Post by dannyboy on Apr 6, 2022 13:01:11 GMT
I don't know how it is for most fans watching their own own team, but for me, i tend not to notice the opposition much unless something about their performance leaps off the pitch to me.
I like to think im more of a rounded football fan than my dad, who is as biased for Oldham Athletic as it is possible to be. I used to ask him when Latics were in the Premier League, "How did such and such play today?" My dad's standard response was, "I never noticed him, im only there to watch my team."
I never used to understand that outlook and as a youngster thought he was missing out on so much by not noticing the performances of Cantona and the like, but the game against Port Vale last night made me realise that im maybe more like my dad than I thought
Going back to being a supporter then to be focused, almost solely, on your own team is probably par for the course. Looking out for what your team does either right or wrong seems to exist in a completely separate sphere to anything that the opposition, and their eleven players, might be trying to do. Your primary concern is your team, and what they are doing rather than anything else around that.
Last night, those blinkers came off for me.
Just like the referee, who is on the pitch for the duration of each game, Salford's opposition tend to be virtually invisible to my eyes until they draw attention to themselves in some way.
And this Port Vale did in spades.
Right from kickoff I noticed Charnley (surely MOM purely for the effort he expended in the game, never mind the goal) sprinting around like he was shot out of a gun. I thought "Whoah, im not used to this." And this manic energy to Port Vale's performance continued for the duration, despite my own assumption that they would burn themselves out with their early exertions. Linked to this i find it probable that the chances Salford carved out in the last few minutes of the match could be just as much due to Vale's fatigue as they were to the substitutions that had been made.
Going back to Port Vale's intensity levels, it's fair to say they were off the charts, and this is what started to catch my attention more and more.
As much as Salford's recent opponents have had their periods of dominance against the Ammies i had never seen this kind of life or death effort in many a moon.
The fact they sit third in the table with only seven points more than Salford tells me that they are not putting in performances like this every week, or they would be home and dry sat right at the top of the league.
So, last night looked to be in someway special for them, as to collectively put in such a physical effort then motivation levels needs to be at an absolute peak.
For whatever reason, those stars aligned for them last night and Salford had absolutely no answer to it.
Allied to their fiery pressing then there was also an abundant side dish of overly physical and cynical play from them too.
I guess their coaching team thought that Salford "won't like it up 'em" and we really didn't. Of course, the ref, at times, was making ridiculous decisons which never helps, but from the off, Port Vale won the battle of wills hands down.
Just in the same way that im not used to seeing opposition teams approach the game this way then it also appeared that Salford weren't used to having to combat this level of physicality either.
Seeing Theo Vassell aerially targeted in the first half, and coming off second best, made really sit up and take notice. I don't think i saw Matt Smith get a fair run at a header all game without first being shoved aside by one of their streetwise defenders.
Going back to first impressions, that zip that i witnessed to how Vale were covering the ground definitely made me wonder what the manager had been able to say to the team to get them chomping at the bit so hard.
During Salford's recent run of excellent form I can't think of any team who have fought as if their life depended on it, so it's not really surprising that Salford were at a loss as to how to combat this intensity.
I've talked about bad habits emerging for the team in a previous post, and i did see a collective struggle to adapt the mindset last night from Salford. With them recently being used to establishing control in games and imposing themselves on the opposition then the jolt of being taken out of that comfort zone was definitely on display.
Im sure there were more examples of this struggle but the one that sticks in the mind was Turnbull stepping out of defence in the 33rd minute, before being tackled in his own defensive third. At that point in the game it was already clear that Port Vale were not going to give Salford an inch of room, or a second to dwell on the ball, so to be trying the Rio Ferdinand moves showed Turnbull hadn't read the room correctly.
Against the teams Salford have faced recently, who were either overmatched or outclassed, then taking risks against them is ordinarily a positive, but the same approach can't be used against a team who are torpedoing around the pitch at a hundred miles an hour. They basically put a wrecking ball through the game plan that normally serves Salford so well.
