While many parts of our team have been an issue, we have always had our ability in clearances to fall back on. The ole meat grinder.
However, when we say we are a good clearance team, we have alway used a poor definition. A good clearance team should be one that is good at creating and defending clearances.
We are clearly not. Just hearing Gary Lyon makes what has been obvious to many of us here, that we can't defend a clearance, painfully obvious. 17th for the past 2 years in defending the clearance, 16th year before that, 13th and 15th. I can't tell you how many times I am at the game and see a clearance setup that makes zero sense and watch teams handball into space and run away. And obviously we don't have any speed to catch them.
So if we are indeed a below average clearance team, how do we change it with personnel and tactics? I for one would like to see our around the ground setups have designated outliers to the side of the contest to be the outlet or pressure player if the ball comes out of congestion.
However, when we say we are a good clearance team, we have alway used a poor definition. A good clearance team should be one that is good at creating and defending clearances.
We are clearly not. Just hearing Gary Lyon makes what has been obvious to many of us here, that we can't defend a clearance, painfully obvious. 17th for the past 2 years in defending the clearance, 16th year before that, 13th and 15th. I can't tell you how many times I am at the game and see a clearance setup that makes zero sense and watch teams handball into space and run away. And obviously we don't have any speed to catch them.
So if we are indeed a below average clearance team, how do we change it with personnel and tactics? I for one would like to see our around the ground setups have designated outliers to the side of the contest to be the outlet or pressure player if the ball comes out of congestion.