Football style

We did it was one of the things val used to moan about alot post game and it cost us v Swansea in the end look at the Chelsea game in the cup. If you took out the set play goals in the play off season 2016 we wouldn’t of got there as alot of our goals then were set plays. Over the last 4 games we haven't looked threatening at all from set plays.

And thats true but we had struber back then.

 

I think Andersen will help with the set plays. His attempts on goal were poor, but his flick ons at the near post always caused problems.

 

We did lose our set piece taker.

But we certainly didn't create clear cut chances. Some may have occurred from broken play, but not many.

We created loads under Stendel, but a lot of those were quite speculative. From the first two games I've seen I'd say the chances presented and in number have been comparable to last season per game. The only difference is style of play.

 

I said I'd reply once I'd watched the game (or first half at least).

In the first two minutes, we could have had a penalty when Palmer was brought down. And prior to that a lovely sweeping ball to Brittain, link up play with Oduor and the surging run from Palmer.

The goal we conceded, we were slow and sloppy to set after a foul. A quick free kick, a run of the ball for Luton and a good finish and we're behind. Better concentration and urgency to set and we don't go one behind and the game is completely different.

A lovely move where Palmer gets through on the left but hits a tame shot at the keeper on 21 minutes. On 23 minutes a back to front ball on the floor that sent Palmer beyond midfield, into Oduor but he didn't get it out of his feet well enough to take on his man.

24/25 minutes, some lovely crisp passing that almost sent Frieser away down the inside left but he miscontrolled it.

I'm also not seeing pointless tippy tappy. It's to engineer space and then played into midfield at pace to turn and shift to attack. It's nothing like what I saw under Struber (but that was limited so it may well have been different in other games). Also Woodrow, he's not got into the game hugely, but he has come deep to link, largely because the other two can't. Numerous times the whole front three have been really deep in our own half, so doesn't allow for a fast spring or counter.

27 minutes, again nice build up play, Styles into the box for Oduor who tries a first time turn on goal but just lets it run away from him before being tackled for a corner. Decent corner to Helik who got well martialled so he couldn't get power on the header.

Long channelled pass to Frieser from Brittain on 29 minutes, just ran away from Frieser, but good intent.

The chance for Brittain on 35 minutes. Lovely transition from the back, slowed the pace wide right, then acceleration for him to break into the box, nice accurate well weighted cut back by Frieser and the side foot is well saved, sadly with nobody following up.

39 minutes, almost a bizarre goal, arising from Benson breaking forward and a tackle coming off his legs that just goes past the post with the keeper at full stretch.

As for Luton. Big and powerful. Not skilful, and looked like their intensity had dropped from chasing us around for 45 minutes. They got a goal, Collins had a brain fail and Benson had a moment where he dallied.

I don't think that half is anywhere near as bad as whats been made out. I've seen way way worse. And that includes last season.

 

Palmer got a touch then went to ground/dived.. like most players these days

 

It's hard to know nowadays, but the defender certainly plants his foot where Palmers is. Could easily have been given.

 

I cant remember much calls for a pen I remember one 2nd half but reading the luton forum after the game they believed they should have had a pen.

My take on the goal was a quick free kick helik drifted out of position lost out in the air the ball was put across Britain maybe should have got it away went all they way to amari bell who was unmarked

The chances you mention were less than half chances in the 1st half especially the one where benson is tackled and the ball ricochet off him and brings a save out of the keeper that would have been fluke of the year.

Luton had there chances to increase the lead 1st half helik got beat in the air a flick on and there man was in a drew a decent save from collins. Beginning of the 2nd half similar sibbick caught out.

Luton were similar to us last year worked hard, pressed our playing out from the back, long balls, cleared there lines, obvious they wanted to play the ball in our half.

Not sure why you say collins had a brain fail and benson dallied?

 

I didn't see a Luton pen, I did see a Barnsley one. The only other two things Luton had in the first half was the Collins brain fail, where he flapped and came right out, and then when Benson seemed to kick the ball against himself leaving the Luton forward with a very narrow angle. Neither resulted in chances anywhere near as good as the ones I outlined, and none resulted from lovely passing football.

Luton were very similar to us last year. Falling over, time wasting, hoofing it up front. Much less organised with it, but built around physicality and minimal skill.

We may have lost. But i'd rather watch the type of football we were trying to play than the grotesque ugly form Luton did.

Overall I think we were very unlucky not to get a point, and I think on balance, we probably deserved all 3. I've seen better performances overall but there are some very good signs in there. Some of the play to transition out of defence was very impressive. The transition in the final third less so, but given we're down to bare bones, thats not that surprising.

Hopefully the players continue to be brave and we get a cohesive forward line that works as a unit.

The 3 games we've played so far have been really very enjoyable to watch.

 

I must say that although, for me, the performances have been disappointing so far, I don't see the need to be over critical, either. It will take a bit of time for our Head Coach to get the players in tune with his way of thinking and what he expects from the team. However, neither do I see the necessity to sneeringly disparage, denigrate and deliberately play down the success of our players, style of play and success of last season. Listening to some, I get the impression that they believe we were lucky to avoid relegation last campaign!
For me, just because I liked & rated Valerien Ismael and enjoyed our best ever season since 1999/2000, doesn't make me automatically dislike Markus Schopp. The same should be if my opinion of the two coaches were completely opposite. Personally, I like and rate both Head Coaches and have faith with Schopp that we'll be moving up the table once things settle down.

 

I've said in numerous posts, Ismael is a winner and he deserves credit for the results he obtained. But just because he won games here, it doesn't mean that what he created was a thing of beauty. Some will have loved it while some will have endured it.

I've always preferred teams that play football and also have grit. It's a rare mix, but I've never seen a Barnsley side like we had last season. And sadly, I just didn't enjoy it, but I fully respect that others will have. Thats always been my stand point and it's no different now we have a different head coach.

 

Any pen in that game would have been harsh imo no stonewall pens that was my view not for us or luton.

Yes I forgot that chance they had 2 chances to add to the lead in the 1st half the also had where sibbick made a important block to stop a goal bound stop. Although they were created by great passing skill they were chances made by how they came and set up to play.

Luton were very similar to us running the clock down at 1 nil up is game management we did it v Coventry when 1 up. With the 2nd half when Luton tired we could have got a point but poor finishing, final ball and failing to shoot let us down. Unfortunate not to get a point? Maybe lucky to win v Coventry? Definitely.

Not expecting much v qpr but I think they will try play more football on the floor than Luton so you never know.

 

On the balance of play in games so far, we could easily be sitting on 6 points. But if you skew chances either way, we could have 0 or 9, thats football.

I was more impressed with Coventry than I was Luton. But results aside, I'm enjoying watching us play again. While there was misplaced passing, there was some really good crisp passing and a midfield turning an advancing. We're going to miss Morris, obviously. And until we get our other striker options approved and playing, we won't know just how good this team is going to be. But that's the journey.

Fingers crossed we can get something at QPR, I'm not hopeful though. I fancy them to be sniffing around the playoffs.