Tactical fouling

[CloneMC16]

I mentioned this in the Maguire thread but Eriksen has to foul Traore for Fulham's winner.

Maguire also should be able to foul him, but he hamstrung himself by picking up a needless yellow card in the first half.

One thing that frustrates me more than anything is our players picking up a completely avoidable yellow, particularly early in the game. It completely changes the dynamic of the game, as they have to reduce their aggression in any duels from that point and are often scared to make any sort of tackle at all, which means the opposition have a field day playing against us. But most importantly, it removes that players ability to make a tactical foul when we need them to. People will analyse the goal we conceded in the last minute and they won't even make the connection to the first half challenge from Maguire, but that stupid challenge has lead to us conceding because he's now missed the most obvious tactical foul opportunity you're ever going to see.

I'd go as far as saying that 90% of the yellow cards we pick up should be deliberate. Any yellows for dissent, kicking the ball away, reckless challenges, aggressively diving into 50/50s and going to ground when there's no reason, are completely and utterly pointless. The yellows we should be receiving should be in the 2nd half of games with deliberate intent to stop dangerous attacks at the expense of a booking.

Eriksen never makes fouls like that. He's basically a statue and allows opposition players to run past him. Maguire is getting sent off if he makes that challenge. I don't blame him for letting it go. He 100% drags Traore down if he's not on a yellow.

A lot of our early yellows recently have been Casemiro and Mainoo. They're getting them within the first 20 minutes and that has a big effect on the challenges they can make later on in the game. Our midfielders having to defend as much space as they're being asked to is making the issue worse.

I also think we've gotten a couple harsh yellows recently. Both Casemiro and Mainoo have made a fair challenge that got them booked within the last few games.

Yep, it’s why I’ve been so ready for referees to get far more liberal with carding the fouls you mentioned far more. These teams that have mastered pressing have done so because they also mastered these seemingly innocent fouls in the opposition half right as a team is about to break, and it just further minimizes the risk that you’d normally associate with playing an ultra high line. I don’t like that the game has become such a pressing fest so much so that it’s one of the main things clubs have to look for in attackers apart from actual ability to score/create.

Its creates a game that’s just a constant choppy midfield battle for control and limits the game so much even if its extremely effective.

I can't agree more. The weakness of a high pressing strategy should be transitions, but refs continuously allow teams to tactically foul and stop them from happening. Yellows should be given far more frequently for it.

 

[Floyd]

Maguire is getting sent off if he makes that challenge. I don't blame him for letting it go. He 100% drags Traore down if he's not on a yellow.

He should've done it anyway. The match was almost over.

The only excuse I can accept is that Traore wasn't clear through, like Lee was when Solskjær took him down.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Eriksen never makes fouls like that. He's basically a statue and allows opposition players to run past him. Maguire is getting sent off if he makes that challenge. I don't blame him for letting it go. He 100% drags Traore down if he's not on a yellow.

A lot of our early yellows recently have been Casemiro and Mainoo. They're getting them within the first 20 minutes and that has a big effect on the challenges they can make later on in the game. Our midfielders having to defend as much space as they're being asked to is making the issue worse.

I also think we've gotten a couple harsh yellows recently. Both Casemiro and Mainoo have made a fair challenge that got them booked within the last few games.


I can't agree more. The weakness of a high pressing strategy should be transitions, but refs continuously allow teams to tactically foul and stop them from happening. Yellows should be given far more frequently for it.

There is a moment when the ball is bouncing where Maguire could make a challenge that would just look clumsy and he'd probably get away with.

About 2 minutes before it they had another break where I think Garnacho could have taken one for the team and didn't - so its clearly something that just isn't imprinted in our team.

 

[CloneMC16]

He should've done it anyway. The match was almost over.

The only excuse I can accept is that Traore wasn't clear through, like Lee was when Solskjær took him down.

With hindsight now, yeah. I think he probably does if we were winning the game 2-1. We still had time to get a winner. Going down to 10 would hurt us a lot. We did get 5 players back before Iwobi scored. It ended up being a good finish. I put most of the blame on Eriksen. He has to pull Traore down.

The Ole one is different scenario.

There is a moment when the ball is bouncing where Maguire could make a challenge that would just look clumsy and he'd probably get away with.

About 2 minutes before it they had another break where I think Garnacho could have taken one for the team and didn't - so its clearly something that just isn't imprinted in our team.

Yeah, I just had a look at the extended highlights. Garnacho lost a duel and that allowed them to get out. None of our forwards tactically foul. Shaw, Maguire, and Varane do it quite often. A lot of our other players don't.

 

[Shinjch]

We have a group of players who just don't seem to have it in them.

We have to be one of the worst teams in the league at getting that quick foul to stop the transition. It is either naivety or lack of application, or both.