| Marti Cifuentes 16:28 - Mar 30 with 4947 views | T_Block |
Felt Rowatt out thought him yesterday .This team is tough and can cope with going one down BUT he expected Birmingham to go for a low block and hit us on the break.They didn’t. -so our high press/high line plus A medium paced forward line did not quite work.
Obvious for last 15 of first half and until Armstrong came on the second half.
Would like to know Marti’s thoughts
I wonder if we could afford Bacuna’s wages
Still still think he looks a good manager.
For me best since-middle 90’s,perhaps since Venables. |  | | |  |
| Marti Cifuentes on 23:59 - Mar 31 with 858 views | connell10 |
Yeah he out thought so much we won the game!!!! There was only one manager out thought and that was the crinkle faced gimp in charge of Brum. |  |
| AND WHEN I DREAM , I DREAM ABOUT YOU AND WHEN I SCREAM I SCREAM ABOUT YOU!!!!! | | Poll: | best number 10 ever? |
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| Marti Cifuentes on 07:04 - Apr 1 with 746 views | dmm |
| Marti Cifuentes on 21:17 - Mar 31 by davman |
I think that was what I was trying to say, but you said it better!
It's not black or white, is it. Did Rowett and Brum "win" the "tactical battle"? Obviously not - they lost 2-1. But their creative midfielders did pick up the ball a few times in midfield with our CMs nowhere near them. Was that part of the "plan" - dunno, doubt it. Did they hurt us - nope, maybe 'cos Marti had us in a shape that my untrained eye could not see. But could they have? Maybe.
I'll try not to criticise any performance too much as it is night and day compared to what went before. Also, as Clive says in the report, he's done this with strikers who simply do not score and a goalkeeper who has aged before our eyes in the last six months. Absolutely nothing short of a miracle. At the end of the day, we win more than we lose at the moment and no longer get smacked around in a men v boys situation. I'll take that all day long. |
If you click on heatmaps in the link you'll the the game heatmap.
https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1731912/Live/England-Championship-2023-2024-Qu
Our heatmap is unusual. As you can see we didn't play centrally at all when in Brum's half which will have given their CMs time to set themselves going forward. I've no idea whether this was an intentional tactic by Cifuentes. |  | | |
| Marti Cifuentes on 07:56 - Apr 1 with 671 views | nix |
I'm guessing it was. He seems to prefer to set up in a particular way and stick to that even if there are inevitable gaps for doing so because the good outweighs the bad. It helps the players to feel confident as they don't have to think in the moment, they just have to follow the plan.
It seems to be working despite us not having overwhelming possession stats (although still hugely better than under GA), plus a creaky goalie and a makeshift right back (albeit playing out of his skin).
If we could just get the ball in the net just a tad earlier, pretty please, our BP stats could be just a bit less critical! |  | | |
| Marti Cifuentes on 08:06 - Apr 1 with 642 views | BklynRanger |
Good link - yeah a very clear indication from that heat map.
To me it says he's very very wary about not getting picked off through the middle when we loose possession - very focused on keeping our shape and being able to engage when they have it.
Position is one of his three big 'P' s' I believe, along with possession and.... I've forgotten the third.
The Leicester game was the most regimented example I think I've seen, and some of that is having a clear impact on how free flowing and connected the play is. He'd probably love to have players moving into space more, with more give and goes but in our position, with our meagre fire power, it's more about shape and discipline at the minute, and taking chances when they come up. (Which obviously until the 92nd minute on Saturday hadn't quite happened.) |  | | |
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