What's happened to tactics?

[Dan Sarf]

I managed to watch most of the first half of the recent England Switzerland game on about 200 giant screens in the TV department in John Lewis in Kingston last Sunday (wife needed new frying pan). And I was struck by how similar England’s tactics seemed to the ones we often deployed last season.

Basically, they played like those faceless, wooden players on a table football game: the kind where you spin them round to hit the ball but they can only move from side to side. So England patted the ball about between themselves in their own half, never ran with or without the ball, never tried to take on an opponent, edged a wee bit nearer the halfway line then quickly turned back again before finally lumping the ball forward for the Swiss team to have a turn – who promptly smashed two goals past them before half time.

Where did this tactic come from? Do managers think it’s a good idea? Do players favour it because it means they don’t get out of puff? Do they think it makes them look like Barcelona? It’s dismal to watch. Doesn’t work. And yet there it was being trotted out again at the (allegedly) highest level in the land.

What’s happened to football? When are we going to get the beautiful game back?

[R'Albin]

I managed to watch most of the first half of the recent England Switzerland game on about 200 giant screens in the TV department in John Lewis in Kingston last Sunday (wife needed new frying pan). And I was struck by how similar England’s tactics seemed to the ones we often deployed last season.

Basically, they played like those faceless, wooden players on a table football game: the kind where you spin them round to hit the ball but they can only move from side to side. So England patted the ball about between themselves in their own half, never ran with or without the ball, never tried to take on an opponent, edged a wee bit nearer the halfway line then quickly turned back again before finally lumping the ball forward for the Swiss team to have a turn – who promptly smashed two goals past them before half time.

Where did this tactic come from? Do managers think it’s a good idea? Do players favour it because it means they don’t get out of puff? Do they think it makes them look like Barcelona? It’s dismal to watch. Doesn’t work. And yet there it was being trotted out again at the (allegedly) highest level in the land.

What’s happened to football? When are we going to get the beautiful game back?

Totally agree:agree:

[Sandy]

What's happened to tactics?

You still get the peppermint ones, but they have gotten rid of the spearmint ones :boo hoo:

Totally agree on your ipionion though, ball retention is all well and good, but it has to include movement, and creativity.

[Hibs Class]

Tactics are a way of achieving an objective. In the olden days (well before I was born) the objective was to win matches and to entertain in the process. That's why you could have a forward line with 5 in it. Today the objective is firstly to not lose and I think the tactics we see (and which england used) were intended to achieve that. It just makes for more boring games.

[Thecat23]

Tactics are a way of achieving an objective. In the olden days (well before I was born) the objective was to win matches and to entertain in the process. That's why you could have a forward line with 5 in it. Today the objective is firstly to not lose and I think the tactics we see (and which england used) were intended to achieve that. It just makes for more boring games.

Pretty much what i was going to say. I think the money in the game has done this. Managers are scared to lose now. More so at the big clubs. So they set out not to lose and it's rank rotten to watch. Barca are the exception.

[PeeJay]

I managed to watch most of the first half of the recent England Switzerland game on about 200 giant screens in the TV department in John Lewis in Kingston last Sunday (wife needed new frying pan). And I was struck by how similar England’s tactics seemed to the ones we often deployed last season.

Basically, they played like those faceless, wooden players on a table football game: the kind where you spin them round to hit the ball but they can only move from side to side. So England patted the ball about between themselves in their own half, never ran with or without the ball, never tried to take on an opponent, edged a wee bit nearer the halfway line then quickly turned back again before finally lumping the ball forward for the Swiss team to have a turn – who promptly smashed two goals past them before half time.

Where did this tactic come from? Do managers think it’s a good idea? Do players favour it because it means they don’t get out of puff? Do they think it makes them look like Barcelona? It’s dismal to watch. Doesn’t work. And yet there it was being trotted out again at the (allegedly) highest level in the land.

What’s happened to football? When are we going to get the beautiful game back?

Some good points. I watched the game (most of it) and the Swiss seemed (for long spells) much more "tactically aware" (thanks to master tactician Hitzfeld possibly?). They also looked more athletic, dynamic, quick thinking, fleet footed, "up for it" and - something I also think is lacking in the UK game in general and ER in particular - they looked like they were actually enjoying themselves.

I was so disappointed in England's miserable performance that I pleased when the Swiss went 2-0 up....

[Gettin' Auld]

I managed to watch most of the first half of the recent England Switzerland game on about 200 giant screens in the TV department in John Lewis in Kingston last Sunday (wife needed new frying pan). And I was struck by how similar England’s tactics seemed to the ones we often deployed last season.
She's conned you bud - You didn't need to take her all the way to Jamaica for a frying pan!!!

