Have our Tactics Finally Changed For the Better

Twosignals

Well-Known Member
So we’re playing well this Season apart from a slip against the Scum. However my biggest bug bare was lack of shooting, and as such have vented my feelings on here. Steven Gerrard must have been reading it (LOL) since he’s said the Mid Field have to chip in with Goals. It’s been a joy to now watch us making openings and not taken another two touches, but now we’re shooting and scoring. Thursday night and yesterday are good examples, in particular Steven Davis’s goal on Thursday, a deflection Yes, however if you don’t shoot, who’s to say what would happen. In short if you shoot and it gets a deflection or an own goal from the opposition they all count, and may it long continue.
 
One very tiny criticism right now is that we need a goal scoring midfielder someone who can hit about 10+ goals in league football if we can get someone like that in January we’ll win the league.

In terms of league goals Tav and Goldson are our joint 3rd top scorers right now so we definitely need the midfielders to chip in with more goals.
 
I think we have seen an increased number of shots from outside the box, but I think it’s down our tactics and quality of play opening up space to shoot rather than just a simple decision of ‘I’ll have a pop’.

Beforehand, there were a lack of long range shots because it was never really on – the opposition team were always camped directly in front of the 6-yard box. It would be close to impossible to squeeze a shot in between them all.

Now we seem to be dragging teams a bit wider due to much quicker and more accurate passing, leaving space in the middle have a dig.

It also helps that we now adapt a lot more per opponent than we used to. To do that though you have to have a higher caliber of player (which we now have) and a group of players who have a strong understanding of how we play and the time to adapt to it (which we also now have).

An example yesterday, which I’m assuming was an intentional tactical move, was the amount of time Morelos spent going wide and dragging the defenders out of position, creating more gaps in the middle for the others.

Does that answer anything? I’m not sure, I was just trying to waste some time while I was doing a jobby.
 
So we’re playing well this Season apart from a slip against the Scum. However my biggest bug bare was lack of shooting, and as such have vented my feelings on here. Steven Gerrard must have been reading it (LOL) since he’s said the Mid Field have to chip in with Goals. It’s been a joy to now watch us making openings and not taken another two touches, but now we’re shooting and scoring. Thursday night and yesterday are good examples, in particular Steven Davis’s goal on Thursday, a deflection Yes, however if you don’t shoot, who’s to say what would happen. In short if you shoot and it gets a deflection or an own goal from the opposition they all count, and may it long continue.

Yes, we’re slowly coming more balanced as a side with goals and assists coming from all over the park.

I’m hoping Jack can become this goalscoring midfielder he appears to have turned into recently (with varying degrees of success) but his shooting has improved leaps and bounds much like the rest of his game this season. Aribo got stuck in last night and done well with his goal, the exact type of goal I think he’s meant to be good at getting and Kamara was unlucky not to be on the scoresheet.
 
We have literally scored loads of goals this season from the start...

I don't know the stats for the entire season but I recall one of the rags running a story earlier this year saying we took more shots from distance than any other team in the league and we scored more from distance as well. It just seems to be one of those myths that built up a head of steam on FollowFollow. One of many I hasten to add.
 
Yes, we’re slowly coming more balanced as a side with goals and assists coming from all over the park.

I’m hoping Jack can become this goalscoring midfielder he appears to have turned into recently (with varying degrees of success) but his shooting has improved leaps and bounds much like the rest of his game this season. Aribo got stuck in last night and done well with his goal, the exact type of goal I think he’s meant to be good at getting and Kamara was unlucky not to be on the scoresheet.

With Ryan Kent, he’s trying so hard to score and I recon once it starts, God help the opposition, just follow Stevie Gs Mantra, chip in with Goals, Aribo, Davis, Kamara, Kent, Jack Etc, I’m not Greedy.
 
One very tiny criticism right now is that we need a goal scoring midfielder someone who can hit about 10+ goals in league football if we can get someone like that in January we’ll win the league.

In terms of league goals Tav and Goldson are our joint 3rd top scorers right now so we definitely need the midfielders to chip in with more goals.
Who would you drop to accommodate this player?
 
With Ryan Kent, he’s trying so hard to score and I recon once it starts, God help the opposition, just follow Stevie Gs Mantra, chip in with Goals, Aribo, Davis, Kamara, Kent, Jack Etc, I’m not Greedy.

Was thinking that about Kent myself yesterday I also am still unsure if he’s 100% fit as looked to get a knock again last night so don’t know if he’s trying to play earlier than he should be. Once he’s up and running he’ll be fine, no doubts about him at all.
 
The midfielders have touched upon Gerrard asking them to take more shots - Ryan Jack said as much in his interview after Ross County. I believe that the more all 11 contribute to the team the harder it becomes for other teams to deal with us and end up all over the shot. As a consequence you can see that he ball is falling to the likes of Kamara and Jack and they have enough space to get a shot off. Our reliance on crossing as also been reduced which is good to see. Having an in form left sided full back also helps.
 
One very tiny criticism right now is that we need a goal scoring midfielder someone who can hit about 10+ goals in league football if we can get someone like that in January we’ll win the league.

In terms of league goals Tav and Goldson are our joint 3rd top scorers right now so we definitely need the midfielders to chip in with more goals.

Do we really need that?

We won the league in Scotland before without that, we already score a comfortable amount of goals and win a lot of games of football.

What do we stylistically give up for this player?

Our tactical shape, the freedom afforded to Kent and our full backs, Morelos ability to wander and cause bother?

