After watching yesterday and for most of the last month I'm getting more and more frustrated with us getting into good positions and passing it back until we lose it! With that team yesterday there was chance after chance to slip balls in behind for done and etuhu but instead we persist in going to the edge of the box and passing it between us until we give it away. A drilled cross to cause a bit of panic or anything for us to get on the end of would be better than what we're trying currently. All the debate about needing a striker seems nonsense to me because we refuse to cross it. So basically what I'm saying is get it in the bloody box and let's see what happens!
When Mellis is on it I don't think through-balls have been an issue. Harewood could have had a hat-trick against Forest first half hour. Completely agree about crosses though. Our fullbacks don't overlap enough. It's the easiest way to combat a lack of genuinely creative players, simple team tactics
Good post, we waste good opportunites at times by overpassing the ball instead of putting it in the box whilst defenders are getting back facing their own goals and not positioned all marked up waiting to apply the headed clearance. Too slow the build up play.
I don't think we break quick enough but I don't think patient buil up play is in itself a problem. It requires the opposition to be incredibly disciplined and eventual creates huge gaps to exploit. I just think we restrict the overlap too much which limits our ability to stretch the opposition. When Swansea used to play under Rodgers and the keeper had the ball the centre backs split, the full backs pushed on, and the holding midfielder dropped in to collect the ball. It immediately stretches the opposition and increases the attacking options. We don't do this
We rely on Mellis & Cywka for creativity. When they don't play well, we don't play well. They've had a dip in form recently and it's showed. Nowt to worry abart.
Never understood why midfield players seem reluctant to have a pop if nothing is open to them. They should at least be able to get it on target and make the keeper do some work. We might even score one or two a game if we have enough shots. Maybe they should practice with 3-4 attackers trying to get past 10-12 defenders with explicit instructions to have a go if no other options are open to them. Passing it about and keeping possession is fine, but concede one goal and its game over at the moment....
This time last year Davies, Butterfield and Vaz Te were scoring goals for fun from long range. With Davies injured and Butterfield and Vaz Te sold we don't seem to have anyone confident to have a go from long range. Other than Perkins, who is also now injured, has anyone scored a goal from outside the box this season?