A game of two halves

[Eric Hitchmough]

I suggest that we start parking the bus - and at Anfield, park 2 of the fuckers.

So the Dippers will need twice as many bricks.

 

[Cobwebcat]

Just thinking about this while waiting fore my brew to be ready. We've often seen a pattern whereby we're a bit underwhelming in the first half and Pep sorts it out at half-time so we're much better second half. We say it at the game "Pep'll sort them out at half time". Yet certainly in the last two games, we've done well first half, dominated the game, yet come out looking completely lost for the second half.

What's going on? Are we getting too comfortable when we're a goal up, with Pep telling the players to try to see it out? Are we leaving everything on the pitch in the first 45 minutes, leaving us unable to respond in the second 45? Are we just vulnerable to teams upping the energy levels and pace? Is the opposition manager seeing things that Pep hasn't?

The first. They’re injured and run out of energy.

 

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

The only thing I'd argue against in your post is that missing chances isn't just something that we do. Brighton were pretty wasteful until they actually did score. What worries me more is that we don't even seem to be creating the chances in the second half.

You could see Brighton coming back into it towards the end of the first half which was worrying and the save Ederson made from the header in the 2nd half was a wake up call.

At the other end no one else is scoring apart from Haaland. We haven’t scored more than one goal in a game since we beat a very poor Sparta Prague side.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

We need multiple chances to score 1 goal, and we can’t run for more than 45 minutes.

This is one of the big differences for me. We used to crush teams after the 70 minute mark because they were dead on their feet from chasing shadows for most of the game.

I was down at the women's game last Sunday (although I was a guest of one of the Palace players, who I know). She's 24 years old, an established international for her country yet she was struggling after playing an international on the Tuesday and a WSL game on the Sunday. But that's rare for her, as it's usually just one game a week, with internationals during a break. We're playing 2 games a week, virtually every week.

 

[Immel & Dibble]

City are in their usual slot pre January. Infact have more points than we usually do.

 

[ShakesSpeare]

Just thinking about this while waiting fore my brew to be ready. We've often seen a pattern whereby we're a bit underwhelming in the first half and Pep sorts it out at half-time so we're much better second half. We say it at the game "Pep'll sort them out at half time". Yet certainly in the last two games, we've done well first half, dominated the game, yet come out looking completely lost for the second half.

What's going on?

hm Interesting. Here is one possibility:

Pep and the City are the best team in England. Everyone knows that. And that has been so for a long while. So that everyone is and was chasing them. And Pep and the City play a certain particular style that by now everyone knows and everyone is carefully preparing for in advance of playing City. Opposing managers try something new/different to what Pep must adapt and he perhaps commonly does it at half time, as you say.

But now, Pep's squad has a lot of injury problems so that he cannot set up his teams the way he usually does. So that it is Pep now who is trying something new or fresh with each new game. He is trying new things with less resources / weaker squad. He is perhaps trying to find some sort of a new formula that works in the situation he is in.

 

[chaddblue]

Every single player who is feeling mentally or physically fatigued has to pull out of the international squads and put their feet up for 2 weeks

 

[Eric Hitchmough]

I just can’t believe how toothless we’ve become. Say what you like about Mahrez, Sterling, Jesus et al but they all chipped in with a lot of goals and assists, as did peak KDB, Bernie and Gundogan.

We now have several wide players who don’t know where the back of the net is, and Dad’s Army in midfield.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Good point. We've actually played some very decent 1st half stuff.

If we don't get some players back to fitness in the next 2/3 weeks, there'll have to be a big tactical change though.

I suggest that we start parking the bus - and at Anfield, park 2 of the fuckers.

Our current defence is not strong enough to park the bus for 45 minutes. We were rock solid in the treble season with a younger Walker, Stones, Dias, and Ake/Akanji. But time has moved on.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

I just can’t believe how toothless we’ve become. Say what you like about Mahrez, Sterling, Jesus et al but they all chipped in with a lot of goals and assists, as did peak KDB, Bernie and Gundogan.

We now have several wide players who don’t know where the back of the net is, and Dad’s Army in midfield.

Spot-on. Savinho and Doku are great box to box but are not good finishers. This is a huge problem. Sane and Mahrez always chipped in with goals. They need to step up quickly.