Reason for slow starts

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Does no one think then that Pep not firing them up ten minutes before may be part of the cause?

I suppose it didn't seem to effect Munich or Barca.

If anything, I thought Hart was too fired up last season, especially in the two games against Liverpool
I think it’s more to do with the complacent attitude of the players than the Manager, as it’s been happening for almost three years, (Loftus Road in 2014 being particularly appalling)

Hopefully, once we’ve introduced a couple of new defenders, then our high possession percentage will start to appear more meaningful, rather than 10 short passes, before losing the ball in our own half (Upton Park last season)

 

[Bigga]

It may sound daft, but it seems to me that we, as a defensive unit, are trying to work out what their tactics are against us as we start.

I think that's why we see so many passes in our half before we move forward! We, basically, are looking to see who engages and where the gaps appear, instead of playing our game from the off.

If you think about it, that works entirely within Guardiola's ethos of "control", but as we know unless you have the players, at the back and the mid to exploit things quickly, we get fooked over pretty sharpish!

 

[kaz7]

Starting slow was the one thing i was sure pep would put a stop to,conceding first is the most frustating thing for me so far,there really is no excuse for it,pep needs to go into the dressing room and get them going as they seem incapable of doing it themselves

 

[Neville Kneville]

It's difficult to understand, but it's something Pep has to fix.

Against Leicester, nobody reacted to anything from kickoff. The first goal was like everyone could stop & have a cigarette once Kolarov booted the ball away 'that's the job done'.

They will have worked on not being caught like that, all week. DeBruyne, v Arsenal, just lets them go & again, the defence just stand about watching, nobody sees anything. Walcott's run was a new thing from an Arsenal attack ? They rarely do anything else.

It's Pep's job to fix that, be it with his managerial ability or in the case of repeat offenders, sackings.

 

[cibaman]

Does no one think then that Pep not firing them up ten minutes before may be part of the cause?

I suppose it didn't seem to effect Munich or Barca.

I reckon if you were to ask Pep why we have conceded early goals he would say it was because we failed to control possession from the start of those games. His idea of the perfect start to a game would probably have been the WBA game when they barely had a kick in the first half. He would probably say that firing the players up would be counter productive. We dont want to get sucked into hurly burly games with misplaced passes and plenty of free kicks. We want controlled, clinical starts.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

I sincerely hope that Pep has us set up to sit back against the dippers in the first 30, they are so predictable in their play and have usually run out of steam by half time.

Got to be up to the task physically against that shower as well. I want Ya Ya and both Ferns in the starting line up

 

[mainemanc1066]

Sit in the south stand and fed up of all the goals (away first half and home 2nd half) always seeming to be at the other end of the ground. Happened for years :(

 

[ono]

Does no one think then that Pep not firing them up ten minutes before may be part of the cause?

I suppose it didn't seem to effect Munich or Barca.

I think it is generally harder for a possession based team to look fired up, whereas a counter attacking/back to the walls team will generally look more up for it due to their style.

I also think we are considered a soft touch and the most beatable big scalp in the league.

And I also think that because of how we play and how error prone we look on the ball and off the ball at the back, teams are instructed to start fast and not let us settle. I think that contrasts with our patient approach and makes us look sluggish, especially if we concede early doors.

I do think we struggle with concentration at times and that situation is made worse by the fact that Hart and Kompany are both absent as both are very vocal players.

 

[Nelinho]

It's difficult to understand, but it's something Pep has to fix.

Against Leicester, nobody reacted to anything from kickoff. The first goal was like everyone could stop & have a cigarette once Kolarov booted the ball away 'that's the job done'.

They will have worked on not being caught like that, all week. DeBruyne, v Arsenal, just lets them go & again, the defence just stand about watching, nobody sees anything. Walcott's run was a new thing from an Arsenal attack ? They rarely do anything else.

It's Pep's job to fix that, be it with his managerial ability or in the case of repeat offenders, sackings.

