We played a system without a right back
-
The Fighting Cock is a forum for fans of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Here you can discuss Spurs latest matches, our squad, tactics and any transfer news surrounding the club. Registration gives you access to all our forums (including 'Off Topic' discussion) and removes most of the adverts (you can remove them all via an account upgrade). You're here now, you might as well...
Latest Spurs videos from Sky Sports
We played a system without a right back
Be serious. I've got a guy here saying we didn't use a diamond formation at all during the game. We played with a diamond until Sissoko went off. Then we went with a flat midfield 4 until, I believe, just before City scored their 4th, when we reverted to the diamond.
Looked to me like a 4-2-3-1 with Son up top and Lucas kinda drifting forward into a second striker position.
Sissoko and any of Winks/Dier/Wanyama always appears to be a double pivot-type situation rather than a diamond to my eyes. Keeping Sissoko playing in-to-out rather than out-to-in has been critical in his resurgence. He's garbage doing winger-type stuff.
Ok I will be serious. I agree with Fighting*llini that it looked like a 4-2-3-1 to me. I also agree that Sissoko is far less effective in a wide position. Son literally has license to go anywhere in that formation. When Kane plays and Son either plays next to him or out wide he is much more restricted.
I have heard so much criticism of the Llorente for Sissoko substitution. To me it was the only logical move and enabled Dele to play deeper next to Wanyama and Eriksen making almost a 4-3-2-1. Bringing on Skipp would have been a wrong move in such a highly charged game.
However my comment about Trippier is a serious one. Surely his job was to get tight on Sterling and he failed in that abysmally. Especially for the first goal. What do you think his position was tactically because I didn’t get it ?
Champions League 2018/19 tactical analysis: Manchester City v Tottenham
Manchester City – Tottenham Hotspur – Pochettino’s Bravery Produces A Bonkers Start That Led To An Absolute Champions League Classic (4-3) - Between The Posts
Man City 4-3 Tottenham: diamond issues solved by Llorente
Man City v Tottenham: One big game, five big questions - Football365
Manchester City – Tottenham Hotspur – Pochettino’s Bravery Produces A Bonkers Start That Led To An Absolute Champions League Classic (4-3) - Between The Posts
Man City 4-3 Tottenham: diamond issues solved by Llorente
Man City v Tottenham: One big game, five big questions - Football365
Yeah positionally Trippier was a total mystery to me. He was practically next to the CB when the ball was on the other side of the field, leaving Sterling in acres of space. The whole thing was a mess every time the ball got wide.
We started off in a diamond with Son and Moura up top with Alli on the left of the diamond, then switched to a 442 moving Alli to CM and Son LM with Moura and Llorente up top, which morphed into a 4411 at times too.
We definitely did start in a 4312 (41212) diamond. Then moved to a 442/4411
I mean, I guess this is an explanation. Didn't look to me like Dele and Sissoko were playing equivalent roles, but maybe that's just because they're such different players.
But if those two were meant to be tracking the wingers they were doing a shit job of it.
One note on my tactical nous: I was basically having a stroke after Son's second goal through the final whistle, so keep that in mind.
I have posted several links now to illustrate my point that we used a diamond formation for large parts of the game.
I agree. Where have I said otherwise?
He didn't have licence to go wherever he wanted against City, particularly when he played on the left and right side of a midfield diamond. He was redeployed a number of times. He began the game as a striker, then he played left side of the diamond, then left side of a midfield 4, then right side of a midfield diamond. It really curbed his influence on the game.
I thought Llorente was the right man to bring on because I don't think Skipp is ready for an occasion like that. He was awful at home to Leicester, who overwhelmed us in midfield. However, Llorente had an awful game, his goal aside. In fact, shortly before he scored, even Jenas was saying that we ought to admit it hadn't worked out, and sub him off. It made life easy for City's CBs.
I think Llorente played with a strike partner until the last 10 or 15 mins when we started to panic and he somehow ended up playing as a sort of midfielder.
