Our shape has been so bad for weeks. The question is why?

Dado’s Napper

Dado’s Napper

Well-Known Member
Out of possession or in a turnover we are absolutely wide open through the middle of the pitch with it being a pass or a opponent running with ball we give up more space than I’ve seen for a long time.

The team doesn’t shuffle over when there is a switch of play and sleeping at the back post consistently.

Why is that though one of the easiest things to do out of possession is be compact get back to your spots and position as quickly as possible and stifle space!

We don’t and I don’t like the fact absolute garbage like Ross County have sussed this nevermind the better sides.

Is it the players or is it the managers tactics hope it’s the players.
 
Dado’s Napper said:
Out of possession or in a turnover we are absolutely wide open through the middle of the pitch with it being a pass or a opponent running with ball we give up more space than I’ve seen for a long time.

The team doesn’t shuffle over when there is a switch of play and sleeping at the back post consistently.

Why is that though one of the easiest things to do out of possession is be compact get back to your spots and position as quickly as possible and stifle space!

We don’t and I don’t like the fact absolute garbage like Ross County have sussed this nevermind the better sides.

Is it the players or is it the managers tactics hope it’s the players.
Click to expand...
It's the players it's happened under numerous managers, the same style of mistakes. Laziness and switching off. Happens when the players decide they don't fancy what the manager is telling them and we will keep sacking managers until they are gone. Would love to be wrong but you know exactly what kind of performance is in for us at Hampden and you know exactly how Celtic will score their goals. So do they.
 
Neilston Unionist said:
It's the players it's happened under numerous managers, the same style of mistakes. Laziness and switching off. Happens when the players decide they don't fancy what the manager is telling them and we will keep sacking managers until they are gone. Would love to be wrong but you know exactly what kind of performance is in for us at Hampden and you know exactly how Celtic will score their goals. So do they.
Click to expand...
Start by attack our RB I’d imagine
 
It's our press. It's gone or is basically none existent. The first few months under Clement, we were hunting in packs and pressing our opponents. It's like they've all just given up, or they don't have the legs to do it any more. Injuries haven't helped, but that's what it looks like.
 
Dado’s Napper said:
Out of possession or in a turnover we are absolutely wide open through the middle of the pitch with it being a pass or a opponent running with ball we give up more space than I’ve seen for a long time.

The team doesn’t shuffle over when there is a switch of play and sleeping at the back post consistently.

Why is that though one of the easiest things to do out of possession is be compact get back to your spots and position as quickly as possible and stifle space!

We don’t and I don’t like the fact absolute garbage like Ross County have sussed this nevermind the better sides.

Is it the players or is it the managers tactics hope it’s the players.
Click to expand...
Motherwell at home was the game this became evident for me. I could not believe the amount of space they had.
 
There's no shape or understanding between the players whatsoever, Shanklands goal came from Cantwell heading a ball off to noone, but if you look you see two rangers players around, neither of whom were running on pick up any possible layoff from him. We're just so static and predictable.
 
Injuries certainly hasn't helped, that and we have zero energy in the squad and the midfield is so immobile its unreal.
 
Even the way we set up at our own corners allows teams to easily counter. There’s no doubt players are not doing what they are asked but the way Clement sets us up is also a concern
 
Diomande has to play in a 3, we've never looked comfortable with him as one of the deeper 2.

In truth we've never looked as secure without Sterling in the middle.
 
Because the club is rotten inside to outside. Lack of leaders, lack of commitment and drive and endeavour.

Lack of trust between the players clearly too, because it’s like they’ve just met up 10 minutes before every game and then let’s see what happens.

Clement has lost the dressing room to a degree because certain players will enjoy a certain amount of freedom, and if Clement is trying to drive that out then it won’t suit that group of players.

Clement gets a summer to see what happens and then if he gets into the CL and makes a good start, then we will know why this has happened and why we didn’t win the title this season.

Big big changes needed here.
 
I honestly think there's no energy in the team. I think our conditioning is terrible.

I think that's eaten into us psychologically and some have told themselves - mentally - that they're not able to impact games.
 
Dado’s Napper said:
Out of possession or in a turnover we are absolutely wide open through the middle of the pitch with it being a pass or a opponent running with ball we give up more space than I’ve seen for a long time.

The team doesn’t shuffle over when there is a switch of play and sleeping at the back post consistently.

Why is that though one of the easiest things to do out of possession is be compact get back to your spots and position as quickly as possible and stifle space!

We don’t and I don’t like the fact absolute garbage like Ross County have sussed this nevermind the better sides.

Is it the players or is it the managers tactics hope it’s the players.
Click to expand...
Manager does the tactics.
 
Corrigan said:
When we got put out the Europa, Clement then had time on the training pitch with the team, he introduced this inverted full back role, we've basically got worse the more time he's had with them.
Click to expand...

