High Press | Does it work?

RDCR07

Not a bad guy (Whale Killer)
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
30,410
Location
Transfer Forum
This high pressing of ours - does it really work? I don’t think we have the personnel for it. I understand pressing higher up the pitch but why do we push our three forwards inside their box/to their sideline to press their defenders? One small pass and it takes 3 of our players out the game. Not to mention it stretches us so much and leaves so much space for the opposition to run into.

This makes our defenders move way too high up and again leaves so much space and so many balls get played in behind our defense. Why don’t we sit back a little and let them have the ball at their goal line? They can’t hurt us from that position. Once it gets played into their midfield or defense outside their box then we press and we can stay more compact that way.
 

DWelbz19

Correctly predicted Portugal to win Euro 2016
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Messages
33,745
What high pressing of ours? I must be watching something else.
 

Jericholyte2

Full Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
3,536
Think our wide players could do worse than watch Cavani for that spell he had. Never gave the defenders a second and made several chances by hounding them.
 

Eriku

Full Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
16,123
Location
Oslo, Norway
In the beginning and towards the end of the match we caught them dangerously in their own third. We just shit ourselves a bit when we have superior numbers.

That said, other times the press just allows them to dangerously counter. Needs to be more measured in its implementation.
 

roonster09

Hercule Poirot of the scouting world
Scout
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
36,515
It works but the way we do it is very poor.
 

Real Name

Full Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2020
Messages
14,139
Location
Croatia
It should but we are doing it wrong. One or 2 players do, 3 tops others are staying in their positions.
 

Abraxas

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2021
Messages
6,023
I would guess one of the major reasons tonight was we are at home against a smaller club in a close to must win fixture. That calls for more risky pressing to try and win the ball closer to their goal, especially as we went behind. I don't think we approach every game in exactly the same manner. I also don't think the fans are going to stand for people standing around while Villarreal punt it around and get comfort at Old Trafford. Things like this have to influence the manager's thinking because you don't play these matches in a vacuum.

We're not great at it, never have been. Our forwards have never had the work-rate to do it like other teams no matter what combination we put out. Only people like James and Lingard are convincing with their energy and commitment to press.
 
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
1,424
We only high press in the 5-10 minutes after opposition teams scored. But even then it’s not a coached high press and just our players reacting and after 10 or so minutes it runs out of steam.
 

DevTheRed

Full Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
1,070
When Cavani came on it was good, before that it was bypassed far too easily. One or two passes and they were easily getting past. If the whole team doesn’t commit to the press there’s no point doing it, and when Cavani came on and there was a bit more urgency it worked fairly well.
 

11101

Full Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2014
Messages
21,205
High pressing is when the whole team presses high up the pitch. It is not when players take it in turns to press, which is what we do.

Sometimes Bruno does it, sometimes Sancho, sometimes Greenwood, sometimes Ronaldo. Never all at once, and never anybody else involved. Get it past them and you've got a free run at our defence.
 

Dan_F

Full Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Messages
10,317
We don’t press as a team, it’s always been the issue. For some reason we played almost a flat four at the back. You can’t play a functioning high press without full backs (or with Ronaldo). Villarreal almost always had someone free out wide.
 

RDCR07

Not a bad guy (Whale Killer)
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
30,410
Location
Transfer Forum
Agreed Cavani is very good at it but the likes of Sancho and Greenwood aren’t good. They are just running towards the ball without purpose. Wingers are a huge part of the high press and they aren’t doing their part.
 

OverratedOpinion

Full Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2017
Messages
6,205
We pressed properly about 3 times today and it changed the entire dynamic of the game.

I do not say this as a dig but whether Ole can coach players to do it regularly and effectively I have no idea.
 

ivaldo

Mediocre Horse Whisperer, s'up wid chew?
Joined
Nov 15, 2012
Messages
28,699
With that team, no. Telles and Dalot aren't quicker enough or strong enough to cover the ground we need. Put Shaw and AWB in there and it would probably have been far more effective.
 

LJJT

Full Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2010
Messages
1,536
Location
North West
I think a big problem this season is when the attack breaks down our midfielders go steaming in to pick up the second or loose ball, miss it by some way then the apposition break on us. I think if they could learn when to hold and when to go for it we would stop getting ran right through
 

RDCR07

Not a bad guy (Whale Killer)
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
30,410
Location
Transfer Forum
We pressed properly about 3 times today and it changed the entire dynamic of the game.

I do not say this as a dig but whether Ole can coach players to do it regularly and effectively I have no idea.
He has had 3 years to do it and we haven’t done it well. Do you think it’s going to change?
 

bosnian_red

Worst scout to ever exist
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
57,585
Location
Canada
It works if you know how to do it as a team. Our coaching doesn't know how to implement it though.
 

Ollie Derbyshire

Full Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2016
Messages
2,127
I’d love us to press high as a team but we are useless at it, Ole used to say we’d be the fittest team in the league and out run everyone, haven’t seen it yet. We can’t press well and can’t sit back well, just get passed around or run through every time.

Best option is to go full Keegan Newcastle but to be honest I don’t think our lot would run hard enough to do that week in week out.
 

Chief123

Full Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
12,789
This high pressing of ours - does it really work? I don’t think we have the personnel for it. I understand pressing higher up the pitch but why do we push our three forwards inside their box/to their sideline to press their defenders? One small pass and it takes 3 of our players out the game. Not to mention it stretches us so much and leaves so much space for the opposition to run into.