As there was so much else going on then it took me the longest time to figure out that Port Vale were playing a back three, which got me thinking why they'd opted for this set up. On a superficial level i suppose it meant they could always have one defender glued to Matt Smith while still having two centre halfs to maintain defensive integrity. I did also notice that their wing backs were very happy to start quick attacks down the flanks when Salford hadn't slotted into their formation early enough. The added cover of a three would help give these wing backs confidence to push forward, again without providing too much space behind to be capitalised on.
Two things now which are closely linked which only came into focus for me a last night.
The first being that during their good run that Salford have essentially used the same tactics and formation throughout, while also playing virtually the same eleven consistently.
At some point, despite the success that this settled approach has given, other teams are going to successfuly strategise against this. While Port Vale are the first to excel at this, they are unlikely to be the last. Other teams will look at last night and the takeway will likely be, get in Salford's faces right from the start, try to bully them, and press them into submission.
As a result of Vale's approach last night I had an awful lot of respect for the game plan they had drawn up (not the OTT fouls) and if GB is able to get the team to be able to adapt over the coming games then having a rude awakening yesterday won't be a wholly bad experience to have gone through.
Personally, i'd rather have the time to work in training on combating these kind of tactics then being faced with them in a Promotion decider or a playoff final. A small, but nonetheless real, silver lining.
Tactically, for the remainder of the season the cards will fall where GB want them to but in terms of selection I do now feel that the manager has overplayed his hand by sticking to the same names with very little variance.
Klopp experienced something similar in his early period at Liverpool as he failed to factor in how physical the English league was, compared to the Bundesliga. As he didn't rotate his first team enough they were out of gas when it came to the sharp end of the season. Im hoping that this isn't something that comes back to bite GB as a few players looked leggy last night, none more so than Theo Vassell.
To his credit Theo has made himself a fixture in the side now but i reckon he could do with a rest, while also appreciating that messing with that delicate chemistry of a back four is always something to be careful about.
Port Vale seemed to go out of their way to battle him physically, and whether it was tiredness, or simply being outmatched, he looked shaky in many ways, especially positionally. In the first half I noted at least three occasions of him being caught in the wrong area, or taking the wrong angle of approach to properly defend his space. For a player who likely wasn't expected to have made this level of impact so quickly it is not surprising that he has some flaws in his game that will need to be addressed over time. My hope is that what i had seen from him in recent weeks is a level he can sustain over the long term. With adequate rest and an improving team around I feel we should be in safe hands.
Matt Smith i would say is another candidate for a little breather. However, I simply don't see any alternative in the squad that would provide anything like the same impact up front.
I did wonder last night why Stephen Kelly wan't playing, and maybe this was a nod from GB to the fact he will need to rotate his squad some to stop them from hitting the wall when the games become even more crucial. With Kelly, to go from loans in the Scottish league to playing every game in a competitive League Two, it's not surprising that he will need a little break to allow his body to adapt to the demands being placed upon it.
While talking about the selection then I think Ash Hunter deserves a mention.
I've discussed before about his shortcomings relating to his attitude but yesterday I felt he was just not the right type of player to help Salford combat Vale's bully boy tactics. To be fair to GB there may have been a surprise element to how physically aggressive last night's opposition were, but once their level was established i thought Hunter should have been subbed either before or during half time.
It can be easier for a sub to come on and sprint like a gazelle for a few minutes as they don't have to ration their effort for the full game. Nonetheless, i think Bolton's added strength and drive would have served Salford much better than keeping Hunter on for as long as GB did. My favourite highlight of Bolton's contribution was the pass he laid off while running at fill tilt towards the Port Vale defence. To be able to play such a controlled, accurate pass while moving at real speed reminded me of the pedigree of the club he was developed at and the international caps he earned for England at the lower age groups.
I, amongst others, have been calling for Bolton's inclusion for a while now, and with the added need to rotate where possible then giving him a proper run out seems to fit perfectly with this idea.
