What happened to the high press?

CWOODPIONEER said:
Perhaps tactically we are saving fitness levels for the bigger games. What’s the point of blowing your arse out against the cannon fodder.
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What’s the point?

The point is, we could easily have dropped 2 points had we not saved that penalty due to us not using one of our most effective methods of play.

A team like Dundee would have been savaged by our press last year.

Press, finish teams early then relax.
 
CWOODPIONEER said:
Perhaps tactically we are saving fitness levels for the bigger games. What’s the point of blowing your arse out against the cannon fodder.
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Aye brilliant. Where was it against Malmo? Dundee Utd?

Our performances all season have been miles off last season's.

We're getting away with it now but that luck can run out quickly. Relying on Celtic being shite isn't a tactic you want to bank on either.
 
BRaven said:
What’s the point?

The point is, we could easily have dropped 2 points had we not saved that penalty due to us not using one of our most effective methods of play.

A team like Dundee would have been savaged by our press last year.

Press, finish teams early then relax.
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We won. The only stat that matters.
 
dt17 said:
Aye brilliant. Where was it against Malmo? Dundee Utd?

Our performances all season have been miles off last season's.

We're getting away with it now but that luck can run out quickly. Relying on Celtic being shite isn't a tactic you want to bank on either.
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Maybe we have injuries to key players and if we press like fook in every game it could lead to more injuries and burnout. Maybe a season isn’t a sprint by a marathon?
 
We played the high press as underdogs trying to stop Terry Munro. I think something has changed with the mindset.
 
CWOODPIONEER said:
Perhaps tactically we are saving fitness levels for the bigger games. What’s the point of blowing your arse out against the cannon fodder.
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I have wondered about that, but it does sound like a convenient excuse.

Perhaps a more plausible explanation is that in the past two seasons we’ve been superb up until Xmas with our high press game then looked knackered after it.

Maybe we’re trying to pace ourselves to ensure we have more in the tank post new year?

Or . . . we’re just collectively knackered from the efforts of last season and this is more or less as good as we can currently offer.
 
High pressing makes teams just hoof it long, which is what they were doing anyway, and caused us most of the problems we had today.
 
Last season we had an almost perfect pre-season, which meant everyone was as fully fit (injuries apart) as they could possibly be. This meant that we could be far more dynamic, especially for the first few months.
Remember how performance levels dropped and we were all moaning about "only winning" 1-0 in the middle of the season. No team can play at that level for a full season.

This season, our pre-season was far from perfect, with several players returning from International duty, all at different times and then Covid!

Our performances this season have been nowhere near last season but I think the above shows mitigating circumstances. I also think we will get fitter in the next 2-3 months, which will be ideal for the matches played during winter and as we get into the business end of the season.

We are playing shit just now, but we are still top of the league, and we know we can and will (should) improve.
 
HandsomeHead said:
I have wondered about that, but it does sound like a convenient excuse.

Perhaps a more plausible explanation is that in the past two seasons we’ve been superb up until Xmas with our high press game then looked knackered after it.

Maybe we’re trying to pace ourselves to ensure we have more in the tank post new year?

Or . . . we’re just collectively knackered from the efforts of last season and this is more or less as good as we can currently offer.
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Your last point is prob key thing

Winning the league last year was massive for everyone connected to n the club not just the fans

The players the pressure they would have been under to do it or it would have been a clear out of players and management.

But last year was also a bit of a freak season one where everything went brilliantly its not one that is common in the league
 
The front three last season were superb at it. Morelos, Kent and Roofe would work in sync as teams try to play it out the back. Our midfield three would then move up, again in sync, and we would recover the ball and attack.

At the minute we are seeing any one of the front three pressing, but without the support of his team mates. The press is therefore ineffective.

That’s a team issue rather than an individual player issue. It’s why I’m a bit hesitant to single out individual players for criticism, as so many are off it, and there is something wrong with the team.
 
Is it possible that the team just aren’t fit enough to do it this season?

In previous seasons we’ve looked fitter and stronger than everyone we came up against but this season we seem to be struggling.

Is it possible that the poor preparations and pre season is still impacting us?
 
Chester Loyal said:
Is it possible that the team just aren’t fit enough to do it this season?

In previous seasons we’ve looked fitter and stronger than everyone we came up against but this season we seem to be struggling.

Is it possible that the poor preparations and pre season is still impacting us?
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that's what I think, I think this all stems from a weird pre-season, last season we had a much longer pre-season, and the prove is on the pitch
 
cooperman said:
that's what I think, I think this all stems from a weird pre-season, last season we had a much longer pre-season, and the prove is on the pitch
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I agree. I think the preparations for this season were awful (for various reasons) and we’re still struggling because of it.
 
CWOODPIONEER said:
I must have missed all the times Dundee were playing tipy tapy football across their back line.
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This is the point. If they are playing long balls from the back you want to pressure them into making bad passes. I shall defer to your tactical know how! Tipy tapy!
 
CWOODPIONEER said:
If a teams playing long balls from the back, is it a good idea to press them?
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Our style of play this season has radically changed. We’ve gone from being an attacking team playing high intensity, possession based football to one that just looks rancid. I don’t think we’re deliberately adopting any tactic here. We’re just poor.
 
Max Payne said:
Our style of play this season has radically changed. We’ve gone from being an attacking team playing high intensity, possession based football to one that just looks rancid. I don’t think we’re deliberately adopting any tactic here. We’re just poor.
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Rancid? Top of the league is rancid?
 
BRaven said:
What’s the point?

The point is, we could easily have dropped 2 points had we not saved that penalty due to us not using one of our most effective methods of play.

A team like Dundee would have been savaged by our press last year.

Press, finish teams early then relax.
Click to expand...
Correct. High press then the trouser press for a night out. Game over. It looked like we’ve tactically stopped it. Don’t understand.
 
I’m starting to think we are playing half press etc till January/in games of importance and higher intensity

watching Relentle55 Gerrard seemed to have decent awareness what we were doing before isn’t sustainable across a season

we look to just be managing our season, it happens, teams who win titles don’t simply play attractive high energy football the entire season, it’s not sustainable
 
TheMish said:
I’m starting to think we are playing half press etc till January/in games of importance and higher intensity

watching Relentle55 Gerrard seemed to have decent awareness what we were doing before isn’t sustainable across a season

we look to just be managing our season, it happens, teams who win titles don’t simply play attractive high energy football the entire season, it’s not sustainable
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We could do it for 15 mins a half at least.
 
TheMish said:
Hard to have a sustained press when you have the ball as much as we did to be fair.
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Especially with two holding midfielders who’s starting position is well inside their own half. Anyway, three points. Obviously we’ll drop off more against Sparta so hopefully that allows us opportunities.
 
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