supercity88
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 9 Aug 2009
- Messages
- 13,969
The issue is that the players are not implementing the clubs philosophy or pressing the opposition and winning the ball back quickly. Last season we did that, we won the ball back and we attacked with pace. This season it’s lacking intensity and the opposition are getting at our back 4 with such ease. When they play that high up the pitch and are outnumbered there’s only one result and that’s an attempt on goal… we are conceding far too many chances and it’s because the whole team aren’t putting in the required work rate. If the whole team pushed up then it forces the opposition into mistakes.
That rag side has quality in the likes of Herrera, Mata, Rooney – they can keep the ball under pressure. Carrick and Fellaini are capable of doing it but they’ll make the odd mistake under pressure and Smalling and Jones can barely pass the ball when they have time. If we had have hounded them, as we did in the opening spell we would have battered them. But we dropped intensity and allowed them to pass the ball around us with ease.
When you play with deep and sit back as Chelsea often do when without the ball, you can play badly but the opposition don’t have space to attack your goal. It’s all very crowded and hard to break them down. That’s the positive outcome of that approach. When you can score from 1 shot on target, as they’ve done in several games this season, then you’re on to a winner. Our team needs new players, and re-organising. Spurs and Southampton play a similar style to us and so do Arsenal. The key is balance and work rate and a collective effort. Spurs aren’t quite there, Saints have it but lack the quality and Arsenal are just finding the right mould with Coquelin sat in midfield. We aren’t a million miles away but we need to inject players who will fight for the team and want to win things. Had we played Koke for Yaya yesterday the result would have been different for starters.
That rag side has quality in the likes of Herrera, Mata, Rooney – they can keep the ball under pressure. Carrick and Fellaini are capable of doing it but they’ll make the odd mistake under pressure and Smalling and Jones can barely pass the ball when they have time. If we had have hounded them, as we did in the opening spell we would have battered them. But we dropped intensity and allowed them to pass the ball around us with ease.
When you play with deep and sit back as Chelsea often do when without the ball, you can play badly but the opposition don’t have space to attack your goal. It’s all very crowded and hard to break them down. That’s the positive outcome of that approach. When you can score from 1 shot on target, as they’ve done in several games this season, then you’re on to a winner. Our team needs new players, and re-organising. Spurs and Southampton play a similar style to us and so do Arsenal. The key is balance and work rate and a collective effort. Spurs aren’t quite there, Saints have it but lack the quality and Arsenal are just finding the right mould with Coquelin sat in midfield. We aren’t a million miles away but we need to inject players who will fight for the team and want to win things. Had we played Koke for Yaya yesterday the result would have been different for starters.