Bus Parking...

[dickie davies]

The rags can do it if they want, if we play keep ball in our own half and draw 0-0 we'll just keep them at arm's length

What do you think would be said if our two centre halves, Fernandinho and Ederson just played the ball around the penalty area whilst the rags were all retreated into their own half, as they did the last derby!

Who would be critised, us, them or both?

 

[SkyBlueTX]

If the negative anti-football PTB teams would actually try to come out and press and play football they might be surprised that after a few hammerings while they adjusted to it they would eventually get much better at it and would be able to at least compete. And would actually give their fans something to watch. There is an entertainment aspect to sport after all.

Between the 87th and 95th minute when they were actually trying to keep the ball and score Huddersfield looked decent.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

i thought they played really well and there tactics were spot on. they weren't going to go all out attack or try and out pass us.

 

[aguerrrroooooooooooo]

What do you think would be said if our two centre halves, Fernandinho and Ederson just played the ball around the penalty area whilst the rags were all retreated into their own half, as they did the last derby!

Who would be critised, us, them or both?

Both, but it would be funny. Unlike Huddersfield though old Trafford would be going mad

 

[Newman Noggs]

Based on zero research and nothing more than a gut feeling, I think there are psychological issues that play a part on how teams approach games at various stages of the season.

Early on, teams are still embedding players, don't have extensive dossiers on how other teams play, aren't sure where they are in the scheme of things and have high hopes for the coming year. They play their own game and can either surprise everyone giving the league an odd look or be on the receiving end of a battering. So you tend to get more extreme results.

By the onset of winter things have usually settled down and teams have a good idea of their best side/formation, where they are likely to feature come the end of the season (including, if it's likely to be touch and go and whether goal difference will be significant) and how the opposition play. I think that's why freak results die off until spring and it becomes attritional.

By the spring, leading clubs can become nervous and collapse and others desperate and, in some cases are forced to throw caution to the wind to either chase the leaders or avoid relegation. Then we're back into open games and exceptional results territory.

So it's likely our mid-season games will be much tighter before we start scoring 4 or5 again regularly. Anyway, that my theory

 

[mekonmcfc]

There are several contentions in BlueAnorak's post with which I disagree. Firstly, it is hardly a masterclass to concede twice in a game in which you don't manage a single shot on target. I would stress that bus parking to the extent Huddersfield tried will, in 99 cases out of a hundred, not even permit one error and often the bus parkers are left to rely on poor finishing. Huddersfield got an act of wretchedly unlucky generosity from us but even that was not enough to salvage a point. The second point I would make is that the claim that there was never any space for balls to be played behind the defensive line for Sterling and Sane to run on and skin the defence for pace." We certainly never saw Sane or Sterling challenged to a footrace over 50 yards but I think Sterling in particular "skinned the defence for pace" but over short distances and in very small spaces. The penalty we should have had but didn't get was the result of a ball played behind the defensive line, as was the penalty we did get - the ball was played through by (the ineffective?) David Silva and Sterling was leaving his marker for dead. I also add that Leroy certainly used his pace to get behind the defence in the first half but KdB failed to control his pass inside Sergio Aguero was played through their back line twice in the first half, by Silva on both occasions but on one he shot straight at the keeper and on the other miscontrolled, allowing a block on the shot. We would have expected him to take both chances. So I don't think parking the bus gives any greater guarantee of success than any other. In fact I'd question whether allowing City to play in the final third for almost the whole 90 minutes is that good an idea at all. However you decide to tackle the game you're reduced to hoping that for 90 minutes you don't make many mistakes and City do. I think the most difficult game of our season so far was at Bournmouth where they ran and harried and tried to score goals, but they couldn't keep it up at the required standard for long enough.

Also Aguero should have scored in the 1st half, after a lovely ball played behind and he had a bad first touch.

 

[paulchapo]

If the negative anti-football PTB teams would actually try to come out and press and play football they might be surprised that after a few hammerings while they adjusted to it they would eventually get much better at it and would soon be able to at least compete. And would actually give their fans something to watch. There is an entertainment aspect to sport after all.

Between the 87th and 95th minute when they were actually trying to keep the ball and score Huddersfield looked decent.

I actually thought that I think they had a corner and a free kick and we were a little panicky until we got the ball in their corner and kept it. Mind you we would have beat them easily I think if they left us space.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

For me we started too slowly, our passing was sloppy and we conceded a poor goal. We made life hard for ourselves.

Even though they worked hard and defended well, Kun still had two great chances (one his control let him down from a great Silva pass) and the other the keeper saved. Sane also put a cross in that perhaps should have been attacked more by Kun and he also had the chance to put a header to Sterling for a tap in that he messed up.

On another day, despite how hard they worked and how well they stuck to the plan, it could still easily have been 3 or 4 nil.

Conceding first is the big no no! Both this game, the Everton game and the Bournemouth game all turned into difficult games because of this.

I think Jesus and Aguero playing together in the odd match wouldn't do any harm. Much more for them to think about.

Defending for 90 minutes is very hard. The only team who looked comfortable doing it for me was the rags last season in the 0-0. We ran out of ideas a bit in that game but we are so much better now.

0-0 at the swamp would suit me fine anyway so them having to get the win should help us. If we go 1-0 down in that game though it might be a difficult day.

Huddersfield you have to remember made a season of this last year, being promoted with a negative goal difference! They are used to it. I'm not sure the likes of West Ham are capable.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Everything done at a pace that doesn't allow a defence to organise and reorganise, and not at a pace that makes walking football appear quick!

 

[Big Swifty]

Another freak goal against us, to add to the two that Stoke scored in the 7-2, plus the Bournemouth rocket shot that their lad will never score the like of again in his career (although at least he meant it as a shot).
Any more that have slipped my mind?