Parma's Tactics Masterclass 3

[The Ghost of Percy Varco 0]

Really enjoy these posts Parma, keep them going.I also like the way you totally ignore City1st when he starts bleating on because he''s not centre of attention like a little child. Bravo.

[Parma Ham's gone mouldy 2,448]

Interesting and relevant piece from Graeme Souness in the Times today, ostensibly discussing United and City, but very much in line with 3 and the tactical analysis of Norwich:

"...Was it a coincidence that their most solid performance came with only one striker playing...they weren''t shoehorning three centre forwards into their team...

....when United were at their best, they would often play Rooney in the wide areas and Ronaldo in the middle in big games because they knew they couldn''t trust Ronaldo to track back.

"City face a similar dilemma if they want to play 442. You can play it if you have four working midfielders and one of the strikers is willing to drop onto the playmaker or sitting midfield player in the opposition team when they have the ball.....but it only takes one of that unit not to be working [hard] for it all to break down....

.....A winger like Navas is great when you are controlling the game and on the front foot, but when it comes to tight games you need four workers in there because everyone floods the midfield today.... They [Navas, Mata] are good players with the ball, but don''t do enough when they haven''t got it. Navas stands wide all the time, waiting for others to win the ball and get it to him, which leaves a hell of a gap from him to the nearest midfield player. Wide players in a 442 have to be disciplined. They have to be box to box. They have to play narrow when you haven''t got the ball...."

When analysing how Norwich were frustrated by teams when seemingly set up more attackingly, some of the answers are here. Why more strikers does not necessarily mean more goals and can indeed mean less. When assessing how exciting players such as Redmond easily be on liabilities and games are lost from seemingly dominant display, let us remember -as Souness identified - that Ronaldo was tactically played a certain way to cover his weaknesses. That Rooney, Van Persie and Falcao are - correctly (!) - identified as a problem. That Navas (who I have always loved as a player) causes tactical weakness in a multi-billion set up.

If these things are identified as true, how much truer must they be for our Norwich side...?

Parma

[Molly Windley 76]

Premier League record - Managed 280 Won 94 Drew 78  Lost 108  (Liverpool, Southampton, Blackburn & Newcastle)

http://www.premierleague.com/content/premierleague/en-gb/clubs/managers/profile.overview.html/graeme-sounesshttp://www.thedaisycutter.co.uk/2011/12/was-graeme-souness-the-worst-british-manager-ever/

[Parma Ham's gone mouldy 2,448]

Grazie Percy

[gabba 0]

I think we''re weighed down not just by the tactics employed which have caused us to be hit by counterattacks, but also by the lack of technique. Regardless of tactics there''s a paradox whereby playing a technical game leads to worse performances in the short term as players adjust. A tactical game can of course be played without technique.Neil Adams has fallen down both on tactics and playing a direct game lacking in technique. The signs are that he''s tried to reverse both, but we''ll see if he continues to take this brave course or ends up chickening out.

[Parma Ham's gone mouldy 2,448]

itouch that''s actually a reasonable point.

The Bolton game was an example of the result clouding the performance. We were more direct and less focused on possession.

There was an element of compromising principles and going more direct to achieve a result. The end may justify the means on occasions.

The danger of this is that encouraging players to take more responsibility and hold on to the ball for an extra half second - particularly in defensive areas under perceived pressure - takes technical skill and confidence. Re-introducing such methods becomes proportionately harder subsequently.

The lower risk direct approach can have success, though it is not a platform for development or a blueprint for success at a decent level.

Parma