| Total Ipswich 10:30 - May 2 with 387 views | thebooks |
Been thinking about what makes our style of football so distinctive.
✅ Play out from the back in an effort to play through a press
✅ Move the ball quickly to forward areas once we’ve done that
✅ Really aggressive, organised pressing from our midfield and attackers to win the ball back in forward positions
✅ Flood attacking areas with players, inc. one of the centre backs
✅ Well drilled patterns (Hladky > Morsy > Centre back) and set pieces (Davis corner into the near post for Burns or Chaplin)
✅ Technique to take risks in retaining the ball and playing tight passes
✅ Never say die attitude
✅ Fitness
✅ Organisation and discipline: we generally just accept refereeing decisions once they’re made, for example, Morsy walking yellow card tightropes
✅ Team and work ethic
✅ Freedom for attacking players to “express themselves”
It’s more Bielsa than Guardiola, and all the better for that.
When all these things fire at once, as they have on many occasions this season, we’re unbeatable. But even when only some are working – like in the last few games – that’s often enough.
I think the patterns and getting the ball quickly have been misfiring a bit recently: between say the attacking midfielders and other players, and even when Morsy’s mistake led to a Hull goal. We’re also a bit more likely to see Hladky lob a ball up to Kieffer Moore.
There can’t have been many better coached and organised teams at this level of football before. I really don’t see why Man U wouldn’t consider him once ETH is booted out.
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| Total Ipswich on 10:43 - May 2 with 320 views | Guthrum |
I'm not so sure it's distinctive. More the style of football played in the higher echelons of top divisions (with what I can gauge from the occasional MotD) and by national teams. So perhaps less usual in the L1/Champ.
But it shouldn't be surprising, given that's the background of our Manager and several of his staff. The difference with Keane is that McKenna has adapted the style for the players he has available, rather than expecting Football League stalwarts to suddenly perform like ManU. Possibly that's the influence of his background in Youth coaching, where adjustment and development are more necessary. |  |
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| Total Ipswich on 11:22 - May 2 with 251 views | NIblue |
Yeah, effectively the style of play is to play a genuinely risky game of keep ball at the back & turn it into a transitional play (or what used to be called a counter attack).
There has to be a genuine element of risk to make the opponents want to try to charge you down & pickpocket you.
When we conceded that goal against Hull from playing out, it’s just part of the style we’ve chosen to play & occasionally it will backfire. I doubt we’d be anywhere near 93pts without playing that way though |  | | |
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