A number of fans have asked me to talk about systems and tactics. As you will see it’s not a simple subject. But as the great Bill Shankly the ex Liverpool manager used to say, it doesn’t matter what system you use if your Goalkeeper lets one through his legs or your striker misses from one metre.
Also Roy Hodgson who has coached Inter Milan and Switzerland recently said when appointed to Fulham, insisting he doesn't subscribe to any particular dogma, saying his style is determined by the players available and prevailing circumstances. "It's dangerous to talk about styles of play," he warns. "I'll never forget [Rinus] Michels talking at a Uefa conference many years ago. He was being lauded for being the first man to play this wonderful total football and he said, 'listen, I wanted to play winning football - if my team were losing 1-0 with 15 minutes to go and the opponents were camped in their own half, I wasn't at all adverse to putting my big centre-forward on and crashing the ball up to him to play the knock-downs'."
Also Charles Hughes one of the great coaching educationalists opens his book on coaching by saying it doesn’t matter what system you pay if the players can’t pass or control a ball!
WHAT IS LONG BALL?
I hear people say we play long ball, I also hear people say we play a short passing game as we have South Americans. Before we try to guess who is right, let’s ask the question what is a long ball? If a pass over 10m is not a short pass then is an 11 m pass a long ball? If a pass is shorter than 30m is it a short pass? As no one ever says there is a medium pass, just short and long. My belief is the distinction is not short or long but good or bad! The technical principles of a pass are its ACCURACY and WEIGHT. In essence a good pass is when a player can receive it and either pass again first time (or shoot). Most good passes are forward and on diagonals.
If a team is playing with a back 4 that pushes up to the half way line then there will be a large space for a forward to run into, hence a long pass is good. Especially if you have players like Keita Manjou, Sutee Suksomkit or Indra Shadan who all had great pace. However if you have a different style of player who can hold a ball and allow midfield to support like Khalid Jamlus or Egmar Gonzales then a shorter pass into feet is far better.
If a team retreats and puts 10 players between the ball and their goal it is often difficult to get through a packed defence unless you have great dribbler. Hence you often have to go over the defence to a taller player.
Also we are spoilt by what we see on TV. I wish every Malaysian fan could visit an EPL game and go on the pitch. They would see it’s like a bowling green. In fact NOBODY goes on the pitch between games. Reserves play on smaller grounds and training is done at a separate venue. If you saw the pitches at Liverpool and Manchester Utd training grounds it is a delight to see. The Groundsman which is a highly skilled and valued job treat the pitches like their own gardens. What do we have in Ipoh? A pitch we train on every day, a pitch with 2 types of grass and 4 different weed types (I have counted them) and mushrooms growing. Also any body can use it in any weather and even shot put competitions are held on it, creating huge holes.
So to pass a ball first time (which the great players do, and all the great teams play 1 touch) on our pitch is impossible as it is either bogged in mud or bobbling on the hundred of bumps when dry. Try playing snooker on a ripped table, or table tennis with a cracked ball. Hence it’s not always possible to play attractive flowing football on Ipoh stadium, we in fact play better football at Penang or Shah Alam. The answer for Perak Council? Is qualified groundsmen, a training pitch that is not dangerous and maintenance when needed. This especially applies to our younger players who train in even worse conditions. Fans pay good money and we TRY to play exciting football but it’s not always possible.
SYSTEMS
The best teams are flexible in their systems of play and can change for a match or during a match. At Perak we can either play a 3-1-4-2 or change that quickly to a 3-4-1-2 or a 3-4-3. Also if we are under pressure we can even adopt a 5-3-2. All of which are dependent on the needs of the game and the state of the game. Also it is dependent on the football intelligence of the players, can they “see” when changes are needed. Players in the modern game have to be flexible. See how many Perak players can play in a number of positions.
I am not for or against any system that works! I do not use a 4-4-2. As to play with a back 4 in the correct manner such as Man Utd or Arsenal you have to work every day as a unit and work zones. And as defenders get the highest number of injuries and suspensions you need a minimum of 6 players to play this system. Also to play it properly both full backs must push into mid field when needed, such as Cliché, Neville, Evra or Riise. In Malaysia most teams play with a back 4 and their full backs stay deep. Hence as Perak have more players in midfield we often have numerical superiority in this area. We haven’t done badly with this style, 2nd in MSL down to the last game, Malaysia Cup Final and scored more goals then any other team. What do fans want? Goals.
So in summary I smile when I and the players hear some of the comments about our team’s tactics and systems, most of them are wrong! In fact I don’t actually believe some of these critics go to the game as some of the comments are often so incorrect eg wrong players!
The reality is you win when you are fit, well motivated and can pass the ball well and defend well as individuals. 80% of goals are scored inside the penalty box (check the EPL) and from 1 or 2 touches. So the more often you get the ball in the box and the more players you get in the box you will increase the chances of scoring. Conversely if you can keep the ball out of your penalty box and don’t give away free kicks (set pieces) near your penalty box then you will reduce the goals against.
Simple game isn’t it? And no one is right or wrong that’s what makes it the beautiful game.
Read more...