What if we have consciously shaped our team in a way as to afford tactical fluidity

How long during a season could it take us to bed in this player?

Does he become our Asprilla.
 
One very tiny criticism right now is that we need a goal scoring midfielder someone who can hit about 10+ goals in league football if we can get someone like that in January we’ll win the league.

In terms of league goals Tav and Goldson are our joint 3rd top scorers right now so we definitely need the midfielders to chip in with more goals.
I think that man you speak of is meant to be Aribo. Our midfield is similar to Liverpools in that it doesnt score too regularly and their man job is to win the ball back and move it quickly. Given more time and space and finding the ball closer to the goal I believe Aribo can provide that midfield threat you are looking for. I do agree though - the club that also plays in this city get a good number of goals from midfield and it annoys me we dont.
 
As the Gaffer says the team need to bring their A game
And when they do teams will cause us less problems :cool:
 
I think that man you speak of is meant to be Aribo. Our midfield is similar to Liverpools in that it doesnt score too regularly and their man job is to win the ball back and move it quickly. Given more time and space and finding the ball closer to the goal I believe Aribo can provide that midfield threat you are looking for. I do agree though - the club that also plays in this city get a good number of goals from midfield and it annoys me we dont.

Could be argued that they NEED their midfield to be scoring goals because they have absolutely no reliable back-up to Edouard. We, on the other hand, have both Morelos and Defoe banging them in so don't need the goals from midfield quite so much.

As things stand, in the league, we've only scored 1 goal fewer than them (35 versus 36).
 
With Ryan Kent, he’s trying so hard to score and I recon once it starts, God help the opposition, just follow Stevie Gs Mantra, chip in with Goals, Aribo, Davis, Kamara, Kent, Jack Etc, I’m not Greedy.
Barisic looked desperate to score yesterday after his first one somehow didnt go in. Had 4 shots in the space of five mins
 
One very tiny criticism right now is that we need a goal scoring midfielder someone who can hit about 10+ goals in league football if we can get someone like that in January we’ll win the league.

In terms of league goals Tav and Goldson are our joint 3rd top scorers right now so we definitely need the midfielders to chip in with more goals.

In terms of squad building, it’s evident Ojo and Aribo were both signed with goals in mind.
 
We are definitely shooting more from distance albeit not very successfully at times (practice makes perfect - hopefully), but what I did notice against Livi was that we also went long from the back (Goldson) quite a few times. This mixing it up is exactly what we need to do on the atrocious plastic pitches we have in this country.
 
The midfield have shown the way and hopefully our wide men can contribute in this department too.
I think once Kent gets up to full speed we'll start to see some goals from him. You can tell he's desperate to score. I'm not sure how much to expect from Ojo, Barker and Stewart but Arfield has previously shown that he's more than capable.
 
The midfield have shown the way and hopefully our wide men can contribute in this department too.
I think once Kent gets up to full speed we'll start to see some goals from him. You can tell he's desperate to score. I'm not sure how much to expect from Ojo, Barker and Stewart but Arfield has previously shown that he's more than capable.
Arfield needs to learn how to shoot if hes going to score. He can start by not trying to pass the ball into the net every time. A weak pass at that.
 
Ultimately the measure of any improvement is how we fare against Celtic as they are the benchmark in SPL. When we beat them in league cup final and SPL then Stevie G will truly have arrived. We have the personnel to do it so it's all about will to win
 
Arfield needs to learn how to shoot if hes going to score. He can start by not trying to pass the ball into the net every time. A weak pass at that.

He does seem to favour the side foot finish. He's such a clever player though. Plays others around him in so well as seen in the opener yesterday. I'm sure he'll pop up with a few along the way.
 
From yesterday's eleven it'd be Arfield.

Yet Arfield changed the game when introduced against Porto.

In my opinion, we're looking to solve a problem that doesn't exist. In the last few weeks we've seen Davis, Ojo, Barker, Stewart and Jack all score. (and not forgetting Aribo too)
 
One very tiny criticism right now is that we need a goal scoring midfielder someone who can hit about 10+ goals in league football if we can get someone like that in January we’ll win the league.

In terms of league goals Tav and Goldson are our joint 3rd top scorers right now so we definitely need the midfielders to chip in with more goals.
Aribo will score more than ten in the league.

Imo
 
Was thinking that about Kent myself yesterday I also am still unsure if he’s 100% fit as looked to get a knock again last night so don’t know if he’s trying to play earlier than he should be. Once he’s up and running he’ll be fine, no doubts about him at all.

I’m sure he said in an interview last week he’s about 85% NU.
 
I've always been in favour of him playing a more advanced role in midfield. As we have seen already this season, he is a superb finisher.

I think Aribo has all the attributes to be developed into a midfield runner who can support the striker & score 10 goals plus.

Yesterday & Midjtylland are good examples of that imo.

He had pace & a touch & can finish & seems to have a good engine.
 
I've always been in favour of him playing a more advanced role in midfield. As we have seen already this season, he is a superb finisher.
I think Aribo has all the attributes to be developed into a midfield runner who can support the striker & score 10 goals plus.

Yesterday & Midjtylland are good examples of that imo.

He had pace & a touch & can finish & seems to have a good engine.

100% this.

I think he should be regularly playing much further forward, we would reap the benefits with the returns in goals from him.
 
According to the SPFL “stat centre” we’ve had more shots and shots on target than Celtic this season. I think that’s very encouraging.

Before all the stat haters get on my back, no I’m not saying that because of this stat we are the best team in the world, I’m just saying it means we will win the league.
 
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