Can we move the ball around quickly?

[Jimmy Grimble]

Every player just stands on the ball waiting for something to happen. No movement. No drive. No creativity.

If we could move the ball on to a team-mate bit sharper then teams might have a bit more trouble defeding against us, but it's just too easy for them at the moment, every pass is so simple to read.

Need some one touch/two touch training sessions methinks.

 

[Easy 10]

I thought Adams liked overlapping fullbacks, thats what I thought we'd see a lot of.
But then when the fullback is having to combine with a centre-half down the right, I guess thats kind of where it falls apart a bit.

 

[Clive Walker's slaphead]

One thing that stands out to me is that there is absolutley no energy in the team. Everything is done at walking pace and the build up is so slow that the opposition have time to regroup and organise before we actually look to put the ball into the danger areas. These players need a serious kick up the arse, I don't know whether they think they are better than they are (although results should make them think otherwise) or whether they aren't playing for their manager. Either way they need to start pulling their fingers out and showing some determination and committment to the cause.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Yesterday there were times when the ball went eight or ten passes sideways at the halfway line, like nobody knew what to do next.

 

[Terminator1]

This point of discussion is currently the most interesting on NSC. Anyone watching yesterday's game will know that our passing was better than Herfeord's but it really did look like a training game at times. It was only in the last ten minutes that we had some urgency and tried playing the ball into the forwards' feet, hoping for a return pass or the forward turning and then posing a problem. We have to start the game (and continue) with urgency but not only that our midfield have got to start knocking the ball into our forward's feet with a lot more frequency. One of our central midfield has to also take more of a gamble. Question - how many times did we see a midfielder attempting to get on the end of something throughout the game. January transfer window - allow either Thomon or Livermore to leave and free up some funds, they are not showing their worth. Come on Seagulls, lets go and beat Peterborough.

 

[Mendoza]

Virgo got the ball moving quickly in the second half. Quickly to the Hereford keeper after another hoof.

HE kept the ball well enough, just had no penetration, te only balls into the strikers feet for to Anyakayingyong, so why not to the same to Murray

Savage is good for keeping the ball moving for us, just need people around him that can do that instead of warming the bench

 

[Billy Mays]

Can we not knock it?

 

[Djmiles]

We need McLeod fit, someone who will whip the ball is with some intent. All Cox et al. ever seem to do is chip it in leisurely.

But to answer the original question, can we move the ball around quickly? Simple answer, no.

 

[BensGrandad]

Even with Savage in the team we spend most of our time pushing the ball sideways or back to the back four for Whing or Elphick or if he is at right back Virgo to lump forward. This must be acting under instructions because it is too coincidental that whoever is at the back does the same thing.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Even with Savage in the team we spend most of our time pushing the ball sideways or back to the back four for Whing or Elphick or if he is at right back Virgo to lump forward. This must be acting under instructions because it is too coincidental that whoever is at the back does the same thing.

This has been my view just about every time I've watched the Albion this season, except for Crewe and Man City.
Amateur, predictable, tedious, unimaginative, frustrating, disappointing and boring.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I thought there was less aimless hoofing than usual on Saturday. Which is progress of a sort.

 

[JJ McClure]

There were so many times on Saturday where the quick ball was begging to be played to a player in space, but too often they stopped, put their foot on the ball, looked around a bit, had a cup of tea, and by that time they'd been closed down and the opportunity to pass had gone.

 

[Mendoza]

I thought there was less aimless hoofing than usual on Saturday. Which is progress of a sort.

Agreed with that, and that is because Savage went looking for the ball, got it and played a simple pass to a team mate.

We only started aimlessly hoofing it all the time when Virgo was put at right back, and our game plan was to give it to him, so he could kick it to their keeper.

 

[Knotty]

I thought there was less aimless hoofing than usual on Saturday. Which is progress of a sort.

You are right, there was far less hoofing than in previous games, so we did what most fans have been asking for - kept in on the ground.

Unfortunately we didn't have the ability to do anything positive with it once on the ground. We didn't have the guile to play a telling ball to tightly marked forward men so the option was sideways or back.

Does the ability exist in the squad to keep the ball on the ground and get through tight defences? I don't know.

 

[Clive Walker's slaphead]

You are right, there was far less hoofing than in previous games, so we did what most fans have been asking for - kept in on the ground.

Unfortunately we didn't have the ability to do anything positive with it once on the ground. We didn't have the guile to play a telling ball to tightly marked forward men so the option was sideways or back.

Does the ability exist in the squad to keep the ball on the ground and get through tight defences? I don't know.

Spot on comment. We retained posession well - sometimes putting 10+ passes together but when that killer pass was needed no-one seemed able to play it. Don't know whether that is down to not having anyone with that ability or whether it is because of a lack of movement as there seemed to be numerous times when players were acting like spectators rather than players. It was more like watching kids football where they lack concentration and forget that once they've passed they need to move.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Spot on comment. We retained posession well - sometimes putting 10+ passes together but when that killer pass was needed no-one seemed able to play it. Don't know whether that is down to not having anyone with that ability or whether it is because of a lack of movement as there seemed to be numerous times when players were acting like spectators rather than players. It was more like watching kids football where they lack concentration and forget that once they've passed they need to move.

S'what I was saying in the match. The movement really is a concern. It's all very well moving to pick the ball up of the back four, but then we need to go forward with it quickly, not just doodle on it waiting for the right pass, which admittedly is hard not to do when your midfield partners are doing you no favours what-so-ever. Quick passing is the key in games like that, it's the best way to unsettle teams who set out their stool.

 

[SeagullRic]

We CAN move the ball quickly, but not currently in dangerous positions. If we played Mcleod on the Left, Savage and Thornton in the middle and Anyinsah (Not Virgo!!!) on the right, then we may have a better chance. Of course it won't happen, as unforunately Micky doesn't see what the rest of us seem to.

 

[HseagullsH]

The problem is the team selection. We don't have any partnerships going now.
Last year we had Elphick/Lynch that complemented each other.

Murray/ Forster.

This year we don't have either at the moment. We play with Thomson and Savage in the middle who both sit back with not enough attacking flair to make something happen and then play Virgo right wing who is a natural centre back.

I think the midfield of Cox Thomson Savage Virgo has completely the wrong balance to find the killer passes and unlock defences.

We need natural wingers playing such as Mcleod if we want to play the kind of football that Micky is known for... and a creative player such as Thornton.

 

[blue and white army]

We played the ball around quickly up at Crewe but since then

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Three months on and none of the problems that even the fans could see have been remotely addressed :thud: