Over the course of the first few games of the season I’m struggling to understand if we’re a good team in the making, a poor one with a few sprinklings of quality or somewhere in between. Now normally I go to the games with my old man who’s the yin to my yang. However, he’s not in the best of health at the moment so I’ve been to a few games on my own which has allowed me to just take everything in. For me there are 3 clear things we need to change or improve on in the short term to make us more effective. firstly. Players back. This team is better with Benson, Mads, Kitching, Morris, J Williams and Palmer in or around the team. Not only starting but as options off the bench. Chuck in Oulare and Vita who are completely unknown and we immediately look stronger. Moon and Halme have done very little wrong and are great options but not starters in the main. Secondly. Width in the final third. It’s lacking. When we play through the lines everything is congested unless Styles or Brittain motor on and whip in a cross. I understand this is their role, however, with them out wide in isolation the crosses become easy to stop or defend. Another wide option would draw another body out of the box. This leads me on to. Thirdly. We need to be more unpredictable in the final third. Many moons ago I played rugby for a coach and we played in a very structured manner, UNTIL, the ball became loose or was dropped. He’d scream ‘flood, flood, flood!’ We then had carte Blanche to do exactly what we wanted, play off the cuff for a play or two before dropping back into structure. When Barnsley attack at times it looks slow, laboured and too structured, like we’re trying to paint the perfect painting. I want to see us ‘flood’. Play off the cuff, get bodies in the box, be different. Then once the ball is lost or ends up with the keeper drop back into defensive shape. I suppose the point of this post is I’ve normally got someone to talk at about football and I don’t at the moment so I thought I’d wang it on here. Not as in depth as Minority Report but a couple of little tinkerings I think (you might not - and that’s ok) might help.
Didn't ALI hog the touch line mainly while he was on?. Some tweets lve seen blaming Schopp for this.. maybe. Or maybe he was just hiding out, don't know. But he was playing wide, ineffective I grant you while on... but wide
Good post, hope your dad gets well soon. Agree about point 3,’ painting the perfect picture’ is a great description of how we try to play, not only up front but in other areas as well. As you say, get the players back and I think we just going to be fine
Pretty much i agree. For me the third point you make comes down more to individual quality. We need a couple of players prepared to have a go, take a player on or jinx a run like Odour did, maybe something different from corners or set pieces.
If your going to do what Oduor did shoot sooner. Don't empty your legs first. He did the same at QPR.
It was Oduor's "Paddy McCourt moment", without the finish. He didn't rush through, he just picked his way past the defenders, always in complete control. He was completely clear on goal but maybe just too close to the keeper when he fluffed his lines. It does annoy me when I see players try to side foot a ball into the corner from positions like that. Just slam it as hard as you can for goodness sake Clarke!! From that range it would have been a certain goal and might have even taken the nets off their hooks. Like a side-footed penalty you are just giving the keeper a chance when he should have had NO chance.
Just think he was unlucky as he decided to try and nutmeg the keeper but didn’t come off. Seen loads of goals like this
Fair assessment. I don’t know what triggered us to start using width in the last 15 minutes but two of those balls from Brittain to Oduor were superb and what we were crying out for earlier in the game - sadly we either chose not to go wide or there was nobody wide to receive it. It can be frustrating and contributes to your third point about being laboured. I’m still unsure on how we’re using Styles when he starts on the left. I kind of get it but it leaves us exposed at the back. No surprise that they tried punting the ball in behind Styles time and time again the first 15 minutes until we took control of possession. He’s been asked to tuck in when we have the ball, which should mean he can have a more positive impact on the game, but he’s actually more effective when receiving the ball wide. The football in a phone box needs to stop. But the movement isn’t quite there to stop that happening. It was the same against Stoke. I’m not only hoping we can get some balance and continuity to central midfield but also at wing back. Having Brittain, Williams, Vita and Styles suddenly gives us options there. And that’s what we’re lacking right now, any kind of options at all.
1. Faster transitions 2. Play with more width to create space 3. Direct attacking by running at defenders 4. Better movement off the ball 5. Smarter dead-ball strategies 6. Hit the back of the net 7. Close the opposition down more assertively Seven tweaks - job done.
That question is completely out of context. We look stronger with all the players listed. Not just the two quoted. This team is better with Benson, Mads, Kitching, Morris, J Williams and Palmer in or around the team. Not only starting but as options off the bench. Chuck in Oulare and Vita who are completely unknown and we immediately look stronger. I even reference the fact that two of them are unknown. Maybe it’s my sentence structure that has led to the question. Anyway that’s how the firk I came to that conclusion.
