Pretty Football - Can our squad adapt?

[sandman]

AE regulars leading the way again when it comes to a bit of reasoning.

i often wonder what the profile of the people who have such dogmatic views about things is i.e. if we'd have done this, this would have happened (no way of testing)

Are they regularly in positions where they have to make decisions that are going to affect other people. Are they ever unsure of what to do. Have things
always gone there way and they have been 'right' 100% of the time

Probably because they can turn football manager off if they're losing and can start again and they expect that to happen in real life

[Ian Royal]

For all the talk of "hoofball" on here (and anyone who uses that phrase is a helmet), I guarantee you if you're at a game and Reading pass the ball about for a minute the crowd will start getting disgruntled and shout "get it forward".

So what?
The players have never taken any notice of the crowd before so why should they start now?
You underestimate our fans,much in the way that you regularly deride posters on here.

dont think so. has happened aroumnd me at every game ive seen where we try and take a longer view tactically

There's a difference between passing it ineffectually around the back four inviting pressure closer and closer to our goal without looking remotely like opening up an opportunity to move the ball forward productively, so people shouting "get it forward" and playing it around midfield, moving the ball forward probing and switching play to create an opportunity for attacking the opposition goal.

The closest we came to a passing game under McDermott was briefly the former, before losing patience and running out of space and banging the ball long into a channel. At it's worst his tactic was get the ball, and punt it forward whilst everyone runs towards the opposition goal chasing it.

I don't think there's really many people who want us to play like Spain, or Barcelona or Swansea. I think what they want, and certainly what I want, is a move away from what we currently do, towards that. Which hopefully leaves us more in the style of Man Utd, Spurs, Germany etc. Even Coppell's side, which was almost the definition of effective direct attacking wing play, used passing through central midfield much much more than we currently do.

Most of our players are definitely capable of showing better movement and short range passing. But they haven't been doing it for most of their time here and it wasn't what they were supposed to do. I think more than anything it requires understanding between players for what theyll be doing and where they want to create the space and when they'll want to make the pass. So that will take a while to build the understanding and ingrain it in them so it's their first instinct.

Against Utd you could see on several occasions players like Jem or Legs wanted to hit it long and shaped to do so, but Dolan was shouting and pointing, giving them instructions and they changed and picked the easier, shorter pass. That needs to become their instinct, so it's only when they see a good clear opportunity for a long ball, when someone's in space upfield that they go to hit that.

[Denver Royal]

IMHO this isn't really about what you tell the players to do, it's about how good they are.

Every player knows how to pass a football - they've been doing it all their lives. Likewise everyone knows to try and move into space if you can, even people at Football For Fatties do that.

How easily you can do this is limited by your fitness, your close control, your instinct, your innate ability as a footballer, basically. Obviously there's a difference between telling your side to pass it around the back four forever or drop it into the channel - that is a tactical decision - but to suggest there's a whole new style of football out there that the Reading players have never seen strikes me as a bit barmy.

Yep, certain players are suited to different styles. And some players don't fit certain systems. Its hard to imagine the current players could play 'pretty' but that they have chosen not to, or have been forced or told not to by BM (and indeed all the other coaches currently on the staff at RFC).

Furthermore its hard to believe that BM - and the other coaches - willingly chose not to play a pretty style and/or tactics if indeed they felt the players were capable and more suited to that...and that they chose not to even though we'd be more competitive and successful if we did.

Not sure where we are supposed to get all these 'pretty' players from? Are they currently in our Academy? And we know we don't typically spend big to get such players in.

I'd also assume that the new manager will want to get some of 'his' players in...which would indicate that some of the incumbents cannot in fact adapt to a new style.

[croche]

I have a preference for winning football, if it takes the guise of ugly, so be it.

[Agent Balti]

I have a preference for winning football, if it takes the guise of ugly, so be it.

We all have a preference for winning football. We've shown we can't even win ugly.

It's been proven that 'intelligent' and 'creative' football is what is required these days. We can't afford to buck that trend.