Yes, it was dreadful defending. He made no attempt to show him down the line or close him down, he just stood about 5 yards off him. I am not sure what you are asking. He was playing RB in a back 4. He had a horrid first 21 mins, but he wasn't alone in that.
I understand that. But I have gone through the game again with a fine-tooth comb, so I am very confident in what I am saying.
For the first half of the first half, they both had the same duties.
But they couldn't really track the wingers-that's the point. The diamond formation is very narrow. City try to use the full width of the pitch. One of their favourite patterns of play is to create an overload on one flank, then switch it quickly to isolate you on the other.
But part of that was to do with Silva's movement. This was Trippier's dilemma-he had to make a choice between Silva and Sterling.
We changed back to the diamond before they scored their fourth. Look at de Bruyne in the half-space, in behind Dele.
Sure. City are nigh-impossible to defend. You stretch those outside players wide to stop the supply line into the wingers and here comes De Bruyne galloping into space centrally. They move off the ball so well and all of their front six are threats to curl in a wonder strike from outside the box and have to be closed down accordingly.
trying to give a fuck
trying to give a fuck
trying to give a fuck
trying to give a fuck
trying to give a fuck
NOPE - absolutely no fucks given!
But fuck me - we're in the semi final!!
and we beat a team that has Croesus in charge, and they played a team that cost 10 times what ours cost - and fuck my old boots - beat the bastards!
Because we have Potchettino in charge - and despite the fact that he doesnt give a fuck about Blakeys ego fuelled tactics seminars - just keeps on inspiring our lesser players to blow us and the opposition all away!
trying to give a fuck
trying to give a fuck
trying to give a fuck
trying to give a fuck
NOPE - absolutely no fucks given!
But fuck me - we're in the semi final!!
and we beat a team that has Croesus in charge, and they played a team that cost 10 times what ours cost - and fuck my old boots - beat the bastards!
Because we have Potchettino in charge - and despite the fact that he doesnt give a fuck about Blakeys ego fuelled tactics seminars - just keeps on inspiring our lesser players to blow us and the opposition all away!
I wouldn't say they are impossible to defend, but I take your point. Their attacking players have superior technical ability to ours. Better at controlling a football and better at seeing and executing the right pass.
Posting some good stuff tonight
RESPECT THE COCK
It wasn't just a choice of Silva and Sterling either, there was Mendy too.
I said this in the match thread, and since, but Poch's tactics were about as counter intuitive as they could be. You knew what City would do, 433, overload wide areas, and if you allow your FB's to get isolated they can go inside and outside, especially if you are playing a high line. Poch basically unticked all the boxes. Narrow diamond, no cohesive pressing just spasmodic efforts, no wide cover, highish line but two strikers and the diamond meaning we were stretched out vertically. As a result City could just walk through us and constantly create those wide overloads.
Llorente made no sense to me on any level. We were clearly going to play on the counter for the next phase of the game, Son and Moura have pace, Llorente can't even run.
I know you think Skipp's not ready, but he was the only midfielder on our bench, he's a busy little fucker who's tenacious, and singling him out against Leicester is unfair, Sissoko was no better that day. And none of our midfielders were great on Wednesday, could Skipp really have been more of a tactically catastrophe than Llorente?
Would have meant we could go 451, get Skipp and Alli to sit on KDB and Silva with Wanyama sweeping up the centre, have Moura and Son rotating as lone forward, wide, with Eriksen covering the other flank and stepping inside when chance arises.
And another thing I just do not understand is why, regardless of how we started, we weren't instructed and prepared for what to do if we got a lead in this game. At that point surely we should have learnt from previous years (like Juve last year) and been drilled to change up and become more pragmatic in shape and application - move immediately to a more defensive structure and mind set.
And better overall team speed, they're so fast any time the ball turns over.
To find a way to survive on a day when they were in the mood was quite something.
And this in a nutshell is why I have such a major issue with Poch continually picking Sissoko, and why I'd happily see someone like Skipp. It's not even as if Sissoko is clever or busy defensively.
Poch wants to play like Pep, but picks players like Dier and Sissoko in midfield, it's totally counter intuitive.
And most importantly, it's brain speed as well.