Adaptability

N

Nano

Well-known member
One of my biggest pet peeves in football over recent years is managers stubbornly sticking to one system because it works for them for a period of time. Really wound me up with Wilder and then Carrick and I hope we don't see it with Hellberg.

Saw something highlighted from yesterday's cup final (link below) showing that Arsenal were unable to adapt to City doing something differently. They are so used to playing a certain way but they had no response to that being countere. In general the best team playing the way they want to play will be good enough in most situations but against similar strength teams that won't work. Any team that knows exactly what the opposition is going to do has a massive advantage, even if the team is weaker. This is the major weakness with "system" managers.

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Adaptability is so important and it gets ridiculed when people say we have no plan b but if everyone knows what your plan a is then they can do something about it. Being predictable is a poor strategy. We have become predictable in recent weeks. Like the issue highlighted in the link teams have allowed us to have the ball in non-dangerous positions. If we tried different approaches they would have to defend in different ways and it then opens things up for us. Adaptability is key to that.
 
I agree with you but I genuinely don’t think Boro‘s ‘problem’ is down to the shape, style or system. We have consistently got into brilliant positions over the past few games, only to fluff the shot or final ball. On Saturday it was Conway’s first touch, Browne’s reluctance to shoot first time, a good save from a Strelec shot, Morris spannering a great chance high and wide, and then a lot of absolutely abysmal crossing from Brittain in particular that stopped us winning a game we dominated from start to finish.

It was a carbon copy of several of the games we’ve seen lately. I don’t see how the system or approach can be blamed for strikers not taking presentable chances, players consistently failing to beat the first man with a cross, or numerous players over-hitting the pass when we were in a position to get another cross or shot in (the ‘pre-assist’ I think they call it now - McGree did it on Saturday a few times, Conway does it frequently).
 
Nano said:
One of my biggest pet peeves in football over recent years is managers stubbornly sticking to one system because it works for them for a period of time. Really wound me up with Wilder and then Carrick and I hope we don't see it with Hellberg.

Saw something highlighted from yesterday's cup final (link below) showing that Arsenal were unable to adapt to City doing something differently. They are so used to playing a certain way but they had no response to that being countere. In general the best team playing the way they want to play will be good enough in most situations but against similar strength teams that won't work. Any team that knows exactly what the opposition is going to do has a massive advantage, even if the team is weaker. This is the major weakness with "system" managers.

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Adaptability is so important and it gets ridiculed when people say we have no plan b but if everyone knows what your plan a is then they can do something about it. Being predictable is a poor strategy. We have become predictable in recent weeks. Like the issue highlighted in the link teams have allowed us to have the ball in non-dangerous positions. If we tried different approaches they would have to defend in different ways and it then opens things up for us. Adaptability is key to that.
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I think barring a couple of games we have been very adaptable and Hellberg is always tinkering. I think often a manger implements multiple plans within a game but a lot of fans don't appreciate it because it's not just pumping the ball in to a big man.
Teams aren't going to entirely change their style during a game, squads aren't set up that way, but you will look to adjust with what you've got.
Our failing recently has been sticking the ball away, our preferred style has seen us create endless chances.
 
Qpr knew what we were going to do and we smashed 4 goals past them. It's only a problem if you don't make the most of your opportunities.

Blackburn didn't suss us out or anything.
 
BoroPhil said:
Qpr knew what we were going to do and we smashed 4 goals past them. It's only a problem if you don't make the most of your opportunities.

Blackburn didn't suss us out or anything.
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Yeah they were so open at the back in that first half. Bristol City didn't suss anything out in any area of the pitch either, which made the draw so frustrating.
 
Hellberg is one of the most adaptable managers we’ve ever had.
He’s played several different formations, multiple formations in some individual games, and isn’t afraid to change the starting 11 or make substitutions.

We’ve opened teams up over and over again. Our inability to score as many goals as performances have deserved isn’t down to a lack of adaptability in my view.
 
Norton_your_Nelly said:
Hellberg is one of the most adaptable managers we’ve ever had.
He’s played several different formations, multiple formations in some individual games, and isn’t afraid to change the starting 11 or make substitutions.

We’ve opened teams up over and over again. Our inability to score as many goals as performances have deserved isn’t down to a lack of adaptability in my view.
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Agreed although I do think we need to be more creative from set plays.
 
Norton_your_Nelly said:
Hellberg is one of the most adaptable managers we’ve ever had.
He’s played several different formations, multiple formations in some individual games, and isn’t afraid to change the starting 11 or make substitutions.

We’ve opened teams up over and over again. Our inability to score as many goals as performances have deserved isn’t down to a lack of adaptability in my view.
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The only time I saw anything different was a match where Ayling ran forward, and played a long pass to Conway running through the middle, and he scored. Don't recall which match now. The rest of the time it's just the same old short eye of the needle passing.
 
Soutra said:
The only time I saw anything different was a match where Ayling ran forward, and played a long pass to Conway running through the middle, and he scored. Don't recall which match now. The rest of the time it's just the same old short eye of the needle passing.
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Maybe try watching the match with your other eye as well?
 
I agree fully with the sentiment of the OP and I always remember Mogga used to talk a lot about this approach and in finding your opponents weaknesses and adapting. I'm pretty sure there was A Gazette article about him reading and reflecting on Sun Tzu 😂

That said, I agree with Viv that this isn't the issue for us at the minute. We're not strong enough in the final third and it's as simple as that for me
 
Hicktonpen10 said:
Agreed although I do think we need to be more creative from set plays.
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Yep. Would love to see an accurate estimate of our conversation rate from corners (and the phase afterwards) over this season. Last 4 games we’ve had 36 corners and scored from one (Brown against QPR) so about 2.8% conversion. I get that we’re not the biggest team but delivery and timing have got to count for a lot surely?
 
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