For me it is to do with closing down players at the edge of the box. In the last three games we have conceded five goals from this area, I feel we are paying the price for a style we got away with last season. League One players were mostly missing these opportunities, this season we are being punished. El Abd can't come back soon enough for me, as he is our best player at blocking these type of chances.
The main reason we've been struggling in the past few games?
- Thread starter stss30
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Nobby's Betamax Video
New member
I didn't go today, but from what I've seen in terms of our home performances:-
- Champ teams are much better at pressing us and keeping things tight at the back (unlike L1 teams).
- We do need to be able to keep the ball moving at a higher tempo to counter this.......but do we have the players to do this?
- Teams are beginning to target Painter's lack of pace.
- We need a "Midfield General" who will support Bridcut in breaking up the play, act as an enforcer, with box to box ability and who can lead by example......a modern day Nobby Horton who can growl at the opposition and his own team mates. Dicker is too slow, gets caught in possession and more often than not is 2nd best in challenges. You could really notice the difference on Tuesday when Bridcut picked up his yellow. Harley may need more time to get match fit / bed-in, but he seems off the pace too.
- We're defending too deep and our front players are not pushing on to close down the opposition passing options when their defender has the ball and is being chased down by CMS. For me, I think this is because our defense is worried about the opposition pace in attack exposing the gaps behind them.
- We need someone at centre back with more aerial ability and we also need a more "robust" option up front to hold the ball up, win high balls and provide flick-ons for CMS.
Definitely would have taken our current position before the season started and already have some good memories. But perhaps it's because Tuesday night is still raw, or the fact we have taken 1 point from a possible 12 in our last 4 games, that I'm feeling slightly pessimistic right now. It will come good I'm sure, and we'll keep on our underlying upward trajectory with TB & Gus guiding the Club.
- Champ teams are much better at pressing us and keeping things tight at the back (unlike L1 teams).
- We do need to be able to keep the ball moving at a higher tempo to counter this.......but do we have the players to do this?
- Teams are beginning to target Painter's lack of pace.
- We need a "Midfield General" who will support Bridcut in breaking up the play, act as an enforcer, with box to box ability and who can lead by example......a modern day Nobby Horton who can growl at the opposition and his own team mates. Dicker is too slow, gets caught in possession and more often than not is 2nd best in challenges. You could really notice the difference on Tuesday when Bridcut picked up his yellow. Harley may need more time to get match fit / bed-in, but he seems off the pace too.
- We're defending too deep and our front players are not pushing on to close down the opposition passing options when their defender has the ball and is being chased down by CMS. For me, I think this is because our defense is worried about the opposition pace in attack exposing the gaps behind them.
- We need someone at centre back with more aerial ability and we also need a more "robust" option up front to hold the ball up, win high balls and provide flick-ons for CMS.
Definitely would have taken our current position before the season started and already have some good memories. But perhaps it's because Tuesday night is still raw, or the fact we have taken 1 point from a possible 12 in our last 4 games, that I'm feeling slightly pessimistic right now. It will come good I'm sure, and we'll keep on our underlying upward trajectory with TB & Gus guiding the Club.
ferring seagull
Well-known member
- Dec 30, 2010
- 4,607
Whilst I like Adam's tenacity, sadly he isn't tall enough to do a real job in the Championship.
Daddies_Sauce
Falmer WSL, not a JCL
- Jun 27, 2008
- 914
Only caught a snippet of the Leicester/Derby game this evening, but Schmeichel was so loud and commanding in HIS area, shouting at the defenders when he was coming to get a ball, 2 things that Ankergren does not do, 1) command his area and 2) shout and scream and be decisive, so defenders know where they stand.
Greer I was hoping would be a non nonsense Gordon McQueen type Scottish centre half, even perhaps chipping in with some thundering headers from corners. Calderon and Painter lack pace, they are being left for dead in this league. The midfield has been strengthened (has it? I don’t think Harley or Lua Lua are the answers, but would be happy to be proved wrong), and the forwards too, but it’s the back that needs sorting. Some experience is what we lack there must be few older and experienced premiership type players still available who have failed to make the squads at their current clubs, who are looking to play and have a year or 2 left in a league lower.
And for those thinking that Tommy Elphick and Adam El-Abd will be the answers to our defensive problems in this league, dream on...
Greer I was hoping would be a non nonsense Gordon McQueen type Scottish centre half, even perhaps chipping in with some thundering headers from corners. Calderon and Painter lack pace, they are being left for dead in this league. The midfield has been strengthened (has it? I don’t think Harley or Lua Lua are the answers, but would be happy to be proved wrong), and the forwards too, but it’s the back that needs sorting. Some experience is what we lack there must be few older and experienced premiership type players still available who have failed to make the squads at their current clubs, who are looking to play and have a year or 2 left in a league lower.
And for those thinking that Tommy Elphick and Adam El-Abd will be the answers to our defensive problems in this league, dream on...
Shooting Star
Well-known member
I agree with the OP. When we begin to get pressurised, we resort to Plan B i.e. hoofing the ball long to players who have no height. Plan B has to be creating space and making sharper passes. Our way of football should be able to breed this. With the current players we have, this needs to be Plan B. Not to berate individual players, but I'm sure Vicente, Noone and others would be more than capable of doing this if the likes of Dicker mopped up clearances and moved the ball out quickly.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
He was doing it for most of the first half.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
I agree, we're standing back when opposition are on the edge of the box. El-Abd is good at getting blocks in. The point made above about counter attacking is also a good one, we win the ball when defending but don't go on the counter attack quickly enough. There's also not enough movement off the ball at the moment either.
Buckley looks like he is the one player to inject urgency into our midfield but has struggled with injuries unfortunately. KLL has the ability to be direct with his running but seems off the pace/low on confidence. Noone is great at beating his man and one of the players to shine so far this season, but isn't going get from halfway line to penalty box on lightening speed counter attack. We need pace all over Inc back 4. As for keeper, I wanted a new one in summer and even more now. But who is available??