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Tactics Thread

Turns out that Redknapp was right… guess it helps to have a team full of world class players, like Modric, in the first place though…

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No wonder teams love playing against us so much, what with Vicario being less than elite at kicking the ball even before his hernia and shorn of a fully fit Solanke or Kudus we have nobody who can hold the ball up…

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I know why we aren't playing with a playmaker, we haven't bloody got one, talk about stating the bleeding obvious. But we have had a playmaker over the last two seasons, and we've arguably played better without one - that was the point.
 
I know why we aren't playing with a playmaker, we haven't bloody got one, talk about stating the bleeding obvious. But we have had a playmaker over the last two seasons, and we've arguably played better without one - that was the point.

To try to answer, the issue with the playmaker for us recently has been where does he fit?

- 4-2-3-1 was where our playmaker (Eriksen as example) worked best
- Under Ange, we player more via a winger/winger attacker and overloads (which often compressed the area making it hard to attack, and Ange's reluctance for shooting outside didn't help)
- With Frank, so many issues to even start with.

Basically, with the playmaker we have two issues as I see it
- Where does he play (deep/high) and does he take away a position needed for cover/width/etc.)
- If you do play one (e.g. Eriksen) that everything goes through, do you have an alternative when that player is marked out the game/doubled up on?
- Playmaker needs to be able to score themselves (shoot with range) otherwise opponents can low block it and compress the space in front of them.

Sometimes, just pressing the ball high, winning the turnover closer to goal and taking it from there is simpler. Playmaker/creatives are sometimes more useful when you are expected to dominate (we haven't really done that consistently for a long time) and the opponents sit in.
 
The playmaker can play either #10 or one of the wide spots. But what’s more important is how the team plays around then when in possession.

Xavi would receive the ball wide but then drift inside looking to get on his right peg. Madders would often receive in the left channel and look to make a triangle with the LW and LB. Erickson would drift in off the right allowing Walker to bomb past outside.

Where they are in the formation isn’t as important as their and the teams’ patterns/style/responsibilities once they have the ball.
 
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