Defeat I can accept but a lack of effort not.

[Blue2112]

Ok the buzz word might not neccesarily be effort but whether it's application, desire, commitment,passion, tempo, urgency etc etc we all know what we are talking about and whenever any team wether or not it's a kids under 11's or a full scale international every player first and foremost should give their best for themselves, for each other, for the club and for the fans and if their ability and skills on the day fail them then at the very least they can walk off knowing they gave everything for the cause. Quite simply yesterday we did not.

Application and tempo were a problem yesterday, but I posted in the matchday thread, that the tempo issue was due to the knock on effect of having Garcia at centre half, therefore having the full backs playing from deeper to give the centre halves more protection, therefore not playing the pressing game Pellegrini wants to implement, therefore ending up looking a lot like Mancini's team from last season. Nothing I saw yesterday screamed of "players don't give a shit". Bad day at the office yes. A serious or terminal problem, I don't believe so.

Yet the tempo and urgeny was all too late shown from the 92nd minute when we could have pulled off an unlikely draw. In those last four minutes we got at them and opened them up. Negredo got amongst there defenders and shook it up and we created space from it. A similar effort earlier in the game when Cardiff were just as deep would have caused them just as much a problem but instead we were far too happy to play it sideways and try threading pass after pass through a packed defence. How many times were we allowed to stroll up the pitch and face ten red shirts strung out across the penalty box. When we go wide we play nice dinky crosses in to the middle of packed out areas when I'd like us to try and smash the ball across and watch it play ping pong and create some havoc. Dzeko in these types of situations does not for whatever reason possess any strength to get amongst the opposiing defence and unsettle them, his headers are quite tame and rarely powers above the centre halves. I doubt he'd have scored Negredos' header to be honest but much prefers instead to come out and often play down the sides and we allow defenders to stay in position and keep it very tight.

 

[sir baconface]

I'm not making any early judgements and, in fact, like what I have seen of Pellegrini. However, when we look back at the end of the season, making Yaya captain in a game like yesterday's will probably not rank as his best decision.

 

[cibaman]

I'm not making any early judgements and, in fact, like what I have seen of Pellegrini. However, when we look back at the end of the season, making Yaya captain in a game like yesterday's will probably not rank as his best decision.

Foreign managers don't seem to see the captaincy as a big deal.

 

[grim up north]

I'm not making any early judgements and, in fact, like what I have seen of Pellegrini. However, when we look back at the end of the season, making Yaya captain in a game like yesterday's will probably not rank as his best decision.

Foreign managers don't seem to see the captaincy as a big deal.

You can be a leader without the captains armbad

 

[bluestevei]

Yesterdays result had nothing to do with lack of effort. Application was the issue.

I also think it's really easy for it to seem like there's a lack of effort when teams play as deeply as Cardiff did. There's simply fuck all space to run into, therefore not as much dynamic running as supporters like to see.

but that is up to us to go another route, football is a simple game if one way aint working do it a different way, like put balls into the pen area fast and if so high, let edin head them to some1, or for a winger or left back put balls into pen area asap.

 

[Blue2112]

Yesterdays result had nothing to do with lack of effort. Application was the issue.

I also think it's really easy for it to seem like there's a lack of effort when teams play as deeply as Cardiff did. There's simply fuck all space to run into, therefore not as much dynamic running as supporters like to see.

but that is up to us to go another route, football is a simple game if one way aint working do it a different way, like put balls into the pen area fast and if so high, let edin head them to some1, or for a winger or left back put balls into pen area asap.

My problem is I don't think Dzeko wins anywhere near enough headers when it's thrown into the box and quite a large percentage of the ones he does win are more often soft headers or misplaced. Already I'd wager Negredo given the chance will outscore Dzeko in this area.

 

[Anonymous]

I also think it's really easy for it to seem like there's a lack of effort when teams play as deeply as Cardiff did. There's simply fuck all space to run into, therefore not as much dynamic running as supporters like to see.

but that is up to us to go another route, football is a simple game if one way aint working do it a different way, like put balls into the pen area fast and if so high, let edin head them to some1, or for a winger or left back put balls into pen area asap.

