| Last minute goals 14:46 - Aug 17 with 2549 views | southernR |
A worry for me already - and yes I appreciate that we are only 3 games in - is that we have, as we did on many occasions last season, let in a last minute goal which has cost us points.
Last season we were dreadful at slowing play down, keeping possession, spoiling the flow of the game and we couldn't seem to run down the clock in areas of the pitch (such as the corners) without conceding quick possession and allowing the opposition to attack. Hoilett's and Phillip's attempts to do this were laughable..
I'm no tactician and have never managed a team but what are we doing wrong in the last 5-10 minutes of these games that allows opposition to put us under such pressure ?- I don't buy the arguments of fitness, concentration, naivety - surely the players can focus and have enough legs for 90 minutes, they've played for most of their walking life so naivety doesn't cut it, they have 20,000 plus fans in a stadium and god knows how many watching live to prevent a loss of concentration..
is it tactics, trying to hold onto a lead/draw? or is it just bad (crappy) luck that we seem to be undone by a mad few minutes (throwing in a wonder goal or two)
I just hope that this season isn't a repeat of last, we lost so many crucial points..... |  | | |  |
| Last minute goals on 17:16 - Aug 17 with 2481 views | whittocksRs |
It certainly seems Ramsey hasn't managed to sort this out after last season, which is another concern about his ability to get this lot into shape. | | | |
| Last minute goals on 17:26 - Aug 17 with 2458 views | Stanisgod |
20,000 nnmmmm |  |
| It's being so happy that keeps me going. |
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| Last minute goals on 17:38 - Aug 17 with 2436 views | queensparker |
We're not very good at keeping the ball full stop at the moment. Just knocking it around between defence / midfield Swansea style is a great way to run down the clock / demoralise teams, but we haven't quite clicked on that yet and don't have the confidence. Too quickly it ends up getting chipped into a channel.
Hopefully once Luongo / Gladwin / Chery / the rest of the midfield get comfortable with each other it will get easier... |  | | |
| Last minute goals on 18:33 - Aug 17 with 2385 views | Neil_SI |
It's simply down to pressure.
It's unimaginable for most of us to understand how much pressure these people are under from week to week. They're stepping out in front of thousands of people, who are judging their every single move and sometimes berating them and anything less than consistently their best doesn't wash with many. Believe me, that can be as much of a hindrance as it can be a help.
It's mentally and psychologically demanding — let alone physically, technically and tactically. Walking out on the pitch, despite the thousands in attendance, can be a very lonely place for some. There can be a lot of anxiety created both before and during matches, and the fan base of a club can most certainly generate anxiety in players as well, often unintentionally.
You have to remember that a lot of these people lack the academic and educational background and social upbringing that many of us will have enjoyed. They have a different character and mindset, often completely unprepared for the scrutiny they're put under.
Some of them are young and still learning and growing — and they need the time, space, patience and support to be able to perform consistently at their maximum level and to find the grit and determination to individually and collectively take responsibility when it matters.
But, as always, this isn't a problem that is solely ours, it's part and parcel of the game and will happen to every club. Football is for 90 minutes, so goals can be scored at any point in time and there's always a certain risk on approach depending on the score that may or may not influence how the match pans out.
Of course there are more to these things, much more, some subjective, some not, some nearly impossible to interpret or understand.
It is a mentality in the end, but getting players to try and play to their maximum without consideration to performance or score is very difficult. There are only few who can do it, but even when teams are winning by large margins they tend to tail off somewhat. The Germany performance against a poor Brazil side, was about to perfect as you will ever see in calmly and collectively taking apart the opposition and not letting your performance slip. Different class, but difficult to achieve.
What you want players to do is evolve through experience and time. To understand the story and context of the match and be willing to influence proceedings at the right time. But they need time and togetherness to do that, and, they often need to make the mistakes to understand and learn what it feels like in order to recognise the dangers in future.
This is a process that can be repeated and nulled out, like it might have for us here, depending on what players are playing and their lifecycle. |  | | |
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