I almost feel guilty saying this after his recent performances but last night Ndaba looked like little boy lost, especially before the break. His passing and touch were woeful, which drew the ire of Hunter, as well as a bit of vitriol from me.
A lot of sporting perfomance is between the ears and it could be that despite Ndaba having the physical and athletic tools to shine in this division he may be a player who has a fragile mentality. It's a bit of a stretch to completely reassess a player based on a single performance where the whole team was made to look ordinary, but i will definitely be keeping an eye out for this passivity rearing its ugly head again in the crucial run in.
As a fan i want Salford to literally obliterate every opposition they face. That's par for the course im sure. As someone who also wants to see measurable progress being made over time then I think games like yesterdays are far more revealing than whitewashing a woeful S***horpe side.
Im sure GB is looking at who was game for the fight yesterday and who buckled under the intense pressure that Vale brought to bear.
We can all make our own minds up about who passed this acid test and who didn't, but I must say i was surprised that a few of our better, and more consistent players, were left wanting last night, when real pressure was exerted upon them.
One player who i didn't notice much until the second half, but who then started to show a bit of dog was Donald Love. His sliding, momentum changing tackle, was one of the highlights of the night, and showed that he, at least, wasn't afraid to get stuck in where it hurts.
Linked to this point, in ice hockey, teams have enforcers in the squad who are on the bench, almost like a nuclear deterrent. If the opposition try to push any of your players around then you send the enforcer on the ice to settle the score. It was kind of a surprise to me that it was Love who dished out the retribution, but it was gratifying to at least see one of the team stand up and be counted.
Last thing on the game from me.
I would be staggered if the recent teams we have faced haven't also come up with (what they think will be) a successful game plan to negate our strengths and target our weaknesses. That said, for starters these teams hadn't been successful until Vale came to town. Also the approach and tactics used by the other teams weren't as noticeable as those that were used last night. It'd be crazy to think that managers of the clubs we are facing in our remaining fixtures will not also look to at least start the game with this physical intensity, to see if Salford can counter this. If they can't then this season is well and truly over bar the shouting.
I like to think im more of a rounded football fan than my dad, who is as biased for Oldham Athletic as it is possible to be. I used to ask him when Latics were in the Premier League, "How did such and such play today?" My dad's standard response was, "I never noticed him, im only there to watch my team."
I never used to understand that outlook and as a youngster thought he was missing out on so much by not noticing the performances of Cantona and the like, but the game against Port Vale last night made me realise that im maybe more like my dad than I thought
Going back to being a supporter then to be focused, almost solely, on your own team is probably par for the course. Looking out for what your team does either right or wrong seems to exist in a completely separate sphere to anything that the opposition, and their eleven players, might be trying to do. Your primary concern is your team, and what they are doing rather than anything else around that.
Last night, those blinkers came off for me.
Just like the referee, who is on the pitch for the duration of each game, Salford's opposition tend to be virtually invisible to my eyes until they draw attention to themselves in some way.
And this Port Vale did in spades.
Right from kickoff I noticed Charnley (surely MOM purely for the effort he expended in the game, never mind the goal) sprinting around like he was shot out of a gun. I thought "Whoah, im not used to this." And this manic energy to Port Vale's performance continued for the duration, despite my own assumption that they would burn themselves out with their early exertions. Linked to this i find it probable that the chances Salford carved out in the last few minutes of the match could be just as much due to Vale's fatigue as they were to the substitutions that had been made.
Going back to Port Vale's intensity levels, it's fair to say they were off the charts, and this is what started to catch my attention more and more.
As much as Salford's recent opponents have had their periods of dominance against the Ammies i had never seen this kind of life or death effort in many a moon.
The fact they sit third in the table with only seven points more than Salford tells me that they are not putting in performances like this every week, or they would be home and dry sat right at the top of the league.
So, last night looked to be in someway special for them, as to collectively put in such a physical effort then motivation levels needs to be at an absolute peak.
