Chippy_boy said:
We got well and truly battered by a good side tonight. But putting that to one side for a moment, I am very concerned that there are some fundamental problems with our team.
Our defence that has been built on the magnificent Kompany has looked well wobbly and Kompany has been far from himself, making all sorts of mistakes. (Definite penalty caused by him today for example btw but the ref got it wrong luckily.)
But I am not too worried about this. Komps will regain his form and he/Lescott/Kolo will get back to the solid defending we know, of that I have no doubt.
No, what worries me is our woeful lack of pace. It's far too ponderous in the build up, allowing all by the inept sides to regroup and get organised, making our attacking options very limited. We are constantly dependent on a moment of individual genius, and if that doesn't happen, the attack breaks down. If Silva can't find the killer pass, or Aguero the moment of brilliance, where is the threat coming from?
Even when we do break on a counter-attack, we get beyond the half way line and then stop and check back.
What concerns me is that this is not a momentary blip. It's down to the players we have. Where's the pace in the squad? Players who can and will run behind. All our strikers are coming deep to get the ball and for most of the time offer no threat.
We must be doing something right you would think, but when you look at our great results this season, in think they flattered us. Swansea bossed us for 20 minutes (worrying in itself) before falling apart. Spurs set up all wrong and positively refused to defend, thereby leaving us tons of space in front of their back four and we ran amok. The 5-1 was as much down the their dire defending as our great attacking. Also Dezko played out of his skin, which I hope we may see again because it seems to have lost him.
But we struggled for much of the time against Wigan (although the score says otherwise), and to an extent against Bolton. The Fulham capitulation wasn't exactly inspiring. We scraped a goal against Everton and got another again due to brilliance from Silva and the fact they were stretched.
I don't know how to fix it, I am a numpty really but I know when what I see is not right. I think we desperately need some width and pace on the wing(s). Johnson is not that players, and certainly not when played on the right. I am wondering if it was a mistake to let Sweep go. Pretty ridiculous when you think of the money we have spent that our squad could be so basically lacking.
A lot of rubbish I'm afraid, we lost to Bayern Munich one of the top sides in the world and for 35 minutes we were the better side.
Goals change games and unfortunatley for us Bayern got it, nothing more complicated than that.
We should have had a penalty and but for Micah's theatrics we would have got one.
You also need to brush up on your rules, Kompany cleary impedes the player (obstruction) which is therefore an indirect free-kick in the penalty box at worst. It drives me mad how many people are unaware of some of the fundamental rules of the game.
We had the same last season when Boyata got sent off with the justification being he was the 'last man' when the rule clearly states it has to be denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Your analysis is flawed and just looking for a problem that doesn't exist. How you can even attempt to use the spurs game of 'proof' of problems is idiocy.
You can't play fast free flowing foootball when there are 21 players in one half that by itself leads to you having to pick out a pass and will inevitably slow the game down. You seem to think that the opposition should just come and play an open game to allow us to play fast attacking football.
The rags drew with Basle tonight so what are there problems ? Its one game we can lose, it doesn't automatically point to fundamental problems !! I'm sure 90 other English clubs would like to have the problems you have identified !!!
