H&H scout report on Monaco whilst Clement was manager

[Odin1972]

Not sure if anything’s been written about this already but I just listened to this interview with a French football writer on Ligue 1.

The French writer commented on Clements struggle to breakdown a low block. Once teams stopped playing out from the back and sat deep Monaco started to run out of ideas.

I must admit this a little disappointing. Maybe most managers have at some point struggled with a low block but this is our bread and butter and has been part of the undoing of the previous two managers.

I just hope he’s learned from that spell because he’ll be faced with that 80% of games here. We need a a manager to blow this type of tactic away every week.

Breaking a low block with athletic players is very difficult. Rangers 0 Barcelona 0. The not so simple answer is to employ a game changer or two. Without Jota where would Celtic have been. Smiths teams were impregnable plus Gazza and Laudrup add in Albertz with shots from distance. All our spend should be on a maverick game changer. Our only other recent success was Advocaat with a genuinely world class midfield which we can no longer afford.

 

[Odin1972]

Breaking a low block with athletic players is very difficult. Rangers 0 Barcelona 0. The not so simple answer is to employ a game changer or two. Without Jota where would Celtic have been. Smiths teams were impregnable plus Gazza and Laudrup add in Albertz with shots from distance. All our spend should be on a maverick game changer. Our only other recent success was Advocaat with a genuinely world class midfield which we can no longer afford.

And the incredibly underrated Rod Wallace.

 

[IrvineLoyal]

That is in a nutshell.

Folk making this low-block wall as if it's the wall of China.

Gerrard went undefeated in 55 against the crap low block.

And we have posted 89 and 91 points in seasons since that.



Low block wasn't problem beating celtic was imo.

 

[BulletProofBear]

And the incredibly underrated Rod Wallace.

I don't necessarily disagree. But how about the even more underrated Neil McCann. Look back at the highlights from Dirk's reign and see just how much McCann is involved in goals and big moments. Especially at the piggery

 

[Euro Scooter]

I don't remember ever seeing Monaco play under Clement so cannot argue with what the journalist says but I would be surprised if the disappointing end to his career there wasn't tied to the loss of one of their two main strikers for six weeks just before the end of the season and the resulting switch from two up front to a lone striker.

Purely from a winning games perspective, that appears to have had more negative impact than overcoming low blocks.

Also, Monaco's defence was their main problem last season. They conceded a lot of goals.

 

[alex0212]

There's a mad narrative that many seem to have bought into, the idea that to be a successful manager in this country, you need to be some kind of tactical guru specialising in overcoming the dreaded low block.
Utter pish. Clement will thrive or fail on his recruitment and recruitment alone. Sign good players and get them motivated to play for you. It's not that complicated.

 

[Now and forever]

There's a mad narrative that many seem to have bought into, the idea that to be a successful manager in this country, you need to be some kind of tactical guru specialising in overcoming the dreaded low block.
Utter pish. Clement will thrive or fail on his recruitment and recruitment alone. Sign good players and get them motivated to play for you. It's not that complicated.

recruitment is a big part of it but it's not all of it

 

[Mark8]

Am I the only person who detests this low block patter. It’s obscene.

The leagues our bread and butter. Our wage bill is hefty. Get the team fit, ensure there’s more than plan a, play with a bit a tempo and direct attacking football and get at the opposition. Be ruthless and ensure we have a top class man manager in place.

Half the battle is getting the layers to believe. Everyone trying to over complicate the game nowadays

 

[King Albertz]

If he signs players with pace and the ability to go by a man…particularly wingers which opens up space and creates 2 v 1 situations that will help against the low block. If he keeps them high up the park and we move the ball quicker around the pitch it will help. If we encourage midfielders to shoot on target now and again it will help. If we sign strikers that can actually finish it will help.
It won’t go down well on here but fat Ange created a blueprint how to win games in the SPFL. MB went down a completely different route and look where it got him.

So true, being able to beat a man and then you have an extra player is the key

What is not the key is deep hopeful crosses from 30 years out. Alfredo was actually very good at making goals out of those cause he was so physical and made life hard for defenders

 

[temperance]

just about every team struggles playing against a team parking the bus its nothing new.

The filth don’t seem to struggle in the SPL.

 

[bob1873]

The filth don’t seem to struggle in the SPL.

They treat the other diddy teams with utter contempt which is the right approach. Both GVB & Beale give these utterly hopeless mobs too much respect it’s respect they don’t deserve they are all basically hopeless even if they all have one or two (maximum) half decent players.

 

[Blutoe]

No harm in scepticism as long as its constructive

Clement deserves our support though, and it will probably take a couple of decent windows before he can be properly judged

Constructive scepticism

 

[Richy1471]

Success against a low block are usually achieved by starting the game very quickly and getting an early goal. Teams then can't afford to sit in.

 

[alza75]

Take it u just read the first post and dived right in.

First opinion is always relevant

 

[Rick_Sanchez]

The filth don’t seem to struggle in the SPL.

They’ve struggled plenty but have had the belief to scrape results. We’ve not laid a glove on them in the league since Gerrard left and failed to put them under any pressure.

Put some pressure on them and see how they cope. They’re not very good either and rely heavily on Furuhashi.

 

[High Society]

recruitment is a big part of it but it's not all of it

It really is. Bill Shankley said it’s easy to be a great manager, just sign great players

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Nothing we can do but hope it's wrong or he's learned from the experience. The recruitment process should have made it abundantly clear that this is what he'll face in Scotland.

It still concerns me that it's maybe too difficult to get a team motoring in the SPFL that can do the job in Europe, it's one or the other. The football that works in Europe doesn't in Scotland, and vice versa. We'll see.

 

[This is the way]

The way some people go on about the teams and tactics in our league makes it seem you need to be Pep to out think it. The fact that the same teams get absolutely pumped every time in Europe no matter who they are playing says that it isn’t to difficult a task to win against. Nearly every league in the world had teams that play this style of football so it’s not something new.

 

[MacGyver]

just about every team struggles playing against a team parking the bus its nothing new.

Came on to say the same thing. If teams park the bus it’s very difficult to break them down. We did it well in 2008.

 

[Odin1972]

I don't necessarily disagree. But how about the even more underrated Neil McCann. Look back at the highlights from Dirk's reign and see just how much McCann is involved in goals and big moments. Especially at the piggery

Yeah I was there m, no doubt McCann contributed but Wallace was exceptional.

 

[Odin1972]

And we have posted 89 and 91 points in seasons since that.



Low block wasn't problem beating celtic was imo.

Let’s all be honest, the low block is a pile of shit! Better players in a system win games.

 

[Burgh-Ger]

Teams are meant to struggle against a low block - thats the point!!

We are too ponderous on the ball which is a culmination of poor management, drop in confidence and some horrific injuries.

 

[Odin1972]

Let’s all be honest, the low block is a pile of shit! Better players in a system win games.

It’s the modern era of teams trying to beat Rangers, by hook or by crook….

 

[westenclosurebear]

Not sure if anything’s been written about this already but I just listened to this interview with a French football writer on Ligue 1.

The French writer commented on Clements struggle to breakdown a low block. Once teams stopped playing out from the back and sat deep Monaco started to run out of ideas.

I must admit this a little disappointing. Maybe most managers have at some point struggled with a low block but this is our bread and butter and has been part of the undoing of the previous two managers.

I just hope he’s learned from that spell because he’ll be faced with that 80% of games here. We need a a manager to blow this type of tactic away every week.

Another incredible opening post.

 

[Laudrup11Cooper]

It’s no mystery how to beat the low block, reasonably quick passing to players with pace who can break through the lines is all you need, it’s that simple. Plus it’s Scotland we play in, not Ligue 1

Interesting.And you may very well be correct.

But what if, for argument sake, you have a group of players that are scarred from not being able to breakdown the low block. After trying for say, 5 or 6 seasons?
Just like some may, seem to have a mental block playing at certain grounds.

 

[Ranger1003]

I’ve seen Man City struggle to break down low block

I could be miles of it here but by having shots from distance is a big way of beating it. The amount of shots celtic have that take a wick off someone for ogs,land at strikers. Or they get corners from. Using man city all you have to do is look at the goals rodri scored against low blocks

 

[Davie_Mitchell]

I fkng hate that wanky low block term.

I know. But you need to be a limbo dancer to beat it in Scotland.

 

[GazzaLegend]

There's a mad narrative that many seem to have bought into, the idea that to be a successful manager in this country, you need to be some kind of tactical guru specialising in overcoming the dreaded low block.
Utter pish. Clement will thrive or fail on his recruitment and recruitment alone. Sign good players and get them motivated to play for you. It's not that complicated.

Agree. The low block isn’t the issue, the players, that’s another question entirely. Let’s get the man into the job then see where we are.

We need to be prepared for the very real prospect this will take time to fix, and will require transfer windows and money.