Been true of the last 3 managers now. Maybe it's time we actually bit the bullet and got ourselves rid of the guys that have been the consistent.

On your point about inverting the fullbacks, he's done it since he arrived, basically. Our best run of form came when Ridvan came into the team and started playing regularly. It came off the rails when he got injured on international duty, and we were forced into going back to Barisic at LB, who can't play inverted.
 
Seeing as it’s the same crap with the same players I’ll put it down to them

That’s not to say I don’t have questions around the manager, we’d better hope it’s not him or we are fcked
 
ronadamus_prime said:
Been true of the last 3 managers now. Maybe it's time we actually bit the bullet and got ourselves rid of the guys that have been the consistent.

On your point about inverting the fullbacks, he's done it since he arrived, basically. Our best run of form came when Ridvan came into the team and started playing regularly. It came off the rails when he got injured on international duty, and we were forced into going back to Barisic at LB, who can't play inverted.
Click to expand...
We are wide open out of possession, teams play through us so easily, the manager stands back and watches it.
He'll do the same next week, we can see it, why can't he?
 
We have no team structure, it's so plain to see. We don't defend as a team unit and we don't attack as a team unit. It is all individual pieces of play & as a result should anyone make a mistake i tends to cost us
 
ronadamus_prime said:
It's our press. It's gone or is basically none existent. The first few months under Clement, we were hunting in packs and pressing our opponents. It's like they've all just given up, or they don't have the legs to do it any more. Injuries haven't helped, but that's what it looks like.
Click to expand...
This.

I think the way Clement wants to play requires players to be able to play 60 games a season and requires of the squad the capacity to rotate personnel when they're redlining. I think neither of those things are available to him.
 
It’s quite simple really - we just don’t have the personnel to play in the system the manager prefers.

Perhaps more worrying is that manager is persevering regardless.
 
Wasn't the case for the first 6 months under Clement. We were visibly more organised.

Then the pressure hit, we became the team to beat and when that happens you know what happens next.

Rebuild, a proper rebuild, is badly needed. Get rid of the losers and bring in some decent players for christ sake. We're due at least a half decent window for once.
 
Fitness clearly an issue

Seen folk calling it chaos ball as well when we are out of possession. We are wide open
 
Corrigan said:
When we got put out the Europa, Clement then had time on the training pitch with the team, he introduced this inverted full back role, we've basically got worse the more time he's had with them.
Click to expand...
I remember a lot of commentators were quite ambivalent about going out of Europe because it meant we could concentrate on the league.
 
SuperGers07 said:
Fitness clearly an issue

Seen folk calling it chaos ball as well when we are out of possession. We are wide open
Click to expand...
Concerning for me that since Clement has had more time to prepare for games the tactics and shape have went to shit and some of the decisions have got more bizarre.

As you say we are wide open yet still went into the old firm game with 2v3 in midfield and probably will again next week.
 
Corrigan said:
We are wide open out of possession, teams play through us so easily, the manager stands back and watches it.
He'll do the same next week, we can see it, why can't he?
Click to expand...

He most likely can. But I honestly don't think you can do a lot about guys failing to track runners and failing to pick up their man at set pieces. Those are basics and pretty much every combination of player he's put in since March, has performed like that. He could sit us deeper to shield the defence, I guess. He could make the focus be, don't concede at any cost, but I don't think we've got the players to do that either.
 
Dado’s Napper said:
Out of possession or in a turnover we are absolutely wide open through the middle of the pitch with it being a pass or a opponent running with ball we give up more space than I’ve seen for a long time.

The team doesn’t shuffle over when there is a switch of play and sleeping at the back post consistently.

Why is that though one of the easiest things to do out of possession is be compact get back to your spots and position as quickly as possible and stifle space!

We don’t and I don’t like the fact absolute garbage like Ross County have sussed this nevermind the better sides.

Is it the players or is it the managers tactics hope it’s the players.
Click to expand...
We don’t have smart enough players. Shape has to be fluid, reacting quickly to what opponents are doing. We need someone on the park to be able to read the game and react in the moment. I’ve lost track of the number of times defenders have been caught out of position or ball watching or unaware of what’s happening around them. Managers can’t react that quickly so it’s down to your leaders and that’s not the fault of Clement, the warning signs have been there for a couple of seasons. Regrettably, the current leaders are all on the downslope and we have no one to take over. Again that’s not Clement’s fault. In particular we’ve had real problems with long diagonal balls to each wing with the fullbacks regularly caught out of position. We could have gone 3 at the back but I don’t think we’ve got the players to make that work consistently. A Davie Weir type would have sorted this back four out and we also needed the Ryan Jack of a few seasons ago. Cover the gaps, break attacks up and hand off to the attacking midfield. And comfortable covering for Tav when he attacked. Jack was a key member of the squad until injuries took their toll.
 
barrowman said:
I remember a lot of commentators were quite ambivalent about going out of Europe because it meant we could concentrate on the league.
Click to expand...
Yeah it was the best thing apparently, our season then fell apart.

