Scott Brown/Potter tactics/the 'high press'

[G B Young]

Damning Hearts with faint praise here:
“Hearts and Anderlecht are two different teams, let’s not get that wrong,” said Brown. “Anderlecht had 800 passes. They were fantastic the way they played. They pressed us really well but they also got the ball down and played football the way they wanted to play. Hearts done it their way and managed to win as well, so fair play to them.
“It is hard to take,” Brown added. “Hearts have not been probably the best over the last season-and-a-half to two seasons and Craig has come in and transformed them really well to be honest. It is like one of Craig Levein’s teams from ten years ago when he was last manager there – the high press, the long, direct physicality of the football and making Tynecastle a hard place to go.”

Brown would have been in the Hibs teams of those days ten years ago and I was reminded of what Levein had to say about Tony Mowbray's team back then:
Levein added: "Once everybody realises that if you press Hibs up the park then they can't play and then they will struggle.
"Hibs were lucky if they strung five or six passes together on Sunday and yet people are talking about free-flowing football. Well, I didn't see it. I looked at the game on video afterwards and we played some good stuff and we do have flair in our team."

This 'high press' that Levein is being lauded for...is it some sort of unique tactical masterstroke that only he can deploy? Seems to me that Hibs have been the ones doing the 'high pressing' in the last few derbies.

[3pm]

Bitter prick towards Hibs.

Will be surprised if we play out from the back on that pitch. They played well on Sunday but we can take their high press out as well by being more direct. IMO of course.

[Zazu62]

We are really lacking a target man or a Grant Holt

[DickieDastardly]

I fear that tattie field of a pitch will be a lever on the 27th. Poor surface for wingers and definitely favouring route one hoofball.

we need to be ready to roll the sleeves up, get muddy and win the right to play football.

[Souter96Mac]

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We are really lacking a target man or a Grant Holt

Big Dave? The lad is due a last minute winner at Tynie

[Zazu62]

We are really lacking a target man or a Grant Holt

[tamig]

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Big Dave? The lad is due a last minute winner at Tynie

He’s no target man and definitely no Grant Holt.

[jacomo]

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Big Dave? The lad is due a last minute winner at Tynie

Cometh the hour cometh the man.

[Mibbes Aye]

Playing the high press doesn’t mean we need or should be punting it up from the back to some statuesque number nine in response.

Spurs tried the high press against Man City the other day and it had some joy to begin with, but Ederson simply shifted his distribution and started trying to find players closer to the halfway line.

His number of long passes went though the roof compared to his normal average and his pass completion dipped a little as a consequence but essentially he bypassed the pressure of the high press while generally retaining possession.

That requires good, thoughtful movement from midfield to receive the ball, intent and speed in then playing it on, and good movement by the front players to be in the right positions to receive it or run onto it.

I don’t think we are incapable of that and it would be infinitely preferable to hoisting a long ball for Boyle to chase after down their left - especially when we are shooting towards the Roseburn and hundreds of our fans won’t even see it!

[SChibs]

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Cometh the hour cometh the man.

Maybe Lennon has been wrapping him in cotton wool especially for this game. He'll come put and have an absolute stormer!

[easty]

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We are really lacking a target man or a Grant Holt

I'm really not so sure, not for the Hearts match anyway. Berra is prob thier best player, and if we were to play a target man and spend the game going long to them, Berra would be delighted.

We should get at them down the wings, our wingers can have their full backs on toast, just like they did at Easter Road.

[wookie70]

I would fancy our chances if we play long and early against a high press and try to hit it in channels. We should have the pace to destroy the likes of Berra. Lennon got it right the last time at the Tattie field and I imagine he will deploy similar tactics although you really can't tell with our manager.

[MWHIBBIES]

Mowbrays teams played Leveins teams off the park every game. They got away with absolute murder in both derbies at Easter Road that season, should've put 6 past them.