 

[Now and forever]

It's not. You can have a better 11 players but with no shape or system you will be beaten by a team with players of aesser ability who are well driilled and execute their system better

It really is. Bill Shankley said it’s easy to be a great manager, just sign great players

 

[Kratos]

I could be miles of it here but by having shots from distance is a big way of beating it. The amount of shots celtic have that take a wick off someone for ogs,land at strikers. Or they get corners from. Using man city all you have to do is look at the goals rodri scored against low blocks

If you take long shots and they go in/get palmed out it’s an amazing way of breaking the low block.
Vast majority of the time they go wide or over, I haven’t seen stats to back it up but I imagine long shots are one the most inefficient ways of scoring

 

[tazzabear]

No fans, of any club, are going to speak highly of a Manager they've just sacked. Imagine fans of the next club who appoint either GvB or Beale coming on here for a summary of their 'abilities'.

I honestly find it laughable when I read our fans checking other message boards for views on players and staff.
Not simply that but hanging their hat on their opinion.
Madness!

 

[tazzabear]

If you take long shots and they go in/get palmed out it’s an amazing way of breaking the low block.
Vast majority of the time they go wide or over, I haven’t seen stats to back it up but I imagine long shots are one the most inefficient ways of scoring

Over ninety-nine percent of the time, you’re just giving up possession.
Not only that, you’re allowing the opposition to waste another minute taking the goal kick.
You know when the ball is going out for a goal kick and an attacking player tries desperately to avoid this and concede a throw at the corner flag instead?
Maybe thats what the player shooting from thirty yards should do as well!
Better chance of winning the ball back from the throw in, and in a more dangerous position!

 

[final_straws]

In fairness that's because Celtic's way of playing, and their annoying consistency, meant teams were playing them not believing they could get a result. It took time for that to happen of course since they failed to beat us, Hearts, Livi and St Mirren, all in the first few months.

Once they started steamrollering teams though no one in our league truly believed they could beat them.

The opposite has been the case for us. Teams have known, for the last 18 months at least, if they keep us at 0-0, or even 1-0, there is a good chance they could get a result as we gift daft goals and aren't anywhere near clinical enough to punish them. A totally different mindset.

Finally some sense. Been saying this for ages any time anyone brings up the old "how come they try harder vs us"

 

[Tom Vallance]

Yip , not one single thing to be gained by listening to this or posting it. Go on Kerryfail if you want to wallow in crap

what an asinine comment.

 

[SouthWalesGer]

Best way to beat a low block is to give the opposition the ball. No point in us having 75% of the ball but 95% of the play results in a backwards pass to our defenders. Far better to have 50-60% of the ball but majority in the opponents half. A midfielder should be passing into forward space (channels) more often than back to our CBs , it makes the opponents defence turn and have to play the ball, usually resulting in a throw in or a loose pass to no where up the park. It also tires out the opposition defenders and creates gaps and space.

 

[RotterdamBear]

Did they publish detailed shows about his time at Genk and Brugge ?

 

[SuperGers07]

Teams are meant to struggle against a low block - thats the point!!

We are too ponderous on the ball which is a culmination of poor management, drop in confidence and some horrific injuries.

Even at that, we simply don’t have the players capable of playing to a high intensity.

Basically, we are pretty awful to watch

 

[Phil'ieve]

Not sure if anything’s been written about this already but I just listened to this interview with a French football writer on Ligue 1.

The French writer commented on Clements struggle to breakdown a low block. Once teams stopped playing out from the back and sat deep Monaco started to run out of ideas.

I must admit this a little disappointing. Maybe most managers have at some point struggled with a low block but this is our bread and butter and has been part of the undoing of the previous two managers.

I just hope he’s learned from that spell because he’ll be faced with that 80% of games here. We need a a manager to blow this type of tactic away every week.

We need to start smashing low balls and shots into the box while our attacking players in the box interchange, move around and move quickly. Lots of quick movement in the box rather than just standing still being marked, run around swap places with eachother cause confusion while those with the ball outside the box just keep smashing in shots and low passes. This trying to pass sideways around it waiting for an opening then eventual hopeless crosses into the back post get us nowhere. We just need to be far less predictable. I think it's allot more simple than people think.

 

[SDF]

Did they publish detailed shows about his time at Genk and Brugge ?

Yes. More than one.

 

[Blootoonboy]

Best way to beat a low block is to give the opposition the ball. No point in us having 75% of the ball but 95% of the play results in a backwards pass to our defenders. Far better to have 50-60% of the ball but majority in the opponents half. A midfielder should be passing into forward space (channels) more often than back to our CBs , it makes the opponents defence turn and have to play the ball, usually resulting in a throw in or a loose pass to no where up the park. It also tires out the opposition defenders and creates gaps and space.

Im not sure how we would go about this? Just lump the ball up the park and let the likes of Motherwell knock it about in the hope we can press?

A full Ibrox simply wont allow this style of play, in the majority of cases it doesnt work.

