Akinde, Cowley & Transition

[nlondonimp]

a couple of thoughts provoked by what skip155 has said about the overall team approach.

Cowley
mainly been an underdog in his career to date, and has a pragmatic approach to management... even when we won the national league we used a fairly defensive system, and we were consistent scorers rather than expansive high scorers.
similar last year, with success built on defence and counter punching. long ball raids into opposition territory while keeping quite a few players behind the ball. teams probably expecting to do well against league 2 newcomers suited this style, and we had the cowley special - a late run to the play offs.

this year is different - we are now one of the favourites and have been top pretty much all 12 games. this brings a different, more cautious approach from the opposition. we have a team which is still built for counter attack, but gets little chance to counter attack [one of the problems for anderson too]. the transition for cowley is to get used to managing a team with the majority of possession, having lots of territory, and having to create decent chances - rather than relying on a second ball fortuitously dropping in the box from a rhead header.

Akinde
well known threat at league 2 level. pretty much all of his success has been with barnet. barnet in his time in league two were underdogs, most often a mid/lower league team and presumably not a team with lots of possession, playing against teams that were having lots of territory. ideal for akinde, as he is most dangerous on quick turn over/transition, and on the quick counter attack.
[at alfreton he was also playing in a team that were mainly underdogs.]

looking at his one vanarama winning season with barnet - where you would expect more packed defensive opposition, a huge number of the goals are still scored by through ball; long ball over the top between defence and keeper; 1v1 runs against the centre back. presumably the majority of vanarama teams were just not good enough tactically or individually to deal with him.

our current opposition
aware of the akinde threat. playing deep [tranmere] playing cautiously even at home [tranmere, cheltenham] playing 3 v 1 across the back [crewe?][mkdons].

the exeter game, where they were at home, fancied their chances, only played 2 centre backs and were possession-based. they got caught on the turn over, the quick attack and on the counter - he had a field day.

of the 33 goals here - i counted 18 as a result of through ball, ball over the top, winning 1v1 with isolated defender or keeper. 7 of which were pens that he won himself.
lots of similar goals as the season progressed too, presumably as barnet worked out what worked best for akinde.

 

[Imps2018]

Are you trying to talk sense here? Don’t do that one, it panics us (me).

 

[Deleted member 10554]

Some shocking defending in that vid!

 

[hulloutpost]

Thought provoking stuff and I would venture that Akinde has the tools to be a fearsome hold up/target man if the option over the top is not on. Rheady had to adapt from a goalscoring number 9 to a hold up number 10 (as opposed to creative no. 10). For me it is about good delivery into Akinde and people getting close to him. Nail that and Imps will be devastating at this level.

 

[Tomb Raider]

Good article. I have no doubt teams set up to stop Akinde playing and I think that's why he gets a bit of criticism from his own fans. They don't appreciate how much teams are tactically trying to cancel him out.

 

[Casperimp]

Good read and well thought out that and plenty of food for thought. I think what this season will prove beyond doubt to all the naysayers ( I am talking opposition fans here) is that Danny and Nicky can adapt and play all sorts of different systems.

These boys will go far and I have no doubt that this season will prove it once and for all!

 

[mikeosullivan]

An excellent article. Two points of view from me:-

1. I'm really pleased that the Cowleys' have shown they can play a different style this season. That is the mark of top managers. They have had considerable success with a sound defense/long ball system over the years - and often decent managers only have success with one style. The really good managers can adapt - and I have a feeling the Cowleys are indeed that good.

2. Akinde will always look more effective away from home, where he gets the space down the channels that he is often denied at the Bank. However at home he is the absolute key to our current style of play. Just see what happens as soon as Rhead comes on - we go straight back to the long ball/second ball system, probably sub consciously with some of our passing-adept players.

 

[gijsbert_bos]

An excellent article. Two points of view from me:-

1. I'm really pleased that the Cowleys' have shown they can play a different style this season. That is the mark of top managers. They have had considerable success with a sound defense/long ball system over the years - and often decent managers only have success with one style. The really good managers can adapt - and I have a feeling the Cowleys are indeed that good.

If you read the Fishy, they all think the Cowleys are one-trick ponies who only know how to play long-ball hoofing football. Same was said by Barnsley, Ipswich and other fans when the Cowleys were linked to them last year. I'm delighted they have proved them wrong. As many of us kept insisting, they play the system that suits the tools and players at their disposal. Up to this year in their careers they had been the permanent underdogs, playing with a lower budget and arguably less technically gifted players than many of their opponents, and they chose their tactics to maximise what they had at their disposal. This year has shown that with quality players they can play quality football.

