marginality & discontinuity
United Kingdom
Joined January 2023
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Samuel retweeted
When we talk about pressing, I feel like we always talk about intensity. But found this in article @spielvercom in 2017 about access which still resonates with me:
My stream kept buffering but caught a good chunk of the game (on my phone), will rewatch tomorrow :)
Samuel retweeted
Aristotle says that arguing with random people is a waste of time because the average person doesn't know how to argue and therefore will not help you become better at it (let alone help you clarify a point). A nice thought to post on the "argue with random people" app.
Iraola’s football has really good, mainly because of intensity rather than anything tactical. There is much more of a wall being put up within our high & mid blocks which is making us more resistant to being played through in the same way we used to under Slot.
Ironically the pressing system between the two coaches are quite similar, zonal to M2M, but wherever possible leaving +1. However our pivot aren’t man-marking the opponents in the way we used to, keeping the centre more protected than it used to be.
Each player generally stays within their predetermined zones which it easier to defend on an individual level, Slot emphasised zonal defending a little less and expected players to cover more of the pitch out-of-possession.
Rio’s use of pausa is what I love most about his iteration. I think because he’s now receiving in central areas, slowing down to speed up is even more paramount and pfft, he’s passing with flying colours.
Reliably receives on the half turn, takes contact then jets away gracefully. Once he spins away, he speed away or he looks to slow to plot his next move. It’s all so calculated but intuitive.
Also really happy with the amount of diagonal entries we’re getting from him, something I felt we would struggle without a left footer on that side.
The good thing about Wirtz, is that he is a volume player. Meaning, if he has a certain amount of touches he pretty guarantees you a tonne of final third & box entries at the very least. Which, with the quality of attackers we have, should allow him to bank a good amount of assists.
13 passes into the final third, 11 line breaking passes. 77 touches. Covered the most distance yet again.
From here on in, it’s about how many decisive actions can he execute. I don’t think it’s a cognitive issue, rather a psychological one. Look to finish off a move, rather than maintaining it.
Really liked the contrast we saw between Rio & Bradley’s games yesterday. Rio with the most dribbles, Bradley with the most touches in the oppositions box. Perfect. Gakpo can hang but this contrast is too good to ignore. Someone to draw attention with dribbles, someone to ghost in-behind into the spaces that appear.
Wirtz played well but the conditions were a tad too tailored to say anything about the performance. Not even a premier league thing but any team who dares to be aggressive within their mid-block risk being found out in-between the lines if there’s passers from deep.
Samuel retweeted
Since the start of last season, only Rayan Cherki (16) has more open play assists for Premier League clubs in all competitions than Florian Wirtz (11). #LFC
Just came back from Japan. Ready to start watching football like a nerd again. (This time I’m being serious)
Samuel retweeted
The conversation around Wirtz is fascinating & tbh with Iraola’s style this was always going to happen. Conversation about the price tag and what he offers are valid. But, the main thing to remember is that some players are extremely dependent on team dynamics to bring their best game forwards.
Only some players can boast about being less reliant on team-dynamics. Wirtz is not one of them (should be for 115m, yes). What is clear though is that he thrives in the combination game but specifically in dangerous areas (half-spaces, zone 14).
He obviously has value to provide elsewhere but it’s capped due to his tendencies (feathery, coy, sly. Not direct, confrontational, etc). This season will be a test of his mental capacity because his confidence will be shot by all this media noise.
Providing the right environment is paramount aye?
