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Ep20 Tactics Tuesday: Fast starts and style changes
23 Plays29 days ago
This is your Tactics Tuesday, where we analyse the methodology behind Brentford's kick off routines which have led to a new Premier League record, set piece woes and the difficulties of adapting to a new style of play.
Host: Daniel Toppin
Instagram/X/TikTok: @gspnbrentford
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Transcript
00:00:10
officialgspn
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Daily Brentford Podcast with myself, Daniel, where today I will be analysing tactical aspects from our game against Tottenham at the weekend. In particular, our brave new passing style and our kickoff expertise. Just before we get going, guys, we're a brand new company, so we are looking for your support over the coming season and beyond as we look to bring you the best and most in-depth coverage across the entire network.
00:00:36
officialgspn
whether this is a five-star rating on your favorite podcasting platform or a recommendation to your friends, we are very grateful for any support that you are able to give us. So then there's only one place to start when analyzing ah any tactical aspects from the game at the weekend, and indeed the game at the Etihad the week before as well. There is a remarkable statistic that we've achieved in our last two games, although we don't have anything to show from it in the end.
00:01:06
officialgspn
Let's start here. Last week Johan Wisser scored after 22 seconds at the Etihad before Bryan and Boomer almost went one better, but definitely reprise the trick after 23 seconds, just one second slower against Spurs. Not only are these two goals our quickest in the Premier League at two of the hardest places to go to in the whole league,
00:01:30
officialgspn
We have become just a second Premier League team in history to score in the first minute of back-to-back games alongside Manchester City in February 2019. So I've done some digging on when Manchester City did it. They were both goals by Sergio Aguero, in fact they lost the first game as well themselves against Newcastle and the second one was a win against Arsenal but Aguero's goal against Arsenal, I believe, came after 48 seconds. So what we can say is that Brentford are the first side to score in back-to-back Premier League games inside the first 30 seconds.
00:02:12
officialgspn
So then I thought it was very interesting. I think I saw an interview with one of the city players last week. I think it may have been John Stones where he said that last last week he sees kickoffs as a set piece essentially when playing against Brentford and a closer look at our setup would suggest that he is broadly quite right. We typically start the game so before We even take the kickoff. There are several players lined up along the halfway line, all of which are lined up to go to make runs in the final third. Whilst whoever takes the kickoff, I believe it was dams guard at the weekend, plays the ball back to Flecken. Obviously he has a little bit of time because the opposition players can only run at him from the halfway line. So he then has a little bit of time, almost like a free kick.
00:03:07
officialgspn
to launch the ball forwards into the final third towards the area where a lot of our players are ran at straight from kickoff in a situation obviously where we've been able to gain that territory given that we start with the ball and there's time for for the players to run from the halfway line because Flecken also has that bit of time to pick the pass. This creates a scenario where we can get the players who are perhaps stronger in the air, I know Chris I is one of them that we we aim for in that first contact we can get players like him in a duel in the final third now there's in both goals in but in both the goal at the start of the game against City and again at Tottenham there are arguably several draws which both teams are competing for on the way to the goal and generally quite broadly these duels could go either way but
00:04:06
officialgspn
When we're playing against a team which technically might be better than us, this is more of a leveller. When you can get these jewels, when you can get balls into the box, when you can get set pieces right, you know, your ability and your strength and your ability in the air is more of a leveller. Particularly when we have Aya, Collins, Pinnock, Vandenberg all starting the game.
00:04:33
officialgspn
You know, there's a strength there. It's a clear strength because, you know, that they're all big guys. They're all good in the air. You trust them to win those jewels. So whilst we might get a lucky bounce or the benefit of a defensive mix up as per against Manchester City, there is always an opportunity there for a chance to occur.
00:04:55
officialgspn
And that's what happened in the last two games. I don't necessarily expect this to continue, but I do expect us to persist with this start from kickoffs. It's proved to be very effective. You know, we get the ball in the final third. You know, we've done well at seemingly winning the first contact and causing a bit of chaos when, you know, perhaps the other team aren't fully set. They're not fully invested into the game. The games that started there may be not fully focused as they would be later on in the game.
00:05:26
officialgspn
So of course teams will pick up on this, the level of analytics these days. It doesn't take me on a podcast to make other teams aware of this, you know, that they will be aware of this. They will plan for this. They will know how Brentford do their kickoffs and they will make more efforts to you know try and stop anything arising from it. Having said that, obviously we can't get away from the fact that Brentford have lost both games.
00:05:55
officialgspn
some people may say in that scenario that we score too early. I don't really believe that. I don't really but believe that an early goal can be a negative thing. But, you know, when I'm joking around, I may well say, you know, we score too early here. And I think all that means is that naturally, if you score an early goal, there is more time for the opposition to come back into the game and show their quality.
