Enzo Maresca needs to be more willing to show less predictability

One factor I seen within the Southampton win final night time was that we had been getting probably the most pleasure by way of attacking play when Filip Jorgensen lobbed a brief move ahead or hit a floor move by way of to Pedro Neto, relatively than passing it forwards and backwards to Enzo Fernandez hoping that we may squeeze a move by way of the press.

After all, whenever you play by way of a excessive press it could possibly have excessive rewards. But additionally, should you don’t play by way of it, and you’re enjoying in opposition to good attackers and a well-drilled press, you’re at actual danger of conceding a giant probability or a objective. I see that as scoring an personal objective, if the opposition rating from us having possession from our personal goalkeeper. It’s simply as unhealthy.

Conceding a objective from this won’t truly occur that usually, but it surely does put us beneath immense strain and in danger.

I truly felt sorry for Filip Jorgensen final night time. He had simply made a giant mistake to lose us the sport in opposition to Aston Villa on the weekend, you could possibly see he was feeling the strain. And enjoying out from the again in opposition to Southampton he was a nervous wreck. The gang felt it, his group mates felt it, everybody felt and noticed it. It was removed from very best. You may moan at followers for groaning when this occurs, however can you actually blame them!?

It was so irritating to see Fernandez simply preserve giving the ball again to Jorgensen in actually tight areas, then Jorgensen give it to Levi Colwill or Tosin Adarabioyo in much more tighter areas as a result of they might not get out. This simply encourages the squeez and the nearer we get to our objective then, the extra harmful it turns into.

The most important subject was that Saints had been man-marking, so there wasn’t the accessible choices for Jorgensen to move to. So enjoying out from the again and attempting to play by way of the press was what we needed to attempt to do. However was it? Or is that this simply the one manner that Maresca desires us to play? Sadly, it sounds just like the latter.

Maresca mentioned on Jorgensen getting jeered by followers when kicking quick out from the again:

“My message to Filip was should you play a protracted ball, I’ll change you, I’m very comfortable. It’s tough for all of the keepers [when that happens] however they simply must comply with the plan.”

I truly can’t consider what I’m studying right here. He’s forcing his goalkeeper to ALWAYS play quick. Why? Why can’t you turn it up typically? Why does it at all times should be this fashion? I actually don’t perceive it. I get you’ve got a mode of play and manner of enjoying the sport, however why so cussed to it? I get that is the fashionable manner of enjoying. However why not be capable of change issues up beneath circumstances the place the opposition are man-marking and there are not any choices for the keeper? That is my largest gripe with Maresca and people who employed him, his lack of flexibility in his techniques and lack of pragmatism. I feel any modern-day supervisor to succeed on the prime stage now wants to have the ability to alter and adapt. Soccer for me is transferring on from pure possession play that noticed Pep Guardiola succeed for thus lengthy. Groups are adapting to it and studying tips on how to play in opposition to it. Taking part in out from the again will not be one thing I’m in opposition to in any respect and see the professionals, however a number of the finest groups now are extra hybrid with this and can search for passes additional ahead if they’re on. Some even use the extra quaint manner of getting a goal man, think about that?

I’ll return to my first sentence, Chelsea acquired their most success by way of getting up the pitch quick and doing extra than simply passing the ball throughout our 18-yard field when Jorgensen determined to move a bit additional ahead, clearly in opposition to the orders of his supervisor who threatened to sub him off if he stored doing that! What the hell!?

I’m not saying the keeper ought to aimlessly lump it ahead. However what Chelsea had final night time was truly a superb point of interest in Pedro Neto, who’s surprisingly sturdy and good holding the ball up. Jorgensen may see that and used him a few instances with some lengthy floor passes that by-passed the excessive press. This was the important thing to get by way of as a result of Neto’s clever and fast motion to get away from his marker.

I additionally noticed a few good lobbed passes by Jorgensen to get by the preliminary press, they usually labored fairly properly principally as properly. Even the commentators final night time may see that this was what Chelsea wanted to do on this second.

Why would you not wish to use unpredictable performs in addition to merely simply passing out quick? I actually don’t perceive it. Be numerous, change it up, trump your opponents, adapt to how they’re setup. It’s all frequent sense, no?

Why persist with a manner of enjoying when it was clearly not working (first 25 minutes)? My god that was so bland, so gradual, and so frustratingly annoying simply watching Jorgensen passing it forwards and backwards to Fernandez while the Saints attackers had been getting nearer and nearer to nipping in and profitable the ball again. We acquired lifeless fortunate there. In opposition to a greater opposition, we might have been severely punished doing that.

I’m not some old skool ‘route one’ smash it ahead sort of man. However I’m very balanced in nature and in life, so I wish to see us having and utilizing different choices to have the ability to play out when the quick passing will not be working. Why would you even wish to play so predictable ALL the time?

However sadly our supervisor is caught with a method and a method solely. Bookmark this text, as a result of this fashion of cussed pondering goes to return again to hang-out us quickly. I admit after we can play by way of a press then it really works properly, however do now we have the standard goalkeepers and centre backs to have the ability to do that proper now? No, we completely don’t.