Home and Away (not the TV show)

[morty]

Last season we had a fantastic home record, but a pretty awful away one. This season that has been totally flipped on its head.

Why?

The best I can come up with is that the system we primarily employ works better when we draw teams onto us, when we invite them to attack, we suck them in, then do that fancy passing thing and hit them on the counter, or we just "Maddison" them. So why isn't it working at Carrow road? It would be too simplistic to say that teams come there and park the bus, but I'm not that sure that they do, I have seen more teams bring the game to us than park buses. Are the fans a factor? They seem to be two different breeds (I go home and away so must be bi-supportive) the away fans are a lot more supportive and forgiving, a lot of the home fans whiney old so in so's who seem to want to only go out of habit, they will moan like hell, but probably, begrudgingly renew their season tickets. They are a whole other thread, but does it make the difference? Do players feel more pressured at home, does the impatience and anxiety of the crowd spread onto the pitch, do they hear every moan and groan?

I think Herr Farke has shown himself to be tactically adept at changing things, so I don't believe for a minute that he is out of ideas. Perhaps the new offensive players we have signed will give him different options, and starting next Saturday we shall see us more on the front foot?

 

[Andy]

I’m not sure it’s a formation or tactics thing - I’ve seen enough of Farke to be reassured that he knows what he’s doing & has the balls to make any necessary changes. Some of the goals conceded at home this season have been really poor - Tettey’s sort of back-pass last week etc. With out of form strikers, the odd mistake has made the difference and those mistakes have been more noticeable at home.

I had a good chat with Bryan Gunn about this and he made the point that as a manager its always best to win home games to keep 26k fans happy rather than win away in front of the 1.5k faithful. That way no one makes too much fuss but when its the other way round it becomes a problem.

Personally I think that this is still very much a work in progress. We are now playing some of the best football I’ve seen in years, 1st half yesterday was a case in point. Brentford have been solid at home but we outplayed them first half and then put on a defensive masterclass in the second half with players using all imaginable body parts to block wave after wave of attack.

Saying that though, we do have two confidence players in Oliveira and Murphy - both of whom played well yesterday but failed to score. Both kept going but I worry that at home, when the boo boys start giving them pelters, they may pull out of chances rather than take abuse for missing.

 

[Dubai Mark]

Good topic this one...........I actually believe that it has to be down to the correct tactics away and wrong tactics at home.....as simple as that. Sure the crowd at Carrow Road are unforgiving, but conversely they are also very encouraging once the team do start to push on and go for the opposition. Although you dont get the full effect on live streams when compared to actually being at the games, from what I have been watching we have been giving some very average teams way too much respect when them come to our place, we dont push up high enough and we dont play quick enough....but when we do we get success and the crowd will get behind the team.

 

[morty]

I think the biggest issue is scoring the first goal actually. If a side comes at us we are happy to sit back and hit them on the break, like we do away. But as soon as they score the first goal and shut up shop, that's where we struggle. I'm hoping the new offensive options can address this, because Oliviera really isn't scoring (not entirely his fault) and Murphy can very quickly lose heart if the game isn't going his way. I honestly think options off the bench will improve this, because all too often I have been stood at home, one nil down, and looking towards the bench and thinking "Right, who can we bring on to make a difference and lift the game?" And the answer has been, invariably, been "No one".

I think the fans can make the difference, Carrow road can be very "grumbly" and there are a lot of people there just going out of habit, without really enjoying it any more. The players praised our support yesterday, I think it honestly helps.

 

[Andy]

Good topic this one...........I actually believe that it has to be down to the correct tactics away and wrong tactics at home.....as simple as that. Sure the crowd at Carrow Road are unforgiving, but conversely they are also very encouraging once the team do start to push on and go for the opposition. Although you dont get the full effect on live streams when compared to actually being at the games, from what I have been watching we have been giving some very average teams way too much respect when them come to our place, we dont push up high enough and we dont play quick enough....but when we do we get success and the crowd will get behind the team.

Really not sure about this. Both Brentford and Sheffield United played flowing attacking football with a bit of time wasting for good measure, much to the delight of SU fans. I really don’t believe that Farke doesn’t know what to do - maybe we just aren’t implementing his tactics properly.

I think it might be a personnel issue rather than a tactics one. We don’t seem to have players who can split defenses open, other than Wes who brings a bit of defensive weakness. We saw a few moments from Leitner yesterday, especially when he played an absolute peach of a ball to Maddison, that suggests that he may be Farke’s answer to the problem. Perhaps with Hernandez on the wing we might see the same tactics being implemented more effectively.

Let’s see how we go against the bus parking hoofmeister general Pulis on Saturday.

 

[hogesar]

Morty is right that scoring the first goal has a massive impact on any game, but under our current philosophy seems even moreso.

To be fair id say our biggest problem has been missing some absolute sitters in the first half of home matches. From Oliviera to Stiepermann to Jerome to Trybull to Hanley to Klose weve missed some real chances. Even when weve not played well weve normally createda clear opportunity.

We have also just had a few plain rubbish performances but goals change games and had we converted a loss into a win and a few draws we could definitely have won we would be pretty happy about our position in the table..

 

[Dubai Mark]

I think all of the above sums up the problems, and until proven otherwise I believe that the tactics have simply been wrong at home for most of the matches, the facts clearly show that more than I've seen facts demonstrate something for a long time. That all said, from having no confidence in DF, I am now having some belief in him and have some confidence that he will put things right, particularly now he will be fielding a team almost entirely made up with players he/Webber have signed.

 

[morty]

Wrong tactics is one way of looking at it I guess, another would be that we simply didn't have the right players available to take the game to teams at home. You saw the immediate difference Pritchard made to us at home, so hopefully with a different striking option, another attacking midfielder and a pacy winger, ie the players we have just got in, we will be better equipped to take the game to teams. Also add in the wild card of the Spurs lad, if he gets his head straight.

If you look at the players he have got shot of, that weren't actually contributing anything, I would venture we are in a better position, attacking wise, than we were 3 weeks ago.

The proof of the pudding will be in the eating, of course.

 

[GJP]

Not so much of a home/away issue for me but the overall style and (ugh) philosophy.

I remember that I had my doubts about Hughton in the second half of his first season because I feared he had taken the team too far one way - defensive. Ultimately his style wasn't enjoyable for the players or the fans.

At the moment I think Farke is sort of teetering on the edge. He'll need to start finding ways to put teams to the sword at home. Which is probably a mix of new players and new approach. Fans don't want boring football and neither do the players.

As we know in football these days a new regime usually gets the first season as a free hit (unless it's a total disaster) and then in that second season you have to starting looking and doing the business.