Analysis of Yesterdays Game

[Maine Rd]

Decent read but how you can fail to mention Bridge after that performance is incredible. He was absolutely woeful and although some think he has improved on last year i am not one. He just runs aimlessly forward and is so one footed its untrue. It actually affects his balance and positioning skills. When did he last put in a telling ball or get involved in productive attacks.? As for his defending he appears unfit, hands on knees huffing and puffing all the time and weak in the challenge. Absolute shite basically and Hughes worst buy to date.

As for Tevez he should be replaced by Ireland behind a front man. We battered teams at home playing this way last year. We miss Robbie in these type of home games, although Bellemy does well down the left. Well done SWP yesterday for keeing going lets hope his form turns round now, final ball a lot better.

 

[hgblue]

You can analyse tactics, and criticise individuals all you want. To my mind, the problem is much more basic. We sit back and allow teams to play. We don't close them down and do the dirty jobs that you have to do to win the battle before you get the ball down and play. Once teams go ahead against us, we tend to up our game and start being more agressive. The opposite applies when we go ahead in games. We seem to think 'job done', and switch back off, allowing the opposition a foot hold back in the game. We needed to start the game against Burnley, the way we played when we went two goals behind. And when we got our noses in front, we needed to more a lot more ruthless and kill the game off. Question is, does this come from the manager, or are the players doing it off their own backs?

 

[masterwig]

Why does everyone insist we played 4-4-2 yesterday?

The OP says we started like this:

-----------Given------------
Zab---Toure--Lescott---Bridge

SWP--Ireland--Barry---Bellamy
-----------Tevez------------
------------Ade-------------

But the team could also be represented something like this:

------------Given--------------
Zab----Toure----Lescott---Bridge
-----SWP---Ireland---Barry------
------Tevez--Ade----Bellers------

Not sure why people think 4-3-3 is the solution to all our problems.

For me the problem is we don't have enough players near the opposition goal often enough. Bellers and Tevez run all over the shop but rarely get into the area. Ade started coming deep looking for the ball so he wasn't in there enough. I don't think he had a shot on target which says it all.

I think 4-4-2 (hybrid) has its merits beyond what most seem to think. The main one being it should guarantee a player near the goal at all times.

I'd love to see us sign a right winger who can cross (or give Vlad a go) and play 4-4-2 with Petrov on the left.

---------------Given-----------------
Zab-------Kolo------Lescott----Bridge
--------------De Jong---------------
Vlad/new------Ireland----------Petrov
-------------Ade--Bellers------------

 

[Marvin]

Lescott was having a good game up until their equaliser.

He was defending one on one in the 2nd half and winning 90% of the challenges, but all you need is to lose one challenge and you can get punished, and that's what happened.

We need to start doing the basics and protect our defenders.

At 3-2 we either go for a 4th, killer goal, or protect what we have. We did neither.

All in all we are in a very good position

 

[dref619]

Why does everyone insist we played 4-4-2 yesterday?

The OP says we started like this:

-----------Given------------
Zab---Toure--Lescott---Bridge

SWP--Ireland--Barry---Bellamy
-----------Tevez------------
------------Ade-------------

But the team could also be represented something like this:

------------Given--------------
Zab----Toure----Lescott---Bridge
-----SWP---Ireland---Barry------
------Tevez--Ade----Bellers------

Not sure why people think 4-3-3 is the solution to all our problems.

For me the problem is we don't have enough players near the opposition goal often enough. Bellers and Tevez run all over the shop but rarely get into the area. Ade started coming deep looking for the ball so he wasn't in there enough. I don't think he had a shot on target which says it all.

I think 4-4-2 (hybrid) has its merits beyond what most seem to think. The main one being it should guarantee a player near the goal at all times.

I'd love to see us sign a right winger who can cross (or give Vlad a go) and play 4-4-2 with Petrov on the left.

---------------Given-----------------
Zab-------Kolo------Lescott----Bridge
--------------De Jong---------------
Vlad/new------Ireland----------Petrov
-------------Ade--Bellers------------

r u mad, swps one of our best players

 

[masterwig]

The Birmingham game was the same. Either the cross didn't get into the box (never seen so many crosses either cut out or just very poor) or when they did there was nobody in there because our forwards were elsewhere or the ones putting the crosses in.

SWP is a trier and works his socks off but he can't cross and increasingly just runs down blind alleys.