@ COACH: Lets talk Tactics!

[txj]

Thanks to the weather I can talk!

The oxygen has been entirely sucked up by the Nani red card. While that decision was significant in determining the eventual outcome of the match, I am intrigued and more interested in Ferguson's actions or lack thereof following the sending off.

1. First a little background. Up until the RC and once it settled down from about the 15min United had controlled this game, and had the right balance.

2. By dropping Wellbeck into the area Alonso plays in, they had shackled the Basque player and his frustration was visible! Without Alonso's influence, Madrid lacked the fluency and cuttin edge to hurt MU, with CR7 on the preiphery shooting from distance.

3. Nani was sent off in the 56min. It would be 73mins b/4 the 1st sub, Rooney, 17mins later. The Madrid goals came on 66 and 69mins, 10-13mins after the RC.

4. During this period, Ferguson remonstrated with the refs, expectedly. He then worked on rousing the crowd. On the field, United was like a boxer reeling against the ropes taking body blows, all haymakers!!!

5. First of all, the ManU bench had Johnny Evans as the only defensive player. All the others were attacking players! Rooney, Young, Kagawa, Valencia. Amazing lack of balance, even understanding the constraints from Jones' injury...

6. IMO, he should've subbed Evra (who was on YC anyways) since he had Giggs and gone to a 3-man backline. Why?

7. Madrid had lost their main wideplayer, Di Maria, and typically use CR7 to attack diagonally. In otherwords, u can afford to give up the flanks and make it secondary in ur coverage piorities, and focus on shoring up the cntral defence and center of MF with Kagawa (or Young or Valencia) in a deep position to limit space for Modric, with Giggs covering the left side in the non possession phase. r the other way round with Rafael subbed for Valencia.

In otherwords, a variable 3-4-1-1 (in possession), and 4-3-1-1 (without possession).

8. Then bring on a fresh Rooney to continue to constrain Alonso. Finally attack on the counter behind CR7...

9. My question is what do you think he should've done?

[txj]

@ Coach, set the ball rolling!

[ojafranpa]

Txj coach will kill you with prose has nothing to offer.

[Coach]

@Oja, grown folk are talking and you want to play transformers in the parlor!...Pikin, carry your optimus prime to the bedroom and work on transforming your nonentity into something of use, or fire wood for the homeless!

[wanaj0]

JM said in Sir Alex, you have someone who you cannot question his decisions! Indeed the trophy cabinet shows it.

Hopefully, the internet certified coaches will prove their knowledge of the game on the field of play. Easy to coach on the internet!

[ojafranpa]

@Oja, grown folk are talking and you want to play transformers in the parlor!...Pikin, carry your optimus prime to the bedroom and work on transforming your nonentity into something of use, or fire wood for the homeless!

Pele grandpa.

[niyi]

@Oja, grown folk are talking and you want to play transformers in the parlor!...Pikin, carry your optimus prime to the bedroom and work on transforming your nonentity into something of use, or fire wood for the homeless!

you now consider yourself and txj grow folks? Grown folks don suffer

[txj]

JM said in Sir Alex, you have someone who you cannot question his decisions! Indeed the trophy cabinet shows it.

Hopefully, the internet certified coaches will prove their knowledge of the game on the field of play. Easy to coach on the internet!

Real football fans talk about tactics and managerial decisions. They do so, not cus they want to be coaches or equate themselves to coaches, but cus they seek to exchange ideas and learn about the game....To enhance their 'fanship'...

There are some though, such as ur miserable self, who have no wish to learn about the game or improve their knowledge. Worse, they wish to hold everyone down by their own retarded standards.

I acknowledge ur unfettered right to wallow and stew in the odor of ur ignorance, to remain forever a football retard.

The least u can do for the rest of us though, is let us be!!!

[Coach]

Now, Tx, to begin, good choice of thread, may the discourse serve it well.

To begin, even with the shape they kept, United played the ten man game brilliantly, created ample opportunities and on another day, go through. Frankly speaking, their display was all about their manager and an embodiment of what he stands for. Up against one of the finest teams on the planet and bossing proceedings, in the dying embers, still in with a shout, still creating chances. In as much as one would've differed the approach to Ferguson's, truth be told, what he managed to get out of his charges for the full ninety minutes was remarkable. Not a single head dropped. The pressure from Real was always going to come the moment numerical advantage arrived. United were always going to be vulnerable, atleast till their heads cleared and the dust settled. They hung on for ten or so minutes and then were beaten by a moment of sheer brilliance.

Regarding the bench, one would assume Ferguson thought they'd be chasing the game at some point and thus wanted to strengthen his hand, when the time came. Tactically, would a change in shape had helped? The 4-4-1 still offers double coverage out wide and three men down the centre, one of whom can engage the centrebacks. Perhaps a change could've been made earlier to repel the width coming from Contraeo. Valencia would've pressed him back, Wellbeck to the left and Robin up top.

