What's your ideal tactic for us to employ?

There are loads of comments on different threads about this. Some folk like the hoof it into space approach and some are positively terrified of the possession based game.

But there are plenty of other options. What's your preference?

Personally, I enjoyed the high intensity press (especially early on in Val's reign) and I was ok with the hoofing element at the time as it was getting results. But if we could utilize that intensity alongside direct passing to feet with a a view to getting up the field as quick as possible (rather than leathering it anywhere) I think that would really float my boat. But do we have the players to do that?

Towards the end of the season it got to the point where it didn't matter who we had in midfield as it seemed like a redundant position, almost like having the ball in the middle of the park was frowned upon. We could have played kids from the under 9s in the middle and it wouldn't have made much difference to some of the results.

 

Agree with all of that. Don't mess around at the back. Be on the front foot. Press like billio but be more thoughtful and incisive in midfield.

 

Hit & hope..

 

100% effort and desire to win. All that’s ever been expected of any BFC team.

 

Whatever tactics Schopp uses I hope the fitness of the players from last season continues the same. We were tireless in the majority of the games and that can sometimes get you over the line even if tactics don't go to plan.

 

Whatever the Plan A is - I'd like a Plan B.

I loved Val's ferocious high press - especially when it stopped teams playing - but when teams came prepared and hoofed it to bypass the press then a Plan B (even just for 20 minutes) would have been nice. Create some doubt and keep the opposition guessing.

I thought some of the "nice" football we played under Struber in the final third was great - but (looking back now that we've seen the Val method) we took too long to get there and defences were often set.

I think we've got the players to do both and if we can mix it up game by game or within games then we'll be a nightmare to play against - especially coupled with our desire, fitness and effort levels.

 

I'd love us to play like Brazil of 1982.
All we need is a Socrates, a Junior, an Eder, a Zico, a Cerezo and a Falcao.
Get that spreadsheet buzzing!

 

Though I've generally liked the aggressiveness of trying to win the ball back out of possession, I don't mind if we have a more compact defensive unit.

I've always been more bothered about what we do with the ball and in attack. I've liked teams that have drive. Whether thats from the centre or from wide. I don't mind hitting a target man, as long as the point of that is to hold the ball and then play. I don't mind a ball over the top as long as its designed to pick out a runner.

What I didn't like about Ismael's tactics was how aimless it was for lengthy periods.

It wouldn't take much tweaking from his style to make it watchable and potentially quite exhilarating. Play to feet more. Have more intent to find players not space.

Try and maintain a threat at set pieces, but value the ball more than just kicking territory.

 

I like the tactic of putting the ball in the net(preferably not our own)

 

Our own?

 

You must have loved Stoke away under Viv ;-)

 

Doh, corrected

 

Could say my comment was a bit of an own goal

 

I like the high press and I hope we continue on with it.

With regards to us having the ball, I’d like us to be more composed with it in our opponents half but I’m okay with our defenders clearing our lines. I really don’t want to go back to our keeper tapping the ball 2 yards to a centre back stood in his own 6 yard box.

Cauley is the master of first time finishes and Morris wins his fair share in the air so I’d like us to start getting it wide and getting balls into the box.

It sounds like Schopp is a bit of a tinkerer so we’ll all have to wait and see what he comes up with for us.

 

Certainly an interesting tactic haha

 

I like to see us play in the opponents haif putting their defence under pressure and turning them at every opportunity. Rather than putting our own defence under pressure ourselves and then trying to break through 2 banks of four set in position waiting. Each to their own I suppose.

 

Press, fine. I do miss us having a player that gets my arse up off the seat. Someone who regularly beats a man.

 

Agree with need for at least a Plan B. The football got tiresome to watch the last few weeks and once other teams sussed it we were stuck

 

I’d like to see us score first then shut up shop

 

A bit of a mix for me. We can pass it around lovely when we want to & I’m all for the defenders clearing their lines. That tippy tippy stuff employed by Struber was disastrous IMO. No problem with playing it long either. Provided it’s to one of our front men & not in hope that one of em ill get to it. My only issue with that though, is Morris looked like the only one who could hold it up and bring others into play. If we’re going down that route we need the players to execute it. Pointless lobbing it up there to Chaplin……. Also the flexibility to switch formations as the game dictates. Surely ALL Coaches should have that in their back pocket, just wasn’t the case with Val.