[Sioux]

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Playing the high press doesn’t mean we need or should be punting it up from the back to some statuesque number nine in response.

Spurs tried the high press against Man City the other day and it had some joy to begin with, but Ederson simply shifted his distribution and started trying to find players closer to the halfway line.

His number of long passes went though the roof compared to his normal average and his pass completion dipped a little as a consequence but essentially he bypassed the pressure of the high press while generally retaining possession.

That requires good, thoughtful movement from midfield to receive the ball, intent and speed in then playing it on, and good movement by the front players to be in the right positions to receive it or run onto it.

I don’t think we are incapable of that and it would be infinitely preferable to hoisting a long ball for Boyle to chase after down their left - especially when we are shooting towards the Roseburn and hundreds of our fans won’t even see it!

Aye very good. You do realise that the calibre of player has a lot to do with it? Playing 40/50 passes to feet is a job for the best. Many can try, but most fail.

[Mibbes Aye]

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Aye very good. You do realise that the calibre of player has a lot to do with it? Playing 40/50 passes to feet is a job for the best. Many can try, but most fail.

By the same token, their midfielders aren’t the same class as Spurs.

But aye very good, let’s aspire to be a team whose keeper can’t find a player on the halfway line

[truehibernian]

We're 8 unbeaten with Levein at the helm (of them) - am I missing something

If he was so great a manager or advisor to their managers surely he'd have been advocating the 'high press' for the last 8 games he was in the tunnel and dressing room in at least 4 that I know of

We've dominated the last 8 derbies, arguably even 9 given we should have won at Tynie when Liam missed the penalty - deary me the journos must be even lazier than usual.

Bring them on

[Geo_1875]

It will be difficult to use the wings given the size and state of their pitch. We might have to play narrower and more direct. I imagine if we play Boyle and Barker they will be running at the centre backs rather than the full backs and should get some joy there. The midfield will have to work hard stopping their direct runners through the middle and I don't think they have wingers to worry us. I really only see corners and freekicks as a possible worry unless we start winning second ball.

[JimboHibs]

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Big Dave? The lad is due a last minute winner at Tynie

I get a semi thinking about that.

[where'stheslope]

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Damning Hearts with faint praise here:
“Hearts and Anderlecht are two different teams, let’s not get that wrong,” said Brown. “Anderlecht had 800 passes. They were fantastic the way they played. They pressed us really well but they also got the ball down and played football the way they wanted to play. Hearts done it their way and managed to win as well, so fair play to them.
“It is hard to take,” Brown added. “Hearts have not been probably the best over the last season-and-a-half to two seasons and Craig has come in and transformed them really well to be honest. It is like one of Craig Levein’s teams from ten years ago when he was last manager there – the high press, the long, direct physicality of the football and making Tynecastle a hard place to go.”

Brown would have been in the Hibs teams of those days ten years ago and I was reminded of what Levein had to say about Tony Mowbray's team back then:
Levein added: "Once everybody realises that if you press Hibs up the park then they can't play and then they will struggle.
"Hibs were lucky if they strung five or six passes together on Sunday and yet people are talking about free-flowing football. Well, I didn't see it. I looked at the game on video afterwards and we played some good stuff and we do have flair in our team."

This 'high press' that Levein is being lauded for...is it some sort of unique tactical masterstroke that only he can deploy? Seems to me that Hibs have been the ones doing the 'high pressing' in the last few derbies.

Just looked at the highlights again to see if I missed something, only 1 of the goals came from a long punt up the park, the rest were created by good midfield play.

And if I'm honest seeing the 3rd goal and the mess the defender made of it, it could easily be the best way to play them.

The derby will take care of its self, if our midfield is on form they should be able to dominate them!!!

[Swedish hibee]

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We are really lacking a target man or a Grant Holt

He only scored 5 goals. He's not the answer we need.

[IGRIGI]

Boyle and Barker have the measure of their full backs, should be looking to release them at every opportunity.