For whatever reason, those stars aligned for them last night and Salford had absolutely no answer to it.
Allied to their fiery pressing then there was also an abundant side dish of overly physical and cynical play from them too.
I guess their coaching team thought that Salford "won't like it up 'em" and we really didn't. Of course, the ref, at times, was making ridiculous decisons which never helps, but from the off, Port Vale won the battle of wills hands down.
Just in the same way that im not used to seeing opposition teams approach the game this way then it also appeared that Salford weren't used to having to combat this level of physicality either.
Seeing Theo Vassell aerially targeted in the first half, and coming off second best, made really sit up and take notice. I don't think i saw Matt Smith get a fair run at a header all game without first being shoved aside by one of their streetwise defenders.
Going back to first impressions, that zip that i witnessed to how Vale were covering the ground definitely made me wonder what the manager had been able to say to the team to get them chomping at the bit so hard.
During Salford's recent run of excellent form I can't think of any team who have fought as if their life depended on it, so it's not really surprising that Salford were at a loss as to how to combat this intensity.
I've talked about bad habits emerging for the team in a previous post, and i did see a collective struggle to adapt the mindset last night from Salford. With them recently being used to establishing control in games and imposing themselves on the opposition then the jolt of being taken out of that comfort zone was definitely on display.
Im sure there were more examples of this struggle but the one that sticks in the mind was Turnbull stepping out of defence in the 33rd minute, before being tackled in his own defensive third. At that point in the game it was already clear that Port Vale were not going to give Salford an inch of room, or a second to dwell on the ball, so to be trying the Rio Ferdinand moves showed Turnbull hadn't read the room correctly.
Against the teams Salford have faced recently, who were either overmatched or outclassed, then taking risks against them is ordinarily a positive, but the same approach can't be used against a team who are torpedoing around the pitch at a hundred miles an hour. They basically put a wrecking ball through the game plan that normally serves Salford so well.
As there was so much else going on then it took me the longest time to figure out that Port Vale were playing a back three, which got me thinking why they'd opted for this set up. On a superficial level i suppose it meant they could always have one defender glued to Matt Smith while still having two centre halfs to maintain defensive integrity. I did also notice that their wing backs were very happy to start quick attacks down the flanks when Salford hadn't slotted into their formation early enough. The added cover of a three would help give these wing backs confidence to push forward, again without providing too much space behind to be capitalised on.
Two things now which are closely linked which only came into focus for me a last night.
The first being that during their good run that Salford have essentially used the same tactics and formation throughout, while also playing virtually the same eleven consistently.
At some point, despite the success that this settled approach has given, other teams are going to successfuly strategise against this. While Port Vale are the first to excel at this, they are unlikely to be the last. Other teams will look at last night and the takeway will likely be, get in Salford's faces right from the start, try to bully them, and press them into submission.
As a result of Vale's approach last night I had an awful lot of respect for the game plan they had drawn up (not the OTT fouls) and if GB is able to get the team to be able to adapt over the coming games then having a rude awakening yesterday won't be a wholly bad experience to have gone through.
Personally, i'd rather have the time to work in training on combating these kind of tactics then being faced with them in a Promotion decider or a playoff final. A small, but nonetheless real, silver lining.
Tactically, for the remainder of the season the cards will fall where GB want them to but in terms of selection I do now feel that the manager has overplayed his hand by sticking to the same names with very little variance.
Klopp experienced something similar in his early period at Liverpool as he failed to factor in how physical the English league was, compared to the Bundesliga. As he didn't rotate his first team enough they were out of gas when it came to the sharp end of the season. Im hoping that this isn't something that comes back to bite GB as a few players looked leggy last night, none more so than Theo Vassell.
To his credit Theo has made himself a fixture in the side now but i reckon he could do with a rest, while also appreciating that messing with that delicate chemistry of a back four is always something to be careful about.
