"You can't................at League One level"

Shack Attack · August 28, 2009

I''ve been meaning to comment on this for a couple of weeks now but I''ve

only just got round to typing it all out. There seems to be an

abundance of posts which are basically variations on the theme of the

title of this thread. Whether it''s the need to field a certain player,

or to drop another, the need for good delivery from set pieces or to

play 4-4-2. All of them can be explained by the ''fact'' that "you have

to/can''t do this at League One level".

The reason I''ve started this thread is to see if I can get to the

bottom of this phenomenon and see whether anybody can actually produce

any statistics that back up these comments. As far as I can make out

from what I''ve seem so far there is not a huge difference between

League One and The Championship. It''s reasonably physical, played at

the high tempo which is typical of British football and the ball spends

an awful lot of time in the air. Aside from that the rules are the

same, the goals are the same size and what you really need to be successful is to have better players in a better organised system than

the opposition. Where is the difference between that and any other

level of football? What am I missing?

A lot of the comments seem to centre on the style of football that is

required ''at this level'' (yet another comment that seems to suggest

we''re playing teams from a completely different planet). The general

consensus seems to be that any form of pretty football is out and what

we really need is big, physical players who are capable of kicking

lumps out of the opposition. Yet from what I''ve seen so far this is

simply not the case. We lost against Colchester because our defence was

terribly organised and kept making ghastly individual errors (a fair

few of which were from that archetypal League One centre half Nelson)

not because we were out muscled. Colchester mixed it up quite nicely by

keeping it on the floor on occasions and being more direct on others.

We beat Wycombe because we pressed them high up the pitch and made good

use of the ball when the inevitable happened and the coughed the ball

up. We scored a couple of goals from set pieces (which are vitally

important ''at League One level'' so I''m told) but we won the game

because we were better organised than them and kept the ball better

than them.

One of the other points I keep seeing is that we have to play 4-4-2 ''at

this level''. I shouldn''t be surprised by this as it is not just

confined to supporters of League One clubs and it seems to stem from

the feeling that it is an attacking formation. This is of course

nonsense as formations are neutral and it is the players that are

placed in it which determine whether it is attacking or defensive. As

an example Manchester United and Barcelona both play with one up front

on occasions as do Spain and nobody would accuse these teams of being

defensive. Similarly one of our best performances of last season came

in the home game against Ipswich where we played one up front and tore

them a new one. I don''t see why this should be any different in League

One.

In conclusion my view is that we need a team which is capable of mixing

up the way it plays and which takes to the field in a formation which

suits it best. But that''s what you need at any level of football so

let''s stop making out that League One is a special case.

Arthur Whittle · August 28, 2009

[quote user="Shack Attack"]I''ve been meaning to comment on this for a couple of weeks now but I''ve only just got round to typing it all out. There seems to be an abundance of posts which are basically variations on the theme of the title of this thread. Whether it''s the need to field a certain player, or to drop another, the need for good delivery from set pieces or to play 4-4-2. All of them can be explained by the ''fact'' that "you have to/can''t do this at League One level".

The reason I''ve started this thread is to see if I can get to the bottom of this phenomenon and see whether anybody can actually produce any statistics that back up these comments. As far as I can make out from what I''ve seem so far there is not a huge difference between League One and The Championship. It''s reasonably physical, played at the high tempo which is typical of British football and the ball spends an awful lot of time in the air. Aside from that the rules are the same, the goals are the same size and what you really need to be successful is to have better players in a better organised system than the opposition. Where is the difference between that and any other level of football? What am I missing?

A lot of the comments seem to centre on the style of football that is required ''at this level'' (yet another comment that seems to suggest we''re playing teams from a completely different planet). The general consensus seems to be that any form of pretty football is out and what we really need is big, physical players who are capable of kicking lumps out of the opposition. Yet from what I''ve seen so far this is simply not the case. We lost against Colchester because our defence was terribly organised and kept making ghastly individual errors (a fair few of which were from that archetypal League One centre half Nelson) not because we were out muscled. Colchester mixed it up quite nicely by keeping it on the floor on occasions and being more direct on others. We beat Wycombe because we pressed them high up the pitch and made good use of the ball when the inevitable happened and the coughed the ball up. We scored a couple of goals from set pieces (which are vitally important ''at League One level'' so I''m told) but we won the game because we were better organised than them and kept the ball better than them.

One of the other points I keep seeing is that we have to play 4-4-2 ''at this level''. I shouldn''t be surprised by this as it is not just confined to supporters of League One clubs and it seems to stem from the feeling that it is an attacking formation. This is of course nonsense as formations are neutral and it is the players that are placed in it which determine whether it is attacking or defensive. As an example Manchester United and Barcelona both play with one up front on occasions as do Spain and nobody would accuse these teams of being defensive. Similarly one of our best performances of last season came in the home game against Ipswich where we played one up front and tore them a new one. I don''t see why this should be any different in League One.

In conclusion my view is that we need a team which is capable of mixing up the way it plays and which takes to the field in a formation which suits it best. But that''s what you need at any level of football so let''s stop making out that League One is a special case.[/quote]

Great post Shack mate!!!

Harleston Canary · August 28, 2009

Great post, wholeheartedly agree. I can''t see it either. I think it smacks of a certain level of ignorance to make the suggestions you quote. Leicester played ''football'' and got out last season. League One teams are in their position because in most cases they are made up of players who are capable of playing third tier football.

The only thing I might add is the level of protection (not) given to so-called ''flair'' players by referees. That could have a limiting effect on certain players, but I can''t support that with evidence.

Harleston Canary · August 28, 2009

[quote user="suffolk canary"]

Great post, wholeheartedly agree. I can''t see it either. I think it smacks of a certain level of ignorance to make the suggestions you quote. Leicester played ''football'' and got out last season. League One teams are in their position because in most cases they are made up of players who are capable of playing third tier football.

The only thing I might add is the level of protection (not) given to so-called ''flair'' players by referees. That could have a limiting effect on certain players, but I can''t support that with evidence.

[/quote]

To clarify: ''ignorance'' on the part of others - not you in your post. Re-read my comment and it is a bit ambiguous. Sorry.

Excited Canary · August 28, 2009

Hey Arthur you nicked my avatar! [;)] Lets try and get everyone with a ashes avatar!!! :P

pak mei · August 28, 2009

[quote user="Shack Attack"]I''ve been meaning to comment on this for a couple of weeks now but I''ve