Possession football... is it old fashioned?

Pedcelt16

New member
I think we should just get the ball forward. Last friday against stmirren (lesser opponents) we should have got the ball in their final third quicker & pounced on their mistakes. Last season away to psg we tried to play possession football & were picked off many a time in our final third because they knew we would give them the ball back because we werent technically good enough to keep the ball under pressure. Should we not be doing the same to teams that are not technically good enough to deal with our press?
 
I think we should just get the ball forward. Last friday against stmirren (lesser opponents) we should have got the ball in their final third quicker & pounced on their mistakes. Last season away to psg we tried to play possession football & were picked off many a time in our final third because they knew we would give them the ball back because we werent technically good enough to keep the ball under pressure. Should we not be doing the same to teams that are not technically good enough to deal with our press?
....................

I think the secret is in being able to adapt and change things when necessary.

I don't believe we are geared for route one football and I don't think it's the Celtic way and the support wouldn't buy in to it on a regular basis. Now and again to mix it up a bit is fine ah la Thursday nights winner.

When teams sit deep we need positive movement and players with close control to show themselves and want the ball. We need to commit defenders and get at them a lot more.

On the odd occassions our centre backs drive forward with the ball and pull opposing players out of position we look good. Doing this opens things up and teams lose their defensive shape and we create openings and chances as a result.

I suppose it's all about variety in our play and having the confidence and the desire to make things happen. There's obviously a lot more to it than this. This is only my take on a few things we could do to improve.

I'm sure others can add their two bobs worth. HH
 
It's a good question, but I don't think possession football can become outmoded any more than counter attacking football can. Fundamentally, the problem (as I see it) is that we can't attract the sort of very gifted technical footballers it takes to implement the type of football we are aiming for on a long term basis. You can see that to an extent from the first season issues both Guardiola and Klopp experienced in England - you need exactly the right kind of player in every position. Right now we don't have the goalkeeper, centre backs, right back, attacking midfielders or wide players (Forrest excepted) for a high press, high retention game. Personally, I'd like to see the recruitment geared towards a pragmatic balance of our European football requirements (where we need to be physically strong, quick and organised) and our domestic football requirements (where we need to be patient at times, keep the ball in tight areas and have excellent movement). The system then has to be adapted to get the best out of our better players (Brown, Tierney) and unlock the potential in our underperforming players (Sinclair, Edouard). In broad terms, I'd go 4 4 2 with a 5 count press, only changing to a deep block when we play significantly stronger teams. For what it's worth, I don't think Rodgers is the right man to implement this or to get the recruitment right. Worryingly, I'm not sure the right person is out there waiting for us.
 

Members online

Latest posts

Back
Top