There's a lot to be said regarding the Leicester match, in terms of tactical preparation for example, but in the context of this particular thread I'll say that it occured in the aftermath of the Chelsea match. It is clear the team was still suffering, it hadn't recovered. That fucking match (vs Chelsea I mean) killed us psychologically, the way we lost, what happened in the end etc. Whatever the manager tried in the meantime clearly didn't work, perhaps he himself underestimated the consequences. There is no excuse, I agree, yet it's human. A human reaction...

Regarding the Arsenal goal: Kevin loses concentration for a moment, when Belerin starts developping he's already gone. When he passes the ball to Sanchez, there's a moment of hesitation by Nico (an instinctive reaction probably, thinking Sanchez is entering / about to enter Kolarov's zone: area of Kola's responsibility) which leads to confusion, lack of coordination between the two. Aleks will freeze, Sanchez will afford the time to set up Walcott in the box exploiting his off ball movement, our both DCs are neutralized. Everything happens very quickly, it's an excellent combination...

Of course Aleks has a serious issue with evading challenges, it follows him throughout his carreer. His psychology is vulrenable, he feels insecure defensively etc. And Guardiola is very careful in his approach, he respects his players as human beings, he is not Murinio. He tries to influence them, to inspire them if you will, in an indirect, subtle manner. The same with Clichy, the only player in the squad experiencing Guardiola's arrival as a shock (everybody else sees it as a challenge I think, players enjoy the experience), Gael's low self-esteem is more than obvious. Pep feels if he pushes them too hard, he could lose them permanently, it could kill their confidence completely. Personally I believe they both understand what is required by them, they both are good lads and try hard, it's obvious, yet it's difficult to cure / handle personality characteristics when you're past 30...

That's why I believe in the support of the fans, it can be crucial regarding the mental aspect. People have to be patient and show faith. All players give their best, their commitment and fighting spirit are amazing, even moving at times. It hasn't exactly been a walk in the park so far, still we're up there fighting in all fronts -and everything is still open. As already has been mentioned by members in here, it could have been much much more complicated, it's extraordinary the way the team has recovered from the Chelsea shock in just 2 weeks, while playing without key players, lacking options in certain positions, with Guardiola "reinventing" (tactically speaking) people like Yaya or KDB. I have seen defeats like the one mentioned above actually fuck teams for good.

Some recent examples:
1. United: Still struggling to recover from their early defeat by us in OT. Only recently trying to build a momentum, have already paid a huge price though.
2. PSG: Their early defeat at Monaco was a shock, realising they're not invincible. A lot of similar stuff followed in the process, still searching for stability, currently 3rd in Ligue 1. If they don't win it (personally I hope they don't), Emery should resign. Taking the initiative himself, not waiting to get sacked. That is, if he has any sense of decency...
3. Sporting CP: They got a lot of things wrong in their transfer strategy during the summer (like we did ourselves), mentally speaking however, they never recovered from that early undeserved defeat in the Bernabey for the CL. Conceding 2 goals in injury time, losing the match. Which could be the reason for a shitty season. Not exactly the sense of continuity everybody expected in J. Jesus's 2nd season at the club...

That is why I insist: Get behind the team, in the beginning as well as throughout the whole 90'. Make players feel your support. They deserve it all the way...

 

[Neville Kneville]

There's a lot to be said regarding the Leicester match, in terms of tactical preparation for example, but in the context of this particular thread I'll say that it occured in the aftermath of the Chelsea match. It is clear the team was still suffering, it hadn't recovered. That fucking match (vs Chelsea I mean) killed us psychologically, the way we lost, what happened in the end etc. Whatever the manager tried in the meantime clearly didn't work, perhaps he himself underestimated the consequences. There is no excuse, I agree, yet it's human. A human reaction...

Regarding the Arsenal goal: Kevin loses concentration for a moment, when Belerin starts developping he's already gone. When he passes the ball to Sanchez, there's a moment of hesitation by Nico (an instinctive reaction probably, thinking Sanchez is entering / about to enter Kolarov's zone: area of Kola's responsibility) which leads to confusion, lack of coordination between the two. Aleks will freeze, Sanchez will afford the time to set up Walcott in the box exploiting his off ball movement, our both DCs are neutralized. Everything happens very quickly, it's an excellent combination...

