| Crap 17:16 - Jan 25 with 5017 views | GeoffThom |
Its crap we are a poor side punching above our weight at present and cooper does not inspire me at all |  | | |  |
| Crap on 12:48 - Jan 26 with 938 views | Fireboy2 |
| Crap on 12:40 - Jan 26 by Catullus |
I think I've read that Chelsea wanted him at a team not fighting relegation, not specifically us but someone in the top 10.
Can't we accept that we haven't got a great team? There are definite weaknesses ( eg the lack of desire to shoot at every opportunity ) and I'm not keen on Byers either, he passes to the oppo as often as to a team mate.
The stats show up something though, 63% possession, haven't we been here before? Under Rodgers weren't we accused of passing for the sake of passing? One pundit saying that us having made 600 passes in a match not counting for much when most of them were across the back line in our own half. Where was our ambition, where was the desire to score?
What was the point in loaning Brewster if we aren't goiung to try those risky passes to get him in on goal? We simply cannot play it safe every week. It's negative, boring and in this division we are always vulnerable to a set piece goal from the many teams who have bigger, stronger players.
We are a better footballing team than most but it's fairly pointless being pretty if you can't score. Of course there's been several home games when we were anything but pretty, we have been clueless in fact. Like Stoke at home when we gave Allen the freedom of the city and he ran the show. |
Great post, spot on. |  | | |
| Crap on 13:52 - Jan 26 with 891 views | ploppy |
Thing is, we were very good yesterday for the first 20mins. At one point the commentator said we were up to 77% possession. And it wasn't just passing around at the back type of possession. Problem was we didn't score.
The second half was a different story - lots of passing around at the back and not being able to advance. The reasons are obvious - lack of movement off the ball, players (especially midfield) not showing for the ball, players not being brave on the ball, etc. Not quite sure what happened after 20mins but it was a different game from then on.
I generally don't have a problem with keeping possession, especially away from home, even if it's for possession's sake. If you take it to the limit, if you have 100% possession you probably don't lose. Can't do it once you go behind though. |  | | |
| Crap on 17:44 - Jan 26 with 808 views | Catullus |
| Crap on 13:52 - Jan 26 by ploppy |
Thing is, we were very good yesterday for the first 20mins. At one point the commentator said we were up to 77% possession. And it wasn't just passing around at the back type of possession. Problem was we didn't score.
The second half was a different story - lots of passing around at the back and not being able to advance. The reasons are obvious - lack of movement off the ball, players (especially midfield) not showing for the ball, players not being brave on the ball, etc. Not quite sure what happened after 20mins but it was a different game from then on.
I generally don't have a problem with keeping possession, especially away from home, even if it's for possession's sake. If you take it to the limit, if you have 100% possession you probably don't lose. Can't do it once you go behind though. |
I don't disagree, keeping possession isn't wrong but when you do it with no intent, no attacking desire it very quickly becomes bad to watch and disheartening, specialy in games where you've shown you are the better team when you try.
That first 20 mins should have been a confidence builder, a reason to keep on going at Stoke. Instead we reverted to trying to not lose.
Whatever style of football you play you should always be trying to win, in my opinion. Be cautious away from home maybe but when a chanc comes you should take it on, not play safe and pass backwards. Down that road lays fear and self doubt. It becomes a habit. | |
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| Crap on 19:19 - Jan 26 with 746 views | ploppy |
| Crap on 17:44 - Jan 26 by Catullus |
I don't disagree, keeping possession isn't wrong but when you do it with no intent, no attacking desire it very quickly becomes bad to watch and disheartening, specialy in games where you've shown you are the better team when you try.
That first 20 mins should have been a confidence builder, a reason to keep on going at Stoke. Instead we reverted to trying to not lose.
Whatever style of football you play you should always be trying to win, in my opinion. Be cautious away from home maybe but when a chanc comes you should take it on, not play safe and pass backwards. Down that road lays fear and self doubt. It becomes a habit. |
I guess the intent of possession could be either in order to protect a lead (or a draw) or to make the opposition chase around (which they won't be able to do for 90mins). In the former case, it would be fine by me. In the latter case, you'd hope that the result of all the possession would be a tired opposition which you'd hope would give you chances later on. Which would also be fine by me.
Some of the best goals we've ever scored e.g. Blackburn, Fulham, were the result of a lot of passes - many of them backwards. Just because you're keeping possession doesn't necessarily mean you're not trying to win, but it takes a degree of patience which we seem to have lost.
Having said that, that game yesterday was there for the taking. I'm not convinced we reverted to trying not to lose after 20mins, but something happened to change the game. One thing I noticed was that Stoke's early tactics of lumping the ball forward was gifting us possession, and later on they played a lot better football. Whether that was a deliberate change on their part I have no idea. | | | |
| Crap on 19:31 - Jan 26 with 734 views | icecoldjack |
| Crap on 19:19 - Jan 26 by ploppy |
I guess the intent of possession could be either in order to protect a lead (or a draw) or to make the opposition chase around (which they won't be able to do for 90mins). In the former case, it would be fine by me. In the latter case, you'd hope that the result of all the possession would be a tired opposition which you'd hope would give you chances later on. Which would also be fine by me.
Some of the best goals we've ever scored e.g. Blackburn, Fulham, were the result of a lot of passes - many of them backwards. Just because you're keeping possession doesn't necessarily mean you're not trying to win, but it takes a degree of patience which we seem to have lost.
Having said that, that game yesterday was there for the taking. I'm not convinced we reverted to trying not to lose after 20mins, but something happened to change the game. One thing I noticed was that Stoke's early tactics of lumping the ball forward was gifting us possession, and later on they played a lot better football. Whether that was a deliberate change on their part I have no idea. |
Good post.
I think their manager changed and modified and ours didn't, things constantly change through a game and it's not the first time we've started like champions for the first 20 mins and ended up looking chumps.
Other coaches maybe spot a problem and counter it, but Cooper just seems slow to react, it's not all his fault mind, players need to take responsibility too, when Cabango was just hitting it aimlessly to the centre stands not one of ours stepped up to offer an out ball or try to take pressure off him.
Our captain should be doing far better there, Byers and a few others could also move to help out but didn't.
We just look a mish mash of styles the moment the opposition suss us out . Quite frankly I think we're a poorly coached team that doesn't know what identity it wants to follow. |  | | |
| Crap on 07:09 - Jan 28 with 571 views | Brynmill_Jack |
| Crap on 17:44 - Jan 26 by Catullus |
I don't disagree, keeping possession isn't wrong but when you do it with no intent, no attacking desire it very quickly becomes bad to watch and disheartening, specialy in games where you've shown you are the better team when you try.
That first 20 mins should have been a confidence builder, a reason to keep on going at Stoke. Instead we reverted to trying to not lose.
Whatever style of football you play you should always be trying to win, in my opinion. Be cautious away from home maybe but when a chanc comes you should take it on, not play safe and pass backwards. Down that road lays fear and self doubt. It becomes a habit. |
Surely, just s fan get disheartened in your the paragraph some of the players must as well?
This is my biggest problem with the side this season, the ability so completely outplay teams but then show no merciless killer instinct. Cooper needs to take a spray can and write "be f*cking ruthless" on the dressing room walls.
Stoke are not the first team who though "OMG they're going to hammer us" and then realise they're playing a bunch of pansies , afraid of shooting or committing themselves to get on the end of crosses. Also, after the first couple of corners realise they only need to stick a tall man at the near post to bat away our crappy corners. |  |
| Each time I go to Bedd - au........................ |
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