 

[nlondonimp]

i believe crewe was a glimpse of the transition…

the way we currently set up:
solid defence
anderson is almost used as a screen to stop attacks, rather than an attacking winger. but the cautious approach from opposition means that teams are not really coming at us, either down the wings or through the centre. plus, we have a more than competent back five for this level.
2 man centre midfield
with just two in the centre we have more than once struggled by being outnumbered here. the game is controlled by winning central midfield.
wide attack
it is very much straight lines attacking. two wingers tight to the touchline. fairly easy to work out and set up against. in effect the wingers fill the space that a forward might want to run into. also blocking the forward run of our attacking full backs - eardley especially.


plan b
the tranmere plan b - rheadball and green, failed miserably. the only other player it really suits is bostwick.


v crewe 58 mins [pett on for anderson]. the plan b 'that nicky has been working on' - danny quote post-match
making use of our high possession and high territory domination. and also filling the midfield. more flexible attacking options. a variation on venables’ christmas tree?

midfield three - pett/freck/o'connor
prevents us from being outnumbered in the centre.
gives one [or two] of them licence to break forward, knowing there is always someone holding.
all three are decent passers, and read the game well… knowing when to sit back to cover the counterattack. having three covers the slight lack of pace in there. adds more ratting around - like three mini-woodyards when we want to win the ball back high up the pitch.

attack - double ten behind akinde
mccartan and andrade both played behind akinde [and then behind green; and then it was andrade-rhead-green] giving the central striker more and closer support. they are both positionally aware, clever, tricky footballers that can beat a man in a tight space, engineer a one-two or a quick through ball. unfortunately anderson can’t do any of this. they both have the option to go wide, and the double ten formation creates the space out wide to break into. one or both can still drop back into midfield to defend.

on saturday changing to this formation led to:
- pett being able to get into the box late, unmarked for the goal. he has that rare commodity for a midfielder at this level.
- frecklington to be charging forward from midfield, one of the main plusses of his game, the same rare commodity as pett. freck was also in the box for the goal.
- mccartan was able to get wide and put in a v dangerous right wing cross for the goal.
- andrade getting on the ball more centrally to get a left foot shot at goal.
- andrade popping up on the right to beat the exposed centre back for pace, earning the penalty.
- andrade was also in the six yard box for the goal.

currently i think eardley is wasted - in an attacking sense - sitting behind anderson. the double ten also allows/requires the fullbacks to work the length of the pitch… we have two fullbacks who would be excellent at this. both are like additional wingers and can put in a cross as good as our wingers. they would be pushed into using those skills more - a more rewarding role for them.

the flexibility of all this is much more difficult to defend against. it also requires clever, adaptable footballers, which i think we now have. it could well be the way to prevent us being bogged down by teams - macc, cheltenham, tranmere, crewe... port vale, cambridge, etc - playing for a point. to me this plan b could easily become plan a. interesting times uti!

 

[hulloutpost]

i believe crewe was a glimpse of the transition…

the way we currently set up:
solid defence
anderson is almost used as a screen to stop attacks, rather than an attacking winger. but the cautious approach from opposition means that teams are not really coming at us, either down the wings or through the centre. plus, we have a more than competent back five for this level.
2 man centre midfield
with just two in the centre we have more than once struggled by being outnumbered here. the game is controlled by winning central midfield.
wide attack
it is very much straight lines attacking. two wingers tight to the touchline. fairly easy to work out and set up against. in effect the wingers fill the space that a forward might want to run into. also blocking the forward run of our attacking full backs - eardley especially.


plan b
the tranmere plan b - rheadball and green, failed miserably. the only other player it really suits is bostwick.


v crewe 58 mins [pett on for anderson]. the plan b 'that nicky has been working on' - danny quote post-match
making use of our high possession and high territory domination. and also filling the midfield. more flexible attacking options. a variation on venables’ christmas tree?

midfield three - pett/freck/o'connor
prevents us from being outnumbered in the centre.
gives one [or two] of them licence to break forward, knowing there is always someone holding.
all three are decent passers, and read the game well… knowing when to sit back to cover the counterattack. having three covers the slight lack of pace in there. adds more ratting around - like three mini-woodyards when we want to win the ball back high up the pitch.

