The Tactics Tuesday Thread

Swansea City 3-3 Oxford United

Some tactical points from the final game of the season.

Early on, the Swans struggled to play out from deep with Allen isolated in a large open space. Franco too far forward.

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Swans line-up has us in a 4-2-3-1 but it's more a 4-1-4-1
 
Swans line-up has us in a 4-2-3-1 but it's more a 4-1-4-1 with Franco and O'Brien pushing into the opposition's half. This leaves the deep lying midfielder isolated and struggling for options. The distancing between players here is an on-going issue.

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A lack of presence up top
Vipotnik struggled to offer much of a threat leading the line, couldn't challenge for crosses or cause much concern for the visiting defence. I expect we'll be cross heavy next season under Sheehan and he'll want a different striker up top. Possibly one who will offer more in the high press.

Sheehan has got his side working a lot harder out of possession, pushing further forward in a more intense press - but that doesn't suit Vipotnik's lethargic running.
 

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Struggles to defend in the air
Swansea's un-doing was their inability to deal with the high balls into the box.
For the first, the ball wasn't cleared aerially allowing the opportunity for a fantastic strike on the volley.
The second saw 2 high balls not dealt with, Eom losing out allowing the ball to come back in at the far post, defender and goalkeeper fail to deal with that one and it's an easy tap in at the opposite post.

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The only way is wide
In the 2nd half, Allen pushes further forward alongside O'Brien, leaving the defenders forced to go wide as they look to build from the back as Oxford control that central area. The gap between defence and midfield is far too big here.

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Tymon's attacking threat
The left back assisted all 3 goals showing the quality he can provide down that left side. His defensive game often suffers but there's no denying the quality of his deliveries from wide.

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Delcroix isn't the answer
I've never been overly impressed by the Burnley loanee. He's looked comfortable in possession but you need a lot more from your CB. He looks too weak in duels/in the air/in the tackle and that showed through vs Oxford. The majority of instances he had to defend he came up short, was far too slow to react to their 2nd equaliser. Hasn't shown enough quality to be an adequate replacement for Darling
 
VitalSwans said:
Delcroix isn't the answer
I've never been overly impressed by the Burnley loanee. He's looked comfortable in possession but you need a lot more from your CB. He looks too weak in duels/in the air/in the tackle and that showed through vs Oxford. The majority of instances he had to defend he came up short, was far too slow to react to their 2nd equaliser. Hasn't shown enough quality to be an adequate replacement for Darling
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I wonder what Burnley do with him now they've gone up because he's not good enough for the top flight.
He's not great but we could do a lot worse. He's decent in possession, he's left sided so offers balance and maybe with a good run in the side he could improve.
 
Middlesbrough 1-0 Swansea City

Neither side yesterday were able to penetrate through the middle and as a result this left Cullen completely out of the game as a spectator for large periods.

For Swansea (right), the only real action in the opposition's half was down the flanks with very little to nothing through the middle.

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Middlesbrough 1-0 Swansea City
The gap between defence and the rest

It's clear that Sheehan's Swans have no intention to build up through the thirds and link the play from defence to the deep lying midfielder and beyond.
There were huge gaps in front of the defence when they were in possession with the intent to be more direct, to skip the middle man to get the ball to the attackers.

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Here's another example with the Swans in possession further up the pitch. Fulton occupies a large area by himself and is outnumbered, Tymon, as the opposite side full-back, has to be the man to react if possession is lost which it is, and moves inside to add defensive cover.View attachment 82849
 
The winning goal
Tymon under the spotlight yet again for a costly defensive mistake. He easily loses his runner, gets a shove in the back and then gets in Burgess' way leaving him little chance to compete in the air to stop Fry glancing the ball into the opposite corner.

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Swansea City 1-0 Sheffield United

Sheehan's Swans set up in the same shape as last weekend at Boro, with a single pivot - usually Galbraith sitting in the hole but there were good rotations throughout with new signing Yalcouye also dropping deep to play role.

The 2 centre-backs usually looked to get the ball further forward than the single pivot man, usually wide to a full-back, one of the 2 8's or a winger.

The difference from last weekend though is that there was far better movement in midfield. Galbraith, despite being followed closely by Sheffield United's Hamer, was constantly on the move offering a passing option and if Galbraith had advanced on Yalcouye dropped back to do the same.

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Swans often waited for the press to come, one of the two 8's would drop in, inviting the press which would then create space in behind. Cabango, for example, would play the ball wide and this allowed the Swans to get in behind United's midfield.

Below, Franco drops deep as a dummy run and United expect him to be the target for Cabango's pass, but he passes out to Key. The intention was to progress the ball further up to Ronald but in this example United recover their press help to force the Swans to recycle possession backwards.

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Here's a better example, United's press was ineffective for large parts often leaving a Swans player in plenty of time and space.

Too easy to play through United's lines

In the screenshot below it was Yalcouye in the build-up before the balls goes across to cabango, he has time to play a long, low ball through the lines to Franco who then has time and space to turn into an attacking situation.

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Cabango's body position when passing is tremendous. Looks like a robot who's been taught how to pass. :ROFLMAO: What a bloke.

Thought first half we lacked imagination but were overall better set up on the weekend.
 
Gaaareth_90 said:
Cabango's body position when passing is tremendous. Looks like a robot who's been taught how to pass. :ROFLMAO: What a bloke.

Thought first half we lacked imagination but were overall better set up on the weekend.
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Yeah I felt we could have done a bit more against a side that struggled to lay a glove on us really out of possession. Their press was very ineffective and they couldn't quite work out what we were going to do, expecting the midfielders to receive and we were bypassing them.
 
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