I think they had a preseason coaches meeting that went something like this... BEN: last year other teams are scoring on us to easy we need to focus on defence After first game tie: BEN: We game up a lead and tied... Clearly we need more focus on defense. PLAYERs: We bunkered too much for too long BEN: More defense at practice After second game loss: BEN: We gave up way too many goals... Must focus even more on defense PLAYERs: We need to have some plan on what to do after we win the ball BEN: no focus defense defense defense grit grit grit... Win by scoring off the occasional set piece. Repeat all season, every season. It's tradition at this point.
My coaching experience was brief and confined to youth, but one thing I insisted on that made a difference was to tell the kids that the minute their team recovered possession each player, instantly, had to go into attack mode and identify where they should be on the field both to maintain possession and to put the opponent under maximum pressure. "Heads on a swivel!" I would say. and get moving. I think it's good advice, but I don't see much of it with DCU. Too much standing around and expecting the play to come to you instead of doing something to ensure that even if you don't get the pass you've pulled a defender with you and opened something up for a teammate.
There are different schools of thought on this. What you are describing is what many call the "high block" and it's what the great Barcelona and Milan Champions League teams did. It can be complicated and when poorly executed can lead to trouble. Usually when employing a "high block" it's a good idea to have your attacking players do what you describe and man up aggressively. However, your deeper defenders need to back off and defend space because if someone misses a tackle or an assignment you can be hit hard on a pass over the top or into space (which is abundant when you man mark closely). To make things even more complicated, your defenders should mark space, but also maintain a high defensive line so they can intercept errant passes made more frequent by the high pressing employed by your attackers who just lost the ball. The big problem with a high block approach and DC United is that you need to have attackers who are very fast and skilled on the ball because the moment they force a turnover, they are in position to get marked by the same defender they were pressing. Stieber is not really all that fast and I don't think Segura and Moreno are all that fast either. They do have better ball skills. The talent level required to consistently run a high block is tougher in today's MLS because every team is loaded with athletes. Arena ran the high block from time to time with DCU because the level of athleticism in MLS was poor back in the day (Think of Mike Burns as a star right back for NE).
There are many tactics that can be employed and many teams build an identity embracing a tactical philosophy. The only tactic this team employs is the bunker.
I try to follow what DCU does and I was thinking recently that maybe it's a poor attempt at a low block. A low block sits back just on top of the 18 yard box until the attack approaches your back line who then presses aggressively. Your attackers (at least 2) should hang a little high and mark zonally so they can release for a cleared (or well passed ball). The problem I see is that all 10 field players are aggressively employing the low block on Olsen's squad. My earlier post rings horrifyingly true in that case because, at that point, your 2 lone attackers are easily marked by the same defenders that were being pressed. This is what we see every game. Some people get confused and believe opponents are employing a high press against us all game long when, in reality, it's just too easy to put a little pressure on the guy next to you.
Ben Olsen is one of the most prolific backpassers in DC United history. Of course he's coaching this team to do that -- it's what he knows.
Man I can't believe that Olsen told them to make those crappy passes in the back. I may be coming around to firing him since he clearly instructed them to make those passes!!!!!!!
Why are good players making shitty plays and being bad? Is Asad bad or is the team coached badly and be sucks as a result? It’s Olsen’s fault.
The players on this team have changed alot over the last seven years of suckitude. The common factor... Ben Olsen.
No I have been in this game for well over 40 years and understand tactics. I also understand coaching. I also know this is crappy players not bad coaching.
Lol we’re playing against a Houston team of total garbage. A team with Demarcus Beasley as a STARTER. Ok. We are playing bad teams with bad players and they aren’t getting clowned.
These aren’t bad players. We have perhaps our strongest lineup in 8 years. At some point when good players systematically underperform the fault is with the system. James
There is no connection, and a ton of little things. Like go and meet the ball, stop waiting for everything.
Strongest lineup on paper. No coach would have told them to make those two crappy plays. Not even the worst Rec Coach ever so again how is that coaching.
The first pass was poor judgement, the second pass was poor understanding between players. Given the first was made by a 24 year old we just got our hands on a month ago and the second was between two players who'd never been on the pitch together, I don't see how either was "Ben's fault." Seriously, there are plenty of good reasons to fire him if that's the point someone wants to make. No need to manufacture them.
The Wall Street Journal weekend newspaper had an article on managerial job security in the Premier League. As of today, nine Premier League managers have been fired out of the twenty who began the season in August, one short of the record. And Chelsea's owner has fired 12 managers in 14 years! Ben Olsen is very, very lucky that he works for very forgiving owners in a very forgiving league.