Of course Aleks has a serious issue with evading challenges, it follows him throughout his carreer. His psychology is vulrenable, he feels insecure defensively etc. And Guardiola is very careful in his approach, he respects his players as human beings, he is not Murinio. He tries to influence them, to inspire them if you will, in an indirect, subtle manner. The same with Clichy, the only player in the squad experiencing Guardiola's arrival as a shock (everybody else sees it as a challenge I think, players enjoy the experience), Gael's low self-esteem is more than obvious. Pep feels if he pushes them too hard, he could lose them permanently, it could kill their confidence completely. Personally I believe they both understand what is required by them, they both are good lads and try hard, it's obvious, yet it's difficult to cure / handle personality characteristics when you're past 30...

That's why I believe in the support of the fans, it can be crucial regarding the mental aspect. People have to be patient and show faith. All players give their best, their commitment and fighting spirit are amazing, even moving at times. It hasn't exactly been a walk in the park so far, still we're up there fighting in all fronts -and everything is still open. As already has been mentioned by members in here, it could have been much much more complicated, it's extraordinary the way the team has recovered from the Chelsea shock in just 2 weeks, while playing without key players, lacking options in certain positions, with Guardiola "reinventing" (tactically speaking) people like Yaya or KDB. I have seen defeats like the one mentioned above actually fuck teams for good.

Some recent examples:
1. United: Still struggling to recover from their early defeat by us in OT. Only recently trying to build a momentum, have already paid a huge price though.
2. PSG: Their early defeat at Monaco was a shock, realising they're not invincible. A lot of similar stuff followed in the process, still searching for stability, currently 3rd in Ligue 1. If they don't win it (personally I hope they don't), Emery should resign. Taking the initiative himself, not waiting to get sacked. That is, if he has any sense of decency...
3. Sporting CP: They got a lot of things wrong in their transfer strategy during the summer (like we did ourselves), mentally speaking however, they never recovered from that early undeserved defeat in the Bernabey for the CL. Conceding 2 goals in injury time, losing the match. Which could be the reason for a shitty season. Not exactly the sense of continuity everybody expected in J. Jesus's 2nd season at the club...

That is why I insist: Get behind the team, in the beginning as well as throughout the whole 90'. Make players feel your support. They deserve it all the way...

I think there is a very decent chance Chelsea will hit a similar brick wall somewhere along the road & that's why imo, our most important challenge, is not to get too far behind Liverpool or Arsenal.

I agree with a lot of what you say, but whatever system we play, it needs to be a unit & so far, we haven't been. There was evidence of improvement v Hull, with Sagna's clearence off the line & also him coming across behind the centre backs, covering runs, like fullbacks are supposed to, it was evidence of more actual thought going into defending. But then he blotted it, by playing everyone onside at a set piece, which could have cost us the game. Also, it was Hull. Had it been Leicester, then Kolarov would have had to deal with several 1v1s with Vardy, or, more worryingly, it would be 1v1 against Mane, next weekend & we all know how that ends up.

The thing Mancini did, (which unfortunately, he himself then fucked up & Pellegrini finally murdered), was to create a back 4 or 5 including Barry, who worked for each other & covered each other's fuckups. It wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good compared to what's around now.

It was drilled into a kind of robotic routine of getting back into shape, & then the individuals did their stuff within that routine.

It seems to me, that whatever tactics we use, that defensive shape is often missing, so we are totally reliant on the individuals making the right choices rather than the basics being drilled into them. Often, they get it wrong & we are in trouble, perhaps because basically they are not as smart as Pep wants them to be, so they need more instruction & less freedom.

Or perhaps they are smarter than they appear to be & it just needs time. That's Pep's job to figure out.

Imo, we are better so far defending set pieces than we have ever been, & we are hallf the size of Mancini's team, so Pep & his coaches clearly know how to drill players.