[Terminal Boardom]

It comes down to trust. Do the players trust the manager and coaches? Do the players trust their team mates? Do the players trust themselves? Remove the fear of failure and the players may just be able to achieve a style relatively pleasing on the eye.

[soggy biscuit]

People aren't half getting things out of perspective. When Brian was in charge we didn't play like Barcelona but then neither do 99% of other teams out there. Yet since he has gone every day our lack of attractive looking football is ramped up on here until we find ourselves a couple of weeks down the line and people now talk on here as of we were purely a route 1/hit and hope team.

and no I don't want to play like Swansea do either. Dull beyond words but I guess it is the current fashion. At least Barcelona try to keep possession in the opposition half instead of sitting outside their own penalty area and seeing how many times they can pass across their defense like Swansea do.

[Maguire]

I have a preference for winning football, if it takes the guise of ugly, so be it.

We all have a preference for winning football. We've shown we can't even win ugly.

It's been proven that 'intelligent' and 'creative' football is what is required these days. We can't afford to buck that trend.

Since when was "creative" football not required?!

[melonhead]

in seasons where we win alot of games our tactics wont be questioned.
in seasons where we lose alot of games people will moan about the tactics.
c'est la vie

[Platypuss]

in seasons where we win alot of games our tactics wont be questioned.
in seasons where we lose alot of games people will moan about the tactics.
c'est la vie

Were you asleep last season?

[melonhead]

nope. was enjopying one of the most surprising and wonderful seasons of football ive ever experienced

[Ian Royal]

in seasons where we win alot of games our tactics wont be questioned.
in seasons where we lose alot of games people will moan about the tactics.
c'est la vie

Plenty of people questioned our tactics last season. And predicted that if we stuck with them this season we'd do badly.

You don't call for major changes with tactics when they're getting results, at least I haven't. But I still said I didn't like the style and it wouldn't work in the Prem.

[melonhead]

those people like a good moan,& moan about everything.including winning the league

its not the tactics.
its the players.

[Hoop Blah]

in seasons where we win alot of games our tactics wont be questioned.
in seasons where we lose alot of games people will moan about the tactics.
c'est la vie

Not being pedantic here, but I was actually questioning the longevity of our tactics last season because my opinion has always been that results follow quality of performances in the long term and our performances, although effectively collecting points, weren't at the level that I thought deserved all those victories.

As for the general point, many of our players could play a much more considered style of football if they're given the structure and confidence to do so.

[Ian Royal]

those people like a good moan,& moan about everything.including winning the league

its not the tactics.
its the players.

That's weak.

[melonhead]

then i put it to you that youll moan about bloody anything.



its not the tactics. stoke have established themselves in the prem on very "outdated" footballing principles.

[melonhead]

those people like a good moan,& moan about everything.including winning the league

its not the tactics.
its the players.

That's weak.

so's your reply


brilliant, now where has that got us?





its simply that i dont think that football has in some way significantly changed so that the only way to play win and entertain is to pass it around the midfield until the opposition fall asleep.

[loyalroyal4life]

Pearce will be off so may well need CB coverage

[Hoop Blah]

those people like a good moan,& moan about everything.including winning the league

its not the tactics.
its the players.

That's weak.

so's your reply


brilliant, now where has that got us?





its simply that i dont think that football has in some way significantly changed so that the only way to play win and entertain is to pass it around the midfield until the opposition fall asleep.

You've not noticed that in the last 5-10 years there's been a massive shift towards having an extra man in midfield? That means attacks generally need to be a bit more patient in order to pull the opposition out from their mass defensive ranks, or hit them quickly and effectively on the break.

We didn't really do either, and to top it off exposed ourselves defensively through lack of man power and organisation.

I think it does Stoke and Pulis a disservice to say they just play a limited style of football. Their game is built on an excellent defence where they are very organised and disciplined. That's a major difference to how we've operated for 95% of this season.

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

I think the Utd game showed that the lads are capable of adapting, although maybe Guthrie in the middle would maybe encourage a more intelligent passing game.

NB: Please excuse my newbie status. I did register in early 2005, but my account was deactivated after years of gathering dust!