My problem is I don't think Dzeko wins anywhere near enough headers when it's thrown into the box and quite a large percentage of the ones he does win are more often soft headers or misplaced. Already I'd wager Negredo given the chance will outscore Dzeko in this area.

I think Dzeko isn't as good in the air as he should be for a player of his size, but then for me his strength isn't really headed goals.

Going back to your earlier post Josh, I completely agree that we were at times too patient yesterday in terms of playing the ball from left to right rather than a first time cross into the box. I do think that we tried getting to the byline on the right hand side, but Cardiff knew that side was a big danger and therefore overloaded it. What was disappointing was the lack of quick cross field balls to open up space on the left.

This imbalance with Silva playing from the left, IMO, can't and won't continue. I expect/hope Jovetic to become our first choice from the left, with the sacrifice being us playing less games with two out and out forwards and only choosing one from Dzeko/Kun/Negredo.

 

[Blue2112]

but that is up to us to go another route, football is a simple game if one way aint working do it a different way, like put balls into the pen area fast and if so high, let edin head them to some1, or for a winger or left back put balls into pen area asap.

My problem is I don't think Dzeko wins anywhere near enough headers when it's thrown into the box and quite a large percentage of the ones he does win are more often soft headers or misplaced. Already I'd wager Negredo given the chance will outscore Dzeko in this area.

I think Dzeko isn't as good in the air as he should be for a player of his size, but then for me his strength isn't really headed goals.

Going back to your earlier post Josh, I completely agree that we were at times too patient yesterday in terms of playing the ball from left to right rather than a first time cross into the box. I do think that we tried getting to the byline on the right hand side, but Cardiff knew that side was a big danger and therefore overloaded it. What was disappointing was the lack of quick cross field balls to open up space on the left.

This imbalance with Silva playing from the left, IMO, can't and won't continue. I expect/hope Jovetic to become our first choice from the left, with the sacrifice being us playing less games with two out and out forwards and only choosing one from Dzeko/Kun/Negredo.

On the positive side although it was to be expected overall we outplayed them and controlled the game for the most parts but always looked suspect to a counter (why is it do the opposition rarely look suspect from a counter by us) and despite Sky's attempts to make Cardiff out to be a Welsh mix of Barca and Real which really did piss me off we should be ok. There are a few individual players in the starting eleven which I still don't feel are right for us but I don't see too many issues over the season although this lazy carefree attitude still pervades and Pellegrini must sort it out this week.

On a completely seperate issue as I've been away and I'll probably get slated here but I don't know if it's already been mentioned that Kompany's tackle which resulted in his injury was needless. He had defenders behind him and the Newcastle player was going down the line and all Kompany had to do was stand him up, outpace and outmuscle him. At 3-0 up I thought he played to the crowd and it happened right in front of me and I said it instantly why the fuck did he stretch into that. He knows he has these problems and should be thinking and not getting drawn in unless it's to save a goal or a last man going through in a close game. I hope this is pointed out to him for future needless tackles.

 

[zandvoort blue]

If it going to happen again tell them the club will take their Bentley`s off them for the week and make them drive 10 year old clapped out Astras.

 

[Anonymous]

On a completely seperate issue as I've been away for a few weeks and I'll probably get slated here and I don't know if it's already been mentioned but Kompany's tackle that resulted in his injury was needless. He had defenders behind him and the Newcastle player was going down the line and all Kompany had to do was stand him up, outpace and outmuscle him. At 3-0 up I thought he played to the crowd and it happened right in front of me and I said it instantly why the fuck did he stretch into that. He knows he has these problems and should be thinking and not getting drawn in unless it's to save a goal or a last man going through in a close game. I hope this is pointed out to him for future needless tackles.

Privately he's furious with himself I believe for making the challenge. Goes without saying it was totally needless under the circumstances. He is a bit of an all action tackler though and does love to go flying in when he can. In his nature I guess as a footballer!