Port Vale seemed to go out of their way to battle him physically, and whether it was tiredness, or simply being outmatched, he looked shaky in many ways, especially positionally. In the first half I noted at least three occasions of him being caught in the wrong area, or taking the wrong angle of approach to properly defend his space. For a player who likely wasn't expected to have made this level of impact so quickly it is not surprising that he has some flaws in his game that will need to be addressed over time. My hope is that what i had seen from him in recent weeks is a level he can sustain over the long term. With adequate rest and an improving team around I feel we should be in safe hands.
Matt Smith i would say is another candidate for a little breather. However, I simply don't see any alternative in the squad that would provide anything like the same impact up front.
I did wonder last night why Stephen Kelly wan't playing, and maybe this was a nod from GB to the fact he will need to rotate his squad some to stop them from hitting the wall when the games become even more crucial. With Kelly, to go from loans in the Scottish league to playing every game in a competitive League Two, it's not surprising that he will need a little break to allow his body to adapt to the demands being placed upon it.
While talking about the selection then I think Ash Hunter deserves a mention.
I've discussed before about his shortcomings relating to his attitude but yesterday I felt he was just not the right type of player to help Salford combat Vale's bully boy tactics. To be fair to GB there may have been a surprise element to how physically aggressive last night's opposition were, but once their level was established i thought Hunter should have been subbed either before or during half time.
It can be easier for a sub to come on and sprint like a gazelle for a few minutes as they don't have to ration their effort for the full game. Nonetheless, i think Bolton's added strength and drive would have served Salford much better than keeping Hunter on for as long as GB did. My favourite highlight of Bolton's contribution was the pass he laid off while running at fill tilt towards the Port Vale defence. To be able to play such a controlled, accurate pass while moving at real speed reminded me of the pedigree of the club he was developed at and the international caps he earned for England at the lower age groups.
I, amongst others, have been calling for Bolton's inclusion for a while now, and with the added need to rotate where possible then giving him a proper run out seems to fit perfectly with this idea.
I almost feel guilty saying this after his recent performances but last night Ndaba looked like little boy lost, especially before the break. His passing and touch were woeful, which drew the ire of Hunter, as well as a bit of vitriol from me.
A lot of sporting perfomance is between the ears and it could be that despite Ndaba having the physical and athletic tools to shine in this division he may be a player who has a fragile mentality. It's a bit of a stretch to completely reassess a player based on a single performance where the whole team was made to look ordinary, but i will definitely be keeping an eye out for this passivity rearing its ugly head again in the crucial run in.
As a fan i want Salford to literally obliterate every opposition they face. That's par for the course im sure. As someone who also wants to see measurable progress being made over time then I think games like yesterdays are far more revealing than whitewashing a woeful S***horpe side.
Im sure GB is looking at who was game for the fight yesterday and who buckled under the intense pressure that Vale brought to bear.
We can all make our own minds up about who passed this acid test and who didn't, but I must say i was surprised that a few of our better, and more consistent players, were left wanting last night, when real pressure was exerted upon them.
One player who i didn't notice much until the second half, but who then started to show a bit of dog was Donald Love. His sliding, momentum changing tackle, was one of the highlights of the night, and showed that he, at least, wasn't afraid to get stuck in where it hurts.
Linked to this point, in ice hockey, teams have enforcers in the squad who are on the bench, almost like a nuclear deterrent. If the opposition try to push any of your players around then you send the enforcer on the ice to settle the score. It was kind of a surprise to me that it was Love who dished out the retribution, but it was gratifying to at least see one of the team stand up and be counted.
Last thing on the game from me.
I would be staggered if the recent teams we have faced haven't also come up with (what they think will be) a successful game plan to negate our strengths and target our weaknesses. That said, for starters these teams hadn't been successful until Vale came to town. Also the approach and tactics used by the other teams weren't as noticeable as those that were used last night. It'd be crazy to think that managers of the clubs we are facing in our remaining fixtures will not also look to at least start the game with this physical intensity, to see if Salford can counter this. If they can't then this season is well and truly over bar the shouting.
