Echo News Southend United boss Sol Campbell defends decision to play out from the back

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United manager Sol Campbell has defended his decision to try and introduce a passing style at the Shrimpers.

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[MK Shrimper]

Sol, our players are ****e hence why every game we're being thrashed. Lump it up front at every opportunity and perhaps we'll win a penalty.

 

[dannypav]

Sol, our players are ****e hence why every game we're being thrashed. Lump it up front at every opportunity and perhaps we'll win a penalty.

Don't we have to be in the opposition penalty area for that ?

 

[shrimperian]

I know I will be in the minority but I actually like to see us try to play out from the back. In the long term that will reap rewards BUT and its a big BUT (rather like my ex wife) we need to have the players particularly in midfield who are capable of doing it consistently without giving the ball away....presently, we are somewhat deficient in this area

 

[Smith]

At least going long we bypass the midfield (apparently we have a midfield ) !!

 

[MK Shrimper]

Don't we have to be in the opposition penalty area for that ?

Perhaps one of them should goal hang like a glory hunting 10 yr old. And fall over like they've been shot when an opposition player breathes on them.

 

[Rayleigh boy]

I am a football manager (awaiting my next gig) ... I think zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[mattytheshrimper]

We took this to the extreme against Oxford though, literally starting play about 6 yards out. It;s dangerous and unnecessary to do so.

 

[Bluegoose]

The Barcelona of Essex, god help us, delusional comes to mind.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

This is one of the areas where there's a huge dichotomy between what the players are comfortable with and what the fans are comfortable with.

This is the type of football modern players have grown up with. A decade ago whilst we were busy watching defenders uncomfortable on the ball, they'd have been playing this way in academies. This is the football they are used to. When having someone like Rio in defence was still a novelty for England at international level, and after him we would only get to the second round of World Cups instead of the semi-finals, this was what was being drilled into kids in academies up and down the country.

When we sit in the stands and hold our breath as they pass along the backline, they are doing what they've been doing since they were 8 years old. It'll take time for us to catch up to them, to realise that they are better on the ball than their predecessors and won't make as many mistakes as their predecessors would have playing that way.

Of course it doesn't look good when you screw up like the debutant did but it didn't look good either when Cox lost it on the half way line and they ran through and scored the 4th either.

There's still some work to be done (maybe more in midfield than defence) and it's important that we don't become predictable but hopefully fans will catch up with players sooner rather than later.

 

[Bluegoose]

This is one of the areas where there's a huge dichotomy between what the players are comfortable with and what the fans are comfortable with.

This is the type of football modern players have grown up with. A decade ago whilst we were busy watching defenders uncomfortable on the ball, they'd have been playing this way in academies. This is the football they are used to. When having someone like Rio in defence was still a novelty for England at international level, and after him we would only get to the second round of World Cups instead of the semi-finals, this was what was being drilled into kids in academies up and down the country.

When we sit in the stands and hold our breath as they pass along the backline, they are doing what they've been doing since they were 8 years old. It'll take time for us to catch up to them, to realise that they are better on the ball than their predecessors and won't make as many mistakes as their predecessors would have playing that way.

Of course it doesn't look good when you screw up like the debutant did but it didn't look good either when Cox lost it on the half way line and they ran through and scored the 4th either.

There's still some work to be done (maybe more in midfield than defence) and it's important that we don't become predictable but hopefully fans will catch up with players sooner rather than later.

The issues is game after game we do not have the skill set to pass the ball around the back. As much as the Galácticos of Essex would love to, they don't have the skill, to know when to get rid of it.

 

[duncan bulgaria]

If you pass out from the back at every opportunity it becomes easy to read and tactical managers will set up to force mistakes on us .
An example being that Man City look so comfortable doing this when they had Kompany or Laporte playing , but expect the same outcome with a lesser baller like Stones , Otemendi and you soon will become vulnerable .
Different levels of course but that’s how I see us at times , trying to do something with the ring kind of players involved .
2 or 3 passes to bring the opposition onto you then whip a ball down the Chanel .
Coker , Searl , Jupp and Mulgrew would do this and it is effective . So there are players out there at this level that can play that way , I hope Sol can identify them and get them over to the hall .

 

[dannypav]

At least going long we bypass the midfield (apparently we have a midfield ) !!

The opposition bypass our midfield too , so at least both teams will be consistent

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

This is one of the areas where there's a huge dichotomy between what the players are comfortable with and what the fans are comfortable with.

This is the type of football modern players have grown up with. A decade ago whilst we were busy watching defenders uncomfortable on the ball, they'd have been playing this way in academies. This is the football they are used to. When having someone like Rio in defence was still a novelty for England at international level, and after him we would only get to the second round of World Cups instead of the semi-finals, this was what was being drilled into kids in academies up and down the country.

When we sit in the stands and hold our breath as they pass along the backline, they are doing what they've been doing since they were 8 years old. It'll take time for us to catch up to them, to realise that they are better on the ball than their predecessors and won't make as many mistakes as their predecessors would have playing that way.

Of course it doesn't look good when you screw up like the debutant did but it didn't look good either when Cox lost it on the half way line and they ran through and scored the 4th either.

There's still some work to be done (maybe more in midfield than defence) and it's important that we don't become predictable but hopefully fans will catch up with players sooner rather than later.

Hopefully, the players at the back will learn to mix it up a bit when they release the ball ie play the ball both short and long out of defence ,sooner rather than later.And not just play the ball across the back all the time ,which makes it very easy for the oppostion to force them into errors and pick them off. Otherwise it's going to be a very long season without too many more points on the board.

 

[Fairport]

We got the ball forward and played in the right areas said Craig Fagan after the u/23 victory v Leyton Orient.

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Can we promote the under 23's back row and midfield then....we may get some joy !!

 

[Mick]

When we sit in the stands and hold our breath as they pass along the backline, they are doing what they've been doing since they were 8 years old. It'll take time for us to catch up to them, to realise that they are better on the ball than their predecessors and won't make as many mistakes as their predecessors would have playing that way.

In which case they should be doing it significantly better.

 

[Chrisb]

The opposition bypass our midfield too , so at least both teams will be consistent

They sail past !

 

[Tombstone Blues]

If the front three grafted a bit harder it might make life easier for everyone. By the time the opposition full backs are pushed on and as every successful team obviously plays 442 against us, we must often be outnumbered 6 on 3.....no wonder it’s a struggle

 

[Chrisb]

Interesting that Sol mentions the goals we have scored by playing this way but not the huge number we have conceded.