The decision was whether to leave Alonso unchecked and favour symmetry or do the converse. Down to ten men, few systems offer the balance that the 4-4-1 can, but the problem is, its too easy to push back. Chasing the game would the freeing of the wide men defensively contribute more to their course, without worsening their burden. They needed two goals, had to chase two goals, but at the same time, didn't need to make a hard task even more arduous.

For the purpose of debate...
Would've taken off Giggs for Valencia and moved him to right wing-back, with Contraeo and Ronaldo flying forward, there was an opening for a potential counter. Wellbeck put in a sterling performance, not the best technically, but offers workrate in abundance and compliance with instruction. Rooney would've come in for DW, with one card left for the last ten minutes.

Tactically, a shape similar to that employed by Mancini vs United in the FA Cup, down to ten men, a season or so ago, would've been useful. The slight difference being the forward would've been dropped back into a more advanced midfielder role, effectively a 3-3-2-1.

................................................................
............................RVP...............................
........Rooney...........................Cleverly.........
Evra....................Carrick.....................Valencia
...........Vidic.......Ferdinand......Rafael.............

[Coach]

More vaginal discharge from Niyi-sseria Gonorrhea, next stop Embarrassing Bodies.

[Goldleaf]

While treading softly and carefully to criticise a genius like Sir Alex Ferguson, I believe he betrayed his true principles in the 2 legs against Real Madrid and got punished. Maybe all of a sudden, Fergie saw the "park the bus" strategy work for Chelsea against Barce and thought "yep, I will have some of that!", but it backfired. The best teams in the world will struggle to handle the torrent of attacks at Old Trafford and Fergie simply ignored that fact for once. Nani's red card was only a game-changer because of Fergie's counter attack strategy. When Rooney came in, we saw a glimpse of the Man U that we know. Would the result have been different if Valencia, Chicharito, Kagawa and Rooney were playing? Quite possibly.

NB I am NOT a Man U fan and will never be!

[Bigpokey24]

mods shouldn't this be merged in the MANU madrid game threads? abi i should open up a thread saying omey lets talk assanal vs spurs?

[Coach]

@BP, Sheriff John Brown himself, brethren, if its appeases you, one will open a friend in Rant & Rave, requisitioning your unparalleled, expert opinion on the yellow-skinned, crescent shaped fruit of the musa genus.

[txj]

@ coach

Noted ur similar peference for the bck 3.

But the main point is, what about those 17 minutes of rope-a-doping while haymakers were being dished prodigously?

[Coach]

@Tx, granted there were big body shots being landed, but they were soaking them up and lest we forget, it was the shaky hand that floored Foreman in Zaire. The curse of the Premiership is its over-employment of consensus and insistence upon conformity. Everybody plays the same way, almost, how familiar are United with a back three? Would they have been able to acclimatise under seige, or would the change have left them open for a straight left and clubbing right hand. When was the last time they had to chase a game? The EPL is awash with some of the most pathetic thinkers as far as footballing strategy be concerned. Go to Spain and see coaches with a poverty of provision, tinkering systems to a mason's precision, getting results. Its the same old, same old here, 4-2-3-1/4-5-1/4-4-2, even when clubs know that the shape offers them no parity. Consequently, change is alien to all. United did well in the 4-4-1, but, once the tide had turned in their favour, after Pepe's introduction and the disarray he caused, perhaps they could switched it and gone even fuller throttle.

[txj]

They soaked up those haymakers as well as Smoking Joe did Big George Foremans

The certainty was in the invitable trip to the canvas!!!

[wanaj0]

Now, Tx, to begin, good choice of thread, may the discourse serve it well.

To begin, even with the shape they kept, United played the ten man game brilliantly, created ample opportunities and on another day, go through. Frankly speaking, their display was all about their manager and an embodiment of what he stands for. Up against one of the finest teams on the planet and bossing proceedings, in the dying embers, still in with a shout, still creating chances. In as much as one would've differed the approach to Ferguson's, truth be told, what he managed to get out of his charges for the full ninety minutes was remarkable. Not a single head dropped. The pressure from Real was always going to come the moment numerical advantage arrived. United were always going to be vulnerable, atleast till their heads cleared and the dust settled. They hung on for ten or so minutes and then were beaten by a moment of sheer brilliance.

Regarding the bench, one would assume Ferguson thought they'd be chasing the game at some point and thus wanted to strengthen his hand, when the time came. Tactically, would a change in shape had helped? The 4-4-1 still offers double coverage out wide and three men down the centre, one of whom can engage the centrebacks. Perhaps a change could've been made earlier to repel the width coming from Contraeo. Valencia would've pressed him back, Wellbeck to the left and Robin up top.

The decision was whether to leave Alonso unchecked and favour symmetry or do the converse. Down to ten men, few systems offer the balance that the 4-4-1 can, but the problem is, its too easy to push back. Chasing the game would the freeing of the wide men defensively contribute more to their course, without worsening their burden. They needed two goals, had to chase two goals, but at the same time, didn't need to make a hard task even more arduous.