:wink:

[soproni1]

As much as it pains me to say - I think tactically the best team I've seen recently without the world's best footballers in their team (Mourinho's Chelsea were probably the best) is the huns. they weren't very pretty at times but they all knew exactly what their job was and generally executed it well. As long as they kept their shape defensively, which was pretty easy to do against SPL teams other than Celtic, then they had players with pace and drive further forward (MIller, Davis, Naismith, Whittaker) to get them up the park once play broke down - as even against the lesser teams they still defended pretty deep.

however, in no circumstances would I ever encourage us to play like that as it is excruciatingly dull. Get the ball on the floor and get plenty of men forward, we may be able to do this now that we have (a) full backs who can control the ball (b) a big CF who may actually hold the ball up (c) one of the best surfaces in the league

[Dan Sarf]

She's conned you bud - You didn't need to take her all the way to Jamaica for a frying pan!!!

:wink:

I wondered why it was so expensive! :greengrin

[IWasThere2016]

I managed to watch most of the first half of the recent England Switzerland game on about 200 giant screens in the TV department in John Lewis in Kingston last Sunday (wife needed new frying pan). And I was struck by how similar England’s tactics seemed to the ones we often deployed last season.

Basically, they played like those faceless, wooden players on a table football game: the kind where you spin them round to hit the ball but they can only move from side to side. So England patted the ball about between themselves in their own half, never ran with or without the ball, never tried to take on an opponent, edged a wee bit nearer the halfway line then quickly turned back again before finally lumping the ball forward for the Swiss team to have a turn – who promptly smashed two goals past them before half time.

Where did this tactic come from? Do managers think it’s a good idea? Do players favour it because it means they don’t get out of puff? Do they think it makes them look like Barcelona? It’s dismal to watch. Doesn’t work. And yet there it was being trotted out again at the (allegedly) highest level in the land.

What’s happened to football? When are we going to get the beautiful game back?

The game needs to adapt .. 10 a-sides, larger goals, relaxed offside rules etc .. (Barca aside) the players are too big, physical etc. It takes athletism, and little else, to play in the EPL - that's just wrong!

[truehibernian]

For me it's down to football and social culture, and that will always hold back England, Scotland and British players.

Looking at the EPL, your Suarez', Tevez', Nasris' and Arshavins of this world simply don't drink or over indulge. Out of that Barca team I would hazard an educated guess that very very few partake in alcohol or many late nights clubbing. For them, success is key and they thrive on excellence or achieving excellence. To do that they all appreciate they have to make sacrifice. That is being a professional footballer in my book (these days). As TQM says, the EPL is indeed an atheltic league. But that's the crux of it.......footballers now are athletes and their performance and football suffers if they abuse their bodies. Drink alcohol regularly, stay out late regularly, then you will undoubtedly suffer as an athlete.

Scottish footballers seem to think they have made it once they reach the first team. They take the plaudits and adulation, yet never seem to really want to live professionally. It's a "couple of beers won't hurt anyone" philosophy that even our national manager 'approves' of.

I listened to an interview over the weekend, one which looked at the pro's and con's of Capello. They talked to pundits and those that had worked with him. It was mentioned that Rio Ferdinand 'tweeted' that on recent international duty he was 'bored'. The concensus amongst those who had worked with Capello, a man remember who has won every title he can in the game nearly, that he expected players to work, be sharp, be focused on the job in hand, and not distracted by outside influences. It was no surprise that the English pundits wanted Capello to bow down and let the players 'enjoy themselves once in a while'. Because apparently it is in our 'culture'................whilst we all marvel at the joys of Barca, Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, the English media, pundits and ex pro's are more interested in their star strikers hair transplant......and more worryingly their star striker is more worried about his hair than his football too !

Change the social dynamic, tackle the alcohol issue, reinforce that professionalism means off the field too.......then we have a wee chance. Won't be in my lifetime though.

[Dan Sarf]

[QUOTE=truehibernian;2822623]For me it's down to football and social culture, and that will always hold back England, Scotland and British players.

Of course you're right, the heavy drinkers who lumber up and down SPL pitches all winter long haven't got the stamina to play the pressing game (or "hunting in packs" as we briefly called it).

And, as Hibs Class said above, managers are frightened of losing. So they play it safe.

But can't anyone but us see what can happen when a player runs at the opposition with the ball at his feet? Defenders panic. This isn't normal! They back off. They don't know what to do. The crowd loves it. They're on their feet. This is what we paid to see!

Stephen Dobbie had the courage to do it for Swansea when they beat Forrest in the play-off final. A great game to watch. And they won it too.