 2-1.

Prior to the game, Asbaghi had done/said all the right things in terms of his media commitments so I was feeling more positive about why we'd chosen him. Hopefully this proves to be the case, and it would be unfair for me to read too much into things after one game with 2 days preparation available. The biggest concern is the inherent negativity in the gameplan, as you've mentioned. Playing to keep things at 0-0 and hoping to snatch something later in the game is the sort of tactic you'd expect from a minnows vs massive club cup tie, not for a repeat of a fixture you played in the Championship play-offs a few months earlier.

 

Boo, sell out, popularist plaudit seeking!

 

He did exactly the same for the second goal as well. Playing in a back 3 you can push out when needed as you have two to cover. In a back 2, you only commit if you have no other options. Helik broke this rule twice last night which cost us, he became an empty jersey for both goals through his positioning.

The above being said both Helik and Moon would have benefitted from a real defensive midfielder in front of them. Hopefully Gomes can fulfill that role.

 

Far too negative as you say when we all felt some optimism for the new manager. Instead of a bounce it was a thud.

 

I've yet to see any midfield performance from any of the three that started yesterday, that has justified sending Hondermarck back to the u23s. Seen him break play up in his short sub appearances than any of those have done in 90 mins.

 

The Belenenses v Benfica match should never have been played. Belenenses had COVID in the club and could only field a team of 9 players, including a goalkeeper playing as an outfield player. However, the Portuguese FA insisted. By half time, Benfica led 7-0. Belenenses were reduced to 7 by 2 more injury withdrawals at half time, and the match was abandonned shortly after half time when there was another injury withdrawal. The Portuguese FA has been heavily criticised for not postponing the game.

Belenenses had 27% possession and 2 corners. Against Swansea, Barnsley had 21% possession and 0 corners.

Our new head coach has elected to concentrate on keeping clean sheets. He has forsaken any attacking intent, he has abandoned the press in favour of a low block, and yet we still look vulnerable defensively. He has promised that we will be better after a full week working with the players. Well I hope so because we were -21 on my Entertainment Index against Swansea and just 23 against Peterborough, and the scores on the Performance Index were -65 and -31 respectively. Just to set that in context, the best scores this week end were by Swansea who scored 193 on the Entertainment Index and 112 on the Performance Index, and they lost at home.