The possession footbal we try and play and the boredom factor

Goring Gull · May 11, 2014

I like the fact we try and control the game but admit it can be dull as dishwater and painfully frustrating however look at the success it has brought Spain.

I don't think it will ever stop being boring though anyway else remember and agree how dull Spain were in the last Euros and yet they still won the competition?

Would you prefer we keep playing like we do or go for a more attacking way of playing like Liverpool?

Pavilionaire · May 11, 2014

The football under Gus wasn't that different, it's just Orlandi, SD and Buckley were fitter and more productive. The question is whether we play like this because Oscar thinks it's the only way he thinks this bunch could reach the play-offs, or whether this IS his preferred approach of choice.

Tom Hark Preston Park · May 11, 2014

Goring Gull said:
I like the fact we try and control the game but admit it can be dull as dishwater and painfully frustrating

It fails because it takes a dozen sideways passes to reach the halfway line, then breaks down with a single spirited challenge in midfield. You just had to look at Derby today (or on Thursday) to see the way we should be aiming to play if we want to progress to the next level.

Leighgull · May 11, 2014

It works for Spain because they don't keep passing the ball behind each other, into touch or miles beyond the last man. If Oscar thinks that we can play like Barcelona he has got another think coming. We can't and never could in a million years.

Anyway. That's that.

backson · May 11, 2014

Some possession might have been useful today

GT49er · May 12, 2014

Nothing wrong with possession football - it's WHERE we play it (and play it too slowly, but that's because our players aren't as good as Barcelona's). Whilst we're playing tippy tappy comfortably in the space between our penalty area and the centre circle, all that it achieves is giving the other side time to stroll back and arrange their two banks of four perfectly, so that when our attack is finally launched......surprise, surprise, it gets mopped up all too easily.

Ulloa (and our other attacking players) might have a lot more success if they were to get the ball in our opponents' penalty areas BEFORE THEY WERE READY IN TWO BANKS OF FOUR TO DEFEND IT! If, on the other hand, we were playing tippy tappy in the space between the centre circle and THEIR penalty area (like Derby did at times), things might be different................

London Irish · May 12, 2014

I love possession football, I don't mind if it is a bit defensive at times. What I don't like is our attempts to keep possession this season, our passing game has nose-dived over the past year. It's my biggest problem with Oscar, he is neither fish nor fowl - his teams don't keep the ball well enough to be called a passing team while his attempts to play more direct than Gus has resulted in the very poor display we saw today

Mental Lental · May 12, 2014

Pavilionaire said:
The football under Gus wasn't that different, it's just Orlandi, SD and Buckley were fitter and more productive. The question is whether we play like this because Oscar thinks it's the only way he thinks this bunch could reach the play-offs, or whether this IS his preferred approach of choice.

This is the question that has been gnawing at me of late. At Maccabi he played at least two, often three strikers. Often in a 4-3-3 with no defensive midfielder in front of the back four.

perseus · May 12, 2014

London Irish said:
I love possession football, I don't mind if it is a bit defensive at times. What I don't like is our attempts to keep possession this season, our passing game has nose-dived over the past year. It's my biggest problem with Oscar, he is neither fish nor fowl - his teams don't keep the ball well enough to be called a passing team while his attempts to play more direct than Gus has resulted in the very poor display we saw today

First 20 minutes at the Amex until, the suicide penalty and there was only one team in it.

brightonmark1234 · May 12, 2014

we move the ball far to slow and its so easy for the other team

Blackadder · May 12, 2014

brightonmark1234 said:
we move the ball far to slow and its so easy for the other team

To be fair, it depends who the other team is......

(We did finish 6th)

fat old seagull · May 12, 2014

GT49er said:
Nothing wrong with possession football - it's WHERE we play it (and play it too slowly, but that's because our players aren't as good as Barcelona's). Whilst we're playing tippy tappy comfortably in the space between our penalty area and the centre circle, all that it achieves is giving the other side time to stroll back and arrange their two banks of four perfectly, so that when our attack is finally launched......surprise, surprise, it gets mopped up all too easily.

Ulloa (and our other attacking players) might have a lot more success if they were to get the ball in our opponents' penalty areas BEFORE THEY WERE READY IN TWO BANKS OF FOUR TO DEFEND IT! If, on the other hand, we were playing tippy tappy in the space between the centre circle and THEIR penalty area (like Derby did at times), things might be different................

Good luck with that.... I've been banging on about just that for weeks, some on here think that Oscar because he has Barca pedigree I suppose can do no wrong. It's not only dangerous for our players with their limited ability to keep the ball without someone misplacing a pass and leaving us open to a counter attack. It's also bloody ineffective for the very reasons you have described..ie by the time we have worked the ball back to the centre circle via both corner flags (twice) once around Dicks Bar and The Museum their players are back to kick off positions. No bloody wonder we can't score goals.

Oh well, let's hope we are looking forward to more exciting times next season. It's still a great club to support. :smile:

peterward · May 12, 2014

GT49er said:
Nothing wrong with possession football - it's WHERE we play it (and play it too slowly, but that's because our players aren't as good as Barcelona's). Whilst we're playing tippy tappy comfortably in the space between our penalty area and the centre circle, all that it achieves is giving the other side time to stroll back and arrange their two banks of four perfectly, so that when our attack is finally launched......surprise, surprise, it gets mopped up all too easily.

