Why can't we play the offside trap

[Tumbleweed 106]

Watching Deano and Leon on Saturday and Tuesday get caught about 20 times offside, and looking at well marshalled central defenders all moving up together with their arms in the air, I was struck by how I never seem to see City do this now. Years ago in the "good ole days" of Tony Powell, Dave Watson, Aage Hareide and Steve Walford through to the Butterworth/Linighan partnership we used to be as good as any team.

Is this just another symbolisation of a poor defence? Is is something we have abandoned? Are Flem and Co (like most men, so the tabloids allege) not capable of multi-tasking?

Other teams stifle our attacking ability quite effectively using this tactic. We don''t seem to try.

Anyone know, or even care??

[First Wizard 0]

[quote]Watching Deano and Leon on Saturday and Tuesday get caught about 20 times offside, and looking at well marshalled central defenders all moving up together with their arms in the air, I was struck by h...[/quote]

Tumbleweed: I was always taught that playing the offside trap/game was a well dangerous tactic.

With good coaching, and players watching along the line, it can be easily beaten. Of course you do need competent linesmen, yes, I still call them linesmen amongst other names!, to make the offside decision.

I''m surprised City keep getting caught like this, after all, what do they do at Colney all day, play netball?.  

[Trent Canary 0]

Its a risky tactic is the old offside trap. Unfortuanetly Deano doesnt have the pace to exploit it, and Leon cant time his runs properly. Also our smooth pitch means any through ball is going to have a lot of pace on it after the bounce, how often do we see through balls go rolling harmlessly into the keepers arms?

[ZLF 335]

[quote]Its a risky tactic is the old offside trap. Unfortuanetly Deano doesnt have the pace to exploit it, and Leon cant time his runs properly. Also our smooth pitch means any through ball is going to have ...[/quote]

An effective offside trap works well when there is a clear leader at the back and the defence works as a unit.   Without that organisation one drops back and the trap is broken usually with severe consequences.

As organisation and shape are key I think you answer is there - its the same as all our defensive problems.  

OTBC

 

PS You also have to take a defensive line outside the18yd line - another reason why we cant play it - hopefully we will start to defend further up the pitch too! 

[Trent Canary 0]

[quote]An effective offside trap works well when there is a clear leader at the back and the defence works as a unit. Without that organisation one drops back and the trap is broken usually with severe con...[/quote]

Echoing what ZLP said (As I only addressed why opposing teams do it to us) it will only work if all four defenders are communicating well, and know how each other plays. And of course, it only works if we actually push out, something shacks appears to want to do, much to Flemings disgust.

[Tumbleweed 106]

I agree that it can be risky, but the way Coventry and Crewe played it we just got stuffed time after time, it broke down our attacks and generated a lot of frustration for the front two (and us in the stands!).

Seems to me we regularly have a forward or two left unmarked running at Greeno in any event, so it must be worth a try, but as Zipper says and Trent echoes, we have no defensive organisation anyway so with us it could be suicidal.