attack - double ten behind akinde
mccartan and andrade both played behind akinde [and then behind green; and then it was andrade-rhead-green] giving the central striker more and closer support. they are both positionally aware, clever, tricky footballers that can beat a man in a tight space, engineer a one-two or a quick through ball. unfortunately anderson can’t do any of this. they both have the option to go wide, and the double ten formation creates the space out wide to break into. one or both can still drop back into midfield to defend.

on saturday changing to this formation led to:
- pett being able to get into the box late, unmarked for the goal. he has that rare commodity for a midfielder at this level.
- frecklington to be charging forward from midfield, one of the main plusses of his game, the same rare commodity as pett. freck was also in the box for the goal.
- mccartan was able to get wide and put in a v dangerous right wing cross for the goal.
- andrade getting on the ball more centrally to get a left foot shot at goal.
- andrade popping up on the right to beat the exposed centre back for pace, earning the penalty.
- andrade was also in the six yard box for the goal.

currently i think eardley is wasted - in an attacking sense - sitting behind anderson. the double ten also allows/requires the fullbacks to work the length of the pitch… we have two fullbacks who would be excellent at this. both are like additional wingers and can put in a cross as good as our wingers. they would be pushed into using those skills more - a more rewarding role for them.

the flexibility of all this is much more difficult to defend against. it also requires clever, adaptable footballers, which i think we now have. it could well be the way to prevent us being bogged down by teams - macc, cheltenham, tranmere, crewe... port vale, cambridge, etc - playing for a point. to me this plan b could easily become plan a. interesting times uti!

Agree with that; gets my vote.

 

[Sincilbanks]

currently i think eardley is wasted - in an attacking sense - sitting behind anderson. the double ten also allows/requires the fullbacks to work the length of the pitch… we have two fullbacks who would be excellent at this. both are like additional wingers and can put in a cross as good as our wingers. they would be pushed into using those skills more - a more rewarding role for them.

The plan with Eardley seems to be that Anderson attacks their full back early exposing him for pace forcing their wide midfielder back to help cover. Once this happens Eardley follows up into the space and Anderson commits both players and then rolls it back for Eardley to deliver his cross.

If they play 3 at the back then Harry just attacks their wing back until they change shape...

 

[collingham imps]

Like to see Gordon given a run wide right - we might be able to assess him tomorrow evening against Scunny

 

[nlondonimp]

The plan with Eardley seems to be that Anderson attacks their full back early exposing him for pace forcing their wide midfielder back to help cover. Once this happens Eardley follows up into the space and Anderson commits both players and then rolls it back for Eardley to deliver his cross.

If they play 3 at the back then Harry just attacks their wing back until they change shape...

i got the impression that eardley was getting nearer to the byline for crosses last season. doing a true overlap (like toffolo this year down the left). which made the crosses more dangerous than the ones from positions where the ball is rolled back to him by anderson.

 

[Brendan Bradley]

........wide attack
it is very much straight lines attacking. two wingers tight to the touchline. fairly easy to work out and set up against. in effect the wingers fill the space that a forward might want to run into. also blocking the forward run of our attacking full backs - eardley especially...

The purpose of two wide attacking players is to stretch the defence. This gives space in the middle.

This set up has been used by Guardiola throughout his entire managerial career albeit with the best players available. Thierry Henry was asked to get chalk on his boots, and the likes of E'too and Villa told to switch from the centre where they scored oodles of goals and play wide.

Currently Man City play with a centre forward, two wide forwards, and a midfielder behind them.

There is no denying space for an overlapping full back because the wide player can always come inside. A centre forward is not going to be running into a winger's area, the only time ours gets into the channel he is the furthest player forward, and the winger is then the support.

I don't think it lacks flexibilty at all, for it to work we have to defend quite high up the pitch so our midfield can support our attack. On Saturday I didn't think that happened and there was a huge gap in midfield which Crewe didn't exploit.

 

[Sincilbanks]

i got the impression that eardley was getting nearer to the byline for crosses last season. doing a true overlap (like toffolo this year down the left). which made the crosses more dangerous than the ones from positions where the ball is rolled back to him by anderson.

Agreed, but as you said, given that teams are sitting back and hitting us on the counter more there's both less space for Eardley to overlap into and also more of a desire to keep him less advanced where he can snuff out a counter more effectively...

