Pressing in football

[Jags..class]

It's seems that Koeman is keen on this. Lukaku will struggle with this and I don't want him chasing shadows all the time.
Barkley is trying but this is not his game.
Have Koeman teams always been like this?

So what teams will be pressing this season for those who know about football tactics.

The R's for starters.
????

 

[The Blue Watch]

The RS don't do pressing, they do gegenpressing because they're special.

 

[Jags..class]

The RS don't do pressing, they do gegenpressing because they're special.

Haha brilliant

 

[davids]

Given the skill levels of a lot of Prem players, waiting for them to miss-place a pass could prove frustrating.Trying to get the ball back at every possible opportunity seems the sensible option.

 

[ToffeeDan]

No idea what this GP shizztle is but.. I'm really pleased that we are passing the ball forwards a lot more.

 

[sharkey1001]

We can't press from the front, because Lukaku turns like the Stenaline ferry and his acceleration over 5 yards is akin to Kenwrights. We will need to sit back and press along the halfway line, with Mirallas, Deulofeu, Barkley and Bolasie as the "front line" of pressing. All this because of Rom

 

[rochdaleblue]

Given the skill levels of a lot of Prem players, waiting for them to miss-place a pass could prove frustrating.Trying to get the ball back at every possible opportunity seems the sensible option.

Winning the ball back high up the pitch means there is little chance for the defensive team to get back in shape. It comes from the front though and I can't see lukaku wanting to do this. Watching Barcelona, not only do they have 3 of the best attacking talents in the world, but also 3 of the hardest working, closing down other players.

 

[davids]

Winning the ball back high up the pitch means there is little chance for the defensive team to get back in shape. It comes from the front though and I can't see lukaku wanting to do this. Watching Barcelona, not only do they have 3 of the best attacking talents in the world, but also 3 of the hardest working, closing down other players.

I am aware what it means.As for Rom,I can't see him ever having the fitness levels to do it,even if he had the will.

 

[Jags..class]

I am aware what it means.As for Rom,I can't see him ever having the fitness levels to do it,even if he had the will.

Is this do with his weight?

 

[Sy-]

I'm a fan of pressing, moreso the fitness to be able to do it (on and off) for 95 minutes.

Lukaku shouldn't be chasing down keepers like Gerri was doing in pre-season though, it's a waste of energy unless you have at least 2 others pressing with him. It needs to be as in unison as a back 4 stepping out to play offside.

On the receiving end, it's why I like players like Pienaar, Barry, Lennon and now Gana, they're unflustered by it.

 

[davek]

You cant press all a game. It has to be dosed. It's physically not possible and the teams that are associated with it do it over a period and then recharge. And it's tactically unwise to focus on a press at all times. The opposition synch into the pattern and its value is diminished.

The way that this aspect of the game has been elevated is a joke. It's a bare minimum to work off the ball. It's merely the heavy lifting that puts in place the base that attractive football can move off from.

 

[DualityNSNO]

We can't press from the front, because Lukaku turns like the Stenaline ferry and his acceleration over 5 yards is akin to Kenwrights. We will need to sit back and press along the halfway line, with Mirallas, Deulofeu, Barkley and Bolasie as the "front line" of pressing. All this because of Rom

What's even worse is that he can't hold the ball up and distribute it for his life, so he's utterly useless if he doesn't at least close down a bit.

 

[Tony Hibbert's 3rd leg]

I don't think our pressing is as intense as, let's say Liverpool. With regards to them, they have fit and fast players who aggressively press the opposition but there is no physical strength in their attack or midfield what so ever. I think there are many ways to 'press' and opposition. From what I've seen in our first league games our forwards have largely stayed detached from the midfield but haven't pressed extensively. When the ball crosses the half way line and into our midfield it's only then do I see Gueye and others really close down the opposition. Whether it's because we haven't the right players or this is Koeman's preferred way of pressing I don't know but I suspect the latter. To be honest I've seen some ridiculous pressing tactics, where 4-5 players sprint when the opposition defence have the ball. Yes every now and again you'll have a chance from that but you're going to get tired quick and one long ball up the top and you're going to struggle. I think it's way more important to keep the shape then go all guns blazing. Getting the right balance is key.

 

[Barnfred 55]

We can't press from the front, because Lukaku turns like the Stenaline ferry and his acceleration over 5 yards is akin to Kenwrights. We will need to sit back and press along the halfway line, with Mirallas, Deulofeu, Barkley and Bolasie as the "front line" of pressing. All this because of Rom

Don't agree at all mate. Even in the Stoke game, which the majority agree was one of Rom's poorer performances, he turned his man (Shawcross mind you who many on here would have us buy) on 3 or 4 occasions and broke forward. It was then his decision making, if anything, that let him down, allowing defenders to get back at him before he could release a pass or shoot. I'm finding it hard to think of another striker in the PL that actually does this better than him

 

[Tree13]

It's a fairly basic principle, which is why you see it in several other sports: basketball, hockey, lacrosse and american football all have their versions of a pressing defence. The common theme is to very tightly mark the shorter, easier passes available to a ball-carrier (taking those options away) and then attack the ball-carrier and force them into making a mistake. It works best when applied against the weakest ball-carriers, which is why in football we are seeing it used goalkeepers and central defenders. The key to making it work is making sur the easy passes are all covered BEFORE you pressure the ball.

There's actually no reason Lukaku cannot be involved in such a tactic: he doesn't have to be the one chasing the ball-carrier, he can just be one of the other guys marking an opponent tightly and taking away the option of the easy pass.