80 minutes plus this season..........

Seen a few threads recently about work rate, playing style, high tempo etc.

Just talking to a fellow Red. Off top of our heads this season. ........

Charlton at home 2~1 up and concede in 90+mins. 2 points dropped.

Leeds at home 0~0 until 80 odd mins and drop 1 point.

Last night 2~1 up and concede in 80 odd mins and drop 2 points.

Might be others earlier on int season? So those 5 points alone would make a real difference to this season. So it begs the question...... do we need the experience to see games out? Is it our playing style and high tempo that needs to calm down? Are fitness levels not quite there?

Discuss .............

 

Fitness levels for me

 

Just looking, last nite 32% possession. So chasing ball for 2/3 of match. Lot of that due to poor passing and not keeping possession. That can't help. But then again a good point.

Think we'll do Huddy on Setdi. If I make it after a 19 Mile walk.

 

I’ve seen it so many times at Oakwell where we appear to be doing well and then just capitulate, it’s either fitness levels or complacency. I said to my dad last night at 2-0 watch us end up drawing as I’ve seen it too many times over years

 

Also West Brom and Leeds Are pretty decent. They ain't gonna down tools after 80 mins. Maybe they simply played better than us in the last 10 minutes.

 

I don’t think it’s fitness levels, I think it’s that we work harder to stay in games.

It’s a bit like when you watch a lower league side or even a struggling premier league side against one of the top sides, they’ll often be impressive for an hour or so but the pressure eventually gets to them & they often concede a couple in the last 20 mins or so.

 

its quite clearly mental capacity and concentration.

as, quite naturally over the period of the game energy levels drop. this is again naturally causing a loss of mental capacity and concentration, this happens mainly because the brain is too busy bollocking the body, which has expended said energy running about compensating for our lack of skill, this means less energy is diverted to the brain.

i think the best way i can describe it would be when driving for a while and tiredness sets in. its harder to concentrate, reaction times are slower and decisions are made which wouldn't otherwise be made. your ability as a driver is exactly the same but factors outwith your control (this time tiredness, in football terms loss of energy) are causing you to make poor decisions.

 

I kind of agree with all that pompy....these young lads give their all, every match but when these other teams have the ball....we are seriously chasing the game down. ..its hard.
We have tinkered with the system and i do believe it makes us more effective but the fatigue will eventually set in and without the mindset your concentration will too.
Oooh i know should we get a couple of experienced pros to help out in jan!!! (ha ha).

 

For me we need to retain the ball a lot better, it rarely stays with our midfield for very long. It's less exhausting with the ball.

 

We do give the ball away easily , lost count of the wayward passes from team last night . Simple passes and we was just passing to opposition, but if we had been offered a point before match then we would have taken it

 

I suppose it no one thing, mainly I would think it because we have to work so hard in a way game. We trying to make up for a lack of ability/quality by out running teams.

 

Squad depth has to play a part too.

Players being brought on against us (certainly in the Leeds and WBA games) are of a class we could dream of signing to start for us. Against tiring legs, and without players of equal quality to reapply some pressure, we will always struggle in this league towards the end of a game.
They brought on internationals and ex-PL players last night. For all we love them, Wilks and Williams wont cause the same issues as the likes of Robson-Kanu. Signings in Jan need to bring additional depth if that's to be fixed.

 

When sides like West Brom and Leeds work you as hard as they do for 80+ minutes you’re bound to tire, think credit has to go to them for staying patient and working us hard. The gulf in technical capability last night was huge, their players were just far superior to ours which meant they could keep the ball for long periods and take it back off us at ease at times.

 

Yep....spot on.

 

From my tracking we have conceded as follows (sorry, I don't know how to post a screenshot):
First 5 minutes - 3 goals (Not alert)
Next 25 minutes - 1 goal (our best period and that was a League Cup goal)
Last 15 minutes of the 1st half - 6 goals (Tiring)
First 15 minutes of the 2nd half - 5 goals (Tired)
Next 15 minutes - 7 goals (Tired)
Last 15 minutes - 6 goals (Tired)

 

I think tiredness definitely plays it’s part. But I don’t think our game management in keeping the ball is very good. One other point is that teams suss us out and find the weak links in our set up as the game goes on. I’ve seen many times this season teams adjust to exploit us especially at substitute times after 60 mins. We don’t really have options to change or shore up

 

I think it’s a case of multiple factors mentioned on here including chasing the ball (sometimes shadows), the way we play and, as you’ve mentioned, squad depth.

I’ll add to your West Brom example by adding Leeds to it. I would say we more than matched them for 75 minutes but our subs were Bahre and Thiam (correct me if I’m wrong) whereas they brought on Helder Costa and Nketiah. It’s a world of difference and pretty much won them the game, in my opinion.

 

N

Nice stat

 

We usually lose on the games when our fans have walked to them

 

I agree with that. But also have to say that both of our goals were of the highest quality. The second would have been played all over Sky Sports had certain sides scored it. Front to back, wonderful football and a finish to dream of. So I think we're capable. But I do think - and this is boring - we are a couple of older heads short. Once Dougall went off the difference was huge. He'd been key to that point. He, Cauley, Mowatt, McGeehan to a point, they've all seemingly got a little extra time in everything they do. They're mid-20's. It's called experience.