00:06:23
officialgspn
particularly when you're playing teams, especially like Manchester City and also Tottenham, who have a lot of quality. They're very attack inside. They have so many players who can hurt you. And just because you scored inside the the first 30 seconds, it doesn't mean there's not another hour and a half of of you know potential opportunities that they can create. And it's very, very difficult for us to be perfect. And that's kind of what we need to be.
00:06:52
officialgspn
in order to get wins at these stadiums. Obviously last season Brentford lost the most points for winning positions in the Premier League and this doesn't do the same statistic very well at all for this season. However, I do you think a especially the City game there is no shame in that defeat. I felt like on many occasions last year when we did go ahead and then end up losing the game We just had periods where we almost completely fell apart. We had periods where we can see two goals in a matter of minutes. and And that was what I was concerned about last season in relation to that statistic. I thought there were too many games where, you know, we just lost it completely for a few minutes and got punished more than once. And we didn't learn from the first time. So I don't think there was any shame from the manner of the defeat against City.
00:07:50
officialgspn
I think we did just make you know very small mistakes but we were so brave against City and and for the most part it worked very well. I couldn't believe the statistics after the first 15-20 minutes in that game and how much we had dominated that game at the beginning.
00:08:06
officialgspn
of course City were always going to exert their control eventually I do though think against Spurs that we were more open and more sloppy straight away almost after we scored the goal and that's what worries me slightly I think that a bit of the last season dropping points came into play there because I think they could have scored closer together than they did I think we gave them several chances that ultimately that they were always going to take one or two eventually. I think of course this was an extremely positive way to start the game and obviously you you could say against Spurs it was a really positive way to start the game with a set piece if if we're going to consider kickoffs as a set piece. I though I did though feel that for the remainder of the game
00:09:04
officialgspn
We failed to make the most of set pieces, which is a bit unlike us. I think, I mean, before the game, it was widely reported it before they faced Arsenal last week as well. Obviously Arsenal are probably the best set piece side in the league at the moment. I think Aston Villa are also so very strong. But obviously Tottenham played Arsenal last week. There was a lot of narrative about um out how Arsenal could hurt Tottenham and how Spurs are perhaps not the strongest from set-pieces. Arsenal obviously took advantage of that and the only goal in the game came from a set-piece but I feel like we never really took advantage of that or never created any good opportunities from set-pieces which is perhaps unlike us
00:09:49
officialgspn
um Even without the long throws, I don't particularly remember a long throw that caused any problems. I don't particularly remember any good deliveries. I don't particularly remember any good chances that came as a result, a direct result of a corner or a free kick. I think I recall just us winning a free kick on the edge of the area out wide and the delivery was poor. And we we didn't make the most of those moments against a team
00:10:20
officialgspn
possibly vulnerable. And we did that with Aya Vandenberg, Pinnock and Collins on the pitch, as I said before, all of whom I would, you know, expect to to be challenging at a set piece. And that's a lot of players to have on the pitch at once of of that calibre in terms of their aerial presence. I think perhaps an explanation for this is that we missed the delivery from the likes of Matthias Jensen, who often takes the corners and also the throw-ins. I think obviously with Pinnock taking the throw-ins out automatically takes him out of the equation in terms of getting on the end of them. I think in training we probably practice and we practice most of the time the likes of Jensen and Brian taking the set pieces so I just think maybe without his delivery we weren't quite on it as much. After the break I will be looking at some other quirks against Tottenham
00:11:18
officialgspn
including our style of play and how it seems to be progressing game on game.
00:12:34
officialgspn
Hello and welcome to part two. So then I want to talk about Brentford's general style and the ongoing progression. And I think this will be something that will come on to a lot of this season, to us playing a more position based game, um playing out from the back, going after the opposition, no matter who they are, sitting in a low block much much less often than we have done previously. Now against Liverpool,
00:13:04
officialgspn
I didn't notice it as much, but against City and Spurs, I think I have seen us try to be braver on the ball. I think I've seen us try and play out the back more and and I get the reasons for doing it. I think the reason to doing it is because we don't have that outlet up front. We don't have someone who's going to take the ball out of the air.
00:13:28
officialgspn
bring it down and play in others. So we have to play through teams. And that is, of course, incredibly, incredibly difficult at at some of the hardest places to go to in the world. A positive is against City, particularly for the first 20 minutes. We were absolutely brilliant at it. Absolutely brilliant. But the issue is, I don't see the consistency yet when we play like that. And it may be that it comes over time.
