Fenway Frank
Well-Known Member
I think we were all feeling positive after a point at Fulham. The defending may not have been perfect but we didn't look anywhere near as bad as we do now. It's the same players, so what's changed ?
Dubai Mark
Active Member
Could it be that we have actually been found out already, and are now so easy to play against due to this? I'm serious, as unless we play at a very high tempo for the majority of the game, dont give away possesion and cut out the crazy errors (that I belive are down mainly due to zonal marking), then we will see a few more tonkings until the players get used to it....if they ever will.
ZLF
Well-Known Member
Personally, and I know its a minority view, I think we shifted away from 3 at the back; having spent the close season setting up for it and abandon it after one home defeat was too much too soon. Esp on another day we would have won that game with the chances we created. Since going 4141 we have become progressively worse; weaker at the back and painfully slow and predictable going forward.
Possession is ok, as long as we either break swiftly and aggressively when we first gain possession (we dont) or have the guile to be patient and carve teams open once they have packed their defence deep. Only wes has the ability with Pritchard missing - Maddison doesnt seem to have that change of pace ball wes can see. At the moment possession in our own half is too easy to defend against and Nelson not physical enough to create space and bully defenders in that situation.
Short term I would revert to a stronger mix of being more direct going forward together with reverting to the original 3 at the back, allowing them to gather some understanding protected by a pair of deep sitting defensive midfielders, allowing steipermann and pinto to add some width. 3 from klose zimmermann, Franke (who will improve once on his preferred right side instead of martin) and Flint (or similar) and 10-12 games to gel and adapt should work longer term. And we have to look longer term here, 3-5 games is too soon.
Possession is ok, as long as we either break swiftly and aggressively when we first gain possession (we dont) or have the guile to be patient and carve teams open once they have packed their defence deep. Only wes has the ability with Pritchard missing - Maddison doesnt seem to have that change of pace ball wes can see. At the moment possession in our own half is too easy to defend against and Nelson not physical enough to create space and bully defenders in that situation.
Short term I would revert to a stronger mix of being more direct going forward together with reverting to the original 3 at the back, allowing them to gather some understanding protected by a pair of deep sitting defensive midfielders, allowing steipermann and pinto to add some width. 3 from klose zimmermann, Franke (who will improve once on his preferred right side instead of martin) and Flint (or similar) and 10-12 games to gel and adapt should work longer term. And we have to look longer term here, 3-5 games is too soon.
Dubai Mark
Active Member
Agree with most of that FF, other than the bit about Franke....he has two left feet from what weve seen so far and has shocking decision making. Also, to add, and many will disagree, right now I'd have Cameron Jerome up front, he causes more problems overall than Nelson.
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