[Albion] Hürzeler’s (Brighton) Tactics

[Tony Towner's Toe]

Missing 2 of our regular back 4 against a red hot opposition. Gift them an equaliser, concede a very soft pen and a complete world freekick. No surprise we started to look a bit ragged.BUT we never stopped attacking and created plenty. Lots to be positive IMO. Listening to Fab what I sense is a man who is open to learn from the experience but fundamentally believes he has the goods. On balance of evidence so far no reason to doubt him.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

What do you mean by back to basics mean though?

Four, four, f***ing two?

 

[nwgull]

Fab is young (has it been mentioned?) and therefore less likely to be stuck in his ways. I’ve only seen the MOTD highlights, but even from that sample it’s clear that our back line needs give a few yards. I’d be amazed if he, the coaches and senior players don’t tweak things before next week.

Apart from the fact that the transfer window has closed and we can’t just go out and buy a pacey CB - as if they grow on trees - Kyle Walker would struggle to defend the amount of space we leave between the defenders and GK. Tactical changes are needed and I’m confident they’ll be made.

 

[ewe2]

How do you “Tweak “ the tactics of the high line I wonder?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

How do you “Tweak “ the tactics of the high line I wonder?

Ditch the high line or the slow defenders maybe?

 

[Littlemo]

How do you “Tweak “ the tactics of the high line I wonder?

Pinch the defenders nipples as they run past us?

 

[Don Tmatter]

Our players taking too many touches, wrong decision making a lot of the time (this under the last 4 managers now) and failing to look when playing the ball on several occasions are a big part of our defeats and until these can be ironed out swiftly we’re going to be on the end of many shoeings (shooings) this seasons and a fair few this side of Christmas

 

[Flounce]

Missing 2 of our regular back 4 against a red hot opposition. Gift them an equaliser, concede a very soft pen and a complete world freekick. No surprise we started to look a bit ragged.BUT we never stopped attacking and created plenty. Lots to be positive IMO. Listening to Fab what I sense is a man who is open to learn from the experience but fundamentally believes he has the goods. On balance of evidence so far no reason to doubt him.

I agree

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Missing 2 of our regular back 4 against a red hot opposition. Gift them an equaliser, concede a very soft pen and a complete world freekick. No surprise we started to look a bit ragged.BUT we never stopped attacking and created plenty. Lots to be positive IMO. Listening to Fab what I sense is a man who is open to learn from the experience but fundamentally believes he has the goods. On balance of evidence so far no reason to doubt him.

Created very little in the second half.

First half was good until their 15 minute spell.

 

[Weststander]

Thank god FH has a plan B.

 

[Machiavelli]

It's fascinating watching FH talk tactically in interviews. From what he says there are clearly some coached structural patterns to follow but key to the philosophy and approach is an element of relational fluidity. This ultimately means a lot of scope for the individual to determine position rather than the structural rigidity in coaching we are more familiar with from RDZ. It's a pretty similar approach to what Rydstrom who we were also linked with in the summer does with Malmo successfully.

As a result, what we are seeing in attack is the benefit of some of this relational play as we look incredibly dangerous in our overloads. This comes with the risk of leaving us unbalanced and this is why the Rest defense is so important. What we are seeing in defence (kindly) is that the defensive patterns and positioning haven't fully been got to grips with yet and also a truck load of mistakes across the team from front to back.

Switching from the highly structured approach of RDZ which tactically is slightly easier to negate (in the long term) to something so fluid and relational (See Fernando Deniz for the extreme version) will take some time but is a better long term approach as it's less easy to counter.

Despite yesterday's result and a slow start in tactical understanding and a number of costly errors, if we can get to grips with it and FH is able to balance it right there is better long term potential in what he's trying to do. Implementation wise, the players have to understand what they're playing against in the moment so theoretically at least, the players are more able to react to what is around them and therefore are less easy to beat and able to find solutions in attack.

Henrik Rydström – Malmö FF – Tactical Analysis - The Football Analyst

Henrik Rydström has brought a new tactical approach to Malmö FF, transforming the team with his innovative tactics and dynamic playing style.

the-footballanalyst.com

Fernando Diniz – Fluminense – Tactical Analysis - The Football Analyst

Join us as we dissect the player roles and key principles that shape Fluminense's tactical identity under the guidance of Fernando Diniz.

the-footballanalyst.com

Fabian Hürzeler – Brighton – Tactical Analysis - The Football Analyst

Fabian Hürzeler has gained a lot of attention for his tactical knowledge and strategic approach at Brighton and Hove Albion.

the-footballanalyst.com

Thanks for sharing. I've only read the FH one. It's a very solid analysis and pretty comprehensive, although I'd like a little more critical insight into the shortfalls of the approach. I know there is a little on the shortfalls of a high defensive line, but Palmer's post-match comments seemed to be more incisive: we knew that Brighton would play a high line so we played first time passes over the top.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

This high line has to be rethought, we don't have the defensive pace for it and even if we did, it's still too much of a risk. I'd like to see it ditched against Spurs otherwise we'll be taken apart.

