Bus Parking...

[BlueAnorak]

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

I did say that. He missed 4 chances I've seen him score actually.

 

[bluetonium]

Two up front is one option, if as with Huddersfield there is no real threat that can't be contained with our speedy personnel.

Other is to drop KDB or Silva back, and hope that someone follows to drag their shape out. If not, practice those quarterback style money passes and look for a forward turning on the shoulder, for to get it bang on between goalie and defender though.

Last option, one two from a centre back, similar to the above but more frequently utilising kompany or stones. Better if as above Silva to Kevin drops back to start it but can potentially one two it much closer to their box to cause panic, at speed.

 

[BigOscar]

Honestly, it's games like that where Delph playing instead of Mendy hurts us. Mendy makes it so hard to sit that deep and narrow as he'll just get down the line and put quality ball after quality ball into the box, while Delph doesn't really offer anything against that sort of defence. Walker helped Sterling out a fair bit on the right and it's no surprise Sterling was able to find joy in that little channel just inside. If your fullbacks are offering genuine, dangerous width, it forces the opposition to go out to them and leaves gaps inside

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I noticed that our main outlet, certainly in the first half, was a long ball over the top to Sane. I assume the extra coverage they had on Silva and KDB meant that they couldn’t cover everywhere effectively. The problem was that some passes were off target, Sane struggled a bit and we didn’t or couldn’t get enough bodies forward quickly enough to make them pay.

PTB football and man-marking isn’t great to watch but Huddersfield need every point they can get so you can’t really blame them for that. In fact you could say it was the ultimate compliment in some ways as they’d gone toe-to-toe with the rags and won. They saw them as beatable but saw us as a team they needed to stop winning and who would win if they gave us half a chance.

If the rags do something like that then that says they’ve effectively given up on the title. They tried it in 2012 when they were 3 points ahead with 3 games left. It didn’t work then and it won’t work now.

 

[paulchapo]

Another big factor in this game was converting chances, or rather not. In spite of their eleven men behind the ball in the first half we made four reasonable chances, two which were excellent and on another day would have been converted. That would have opened the game right up and we would probably have cruised it. Instead we concerned a soft flukey goal and it was hard work to say the least.

 

[Blue Mist]

There is one problem with Huddersfields game plan. Remember when The Swamp dwellers tried that in 2012, 30 secs before half time Vinny scored. The GPC couldnt change his team because everything was about getting the draw that would mean it was their title it ended 1-0 and the rest is history.
On Sunday we had chances in the first half, had they gone in Huddrsfield would have really struggled in much the same way.

 

[TheBlueDune]

Play two CB as main defence and FB either side of Fern. Then Sane KDB Silva Raheem as AM with Sergio / Jesus across the front.
Give AM four scope to join attack line especially Sane and Raheem. FB to join AM line when Sane or Raheem step up.
If/when they ever attack most likely with long ball towards corner CB attacks / clears the ball and FB drops back to defend in CB spot. If don't park the bus it's play as normal.

 

[DalbeyINUK]

I question whether what Huddersfield tried to do is even repeatable for most teams. It requires a level of energy, commitment and most importantly organization and discipline that most teams just don't seem to possess. They are an extremely well disciplined team.

 

[NorCalBlue]

Another big factor in this game was converting chances, or rather not. In spite of their eleven men behind the ball in the first half we made four reasonable chances, two which were excellent and on another day would have been converted. That would have opened the game right up and we would probably have cruised it. Instead we concerned a soft flukey goal and it was hard work to say the least.

I think this is a very important point, before we go reworking our entire game strategy - we score early, we break the bus, everything changes. But there's a lot of randomness (don't want to call it 'luck') in whether a good chance gets converted or not. It's like we're throwing a dice each time and a 5 or 6 is a goal - on days when we have 4 or 5 chances, but none go in, we end up in a tough, close game. On another day, against the same team, playing the same way, we might score a couple from the same chances, the bus breaks, and we probably go on to win by 4 or 5.

 

[SkyBlueTX]

PTB football and man-marking isn’t great to watch but Huddersfield need every point they can get so you can’t really blame them for that. In fact you could say it was the ultimate compliment in some ways as they’d gone toe-to-toe with the rags and won. They saw them as beatable but saw us as a team they needed to stop winning and who would win if they gave us half a chance.

If the rags do something like that then that says they’ve effectively given up on the title. They tried it in 2012 when they were 3 points ahead with 3 games left. It didn’t work then and it won’t work now.

Good points. My gripe isn’t completely about Huddersfield against us, though it made the match not great viewing. My complaint is with teams that set up this way week in and week out in the PL in the hopes of staying up with a series of 0-0s or maybe 1-1s. The goal should be more than just survival. FFS play football and the points will take care of themselves. One win is worth three draws.