08 May 2025 04:09:21
@ EHL can I ask your opinion given u see this up close and personal daily
In your opinion, would our team be better, without Tav as our RB
As a A licence coach, I feel way too often, there's a real lack of his understanding in how to defend the space behind him when in his defensive positioning
Going forward he is amazing, but IMO I feel we could benefit with a change at RB this season
Been told, that's also been the feedback from our current coaching staff
I'm only seeing the games on TV given the distance, but I tend to see way too many goals eventuating or being scored from that side of the pitch?
08 May 2025 11:09:04
Sydney not a coach but my question when that is said is how would any RB stop that space behind being available when they are attacking. IMO you either have a FB who attacks and defends some or one that sits back and defends. the latter doesn't suit us most of the time due to the amount of the ball we have. so we need to have an attacking RB with a way to cover that space behind when he goes forward; sort of like Ryan Jack when he was here.
Teams see the RB goes forward and then attack that space in behind. Until recently the benefits outweighed the negatives due to the goals and assists he created.
08 May 2025 11:11:05
I think it's a little more complicated and probably similar to some of the Jefte debate.
Tav was excellent when we played under SG, as we kept a deep defensive line and played with a double pivot.
So his weaknesses were covered and we played to his strengths.
Now our systems leave him more exposed and he struggles - however as he's aging his pace and running power has deteriorated, so he's not offering the same value offensively.
So I guess the question is does he still offer enough for us to adapt to accommodate him - I'd say no.
08 May 2025 11:22:57
This is going off my own reactions to the game. I tend to say Propper or Butland's name this season than I have Tav. Does that count for who I think is more to blame for goals ?.
08 May 2025 12:04:04
Good info EHL and it is the system which is important if were want to get the best out of players as I thought. Not saying Tav is blameless but like Jefte if you set up wrong they are going to fail.
08 May 2025 12:10:12
The ball Tav gets beat with very often these days is ball in behind when he is in the defensive position not when he is up the field he just can't defend it because he isn't good enough.
08 May 2025 12:32:09
I'm not saying Tav has been blameless but if you want him to bomb up the wing and be an attacking asset you need to set up the team to cover him when we turn the ball over . Only really Gerrard has done that as he used Jack and Kamara to cover Tav and Barisic when they went forward . GVB wanted both to sit deeper to avoid us being outnumbered at the back but this cost us a lot of our threat going forward .
Even against St Mirren two weeks ago their second goal came from a cross from that area behind Tav but we were playing a three at the back that day and the right centre back (Ssouttar) should have been there.
A lot of it is about coaching players to be in the right positions at the right times something Clement was always trying to drive home .
08 May 2025 12:36:44
Different source of the ball though. On Sunday I don't think there was 1 ball played from deeper in behind which caught hi, . he was on front foot and nipped in to win it or at least disrupt. where he was caught in behind it was by Maeda pushing it past him and chasing. not sure there are many who would cope with that pace either though. happened a few times but CB covered across even on the one where Souttar mucked up the clearance. we will see if he isn't here next season how other FBs cover for that tactic.
08 May 2025 13:06:28
If we keep Tav next season it has to be as back up for me.
08 May 2025 14:36:41
EHL would I be right In saying we miss jack type player in the team? Did he not slot in and covered Tav
I thought Sterling could have done the same job and been good at it but it's not worked out with his injuries etc.
08 May 2025 15:35:40
Stig, yeah under SG we played a double pivot - usually Jack on the right and Kamara on the left.
They didn't venture forward often and filled on for the fullbacks when needed.