Our attack - what's off?

My post might have been too narrowly focussed. It's not solely the attacking players that are the problem. Let me give you a specific example of what we are missing:



This is an attacking move from the back. One touch football, possessions based, quick distribution, fluid movement. If you mark this as 10/10 we're running at 5/10 or 6/10 at best!

We haven't seen us play like this against a top side in awhile. That has nothing to do with Aguero being injured or KDB not 100%. Sadly, it's something bigger than that.

A contrasting example was how Walker ran from his own half deep into Liverpool's backline before being tackled. I remember a lot of blues in the match day forum championed that - they saw someone driving at Liverpool's defence - yet what it showed me was the lack of movement and passing options he had.

Maybe this is down to fitness and I'm worrying unnecessarily but there's fundamentally something gone from our attacking play. I don't quite know what or why but we aren't at the level we were at two seasons ago. Maybe we set the bar so high it's unrealistic to expect us to hit that every season?

Exactly. This is the pace we should be playing. Not what we are now, which is slow, labored and ponderous.

For a more recent example, just watch the pace at which Chelsea moved the ball against a defensive Newcastle side earlier for the first goal.
 
Playing wingers on their opposite sides meaning they have to stop, allowing the other team to get back.

Over reliance on KDB trying to play quarterback precision passes against packed defences.
 
Full backs not bothering overlapping the wingers when they cut inside so we're just passing back all the time.
 
wingers cutting in all the time

Fullbacks completely inaffective and then to far forward to defend as well

No fight in the forwards...Jesus makes a show of fighting but achieves little from it.

Genuinely poor finishers (Jesus, Sterling, Mahrez all significantly poorer than the likes of Aguero, Dzeko Tevez etc etc)

An ageing aguero who injuries are starting to take their toll on and we need to replace in the next summer transfer window whether he is still here or not
 
Too reluctant to cross or shoot when in good positions and then when they do it’s too slow
 
Simply... the quality has declined!

Maybe our expectations should also decline now as well? We might enjoy this a bit more than we are.

We simply aren’t a great side anymore.
 
mahrez..... and fucking buy Kane, Mbappe or any leading fucking striker than spending £50/£60 mill on shit fucking full backs/defenders, holding midfielders FFS
 
It doesn’t help that we have sterling, mahrez, Silva and Foden who I think are all player better on the right and no player on the left who wouldn’t always cut in. At best to try and do something different we could play sterling right which would make mahrez redundant. Who deserves to play on the left is a tough one.

I think we have bought ourselves into this position. As scoring goals is now a priority I would somehow get sterling Sergio and Jesus into the team. How to do that and rectify the number 6 problem is a head scratcher. Not even sure who is playing well enough to be alongside KDB.
 
We don’t get enough players in the box when were in good positions. The lack of midfield runners into the box is also a problem, Foden is the only one that does it.

In any case, too many attacking players in midfield and attack are way off form this season. KDB, Sterling, Mahrez, Jesus, Aguero. Non of them hitting their straps.
 
I've said this numerous times
IMO, the way to beat a team that sets up as Spurs did today is to get the fullbacks behind and to do this we need fullbacks with a brain
Zabaletta was brilliant at timing his runs and as good as we think Walker is, he isn't clever enough to do it. Meanwhile on the other side Cancello can't do it as he's right footed

Again, my opinion, why not play a 4 4 2 and when we have the ball both fullbacks move into centre midfield with the wide men pushing forward to create a 2 4 4
 

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