00:13:57
officialgspn
Obviously we're in the the very early ages of developing it. I don't think it helps that there's changes in midfield due to injuries. Obviously without more God and Jensen at the weekend. There's no doubt that when it works, it looks brilliant. But the number of mistakes at times, particularly against Spurs was worrying. And I think there is a fine line between bravery and at times stupidity in a way in in terms of doing the same thing over and over again.
00:14:29
officialgspn
you know, if if a team perhaps like Southampton came to Spurs that weekend and did exactly what we did in that first half after we scored, they would receive similar criticism to what they always get in terms of them coming up from the championship, not adapting their style and not having players good enough to keep the ball and not make those silly mistakes at the back, which ultimately They're mistakes that are serious enough. They give possession away so close to your own goal that very often they result in a goal for the other team. And that is the issue. And I thought there was an element of that in and and in terms of obviously pin it, giving it away for the first, you know, giving it away slightly higher at the pitch, but the second didn't follow too long after he gave it away. I thought there were a few other times in the first half that we gave away possession worked far too easily.
00:15:23
officialgspn
and Tottenham were in and they could have scored more. I think, like I said, I don't think the changes helped. I don't particularly rate, you know, as the best on the ball. And I think he's getting exposed a bit more this season. As we are trying to develop this style, we're we're a bit more possession heavy. I think
00:15:46
officialgspn
Again I like him as a squad player but but I do doubt whether he can play week in week out in this system if this is what we're going to persist with. Obviously the issues at full back particularly left wing back with Lewis Potter still playing there again it's not ideal it's not ideal to have players out of position when you're trying to play this way and you're trying to be you know also difficult to beat at the same time whilst leaving yourself a bit more open at the back. It is not ideal to have an attacker playing at left wing back in that scenario. I felt that in the second half against Tottenham we did adapt a bit more. We were a little bit more direct. We didn't see any too many high turnovers and to Tottenham as we did in the first half. Of course they still had chances, but obviously we had more chances too in the second half and I thought the second half was much more of an even contest.
00:16:39
officialgspn
but at the same time could this adjustment be made in the first half because there was a stage in the first half where we were continually giving it away too high up the pitch for obviously Tottenham. In terms of to this style of play also lends to us doing more man-to-man marking and high pressing. This leads to more one-on-ones and it leads to ultimately exposing our players a little bit more when the quality of our player is lower than the opposition. Now an example of this, Pinnock I think did very well last week generally against Erling Harlan but was caught on the one occasion leading to the second goal
00:17:29
officialgspn
Obviously, the big punt upfield from Edison and Harlan knows what he's doing. He scored that goal before. But the consequences of Pinnock losing that one, one on one is massive. It's a goal. And that's the thing. Pinnock could win 90% of those. But if Harlan's winning a couple and he's getting gifted a goal on those occasions, then it's a very high-risk style that we're implementing.
00:17:59
officialgspn
I think in previous years, perhaps the football's been less easy on the eye. I think almost definitely it's been less easy on the eye, but we frustrated teams. And we've perhaps been harder to score against or create chances against. And and obviously, especially in the the first two seasons, we had we had great success in in getting results against these teams. Maybe not so much last season. And obviously, maybe that plays a part in why Thomas Frank wants to progress.
00:18:27
officialgspn
In general, I think those style progression is natural and I think it's an extremely positive sign in terms of our long-term direction that Thomas Frank is not content with just sitting still. And with home games coming up against West Ham and Wolves on the horizon, this presents more of a realistic challenge to demonstrate this and assert some control in these games.
00:18:51
officialgspn
I think it's a style that the longer you play that style, the better it gets. Obviously, players coming back would also help. But I do think if we keep working on it, if we keep adding layers, if we find ourselves in and around the mid table area, if we can keep getting results in these home games against the teams that are more around us like we have been this season, then I think there is every opportunity you know for for us to keep progressing and for there to be some exciting times ahead with hopefully a cut one or two in there as well.
00:19:24
officialgspn
That is all anyway for today's episode. Thank you for listening to the Daily Brentford Podcast. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. And once again, we would be extremely grateful for your support as this will enable us to go bigger and better moving forward. Daily Brentford can be found on X, Instagram, and TikTok under the handle at GSPN Brentford.
00:19:44
officialgspn
I'll be back again tomorrow where we will have your wild card Wednesday. I am just putting in a few things together for that, thinking of what I will do it for you guys. We've previewed all the new signings now, so we may be doing a little something that involves a little look back at maybe the last few years or or more than that. But we will be back again tomorrow no matter what for your wild card Wednesday.
00:20:12
officialgspn
Until then, from myself, Daniel, thank you for being with us.