This makes our defenders move way too high up and again leaves so much space and so many balls get played in behind our defense. Why don’t we sit back a little and let them have the ball at their goal line? They can’t hurt us from that position. Once it gets played into their midfield or defense outside their box then we press and we can stay more compact that way.
When we were playing tumescent park the bus football under Jose, we were all crying out for high pressing football.
 

Will Singh

Full Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
5,675
Location
Theatre of dreams
When Cavani came on it worked, I don’t think Ronnie liked to use up the energy and it showed where he gave up on a over hit pass and Cavani won it back running right across the pitch. It works but has to be calculated otherwise like the OP said one pass and it takes 3 players out the game!
 

Cassidy

No longer at risk of being mistaken for a Scouser
Joined
Oct 2, 2013
Messages
31,029
It works if you setup properly and press as a team
 

RDCR07

Not a bad guy (Whale Killer)
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
30,410
Location
Transfer Forum
I’d love us to press high as a team but we are useless at it, Ole used to say we’d be the fittest team in the league and out run everyone, haven’t seen it yet. We can’t press well and can’t sit back well, just get passed around or run through every time.

Best option is to go full Keegan Newcastle but to be honest I don’t think our lot would run hard enough to do that week in week out.
It’s not even about being fit. I actually think we are fit as a team but there is no point when we run around like headless chickens all over the pitch. We don’t press as a team. We press as individuals.
 

dal

New Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2013
Messages
2,207
We can’t play the high press because of Ronaldo, Greenwood and Sancho don’t know when to go as Ronaldo just runs when he wants to.

I think we could still play some functioning press but it would mean dropping Pogba and I’m very happy to do that.

Ive said it time and time again, 90 percent of the cafe forgot what Pogba is like in the first game of the season, hope it’s clearer now, he needs to be replaced for a functioning midfielder.

Sancho is looking better and better, he needs a goal and a bit more confidence and he will thrive, especially when Rashford comes back.
 

Oranges038

Full Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2020
Messages
11,788
It doesn't work.

Because they press as individuals up top.

The midfield doesn't follow up properly and pushes into a half press situation.

The defence are more often than not too deep.

So individual pressing, plus a half pressing midfield and a deep defence does not work when combined in the same team.
 

MetoTTT

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jun 22, 2018
Messages
2,774
Location
France
It works if you know how to do it as a team. Our coaching doesn't know how to implement it though.
This. The way we try to do it is really is amateurish/sunday league level as our tactics and "style of play".
 

RDCR07

Not a bad guy (Whale Killer)
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
30,410
Location
Transfer Forum
When we were playing tumescent park the bus football under Jose, we were all crying out for high pressing football.
I’m not against high press. I would love for us to implement it the way Pool and Barca did it and gain possession back quickly. But we don’t have the staff talented enough to teach our players a system to do it the right away.
 

GazTheLegend

Full Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
3,595
When we did high press, after cavani came on, we looked good.
Yes. Cavani had an understated performance attacking wise, but for me close to a 10/10 defensive performance from the final third, as weird as that sounds. He was absolutely huge in the goal, and made some big chances through effort alone.
 

Ollie Derbyshire

Full Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2016
Messages
2,127
It’s not even about being fit. I actually think we are fit as a team but there is no point when we run around like headless chickens all over the pitch. We don’t press as a team. We press as individuals.
It’s obviously not something Ole wants us to do or we’d be doing it by now surely, can’t be hard to train them to do it well, ever other team out there seem to be able to do it to us ok.

I think he prefers them to do as little as possibly so they have the energy bursts for when we get to counter, that’s fine when you can control games easily, not when you’ve been chasing shadows most the game being cut apart at will.
 

RDCR07

Not a bad guy (Whale Killer)
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
30,410
Location
Transfer Forum
It’s obviously not something Ole wants us to do or we’d be doing it by now surely, can’t be hard to train them to do it well, ever other team out there seem to be able to do it to us ok.

I think he prefers them to do as little as possibly so they have the energy bursts for when we get to counter, that’s fine when you can control games easily, not when you’ve been chasing shadows most the game being cut apart at will.
If he doesn’t want us to then why do we do it every game? We try to play in the oppositions half a lot but we keep giving the ball away and don’t control the game enough to do that.
 

Dominos

Full Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
Messages
6,959
Location
Manchester
High pressing is when the whole team presses high up the pitch. It is not when players take it in turns to press, which is what we do.

Sometimes Bruno does it, sometimes Sancho, sometimes Greenwood, sometimes Ronaldo. Never all at once, and never anybody else involved. Get it past them and you've got a free run at our defence.
Nail on the head.

Fed up of people saying we don't have the players to press. The coaching of the ream is absolute horrendous, 3 years in and they're still not a cohesive unit.
 

Ollie Derbyshire

Full Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2016
Messages
2,127
If he doesn’t want us to then why do we do it every game? We try to play in the oppositions half a lot but we keep giving the ball away and don’t control the game enough to do that.
Do what press high? I wouldn’t say we do that at all. We have a lot of possession in the oppositions half as they sit back a lot and soak up our poor play waiting to counter on us.
 

Lewnited

Full Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2017
Messages
876
It does work, and if we actually did it well it would be nowhere near as taxing on the legs as it currently is for our forwards. Pleasing to see us pressing them high up in their third tonight, but our entire backline being 40 yards deeper than our forwards and sometimes midfield meant Villareal had an easy outball so often.

Dalot in particular was caught way too deep far too often during our press today, meaning we ended up getting bypassed numerous times with us having to chase Villareal all the way back to our third. Good to see us try to evolve our gameplan slightly in this game though.