For the purpose of debate...
Would've taken off Giggs for Valencia and moved him to right wing-back, with Contraeo and Ronaldo flying forward, there was an opening for a potential counter. Wellbeck put in a sterling performance, not the best technically, but offers workrate in abundance and compliance with instruction. Rooney would've come in for DW, with one card left for the last ten minutes.

Tactically, a shape similar to that employed by Mancini vs United in the FA Cup, down to ten men, a season or so ago, would've been useful. The slight difference being the forward would've been dropped back into a more advanced midfielder role, effectively a 3-3-2-1.

................................................................
............................RVP...............................
........Rooney...........................Cleverly.........
Evra....................Carrick.....................Valencia
...........Vidic.......Ferdinand......Rafael.............

Solomon txj, go ahead and put to test all these theories. You are better than practicing coaches. Start by sending your notes to save Liverpool!

You take yourself too seriously when you start to think that coaching on the internet is the same as real life. Formation, circulation etc is just a fraction of coaching

When you learn to show respect to PROFESSIONAL coaches then you can be taken seriously. For now, you are just blowing hot air like Ayo. You both seems to have many things in common self!

[felarey]

While treading softly and carefully to criticise a genius like Sir Alex Ferguson, I believe he betrayed his true principles in the 2 legs against Real Madrid and got punished. Maybe all of a sudden, Fergie saw the "park the bus" strategy work for Chelsea against Barce and thought "yep, I will have some of that!", but it backfired. The best teams in the world will struggle to handle the torrent of attacks at Old Trafford and Fergie simply ignored that fact for once. Nani's red card was only a game-changer because of Fergie's counter attack strategy. When Rooney came in, we saw a glimpse of the Man U that we know. Would the result have been different if Valencia, Chicharito, Kagawa and Rooney were playing? Quite possibly.

NB I am NOT a Man U fan and will never be!

So you want Man Utd to play Real like the useless teams they play in the EPL like Chelsea, Assanal and Wigan? Just look at how far behind they are in the EPL, it's a huge mess! No appreciation for Ronaldo's threat? Fergie's tactics were spot on, just that he didn't seem to readjust quick enough after the red card but I put that down to players not quickly brushing off their feeling of injustice as there was still so much to play for. Plus they were undone by a fantastic strike from Modric.

[Donzman]

@BP, Sheriff John Brown himself, brethren, if its appeases you, one will open a friend in Rant & Rave, requisitioning your unparalleled, expert opinion on the yellow-skinned, crescent shaped fruit of the musa genus.

[Coach]

@Fela, cant argue with that. Modric's strike was out of the blue. Would've made for a grand finale had they switched it a bit, but to be fair, the pressure they put Real under was ridiculous. Ri-diculous. Ferguson is light years ahead of the rest, light years! Alonso, shutdown, Ronaldo, shutdown, Ozil, shutdown....and the likes of Wenger are struggling with Dembele. Not even picked from the same cotton field, let alone cut from the same cloth.

[txj]

While treading softly and carefully to criticise a genius like Sir Alex Ferguson, I believe he betrayed his true principles in the 2 legs against Real Madrid and got punished. Maybe all of a sudden, Fergie saw the "park the bus" strategy work for Chelsea against Barce and thought "yep, I will have some of that!", but it backfired. The best teams in the world will struggle to handle the torrent of attacks at Old Trafford and Fergie simply ignored that fact for once. Nani's red card was only a game-changer because of Fergie's counter attack strategy. When Rooney came in, we saw a glimpse of the Man U that we know. Would the result have been different if Valencia, Chicharito, Kagawa and Rooney were playing? Quite possibly.

NB I am NOT a Man U fan and will never be!

So you want Man Utd to play Real like the useless teams they play in the EPL like Chelsea, Assanal and Wigan? Just look at how far behind they are in the EPL, it's a huge mess! No appreciation for Ronaldo's threat? Fergie's tactics were spot on, just that he didn't seem to readjust quick enough after the red card but I put that down to players not quickly brushing off their feeling of injustice as there was still so much to play for. Plus they were undone by a fantastic strike from Modric.

I read somewhere once of a coach, who to correct an urgent situation on-field proceeded to have an assistant storm the field and get himself a red card. The momentum of the opponent was slowed and adjustment was made in the melee....

[txj]

@Fela, cant argue with that. Modric's strike was out of the blue. Would've made for a grand finale had they switched it a bit, but to be fair, the pressure they put Real under was ridiculous. Ri-diculous. Ferguson is light years ahead of the rest, light years! Alonso, shutdown, Ronaldo, shutdown, Ozil, shutdown....and the likes of Wenger are struggling with Dembele. Not even picked from the same cotton field, let alone cut from the same cloth.

[Coach]

@BP, Sheriff John Brown himself, brethren, if its appeases you, one will open a friend in Rant & Rave, requisitioning your unparalleled, expert opinion on the yellow-skinned, crescent shaped fruit of the musa genus.