4 passes goal.... 3 passes goal.

[Uber Blues]

And Vinnie breaks the anchor rope that prevents him crossing the half way line.
Attack with pace, and meaningful forward movement and passing, use our pace and run at defenders. Try and add some width to our game, and move forward as a group to attack not in small stuttering sideways passing packs.
Seems to have worked yesterday anyway.
Long may we carry the game to other teams instead of trying to break them down playing softball with them.
Use the skill and ability we have in it's greatest strengh.
Attack attack attack attack attack!!
May give Joe a bit of a break to gather his thoughts as well ?

 

[Centurions]

What about playing teams like Reading at the Etihad, 1 goalie, 5 defenders, 4 defensive mids and 1 poor sod on his own up front?
I like Norwich, they always try and play football. Of course we've banged 15 goals in 3 games past them :)

 

[Marvin]

Yes, but what you forget is that for the opening goal half the Norwich team was on the edge of our penalty area - in other words the play was stretched when we won the ball

What do you do when the opposition sticks ten behind the ball and retreats into the penalty area. You stay patient. And when you get the first goal, they have to come out

 

[Fat Chance]

'What do you do when the opposition sticks ten behind the ball and retreats into the penalty area. You stay patient'

The opposition are only ten fold behind the ball when we take forever to move it up the park, recognising when to make the move by not useing negative repeat passes can often negate the opposition tactic. Slow,slow, fast....bit like the tactic Drogba used to employ by kidding his marker he was fucked halfway through the second half of a match and thrrowing his hands in the air (whilst his team were still in possesion) to feign pissed offness, only for it to be the secret signal he wanted it over the top or slid alongside. Plenty of man markers fell for it, once he's done the little burner after kidding his marker then he's facing the opposition net and so is his marker...simple game. How many times (just this yr) have you seen one of our players quick pass the ball straight out of play, with the intended target 10 yrds further up the pitch and still running/expecting (must have witnessed YaYa do it 5 times)...thats nowt to do with the opposition putting ten behind the ball...it's simply shit play/understanding.

 

[Ducado]

What has been happening in a lot of games is that we have been given the opposition time to defend in numbers, by being pedestrian in attack!

 

[mackenzie]

What has been happening in a lot of games is that we have been given the opposition time to defend in numbers, by being pedestrian in attack!

Absolutely.

 

[Uwe Roslers Grandad]

What has been happening in a lot of games is that we have been given the opposition time to defend in numbers, by being pedestrian in attack!

Absolutely.

It's easy to say play quickly but most teams are not set up against us these days with too many players ahead of the ball. I do agree we need to be quicker in our play around the area, including stretching the play more, overlaps etc but when teams don't commit players your always going to end up in the situation where you have to be patient trying to break through.

 

[tonea2003]

Yes, but what you forget is that for the opening goal half the Norwich team was on the edge of our penalty area - in other words the play was stretched when we won the ball

What do you do when the opposition sticks ten behind the ball and retreats into the penalty area. You stay patient. And when you get the first goal, they have to come out

stretch the play out wide to create the gaps in the flat back 8

 

[Fat Chance]

What has been happening in a lot of games is that we have been given the opposition time to defend in numbers, by being pedestrian in attack!

Absolutely.

It's easy to say play quickly but most teams are not set up against us these days with too many players ahead of the ball. I do agree we need to be quicker in our play around the area, including stretching the play more, overlaps etc but when teams don't commit players your always going to end up in the situation where you have to be patient trying to break through.

Bollocks...what do the opposition do when our halfbacks have the ball...plot-up in thier penalty area?

 

[Marvin]

Chicken and egg

Pedestrian football is the result of massed and all out defence as employed by the likes of Reading and Sunderland, and when someone has a go, like Newcastle or Norwich we had pace and directness in our passing.

Not a coincidence

The attacking play to date has been poor for much of the season. But I think that's more a case of wrong decision making, or just poor finishing and not really anything to do with complacency or laziness