What do you see as the problems being? A problem I see that would be solved, is that Brown has the trust in Muscat to get forward more when he is playing alongside him.
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Oh, Brown has no problem getting forward currently. I see it that Brown is getting to far forward, and does not offer himself as an option to defense or to Lia. Its fine if we want to play long balls; Greenacre, McAllister and Brown all up front to contest the long ball and the scraps.
Previous posts on this, but in more detail:
[quote=tablemanners]I thought the commentary team flattered us by complimenting our direct approach. While I want results first and foremost the style of football Ricki's team's play is pretty average. What sums it up for me is this (and watch in next time we play).
We when kick off watch Brown take the ball and pass it to Lochhead. Then watch how he does not offer a return option but just turns his back and heads up field to wait for scraps behind long balls pumped to the front men. This sums up Ricki's style - it relies on having a defence and a front line 50 meteres apart with very fit non ball playing midfielders to break up the opposition play.
Brown for me typifies everything that has held NZ football back in the last 20 years. As much as I like the guy (he really is a great spokesman and not an arrogant player at all) I think watching the Nix is not what I want the youngers trying to copy.
What do you guys think??
[/QUOTE]
Oh, Brown has no problem getting forward currently. I see it that Brown is getting to far forward, and does not offer himself as an option to defense or to Lia. Its fine if we want to play long balls; Greenacre, McAllister and Brown all up front to contest the long ball and the scraps.
Previous posts on this, but in more detail:
Piney, you have hit the nail on the head when you say:
Muscat shielded his back four from opposition forays, while anchoring midfield and allowing Tim Brown (and to a lesser extent Vince Lia) to bomb forward.
Watching the game against CCM on the weekend, Brown is still bombing forward only leaving Lia in the midfield which makes it so hard for us to play out from the back. Hence lots of long balls and CCM able to pressure Lia and our CBs. At times when our defence had possession, Brown, Greenacre and Macallister were all within about 10m of each other.
Maybe Ricki set it up this way, having Brown, Greenie and Macallister up front would allow us to better compete for possession with all the long balls played forward. Seemed a bit Egil Olsen'ish.
We have an interesting game coming up against Brisbane. Greenacre will have a big role to play as we may need to match Brisbane in midfield to compete for possession. It will be also interesting to see how we deal with Brisbane's full backs pushing so far forward with Brisbane's inside forwards looking to cut in occupying our full backs and creating space for overlapping Brisbane fullbacks. Though with the threat of Ifill on the wings the fullbacks may not push as forward as they did against Sydney. Very interesting tactical game, I am just nervous at our ball retention and options in midfield (which we may bypass like against CCM anyway).
Muscat shielded his back four from opposition forays, while anchoring midfield and allowing Tim Brown (and to a lesser extent Vince Lia) to bomb forward.
Watching the game against CCM on the weekend, Brown is still bombing forward only leaving Lia in the midfield which makes it so hard for us to play out from the back. Hence lots of long balls and CCM able to pressure Lia and our CBs. At times when our defence had possession, Brown, Greenacre and Macallister were all within about 10m of each other.
Maybe Ricki set it up this way, having Brown, Greenie and Macallister up front would allow us to better compete for possession with all the long balls played forward. Seemed a bit Egil Olsen'ish.
We have an interesting game coming up against Brisbane. Greenacre will have a big role to play as we may need to match Brisbane in midfield to compete for possession. It will be also interesting to see how we deal with Brisbane's full backs pushing so far forward with Brisbane's inside forwards looking to cut in occupying our full backs and creating space for overlapping Brisbane fullbacks. Though with the threat of Ifill on the wings the fullbacks may not push as forward as they did against Sydney. Very interesting tactical game, I am just nervous at our ball retention and options in midfield (which we may bypass like against CCM anyway).
[quote=tablemanners]I thought the commentary team flattered us by complimenting our direct approach. While I want results first and foremost the style of football Ricki's team's play is pretty average. What sums it up for me is this (and watch in next time we play).
We when kick off watch Brown take the ball and pass it to Lochhead. Then watch how he does not offer a return option but just turns his back and heads up field to wait for scraps behind long balls pumped to the front men. This sums up Ricki's style - it relies on having a defence and a front line 50 meteres apart with very fit non ball playing midfielders to break up the opposition play.
Brown for me typifies everything that has held NZ football back in the last 20 years. As much as I like the guy (he really is a great spokesman and not an arrogant player at all) I think watching the Nix is not what I want the youngers trying to copy.
What do you guys think??
I obviously haven't been watching closely enough.
I think that maybe we should revert to a similar 4-3-3 to the one we played last season. At the moment Greenacre is playing in a role somewhere between attacking midfielder and striker and he obviously isn't quite suited to it. He is a 'fox in the box' and he is best suited to being the small man in a 4-4-2 and as we saw last season he can play as the middle man in a 4-3-3.
Sadly, he is a player straight out of the traditional 4-4-2 and very few people are playing that way these days.