Argyle’s Attacking Unit

Metal Green Mickey · Jan 3, 2021

So instead of talking about the defence l’d like to switch things to us as an offensive unit.

Might seem strange to raise this when we have leagues one joint goal scorer. However, if you take him out of the side where are the goals coming from on a consistent basis?

Argyle are meant to be a forward thinking attacking unit. However, if you look at yesterday game as a prime example our final cross or shot is severely lacking. The Gillingham keeper really didn’t have much to do. In fact many times, despite the number of shots we have, the opposition keeper rarely has much to do.

Jephcott is currently a goal machine. Sometimes ld like him to get more involved in our build up. However, at the moment he is the one player who knows where the goal is.

The thing is l really like Hardie recent performances. He has worked hard. He is very much aware of his team mates and has set up a number of great assists this season. For example, the pass to Camara for the goal against Oxford.

Yeah something isn’t right when we attack teams. I look at other teams throughout the leagues that are on the front foot and it seems the one think they have on a consistent basis when they play well is width. When Argyle played well against Oxford for first 30 mins and Gillingham in first half yesterday we had width. Grant and Edwards got forward. We had options when we attacked. When teams attack us, our wing backs become full backs and then we lump it forward and we can’t get out of our half. Suddenly we have no width.

So is the issue a lack of energy and stamina to keep it going for 90mins? Is the issue the system and once teams attack us your pinned back because you rely so much on the wing backs getting forward? Or is it something else?

It just seems to me in the second half of games the width of our team disappears. For whatever reason this could be the key to us going forward as a team. If you have width, you have an outlet. By only having wing backs regularly in wide positions, if they are stopped then the team’s attacking unit seems to go to pieces which is what seems to happen in second half of games.

It would be interesting to see a heat map of our two wing backs and see what parts of the pitch they are in first and second half.

PL2 3DQ · Jan 3, 2021

Our shot stats are not too shabby. An average of 13.6 per game, the fourth best in League One and an average of 4.3 shots on target per game, the joint 9th best.

As for goals scored only seven teams in League One have scored more goals than us.

Cobi Budge · Jan 3, 2021

I'd definitely like to see us sign an additional striker as back up to Jephcott & Hardie. I just don't think Telford is up to it and Nouble has looked less effective with every game. Someone with a bit of power and pace, a Jamille Matt type if you like.

HC Green · Jan 3, 2021

PL2 3DQ":20lyj8nj said:
Our shot stats isn't too shabby. An average of 13.6 per game, the fourth best in League One and an average of 4.3 shots on target per game, the joint 9th best.

As for goals scored only seven teams in League One have scored more goals than us.

Rock bottom Burton have scored the same number of goals as us, shows how strange the league is.

The Doctor · Jan 4, 2021

Wing backs... therein lies the key. It’s an incredibly difficult position to play in and really very specialised. You have to be sound defensively but also skilful and creative offensively. Most importantly you have to be able to move rapidly from one role to the other. Constantly. Throughout the game. Solidity and skill. Speed and stamina.

Some players will have some of these attributes. Not many will have all. Even less will have all four to a high level. It’s hard to sign players for this role because not many teams play a formation that uses them.

Whilst the 3-5-2 formation is, in principle, exciting and attacking, it’s very difficult in practice to find players that fit the vital wing back positions. On balance it’s probably simpler to change the formation?

Tugboat · Jan 4, 2021

I’d like to see us sign a capable CB to allow the CDM to become a CAM playing behind the 2 CF’s.

Long shot I know

East End Green · Jan 4, 2021

The Doctor":277gfb4z said:
Wing backs... therein lies the key. It’s an incredibly difficult position to play in and really very specialised. You have to be sound defensively but also skilful and creative offensively. Most importantly you have to be able to move rapidly from one role to the other. Constantly. Throughout the game. Solidity and skill. Speed and stamina.

Some players will have some of these attributes. Not many will have all. Even less will have all four to a high level. It’s hard to sign players for this role because not many teams play a formation that uses them.

Whilst the 3-5-2 formation is, in principle, exciting and attacking, it’s very difficult in practice to find players that fit the vital wing back positions. On balance it’s probably simpler to change the formation?

I think realistically the formation is here to stay as long as Lowe does. In our current squad, we don't have any fullbacks as such apart from Law and maybe Sawyer. So a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 would require playing CBs as fullbacks and I just don't see that happening (and the one time RL tried it was disastrous). Grant and Edwards have been among our most consistent performers, so I'm not sure the problem is at wingback per se.

