‘It’s not always about playing out from the back’ – Charlton boss Holden provides real detail when quizzed on tactical approach

Dean Holden has provided insight into his tactical approach as Charlton Athletic manager and spelled out that it is about mixing it up to get results.

The Mancunian’s predecessor Ben Garner was wedded to a possession-heavy approach. But one of the drawbacks to that was that the Addicks often were punished for defensive lapses as they looked to create space by shifting the ball across their backline. There were also matches in which they failed to carry enough attacking cutting edge.

Charlton have taken nine points from their last three matches and had significantly less possession in today’s 2-0 win over Barnsley at The Valley.

Holden said: “I don’t care about possession – it’s about playing with a purpose. I think we had 39, 40 per cent today. Yeah, I want more control in the game – but it’s not always about playing from the back.

“I have to give a bit of credit to Ben Garner and the work that was done in the summer. This is not a three-week project, this team has been working together from pre-season as players and staff. They did have a really good base, in terms of playing patterns to get up the pitch.

“My instinct, I suppose, looking at the team from afar and then having worked with the players, is that we needed to make ourselves a bit stronger defensively – we were probably a bit too open. When it worked it was great, and when it didn’t it more often then not resulted in a chance or a goal for the opposition. That was the first thing.

“I’ve not come in and re-invented the wheel, far from it. It’s been basic information – I don’t profess to be a top tactician or anything like that. It’s about the mentality of the group and giving clarity to the players. Every player wants to know exactly what you want from them – simple as that.

“Now we have got a bit more time to add a bit more detail tactically. But, again, you have got to play to the strengths of your players. In pre-season you have six weeks to work with the players and use friendlies. We’ve come in and had game number five in the league in a really short space of time and hardly any time on the training pitch. When we have it’s been in the short areas because there has been so much water. I’ve brought the weather down with me from Manchester by the looks of things, it hasn’t stopped raining!

“There has been a lot of classroom sessions, in terms of analysis, so we’ve used that really effectively.

“There are different ways to win games of football. There will be games where we take the ball a little bit more.

“Going back to the game the other night at Old Trafford, you saw Ashley Maynard-Brewer clipping balls out to full-backs – three or four times we got through the pitch from goal-kicks to Manchester United’s six-yard box really well. I wouldn’t say we got away from that, I just think we’re mixing it up. Sometimes we’ll kick it long and win second balls and other times we will play.

“The players have got to find the solutions on the pitch. They have got to spot if the opposition are coming to press, or are they sitting off you? Where are the spaces? Where is the pressure coming from? We’re far from getting it anywhere near where we want it to be, but in the short term we are doing enough.”

MAIN PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD