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Wigan FA Cup post-match thread
- Thread starter Vienna_70
- Start date
I think if Stones was playing for any other team we would be laughing out tits off at how bad he is. He had good form but since his return from injury he’s not showing any signs of getting back to that form. I don’t think he has the concentration to ever become a top defender.
Stones doesn't lack concentration, he lacks confidence.
Last season, and post-injury, he's a player who is second guessing himself and not committing either way. That translates into being indecisive, weak and a step behind. You can almost see the gears turning as he wonders if he should do A or B.
Prior to injury this season he was phenomenal because he had that confidence to just make a decision and do something. He looked like he'd spent all summer in the gym simply because he was flying into physical battles fully committed, he was making big tackles and interceptions because he wasn't even thinking about what he should do in that situation, he just did it.
The irony is that 9/10 times there's no wrong move except dithering and getting caught between 2 options.
Yesterday for example when the ball was being played into Grigg as Wigan's outball, he could either drop off and track the runners, or he could have just gone in tight and hard to Grigg and stopped him from having t he time to make lay-offs to those runners. Either way the danger is gone, except he'd get caught halfway and that's when it's dangerous.
He needs to rediscover that confidence that he's doing what Pep wants. It's a really difficult system for CB's to play, but at the end of the day he's done it well before, he just needs a couple of easy games to feel good again and he'll probably be right back at his best. The worry is that the longer he goes on this poor run, the longer the road back is.
We completely dominated possession and controlled the game, especially so 2nd half with 10 men so im not sure why you think the above.
They literally had the one chance second half and scored from it and it was from a mistake and nothing to do with a lack of control or them being good on the counter attack.
Wigan did defend superbly last night so credit to them for that but as an attacking force or their football being deserving of the win?
Sorry but no.
We didn't control the game at all.
When we control games, the opposition doesn't get 4 or 5 chances to score in the first half.
We dominated possession - we did that a lot last season too - but we didn't control the game like we have this season, where teams are boxed in and we recover the ball quickly and snuff out attacks with aggressive defending and well positioned defenders. There's a massive difference between the two. The difference between winning the league at a canter and finishing 3rd.
We could have conceded half a dozen times last night, that's not controlling anything.
jimmygrimblesboots
Well-Known Member
Oh Definitely. Gundogan, Aguero, Laporte and Fernandinho all had absolutely golden chances you'd expect to be scored 99/100 times.
The problem as I see it is that we were unable to control the game as well as normal when desperately searching for a goal. There were echoes of last season about it, where Wigan were having far too much joy on the counter, Grigg was being allowed to hold it up, and we weren't winning the ball back and returning it to their third quickly enough.
Agree , dont remember Stones or Laporte advancing into Wigan territory with the ball , like Vinny an Otto have done recently we started with a lethargy and no doubt we were still playing our nice on the eye possession football , but lacked a cutting edge which eventually proved our downfall. Even when KDB came on and put a dozen very good crosses into the box there was very little desire to get on the end of them , maybe a game too far for Sergio and others.
B
B
blueinsa
Guest
We didn't control the game at all.
When we control games, the opposition doesn't get 4 or 5 chances to score in the first half.
We dominated possession - we did that a lot last season too - but we didn't control the game like we have this season, where teams are boxed in and we recover the ball quickly and snuff out attacks.
We could have conceded half a dozen times last night, that's not controlling anything.
What some on here now constitute as a chance to score for the opposition i dont im afraid.
We completely dominated the game and it was one of those nights were poor finishing, a lack of final ball and yes, the ref did for us.
Mr Ed (The Stables)
Well-Known Member
Not sure how I feel today, but ultimately the game is about putting the ball in the net, and once again we were wasteful in front of goal.
Millwallawayveteran1988
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 23 Sep 2010
- Messages
- 37,160
Stones doesn't lack concentration, he lacks confidence.
Last season, and post-injury, he's a player who is second guessing himself and not committing either way. That translates into being indecisive, weak and a step behind. You can almost see the gears turning as he wonders if he should do A or B.
Prior to injury this season he was phenomenal because he had that confidence to just make a decision and do something. He looked like he'd spent all summer in the gym simply because he was flying into physical battles fully committed, he was making big tackles and interceptions because he wasn't even thinking about what he should do in that situation, he just did it.
The irony is that 9/10 times there's no wrong move except dithering and getting caught between 2 options.
Yesterday for example when the ball was being played into Grigg as Wigan's outball, he could either drop off and track the runners, or he could have just gone in tight and hard to Grigg and stopped him from having t he time to make lay-offs to those runners. Either way the danger is gone, except he'd get caught halfway and that's when it's dangerous.
He needs to rediscover that confidence that he's doing what Pep wants. It's a really difficult system for CB's to play, but at the end of the day he's done it well before, he just needs a couple of easy games to feel good again and he'll probably be right back at his best. The worry is that the longer he goes on this poor run, the longer the road back is.
With the magnitude of the games coming up, I don’t think he will be playing his way back to anything. He will be sat on the bench.
With the magnitude of the games coming up, I don’t think he will be playing his way back to anything. He will be sat on the bench.
Even if he falls to 4th choice, play him in the league, it's already won.
Neville Kneville
Well-Known Member
Stones doesn't lack concentration, he lacks confidence.
Last season, and post-injury, he's a player who is second guessing himself and not committing either way. That translates into being indecisive, weak and a step behind. You can almost see the gears turning as he wonders if he should do A or B.
Prior to injury this season he was phenomenal because he had that confidence to just make a decision and do something. He looked like he'd spent all summer in the gym simply because he was flying into physical battles fully committed, he was making big tackles and interceptions because he wasn't even thinking about what he should do in that situation, he just did it.
The irony is that 9/10 times there's no wrong move except dithering and getting caught between 2 options.
Yesterday for example when the ball was being played into Grigg as Wigan's outball, he could either drop off and track the runners, or he could have just gone in tight and hard to Grigg and stopped him from having t he time to make lay-offs to those runners. Either way the danger is gone, except he'd get caught halfway and that's when it's dangerous.
He needs to rediscover that confidence that he's doing what Pep wants. It's a really difficult system for CB's to play, but at the end of the day he's done it well before, he just needs a couple of easy games to feel good again and he'll probably be right back at his best. The worry is that the longer he goes on this poor run, the longer the road back is.
It's a fact that he isn't actually doing the 'John Stones' stuff Pep signed him for since he came back. Let alone the dodgy defensive decisions. He also looks a yard slower.
He's been back a while now & if he doesn't cliick soon he'll find himself 4th choice for the big games of the run in.
It's a fact that he isn't actually doing the 'John Stones' stuff Pep signed him for since he came back. Let alone the dodgy defensive decisions. He also looks a yard slower.
He's been back a while now & if he doesn't cliick soon he'll find himself 4th choice for the big games of the run in.
He did have a hamstring injury, but I'm pretty sure the yard slower is a mental problem. The old Cruyff quote comes to mind "What is speed? If I start running 2 seconds earlier than someone else I seem faster".
I think Stones is doing the opposite to that at the moment.