That Benfica game was a warning about what was coming with gung ho Clement, letting Benfica counter on us time and time, going man for man at the back, suicidal.
 
It doesn't help when we never seem to have the same 11 to choose from, while it would be nice to just believe we can stick 11 blokes on the pitch and say score more than the opposition a lot of work goes into things like shape etc and if players aren't available then it changes
 
ronadamus_prime said:
He most likely can. But I honestly don't think you can do a lot about guys failing to track runners and failing to pick up their man at set pieces. Those are basics and pretty much every combination of player he's put in since March, has performed like that. He could sit us deeper to shield the defence, I guess. He could make the focus be, don't concede at any cost, but I don't think we've got the players to do that either.
Click to expand...
Well if he's any kind of coach you stop playing a formation which your players can't play?
He really needs to start playing a midfield as it's embarrassing watching us getting played through so easily.
 
Corrigan said:
Yeah it was the best thing apparently, our season then fell apart.

That Benfica game was a warning about what was coming with gung ho Clement, letting Benfica counter on us time and time, going man for man at the back, suicidal.
Click to expand...
Is uncanny how prescient that whimpering defeat was.
 
ronadamus_prime said:
It's our press. It's gone or is basically none existent. The first few months under Clement, we were hunting in packs and pressing our opponents. It's like they've all just given up, or they don't have the legs to do it any more. Injuries haven't helped, but that's what it looks like.
Click to expand...
The distances between players are massive

The injuries have killed us less rotation more games for others

Fitness wise we have had had to rely on players playing 50/60 games a year it catches up.

Recruitment is so poor that we havnt improved on what we had.

Tactics we are just not solid enough when players are at full throttle yes we have the legs when you burn those players out then we are played through
 
Corrigan said:
Well if he's any kind of coach you stop playing a formation which your players can't play?
He really needs to start playing a midfield as it's embarrassing watching us getting played through so easily.
Click to expand...

They can play it though. They were playing it just fine, up until a few months ago.

I understand people trying to rationalise the last month or so, by saying he should just switch up formations or personnel to fix issues.

That's not the underlining issues for me. There's been a clear drop in fitness and energy levels. There's also been a complete dereliction in confidence. Especially while under pressure.
 
Corrigan said:
Yeah it was the best thing apparently, our season then fell apart.

That Benfica game was a warning about what was coming with gung ho Clement, letting Benfica counter on us time and time, going man for man at the back, suicidal.
Click to expand...
That was madness

The more or less everyone up at corners we were going to get caught at one point

Thing was the home game was pretty even in a way very tactical and we prob created the better chances from open play

Our issues came from the corners we were messing up there was few warnings before the goal
 
RTD-BEAR said:
The distances between players are massive

The injuries have killed us less rotation more games for others

Fitness wise we have had had to rely on players playing 50/60 games a year it catches up.

Recruitment is so poor that we havnt improved on what we had.

Tactics we are just not solid enough when players are at full throttle yes we have the legs when you burn those players out then we are played through
Click to expand...

I honestly don't get, how people aren't grasping that the injury situation has utterly derailed us. The players are all over the shop fitness wise. It shows in the continually up and down performance levels from individual players.
 
RTD-BEAR said:
That was madness

The more or less everyone up at corners we were going to get caught at one point

Thing was the home game was pretty even in a way very tactical and we prob created the better chances from open play

Our issues came from the corners we were messing up there was few warnings before the goal
Click to expand...
Suicidal.
It was a pretty even game and madly enough it was one of Tavs best defensive displays against Neres, but the warnings were there at every corner, yet he stood and watched?
 
ronadamus_prime said:
They can play it though. They were playing it just fine, up until a few months ago.

I understand people trying to rationalise the last month or so, by saying he should just switch up formations or personnel to fix issues.

That's not the underlining issues for me. There's been a clear drop in fitness and energy levels. There's also been a complete dereliction in confidence. Especially while under pressure.
Click to expand...
The fullbacks were still playing wide at the beginning imo, it's more recently you're seeing Tav in the centre of midfield.
We look cooked i agree but it's the ease in which we get played through, that wasn't happening initially, we had a great defensive record, teams weren't even getting a shot on target in some games, that has all went to shit.
 
Myogi said:
Our players look knackered, they don't have the fitness for high intensity football over the course of a season.

It would also help having more intelligent players out of possession which ironically Jack is but hes permanently injured and can't be relied on.
Click to expand...

It’s no excuse however, we’ve played nine more games than them this season (59 - 50 after cup final, which is a significant 18% more). With the injuries we’ve suffered and the clear lack of a cohesive pre season, it maybe, at least partially, explains why we’ve fallen off a cliff, form wise.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top