 

[The Fits]

Thanks for sharing. I've only read the FH one. It's a very solid analysis and pretty comprehensive, although I'd like a little more critical insight into the shortfalls of the approach. I know there is a little on the shortfalls of a high defensive line, but Palmer's post-match comments seemed to be more incisive: we knew that Brighton would play a high line so we played first time passes over the top.

Palmer's quote absolutely savage.
Just strips back the online tactical BS on YouTube etc down to the core, and something footballers easily understand. Just knock the ball over the top. That's it.
I can't remember a quote as blunt and dismissive as that.

 

[Weststander]

5live creaming themselves over the pace of Spurs on the counter.

Will FH alter his system?

 

[martin tyler]

The high line wasn’t as bad as is being made out. People say we are lucky it wasn’t more as they had disallowed goals from being offside. Part of the idea of a high line though? Might be more moment we are on edge because of it as fans. Needs all players to press at right time still as well but for the opening 20 mins worked great.

Goals were 3 gifts and an incredible free kick. 1st was obviously avoidable just a mistake, 2nd was avoidable on a number of occasions and the last was gifting the ball away. Free kick was from giving the ball away. Palmer’s easiest chance was from us giving the ball away. The pattens of play out from the back are work in progress. CBs still look like they are looking for the wrong options or options like old, the ball to Wiffer for one of those chances was a dreadful position to put the player in.

Obviously 1/2 pacy CBs or one to push dunk more to play alongside JPVH would be great.
Defending needs improvement for sure

 

[The Fits]

The high line wasn’t as bad as is being made out. People say we are lucky it wasn’t more as they had disallowed goals from being offside. Part of the idea of a high line though? Might be more moment we are on edge because of it as fans. Needs all players to press at right time still as well but for the opening 20 mins worked great.

Goals were 3 gifts and an incredible free kick. 1st was obviously avoidable just a mistake, 2nd was avoidable on a number of occasions and the last was gifting the ball away. Free kick was from giving the ball away. Palmer’s easiest chance was from us giving the ball away. The pattens of play out from the back are work in progress. CBs still look like they are looking for the wrong options or options like old, the ball to Wiffer for one of those chances was a dreadful position to put the player in.

Obviously 1/2 pacy CBs or one to push dunk more to play alongside JPVH would be great.
Defending needs improvement for sure

And we need to press for more than 15 minutes (which before yesterday we were doing) and, perhaps most importantly, stop giving the ball away. Certain players seemed intent on passing the ball either to Chelsea players or nowhere near ours.

United were wide open on Sunday, failing to press Spurs to any effect. Dejan Kulusevski alone created nine chances, the most by a visiting player in a Premier League game at Old Trafford since records started in 2003-04.

That's a warning. Persist with the high line by all means, but the players must do the work out of possession. For whatever reason that didn't happen yesterday (shellshock?) and has to be different next Sunday.

 

[Weststander]

And we need to press for more than 15 minutes (which before yesterday we were doing) and, perhaps most importantly, stop giving the ball away. Certain players seemed intent on passing the ball either to Chelsea players or nowhere near ours.

All analysis of playing a high press, talks of some defence/midfield back getting back, in shape, when countered.

We’re not going to win and retain possession for 90 minutes in the opposition half. We’ll lose the ball.

Shirley we need an insurance policy of very switched on players and some pace, to achieve the above.

 

[Seagull1989]

Everyone seems to be in agreement we don’t have the pace to play with such a high line. But it begs the question, what has happened to Lamptey ?

His pace and tracking back was phenomenal when he first came onto the scene. I know his injury seems to have set back his career but Hinshelwood seems to be preferred ahead of him. I think Hinshelwood has played well but he’s a centre midfielder.

Has Lamptey really declined that much that playing players out of position, is preferable to him ?

 

[Weststander]

Everyone seems to be in agreement we don’t have the pace to play with such a high line. But it begs the question, what has happened to Lamptey ?

His pace and tracking back was phenomenal when he first came onto the scene. I know his injury seems to have set back his career but Hinshelwood seems to be preferred ahead of him. I think Hinshelwood has played well but he’s a centre midfielder.

Has Lamptey really declined that much that playing players out of position, is preferable to him ?

Post injury he appears to have lost the confidence or physicality to run at the speed he once did. Plus so often poor decision making defensively. Does his contract expire next June anyway?

 

[JetsetJimbo]

Probably gonna get ripped to shreds for even suggesting this, but it's a thought I've just had in relation to the whole "high line, but lack of pace" discussion above:

Can Hinshelwood play CB? I don't know enough about his youth-team career to know whether it's a string he has in his bow (he's obviously very versatile though).