A must read on a Monday night from Rich at Craven Cottage Newsround. His analysis has a lot going for it. He nails the fact that the manner in which our wide men drift infield – a tactical quirk that gives us a bit of an edge on the more conventional sides in the league – and that our central midfielders are expected to sit.
Whilst Rich reckons that we hardly see those two central midfielders around the penalty box, I’d argue that this season has certainly seen Murphy in the final third much more often. He wouldn’t have rattled it that goal against Basel had he been as deep as he was last term. Jonathan Greening, much criticised on the messageboards since Saturday, hasn’t quite filled the Murphy void yet but I’ve been quite impressed by the way he’s gone about his business.
Rich is right about the pace at which we move the ball around the field. Whilst we do look a little slower with the Baird-Greening axis, that’s understandable as one’s a makeshift midfielder and the other one’s a new signing. I’d suggest we don’t move the ball all that much quicker with our regular four. Etuhu was criticised for the kind of sideways passing that has so irked Greening’s detractors when he first arrived and there’s still a certain awkwardness still about him in possession.
Even when the ball gets out wide to Gera/Dempsey and Duff, sometimes the pace is slow. Frequently, the injection of pace comes from the full backs, who are charged with the overlapping duties. It seems to be part of Roy’s plan to play at a slow tempo and focus on shorter, sharper passing. As we said last season, Fulham’s sucess depends on our tactical model involving. With the signing of Duff, things have moved on.
We can only trust in Roy to take us further forward.
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Hi Dan
I agree (I usually do), but I’m talking split seconds really (in terms of moving the ball). Every split second saved is a split second more for the recipient and a split second less for the defence. I shall watch this as it has the beginnings of a good theory to it I think!
Rich
(incidentally, if you will permit me a knee-jerk reaction, I wonder if we are outgrowing John Paintsil? His attacking work hasn’t come on as you might like, and given the importance of fullbacks in our system, this is a bit of a shame)
I think is a bit extreme there Rich. Pantsil’s defensive work has progressed immensely since he joined and I know that the FFC coaching staff have had him working on his crossing. He’s still a good outlet with the ball at his feet – and I’m confident there’s more to come.
Yeah, probably right. I just see Konchesky’s work on the left (which is really impressing me) and wonder…
Ah, but with Konch the reverse is true. He’s great going forward but can sometimes make errors at the wrong end of the pitch. He’s been unfortunate in that most of them have been punished and cost us (the two that stick in the mind most right now – Hull away last season and Arsenal at home this).
Looking at things from an entirely different perspective, I am beginning to worry that we may become a bit too over-reliant of the Duff Man for our offense.
Because although our wide men do drift infield, I only really recall Duff doing most of the damage.
Perhaps that is because we can never have consecutive games with the same starting striking pair (or the possible case of Thursday, without a single striker), but Duff seems to have much more leeway in both cutting dangerously into the box and taking shots from outside the box.
Maybe because Duff is sheer class so Roy trusts him and gives him a longer leash. Yet I cannot think of any other wide or even central midfielder (except maybe Davies, who has been injured, and Murphy who is currently, natch) that cuts or drives into the box while also a threat from distance.
I don’t know. You guys are getting too smart for a simpleton as I.
Interesting thoughts Timmy. I think Duff’s contributions are more eyecatching at the moment because he’s a relatively new signing and his goals have been absolutely crucial (think Everton, Man City and Bolton) but there’s a case for suggesting that Dempsey’s also a danger from cutting inside. Our very first league goal of the season came from a Dempsey run and he scored a belter from a similar position to Duff against Everton in the Perm game. Also, coming inside Dempsey’s made a few goals – Saturday was an example – and he was instrumental in the third goal against Liverpool from a central position. Gera’s also drifted infield to good effect (at Man City in the League Cup pretty memorably).
I think you have to put Dempsey up there with Duff for his contribution to the team. Clint does a lot of good work cutting in, but also has the advantage of being a threat at set pieces, more liable to get on the end of a move in the middle of the box, and (for what it’s worth) a better defender. Duff lurks like a shark around the corner of the area, and is doing a lot of damage there, so it’s a good contrast we have on the flanks now.
To add that, Baird’s shown some signs of adventure in the last games getting forward. He’s been unlucky not to score for a few matches running now and Greening’s getting some shots away so perhaps we’ve moved towards being more attacking from central midfield – at least at home.