Continual insistence on tapping the ball about in the wrong areas puts the wrong players under pressure. Then the wrong players are under pressure to create space which leads to them being mentally and physically exhausted. Keef must be able to see this, but we keep doing the same things. Going backwards at free kicks and throw ins and being under pressure. We all know about the players we miss but if we can't play the same style without them then we must change the style. But then again we could just moan about money, Vaz Te, Drinkwater and Butterfield and then tell us all about how much over achieving we are doing. Which means that the players must be going out with defeat in mind before they start.
And my personal favourite... Passing the ball about from attack to defence to keep possession, followed by a long boot up field by the goalie to the opposition.
Spot on., I've posted a few times of late about some of the players losing the game in their head before a ball is kicked. Monday's gonna be really interesting.
Correct! Usually, with a ball from the keeper to start the "move" who could have jsut punted it to the statue wearing Number 27.
Wiseman is supposed to play at fullback, yes? He is not very good at playing there at all. Not even quick today, out of position, outclassed. McNulty, poor again, Golbourne average, Foster average , but best of back 4. Keeper should have done ebtter with 2nd goal, got nowhwre near it. Midfield very poor all game, Smith , poor, Dawson ran about a lot and tried, but not good enough today, the 2 widemen did ok in very short spells, Davies had 1 good shot and Gray was poor. Subs strange to bring Davies off and bring a midfielder on, JOB not good, Collins on for Golbourne? strange.
This mental stuff all comes back, for me, to the previous overuse of the word "overachieving" by someone in particular...
I don't have a problem with playing it from the back, but the players have to find the right pass and make the right move. Just about every ball into midfield was to a player coming from a forward position and coming back to get the ball with his back to their goal. West Ham worked this out after about five minutes, started pressing, and either bet us to the ball or forced a bad/stupid pass. Did we change anything? Did we f**k. Oh, and when defending - 8 players behind the ball=good. All eight players failing to mark anyone or make a challenge of note=bad.
