Pep accepts that because of our size we can expect to concede from set-pieces but that's no excuse for continually failing to pick up the opposition in the box and allowing them to go unchallenged.
Norwich (a) post-match thread
- Thread starter Ric
- Start date
Pep accepts that because of our size we can expect to concede from set-pieces but that's no excuse for continually failing to pick up the opposition in the box and allowing them to go unchallenged.
Someone tell him we need to practice a couple of corners on Monday. Never been so underwhelmed to win a corner, knowing we'll do absolutely fuck all with it
moon
Well-Known Member
It was same for the Spurs game
Poor finishing cost us points
burnley blue mcfc
Well-Known Member
Thinking about it again he was prob 2nd worst player on pitch after zinchenko, but its all about opinions mate :)
abu13
Well-Known Member
Haha, i am not wishing injuries on any player but when you compare us to them they have been very fortunate with their key players.
Len Rum
Well-Known Member
True.You're right.
We clearly needed a kick up the arse and Norwich deserved the win, yes, we played like shit and gifted them the goals, but they were organised and had a good game plan, and stuck to it.
We expected them to roll over, that's the long and the short of it and they didn't.
Having lived there, I know the club and the fans well, they've been through some shit, but they've stuck by the club and they deserve nights like this.
There'll be some sore heads in Norfolk tomorrow.
I like Norwich and they do deserve nights like this, just wish it wasn't against us.
Big night on Wednesday now.
Will test the character of the team.
Kokonut1307
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- 1,650
Only dippers have that sort of mentality. We lost against Newcastle, Palace and Leicester last year and still piped them to the league.
I remember thinking we'd lost the league last season when we were beaten off Newcastle in Jan. So 5 points now in September means fuck all, just makes it a bit funnier when the scousers are all rubbing there themselves off thinking about it and it doesn't happen
ChicagoBlue
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Bad day at the office, and it looked like it was going to be “one of those days” from the outset. Missed half chances and multiple blocked shots. On a good day, Sergio scores the first half header and the Sterling header goes in. Today? Wasn’t happening.
From a footballing perspective, they used some of our own game against us....suck in the opposition by playing out of the back, then exploiting the space left behind the players trying to close down. From there, it was poor defending.
Goal 1: We ALWAYS look vulnerable from dead balls in and around our box, and our height means we have people like Sterling as the first man. Was a strong eater, and people are blaming Ederson, but it has to go down as a “zonal defence not attacking the ball” for me. Great header, fair play.
Goal 2: Breakaway and ridiculous position taken by Walker. How ANY supposed international defender with pace to burn CANNOT see that letting the player go will put him miles offside is beyond me. Sunday league head work, but simply stupid defending. Walker played a mare on that play. Stones will be the one that gets hung out to dry for it, but watching Walker play them BOTH onside, when he is looking right at them both, is beyond me.
Goal 3: Otamendi. The end. Pathetic, lazy, asleep, ponderous, slow...pick your poison. Again, I envisage Stones getting nailed for this, too, but it’s all Otamendi.
The 3rd goal put us back on our heels, because the entire game was set up for a second half of attack vs defence...which is about how it played out, but coming back from 2 down AGAIN after turning the game around right before half time.
I’m not exactly sure why we feel the need to get inside the box, play 3 passes and then dribble past another two players before having a crack, but Rodri showed just how to attack a defensively dense penalty area. It is one thing to work the spaces, but where none exist, it requires lining up a few shooters on the edge of the box. With Aguero and Jesus getting into the box, the likes of Rodri, KDB, Mahrez, and even Zinchenko (who was a bit unlucky with the shot going in that someone got a touch on!). Drive into the box and then, when blocked, slide it back to someone for a crack, watch for the deflections, etc, etc, etc...