I think the issue is less about width and more about tempo. When we break through is when we move the ball *quickly* - short, incisive, often one-touch stuff which tends to open up that width. Often that follows a period of keeping possession in the defensive third, waiting for the opening to change gear rapidly. The intention is to play a sort of slow-slow-slow-quick-quick-quick style. Unfortunately, that's become easy to read and when that is frustrated the confidence goes and we resort to panicky long ball stuff that we just aren't cut out for.

Part of the problem is that, despite notionally having 5 in midfield, we are often overrun there. Mayor is often the architect of a lot of the beautiful quick-quick-quick stuff, but when that gets shut down, he tends to disappear. It's then that we really need a change of approach - an additional driving box-to-box type for the last 20 or 30. This is the role that Grant was fulfilling so well at the start of the season - is it a coincidence that our best run was when he was playing there? But given that he's the best LWB option we have, I think Reeves should at least make the bench and be expecting to play 20-30 instead of Mayor if things aren't working.

The other issue is the quality of the final ball. In fact, if there's one area I think needs strengthening more than any other it's a *really* good crosser of the ball. Basically, what we thought Cooper was going to be.

WoodsyGreen · Jan 4, 2021

PL2 3DQ":2rxkkmcd said:
Our shot stats are not too shabby. An average of 13.6 per game, the fourth best in League One and an average of 4.3 shots on target per game, the joint 9th best.

As for goals scored only seven teams in League One have scored more goals than us.

Very interesting stats. So we're having enough shots to win matches and scoring enough goals... which leads to an obvious conclusion and one we have discussed at length on here: the defence is holding us back.

It'd be interesting to see how our shots/goals differ between the first-half and second-half of matches given our propensity to down tools at halftime. I wonder if we're missing out on scoring late goals due to RL's tendancy to bring on League Two Frank every game.

evil dave 86 · Jan 4, 2021

PL2 3DQ":36mb32rv said:
Our shot stats are not too shabby. An average of 13.6 per game, the fourth best in League One and an average of 4.3 shots on target per game, the joint 9th best.

As for goals scored only seven teams in League One have scored more goals than us.

In the last 10 league games we have scored 2 goals if you take Jephcott out of the equation. Our defense is worse but the attacking side shouldn't be ignored.

greenpilled · Jan 4, 2021

The Doctor":1sg22oyf said:
Wing backs... therein lies the key. It’s an incredibly difficult position to play in and really very specialised. You have to be sound defensively but also skilful and creative offensively. Most importantly you have to be able to move rapidly from one role to the other. Constantly. Throughout the game. Solidity and skill. Speed and stamina.

Some players will have some of these attributes. Not many will have all. Even less will have all four to a high level. It’s hard to sign players for this role because not many teams play a formation that uses them.

Whilst the 3-5-2 formation is, in principle, exciting and attacking, it’s very difficult in practice to find players that fit the vital wing back positions. On balance it’s probably simpler to change the formation?

Have to say I can't stand 3-5-2.

When we win possession, we can't counter attack at speed, because we don't have wingers stationed in attacking positions ready to receive the ball and run at defenders while they're still on the back foot.

Instead, we shuffle it from side to side 30 or 40 or metres deeper than we should be while the opposition get men behind the ball and their defensive position set.

When other teams attack us, they only need to beat one player or catch them out of position and they suddenly have vast expanses of space out wide to run into.

Witness the number of crosses Gillingham put into the box on Saturday, or the second Oxford goal, when the player ran half the pitch unchallenged after Byron Moore pressed too high up.

Obviously largely positive results last season show that it can work, but I think on balance it's a hindrance both going forward and defensively.

WoodsyGreen · Jan 4, 2021

evil_dave86":2hhuc5gf said:
PL2 3DQ":2hhuc5gf said:

Our shot stats are not too shabby. An average of 13.6 per game, the fourth best in League One and an average of 4.3 shots on target per game, the joint 9th best.

As for goals scored only seven teams in League One have scored more goals than us.

Click to expand...

In the last 10 league games we have scored 2 goals if you take Jephcott out of the equation. Our defense is worse but the attacking side shouldn't be ignored.

We've already been without Jephcott for eight games this season, and the stats are surprising:

With Jephcott: We've scored 1.2 goals per game
Without Jephcott: We've scored 1.9 goals per game

We're almost a goal-a-game better off when Jephcott isn't in the side :crazy:

It's pretty obvious that the part of our team that isn't working - no matter what personnel we select - is the defence. Sort that out and we'll be flying. Sorry, but this thread is a red herring.

Argyle’s Attacking Unit

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