Ulloa (and our other attacking players) might have a lot more success if they were to get the ball in our opponents' penalty areas BEFORE THEY WERE READY IN TWO BANKS OF FOUR TO DEFEND IT! If, on the other hand, we were playing tippy tappy in the space between the centre circle and THEIR penalty area (like Derby did at times), things might be different................

I read on the derby forum, Mclarens philosophy is to play possession football in own half but in attacking half he wants one touch only where possible to keep moving with pace.

Seagull73 · May 12, 2014

London Irish said:
I love possession football, I don't mind if it is a bit defensive at times. What I don't like is our attempts to keep possession this season, our passing game has nose-dived over the past year. It's my biggest problem with Oscar, he is neither fish nor fowl - his teams don't keep the ball well enough to be called a passing team while his attempts to play more direct than Gus has resulted in the very poor display we saw today

1M % this.

Icy Gull · May 12, 2014

peterward said:
I read on the derby forum, Mclarens philosophy is to play possession football in own half but in attacking half he wants one touch only where possible to keep moving with pace.

Which is exactly the right way to play imo. We were still ****ing around with sideways and back passes when we were 3-0 down.

Derby looked like everything I hoped that we would be this season. Is it the players we have, the manager's tactics or a combination of both? Either way we were embarrassed yesterday after the first goal went in.

Really hope that Derby make it through the Final

Surf's Up · May 12, 2014

Icy Gull said:
Which is exactly the right way to play imo. We were still ****ing around with sideways and back passes when we were 3-0 down.

Derby looked like everything I hoped that we would be this season. Is it the players we have, the manager's tactics or a combination of both? Either way we were embarrassed yesterday after the first goal went in.

Really hope that Derby make it through the Final

I agree, Derby showed how possession football can and should work. They have a good young team with a mix of home grown talent and carefully selected premiership loanees, the outfield players move as a unit whether they're attacking or defending, as a result they generally have more players than the opposition in any given area at any point in time, individual players are constantly moving into space when off the ball to give the player with the ball options and they play with pace, energy and intelligence. If we are to continue down this route we need a serious overhaul because most of the players currently at OGs disposal cannot play this way.

mikeyjh · May 12, 2014

Icy Gull said:
Which is exactly the right way to play imo. We were still ****ing around with sideways and back passes when we were 3-0 down.

Derby looked like everything I hoped that we would be this season. Is it the players we have, the manager's tactics or a combination of both? Either way we were embarrassed yesterday after the first goal went in.

Really hope that Derby make it through the Final

Tactics, I'm sure that most footballers can retain possession by controlling the ball and passing it, especially in a league where teams aren't going to have the skill set and confidence to press all over the pitch Barcelona esque, but if you at some point you have to risk losing the ball to try and score...

If I may be so bold, I'd say that sums up Brighton this season - I think the squad is very strong, but so unambitious. Sure, you don't concede many and that's great but score so few..... I think 6th is somewhat higher than performances maybe deserve but a bit lower than I think that squad was capable of.

BigGully · May 12, 2014

mikeyjh said:
Tactics, I'm sure that most footballers can retain possession by controlling the ball and passing it, especially in a league where teams aren't going to have the skill set and confidence to press all over the pitch Barcelona esque, but if you at some point you have to risk losing the ball to try and score...

If I may be so bold, I'd say that sums up Brighton this season - I think the squad is very strong, but so unambitious. Sure, you don't concede many and that's great but score so few..... I think 6th is somewhat higher than performances maybe deserve but a bit lower than I think that squad was capable of.

Ahhh c'mon, Brighton have punched above their weight playing the way they do.

The alternative is a half baked pass and boot it style, probably dominated by our opponents week by week, it would be a disaster.

Of course every team want better quality players to implement more effective and exciting outcomes but if you want to burn the club then find something other than hiding behind vague support for a return to 'boot and rush'.

dejavuatbtn · May 12, 2014

Basically we pussyfoot around whilst other teams like Derby get on with it. It's a bit like the Emperor's suit of clothes - we keep getting told that tippy-tappy possession football is wonderful and going to get us results and it is sacrilegious to challenge this view, when in reality it is often boring and not worth the admission fee.
I have no idea who has decided on this method of play but I guess it is probably Barber as he basically runs the whole show for Bloom who, despite his magnificent funding, appears to leave 99% of the running of the club to him. If both Poyet and OG have issues with the management structure, one assumes not everyone is happy with the set up.

mikeyjh · May 12, 2014

BigGully said:
Ahhh c'mon, Brighton have punched above their weight playing the way they do.

The alternative is a half baked pass and boot it style, probably dominated by our opponents week by week, it would be a disaster.

Of course every team want better quality players to implement more effective and exciting outcomes but if you want to burn the club then find something other than hiding behind vague support for a return to 'boot and rush'.

You know there is football that's somewhere between the two right? Being attacking doesn't have to mean kick and rush.

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