Our attack - what's off?

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bugsyblue

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7 May 2009
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This is being debated in various different threads and I thought it deserves its own one. We've been known as one of the best, if not THE best, attacking side in the premier over the last few seasons. However last year we saw our attack stutter at certain times and it seems that trend has continued into this season. We are still more than capable of beating a poor side by 4 or 5 goals on our day but against the more organised and better teams we seem to falter. Arguably Liverpool and Chelsea now seem more clinical in attack than us.

So why is that? Why do we seem devoid of ideas going forward? Why have we lost our fluidity and dynamism? Is it fitness? Player injuries disrupting our forward three? Have teams become accustomed in how to defend against us? Or is it something else?

Thoughts blues.
 
bugsyblue said:
This is being debated in various different threads and I thought it deserves its own one. We've been known as one of the best, if not THE best, attacking side in the premier over the last few seasons. However last year we saw our attack stutter at certain times and it seems that trend has continued into this season. We are still more than capable of beating a poor side by 4 or 5 goals on our day but against the more organised and better teams we seem to falter. Arguably Liverpool and Chelsea now seem more clinical in attack than us.

So why is that? Why do we seem devoid of ideas going forward? Why have we lost our fluidity and dynamism? Is it fitness? Player injuries disrupting our forward three? Have teams become accustomed in how to defend against us? Or is it something else?

Thoughts blues.
Click to expand...
I guess the answer lies in the next question.

Are we missing lots of chances or are we not creating any?

If it's the first then the forwards are just out of form and eventually should see their quality re surface. If it's the second there is more of a fundamental problem with the team and potentially we are playing the wrong tactics or personnel to create the chances, or in the favourite words of the press have been " found out " and have no plan B.
 
When you can't pick up a second ball from your defence, it's hard to attack quickly. The two holding midfielders aren't quick enough to turn the other team around, especially in games like yesterday. The space was behind their 4 but we didn't pick up enough second balls when our defence cleared it to set us off the other way. A complete lack of acceleration or sharpness in Gundogan and Rodri is killing us. It means we have to attack the way we do in games against teams who sit with 10 behind the ball.

Sterling needs to get off that left hand side. We need to put Foden out there and tell Sterling to get chalk on his boots on the right. Make the pitch bigger like we used to. Narrowing our wingers and making them cut inside is making the game easier for our opponents.
 
Don’t get in behind the opposition enough...or as much as we used to

Lack of clinical finishing

Wanting to pass up a shot for a pass inside the box

Sterling is nowhere nears as good as his new reputation

KDB is knackered

Too many balls flash across the six yard box with no one to put it in...used to be Sané on a Sterling cross, and Sterling on a Sané cross!

Too much fancying around on one on ones or fast breaks. Convert far too few.

One word: DYNAMISM.
 
It's tempo. We can't move the ball quickly as we aren't fully match fit. We can't get fully match fit because of injuries and tiredness.

We are always going to miss players like Silva and Sane too but it's mainly tempo which needs the whole team firing at once. I think in a month or so it will be back, we see glimpses of it.

Interesting season ahead we might get another Leicester or even Leicester again.

My money still on us with Liverpool second.

Aguero and Fern replacement needed asap especially the latter.
 
Slow tempo in the midfield.

Everything is going through KDB so all the workload is on him which is tiring him out.

The creativity needs to be shared with someone else but it’s hard to do that when it’s Rodri and Gundo you’re playing with since they play deeper.
 
Midfield way to slow & zero creativity if Kev not on top form.

sterling needs a rest
Jesus works his heart out but not an out & out striker
Aguero injured but also lost his pace

top 3 very unbalanced but midfield is the issue when it’s Gundy & Rodri playing
 
I don't always expect Sterling to score when through on goal, but I'm rapidly reaching the point, where I don't even expect him to shoot.
He's a hot-and-cold striker, who repeatedly comes out of a barren spell with 10 goals in 10 games, but his combination play is non existent, and he rarely assists or even crosses the ball.
I suspect that with a full stadium, the referee would have awarded a free kick for the push on Sterling, in the move that led to the Liverpool penalty.
However, it's precisely that type of dribble, that always finishes with Sterling on the floor, either through foul play or a fair tackle.
 
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