We were too slow in our build up, which looked like it was always going to be the way with Rodri in the middle and Gundo on the right and David on the left. I’m sure there will be a reflexive call for change, but we simply have to look at what has worked for the last two years and see where we can ADD TO OUR GAME when it isn’t working well, or we aren’t clicking. I know there has been a long-standing call for a Plan B, but (and I know people won’t like it) I simply look back at the glory days of the Reds across town and how they approached being down or even drawing going into the last 20 minutes. We seem to run out of ideas and alternatives. We seem to simply do what we have been doing, just with more urgency. Of course, it doesn’t help when the other team is riding their luck and playing their best game of the season, but we need to have enough to dominate teams like this and not be 2 down before we get started.
In short, the Pep 16 sometimes lack the imagination, or is it practice, to change the game a bit. Pep looked like a man who was frustrated, but lacked any serious ideas of how to change the game in our favor. That’s not a good sign....but it’s a long season.
I expect a very different mentality midweek.
From a footballing perspective, they used some of our own game against us....suck in the opposition by playing out of the back, then exploiting the space left behind the players trying to close down. From there, it was poor defending.
Goal 1: We ALWAYS look vulnerable from dead balls in and around our box, and our height means we have people like Sterling as the first man. Was a strong eater, and people are blaming Ederson, but it has to go down as a “zonal defence not attacking the ball” for me. Great header, fair play.
Goal 2: Breakaway and ridiculous position taken by Walker. How ANY supposed international defender with pace to burn CANNOT see that letting the player go will put him miles offside is beyond me. Sunday league head work, but simply stupid defending. Walker played a mare on that play. Stones will be the one that gets hung out to dry for it, but watching Walker play them BOTH onside, when he is looking right at them both, is beyond me.
Goal 3: Otamendi. The end. Pathetic, lazy, asleep, ponderous, slow...pick your poison. Again, I envisage Stones getting nailed for this, too, but it’s all Otamendi.
The 3rd goal put us back on our heels, because the entire game was set up for a second half of attack vs defence...which is about how it played out, but coming back from 2 down AGAIN after turning the game around right before half time.
I’m not exactly sure why we feel the need to get inside the box, play 3 passes and then dribble past another two players before having a crack, but Rodri showed just how to attack a defensively dense penalty area. It is one thing to work the spaces, but where none exist, it requires lining up a few shooters on the edge of the box. With Aguero and Jesus getting into the box, the likes of Rodri, KDB, Mahrez, and even Zinchenko (who was a bit unlucky with the shot going in that someone got a touch on!). Drive into the box and then, when blocked, slide it back to someone for a crack, watch for the deflections, etc, etc, etc...
We were too slow in our build up, which looked like it was always going to be the way with Rodri in the middle and Gundo on the right and David on the left. I’m sure there will be a reflexive call for change, but we simply have to look at what has worked for the last two years and see where we can ADD TO OUR GAME when it isn’t working well, or we aren’t clicking. I know there has been a long-standing call for a Plan B, but (and I know people won’t like it) I simply look back at the glory days of the Reds across town and how they approached being down or even drawing going into the last 20 minutes. We seem to run out of ideas and alternatives. We seem to simply do what we have been doing, just with more urgency. Of course, it doesn’t help when the other team is riding their luck and playing their best game of the season, but we need to have enough to dominate teams like this and not be 2 down before we get started.
In short, the Pep 16 sometimes lack the imagination, or is it practice, to change the game a bit. Pep looked like a man who was frustrated, but lacked any serious ideas of how to change the game in our favor. That’s not a good sign....but it’s a long season.
I expect a very different mentality midweek.
So leaving our best player on the bench today was managing the squad brilliantly?
You said “generally” his decision making is brilliant which indicates you don’t think it is all the time, such as today perhaps? If not then it is you who isn’t making any sense.
Either he doesn’t make any mistakes in selections EVER or he does sometimes? You need to make your mind up and not use the get out clause of what he has won to cloud any mistakes he’s made.
Winners make mistakes and learn from them all the time, they are also human and make bad decisions and more importantly they question themselves and are self critical all the time. You are allowed to point them out when they happen you know....