Reason for slow starts

[Tim of the Oak]

There's a lot to be said regarding the Leicester match, in terms of tactical preparation for example, but in the context of this particular thread I'll say that it occured in the aftermath of the Chelsea match. It is clear the team was still suffering, it hadn't recovered. That fucking match (vs Chelsea I mean) killed us psychologically, the way we lost, what happened in the end etc. Whatever the manager tried in the meantime clearly didn't work, perhaps he himself underestimated the consequences. There is no excuse, I agree, yet it's human. A human reaction...

Regarding the Arsenal goal: Kevin loses concentration for a moment, when Belerin starts developping he's already gone. When he passes the ball to Sanchez, there's a moment of hesitation by Nico (an instinctive reaction probably, thinking Sanchez is entering / about to enter Kolarov's zone: area of Kola's responsibility) which leads to confusion, lack of coordination between the two. Aleks will freeze, Sanchez will afford the time to set up Walcott in the box exploiting his off ball movement, our both DCs are neutralized. Everything happens very quickly, it's an excellent combination...

Of course Aleks has a serious issue with evading challenges, it follows him throughout his carreer. His psychology is vulrenable, he feels insecure defensively etc. And Guardiola is very careful in his approach, he respects his players as human beings, he is not Murinio. He tries to influence them, to inspire them if you will, in an indirect, subtle manner. The same with Clichy, the only player in the squad experiencing Guardiola's arrival as a shock (everybody else sees it as a challenge I think, players enjoy the experience), Gael's low self-esteem is more than obvious. Pep feels if he pushes them too hard, he could lose them permanently, it could kill their confidence completely. Personally I believe they both understand what is required by them, they both are good lads and try hard, it's obvious, yet it's difficult to cure / handle personality characteristics when you're past 30...

That's why I believe in the support of the fans, it can be crucial regarding the mental aspect. People have to be patient and show faith. All players give their best, their commitment and fighting spirit are amazing, even moving at times. It hasn't exactly been a walk in the park so far, still we're up there fighting in all fronts -and everything is still open. As already has been mentioned by members in here, it could have been much much more complicated, it's extraordinary the way the team has recovered from the Chelsea shock in just 2 weeks, while playing without key players, lacking options in certain positions, with Guardiola "reinventing" (tactically speaking) people like Yaya or KDB. I have seen defeats like the one mentioned above actually fuck teams for good.

Some recent examples:
1. United: Still struggling to recover from their early defeat by us in OT. Only recently trying to build a momentum, have already paid a huge price though.
2. PSG: Their early defeat at Monaco was a shock, realising they're not invincible. A lot of similar stuff followed in the process, still searching for stability, currently 3rd in Ligue 1. If they don't win it (personally I hope they don't), Emery should resign. Taking the initiative himself, not waiting to get sacked. That is, if he has any sense of decency...
3. Sporting CP: They got a lot of things wrong in their transfer strategy during the summer (like we did ourselves), mentally speaking however, they never recovered from that early undeserved defeat in the Bernabey for the CL. Conceding 2 goals in injury time, losing the match. Which could be the reason for a shitty season. Not exactly the sense of continuity everybody expected in J. Jesus's 2nd season at the club...

That is why I insist: Get behind the team, in the beginning as well as throughout the whole 90'. Make players feel your support. They deserve it all the way...

"Get behind the team for 90 mins" and you slag Kolarov off for a goal vs Arsenal that wasn't his fault. I liked the start of your post but I stopped reading it with that tosh.

I don't rate Kolarov as a defender but why make stuf up to criticise our players. KDB let his man go and Otamendi turned his back on the ball as the pass was released.

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

Growing up I remember preparing for games, I believe if you train hard and get something relaxing and distracting the night before a big game helps. Football focus had Ian Wright listening to Classical music, I tried to use this myself. Then 45 minutes before K.O. raise the tempo until you re match-ready.

As some of our players may be affected by the cold, coating your toes/feet with vasaline helps raise the body temperature. It actually helps improve your game as you dont play in discomfort(harsh winter weather).

As for the team...... well if they are slow starters it s something the captain needs to address and the manager ought to be working on it too. I nearly prefere us scoring later in a game! :(

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

Does no one think then that Pep not firing them up ten minutes before may be part of the cause?

I suppose it didn't seem to effect Munich or Barca.

He was a captain so I imagine he feels strong about not getting involved in pre-match talks..... the onus should lie with the team captain(talk)/fringe players (motivation).

 

[Bayblue]

I've been wondering about this question for a while. We have often been much better in the second half of games than the first. This could just be that teams tire against us but it seems more than that.

On the positive side then it appears that there are changes to formation and/or attitude that are made at half time (credit to Pep and his team probably). One possible conclusion is that the players are not as clear or focussed when they start the game - or maybe put off by the opposition playing slightly differently to how they'd been drilled to expect. This doesn't reflect well on the players though - when I heard Pep say that he had told Sterling to get further forward and attack the fullback then I did wonder what on earth Sterling thought he was supposed to be doing in the first half.

To really progress we have to develop a leadership approach and intelligence that isn't dependent on half time team talks to change how we adapt in a game. I remember Eddie Jones talking exactly to this point when he said he needed a cadre of senior players on the pitch who could lead the whole team to make necessary adjustments during the eighty minutes of the game. What seems clear is that we haven't got a group like this in our squad - perhaps Yaya and Vinny but I'm struggling to think of any others.

 

[cibaman]

This doesn't reflect well on the players though - when I heard Pep say that he had told Sterling to get further forward and attack the fullback then I did wonder what on earth Sterling thought he was supposed to be doing in the first half.

I expect he was concentrating too much on keeping possession. Pep obviously preaches the mantra of keeping the ball which is something that he will want the team as a whole to do. But he clearly wants some players such as Sterling to take risks.

 

[hazmcfc]

No other team has to put up with the 10 busses we have to break through to score a goal, i don't think that helps.

 

[MCFC1993]

Opponents are usually fresh out the blocks for the first 15 minutes, fuelled on at the thought of beating good opposition. Given our style of play they're more likely to force an error when they are fit and fresh, it's no surprise we score a large percentage of our goals in the last 20 minutes after we've passed teams to death and worn them out. I do think it's something we need to work on, maybe play more direct until the opponents energy and the home crowds (when we play away) enthusiasm has died down.