 

[nlondonimp]

The purpose of two wide attacking players is to stretch the defence. This gives space in the middle.
...
A centre forward is not going to be running into a winger's area.

for akinde's sake we need to stretch the centre backs - and any screening defensive midfielder if there is one.

the different space created by not attacking in straight lines is beautifully demonstrated in this one minute clip. creating four much better positions for akinde against the defence.

for eardley’s first long ball forward, andrade, no longer restricted to the left wing, has made a diagonal forward’s run towards the space on the right wing. a run he would not make with the second winger on the pitch. in doing so he has had to be picked-up/passed-on by three different markers. meanwhile akinde has drifted to the left leaving him first on a possible one v one with the full back, then as andrade drags the centre back to the far touchline, look at the space akinde now has between fullback and centre back on the edge of the box.

on the second long pass from eardley, andrade is now occupying one centre half, meaning akinde is one v one with the other centre half. akinde lays the ball off to mccartan, popping up on the right wing, running onto the ball in space. andrade is now in the six yard box and both of our attacking midfielders are in the area, creating overload in the defence. and leaving akinde again unmarked inside the box, 15 yards from goal.

crossing, switching, overloading, diagonal runs. space is created everywhere by the flexibility of the attacking positions. we haven't had this with the 'two wingers/one central striker/number10 behind them' straight lines approach.

maybe guardiola should be in the selenity picking up tips. it's never too late to learn.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1049294011289227264

 

[Deleted member 10554]

for akinde's sake we need to stretch the centre backs - and any screening defensive midfielder if there is one.

crossing, switching, overloading, diagonal runs. space is created everywhere by the flexibility of the attacking positions. we haven't had this with the 'two wingers/one central striker/number10 behind them' straight lines approach.

Excellent post. But removing wingers creates the issue of losing the front screen when playing teams in 442 / 4231 formations, creating dangerous overloads. As Crewe weren't playing with wingers it didn't affect us but IIRC at Crawley away last season it did.

 

[nlondonimp]

Excellent post. But removing wingers creates the issue of losing the front screen when playing teams in 442 / 4231 formations, creating dangerous overloads. As Crewe weren't playing with wingers it didn't affect us but IIRC at Crawley away last season it did.

i agree, but thinking back there haven't been that many threats down the wing this season... boldewyn probably the best of them, but he was in a notts team that were crap at the time.

yeovil for instance appear to have quick wide forwards, so probably best avoided against them. good to have our options though.

 

[Norfolk Imp]

The purpose of two wide attacking players is to stretch the defence. This gives space in the middle.

This set up has been used by Guardiola throughout his entire managerial career albeit with the best players available. Thierry Henry was asked to get chalk on his boots, and the likes of E'too and Villa told to switch from the centre where they scored oodles of goals and play wide.

Currently Man City play with a centre forward, two wide forwards, and a midfielder behind them.

There is no denying space for an overlapping full back because the wide player can always come inside. A centre forward is not going to be running into a winger's area, the only time ours gets into the channel he is the furthest player forward, and the winger is then the support.

I don't think it lacks flexibilty at all, for it to work we have to defend quite high up the pitch so our midfield can support our attack. On Saturday I didn't think that happened and there was a huge gap in midfield which Crewe didn't exploit.

At last I’m not the only one to see similarities with Pep’s style of play (having studied it in depth since his arrival) There have been times this season especially away from home that we’ve looked technically excellent, the only major difference being a lack of an Aguero pivot ..... as much as Akinde brings to the side, his lack of goals from open play is a concern. (then again there’s a reason he’s always played 4th tier footie I guess?)

 

[Brendan Bradley]

for akinde's sake we need to stretch the centre backs - and any screening defensive midfielder if there is one.

I hope you didn't think I was criticising your analysis earlier, it's just that I don't think that two wide players limits flexibility - generally.

It does if our back four are just going to lump balls forward to the big fella. He has no advantage there.

If the opposition full backs are kept wide then either the winger or our own full backs can come inside - which also leaves space for the overlap.

The centre backs have a lot of pitch to cover. The second forward (McCartan) is there to draw them out

All our best play so far this season has been with the likes of McCartan, Frecklington, Pett high up the pitch and either running at, or passing through, the defence. That's then been allied to getting the ball wide, and that combination has caused all sorts of problems.

There's plenty of space to do that, and lots of options to vary it. It's certainly not straight lines, but it will never work with "get out" punts which I'm surprised that Bostwick - and even Eardley to a lesser extent - have been a bit guilty of.