 

[Jeepster]

Best way to beat a low block is to give the opposition the ball. No point in us having 75% of the ball but 95% of the play results in a backwards pass to our defenders. Far better to have 50-60% of the ball but majority in the opponents half. A midfielder should be passing into forward space (channels) more often than back to our CBs , it makes the opponents defence turn and have to play the ball, usually resulting in a throw in or a loose pass to no where up the park. It also tires out the opposition defenders and creates gaps and space.

Doesn't work when the opposition, also, doesn't want the ball.

They would simply lump it long to their lone striker, surrender possession, and get back into shape.

 

[FFGR1972]

We need a manager who doesn't over complicated or over compensate for what Scottish football is.

There is a sort of mythical idea of what going to a lot of grounds in Scotland is, it get's in managers heads, it got in Gerrards head, it was in Gios head and it was in the head of Beale from the moment he arrived, these managers started setting up for games that didn't even exist.

For all he was a c*nt you could tell Postecoglu never really respected the sides in Scotland, and his players had that in him as well, if Clement coaches that into more talented players he will win a lot of games, by a few goals playing decent stuff.

 

[StaunchGer]

Our biggest problem this season has been we don't create chances.

We need a manager who can set us up to actually create good chances and we'll do fine.*

It's Livi, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock etc not Atletico Madrid.

*A good chance is not Barisic shelling the ball in from the half way line in the hope that one time someone might in blue might header it.

 

[Timardim]

The simple fix is what we used to dismiss in the past as nonsense .Beat the scum home and away , ( easier said than done I know ) and you're most of the way to winning the league. Show them the same respect they've shown us particularly in the last decade , with the exception of 55. and is really the reason they rule the roost at the moment. We must bully them back. Do this and the confidence flows back in the team and the club in general , then we deal with the rest of the minions with ease .

 

[DylanGer]

The comparison to the alerts about Gio (which were correct) is that our new manager prefers a counter attacking style or wants to knock it long. That would be the concern.

I heard him say he’s a possession based manager -Gio oddly wasn’t.


Beale failed due to poor transfers and an inability do the basics after that.

Also PC is coming into the worst mess since SG so it’s going to take time.

Both Gio and Beale had major advantages PC doesn’t have at this time-transfer opportunities and an even or better league position

It’s time to chill now and see what the forthcoming weeks bring

 

[GingerbreadGirl]

There's a mad narrative that many seem to have bought into, the idea that to be a successful manager in this country, you need to be some kind of tactical guru specialising in overcoming the dreaded low block.
Utter pish. Clement will thrive or fail on his recruitment and recruitment alone. Sign good players and get them motivated to play for you. It's not that complicated.

You should apply next time then. The job comes up quite often.

 

[SDF]

We need a manager who doesn't over complicated or over compensate for what Scottish football is.

There is a sort of mythical idea of what going to a lot of grounds in Scotland is, it get's in managers heads, it got in Gerrards head, it was in Gios head and it was in the head of Beale from the moment he arrived, these managers started setting up for games that didn't even exist.

For all he was a c*nt you could tell Postecoglu never really respected the sides in Scotland, and his players had that in him as well, if Clement coaches that into more talented players he will win a lot of games, by a few goals playing decent stuff.

Postecoglou's team scored 33 goals more than us over 2 seasons in the league.

Rodgers team already have 6 goals more with less than a quarter of the season gone

That's almost 40 goals more in the space of just over 2 years.

If Clement even begins to eat into that difference with this bunch of attackers he'll be a miracle worker.

 

[Valley Bluenose]

Postecoglou's team scored 33 goals more than us over 2 seasons in the league.

Rodgers team already have 6 goals more with less than a quarter of the season gone

That's almost 40 goals more in the space of just over 2 years.

If Clement even begins to eat into that difference with this bunch of attackers he'll be a miracle worker.

Dhims have scored 8 goals fewer than they had after 8 League games last season as well - a goal a game basically. They won't get close to the total goals they scored last season which was, historically, an anomaly. Rodgers simply doesn't play that way.

We need to sort ourselves out - everything else will take care of itself.

 

[Wordy_Rappinghood]

Teams parking the bus in Scotland will never stop so whoever the manager is, he needs to deal with it.

It's very clear this squad is full of players who should have either left, had their role reduced or never have been signed so Clement can't reverse fortunes overnight.

If an opposition low block leads to dropped points in the coming weeks I'll not be raging at the manager.

 

[cooperman]

Dhims have scored 8 goals fewer than they had after 8 League games last season as well - a goal a game basically. They won't get close to the total goals they scored last season which was, historically, an anomaly. Rodgers simply doesn't play that way.

We need to sort ourselves out - everything else will take care of itself.

Yep, no seen a fully on form firing Rangers team on a consistent basis for yonks, PC gets that then the excitement and all the good stuff will follow