Oko-Flex Against Wigan

[CroJack]

Yeah, Martin was probably right to sub him at half time but without him we wouldn't have scored our first goal.


Wigan have a goal-kick and Oko-Flex is jogging. At the same time
Wigan's wing-back McClean is totally free on our right.
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Here is another example. Wigan have the ball and attacks.
Oko-Flex leaves McClean alone behind his back and walks towards the middle of the pitch.



Fortunatelly for us, Manning steals the ball from the Wigan player.
Have a look at Oko-Flex and McClean here.




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[Yankee_Jack]

When you ask a pedigree winger to play like a wing back this is what you are going to get in the first game in that role. Especially when nobody on the field is talking to him. If Martin was shouting at him all through the first half from the touch line and the kid was not paying attention then fair enough.

 

[CroJack]

This is not how you press high.
What is he doing here?



So, what happens in the next Wigan's move?




This happens. McClain is alone and
Wigan can attack down the wing.



The ball is cleared out, Wigan have a throw-in but
Oko-Flex is confused. Cundle is trying to tell him what to do.



But he is jogging and aren't closing his man.
Actually he should be covering McClean.
Wigan put in a dangerous cross.

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[Yankee_Jack]

All of the above are fundamental lapses of defensive attention and responsibility .... perhaps that's why he's been loaned out to us ... because from an attacking point of view he can put the fear of Montero into full backs.

 

[jackodiamonds]

It's as @Yankee_Jack says, he's a winger - and a young one at that - being asked to play defence for probably the first time ever. Good breakdown @CroJack - hope Martin showed Oko-Flex something similar

 

[CroJack]

Wigan attack our box and Oko-Flex is totally unaware of McClean
behind his back.



Too lethargic here. Broadhead tuns with the ball
and Oko-Flex jogs after him.



This is what happens next.
Wigan player shoots and Benda saves it,
but Wigan have a corner-kick.




Oko-Flex is supposed to mark Wigan's number 4, but he loses him.





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[CroJack]

And Naylor scores.

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[CroJack]

I don't blame him for losing his man in the above situation. It's difficult to mark players who constantly move. The goal has to be adressed by our set-pieces coach because these goals can easily be prevented. Piroe should've jumped a second before Naylor headed the ball and Naylor wouldn't have scored.

 

[CroJack]

Was all of this enough to sub him? I understand why Martin did it, but I wouldn't have done it. I would've told him to be more aware of McClean's movements and I've also told our centre-backs that it's not necessary our three centre backs mark one Wigan player. Oko-Flex is too valuable and we can't afford not playing him.

 

[CroJack]

When you ask a pedigree winger to play like a wing back this is what you are going to get in the first game in that role. Especially when nobody on the field is talking to him.

Exactly.

 

[CroJack]

My point is we don't need 10 defenders. That's why we should switch to 4-3-3 and play with three up front (two wingers and a striker), three runners in the midfield, and four at the back.

I don't know if you've noticed but after the second Wigan goal we switched to 4-2-3-1, with Piroe behind Obafemi, Oko-Flex on the left and Cooper on the right wing. Cundle and Fulton in the midfield. Manning and Lati as full-backs.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Yes, I noticed and commented on the switch of sides for Cooper and Flex.

Flex is more of a natural left sided player than right sided. He has demonstrated on the left wing that he can skin a defender on the outside then cross. On the right side, as again he demonstrated on @CroJack first video, that he will cut inside and be a left footed shot. He is a winger that should be constantly changing sides; especially if we have a setup with only one natural winger. Having Cooper play on the touch line is a waste, especially when you then have Piroe as the player behind the #9, who is a slug in comparison to Cooper. Cooper has the athleticism to be a true box to box midfield player ... Piroe would run out of gas after just one of those sprints.

Martin's adjustment was to a more natural setup, but frankly Martin seems to strive for symmetry where it doesn't naturally exist. Much better to let Cooper play narrower and have Flex swap wings frequently and terrorize defenders ad hoc. This is where playing Naughton at RB in a back 4 would have been the better option from the start. He would have been talking to Flex from the first whistle. (As a personal aside, starting as a 16 year old in senior football, I was very fortunate to play along side an old timer by the name of Colin Rees ... a little pearl of wisdom here, a little pearl of wisdom there, goes miles further than a shout from the touchline).

Martin persists in trying to fit all of his pets and shiny-toys-of-the-moment into a symmetrical system without really appreciating what he has and using it to greatest advantage.

 

[ivoralljack]

(As a personal aside, starting as a 16 year old in senior football, I was very fortunate to play along side an old timer by the name of Colin Rees ... a little pearl of wisdom here, a little pearl of wisdom there, goes miles further than a shout from the touchline).

Yes, I played with Colin as well and you're quite right. A very chatty guy was Colin and he had huge experience compared to us. He was at Leeds United under Don Revie when that club was probably #1 in the country and could field eleven internationals with others on the bench and a couple not even in the matchday squad!! They had the likes of Hunter, Bremner, Giles, Madely, Lorimer, Jones, Yorath, Joe Jordan, keepers Sprake and Harvey, Alan Clarke, Mick Bates, Trevor Cherry and others I can't think of right now. As I said, internationals all.

Colin, as a young player, was offered an extended contract by Revie but, understandably, felt that his path would be blocked by literally an array of top footballing talent, so he opted out and missed his chance of fame and fortune. He told me it was the biggest regret of his life. We trained and played together (by then I had 'retired' as a regular player) and he became a good mate, helping me with some work on my house in his capacity as a builder.

But he certainly helped the younger players with his experience and that's what all senior pros should be doing at any club. Colin and I used to stand with about a dozen or so of our pals on the North Bank at the Vetch and exchange heated opinions about what was going on. He knew his football did Colin. He had a wise head as well. Just before going to live abroad, at a particularly grim game at the Vetch, I mentioned that I wouldn't miss it so bad was our football. "Maybe not," he replied, "but you'll miss the day". He was so right. I did miss the occasion and I did miss my mates. We since lost touch and the last time we met was when he gave me a lift to the Liberty as I was walking from my car - and I lost his phone number. Very much hope he's doing well.