Can u see it now? Back Pass - Back Pass - Keeper - Long Ball

[skybluekings]

At Blackburn, the hoof long ball from defence and hope it gets to a Blackburn player was a known Blackburn tactic.

It is clearly apparent that we have now become Blackburn City.

So many times against Liverpool, the ball was spread around the back four, with no one willing to take the initiative to find a midfield player to create the play. It made me wonder if the midfield players were not finding space, but when you look at the formation, we're playing with 5 midfield players and 1 striker.

Common, SOMEBODY must be open.

But the play stayed VERY shakily with the back four passing the ball like it was a hot potato, eventually sending it back to the keeper to hoof it upfield. Essentially a 50-50 ball when the keeper or back 4 send a long ball up front.

Is this a tactic or lack of confidence? Lack of imagination?

 

[KolarovsLeftPeg]

Lack of Robinho

 

[BlueMoonWalker]

It doesn't work and it needs to stop. A part of Sven's game plan that I enjoyed most was not allowing Joe Hart to kick long if there was a defender open and we had to play it out from the back. With the standard of players we have now I think this should be implemented once again.

 

[mammutly]

This has been the tactic of choice for some time now, but I think it's Blackburn + in that as well as a focus on driving forward should Ade (or presumably RSC in the future) win the ball, there is the alternative tactic of switching play (and sometimes players) across the width of the park. These are our two systems. Blackburn never had the second.

 

[BlueBoy85]

Far too many long balls yesterday it was rubbish. Everytime we had the ball in midfield and knocking it about we looked like we were going to create chances.

But lescott and that big fucking boot upfield was annoying. We were bypassing our midfield all the time and kicking it to adebayor who hardly won a header all game. Our midfield of ireland, barry and de jong were better than their lucas, mascherano and gerrard wasn't fit. So why was twating the ball past them all the time.

In my opinion we always look good, in contol and comfortable when we create from midfield. We have some of the best midfield players in the league and we didn't use them enough.

Hughes is prooving to be tactically inept, Liverpool were their for the taking yesterday. They had players out, de jong got rid of a few and we didn't make the most of it. Hughes isn't good enough to turn draws into wins, simple as that.

 

[blueju]

Lescott was the main one .He hit about ten long passes over Ade's head. You would think someone somewhere would say it has to stop. Perhaps the captain should have a word? I will tell any fcker who chooses that tactic next season for my Sunday team that its wrong so why cant the pro's see it?

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

First Chelsea goal yesterday came through the delicate finessing of Essien, and three or four skilfully-endowed aristocrats of the Premiership. Did anyone see it? Only joking, it was an almighty 'hoof' from their defence, found Malouda wandering about with little intent roundabout the half-way line who then proceeds forward for 20 yds unchallenged to smash the ball into the net. It works, sometimes.

 

[blu4life]

First Chelsea goal yesterday came through the delicate finessing of Essien, and three or four skilfully-endowed aristocrats of the Premiership. Did anyone see it? Only joking, it was an almighty 'hoof' from their defence, found Malouda wandering about with little intent roundabout the half-way line who then proceeds forward for 20 yds unchallenged to smash the ball into the net. It works, sometimes.

but when we do it, Lescott just whacks it up to Adebayor who very rarely bothers going for them (which get right on my nerves) and when he does, there isn't a City player within 10 yards of him! Its the same thing we do every time and it never works.

 

[SWSB]

Not been impressed with Lescott since he arrived.Why did we pursue him for so long? Far too many times Ive seen him pass to Given and needs to be rested. Lescott v Dunne, who would you have? Bridge is another.If we had cover for leftback, he'd be dropped.So powder puff in the tackle.

 

[mad4city]

The problem then, blu4life, is a lack of cohesion between midfield and attack, no?
The writing was on the wall when we signed two six-foot-plus centre forwards, that we'd be playing high balls into them. Many of these will be supplied out of defence. Others will come from the wings (that's why we have SWP, Petrov and (arguably) Bellamy and Robinho) - in theory, anyway...
Remember last year, when Dunne was being pilloried for aimless clearances? That's because we had no forward of stature to win/ hold up the balls that he banged upfield.
What's of greater concern to me, at the moment, is the tendency of our wingers (SWP especially) to settle for a corner, rather than beat the full back. It's lazy, it's counter-productive and it's frustrating the hell out of me.