We were shit, shocking performance

[TSB]

It's the classic case of a result papering over the cracks..

Stopped reading after that. Embarrassing tosh, as per usual.

 

[Machiavelli]

That's a bit harsh. We got in some great positions but just lacked a final touch or ball. There were a couple of times Lingard was put through (and fluffed it), Andrews got a great ball on the edge with a 3 on 2 (and fluffed it), Buckley had some moments, and we did look like we could unlock them on the break. A fair amount of our attacking play didn't end in shots or saves, but (being a bit of an optimist) through the second half I always felt we could score if we just took a bit of care, and eventually we did with a fine bit of passing, a great cross and tap in.

So you might have thought we never remotely looked like scoring, I genuinely thought we did, and when it came I felt we were getting ourselves on top.

It's not just this post, but I tend to see the games we play in a similar way as you.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Stopped reading after that.

That's a shame because you missed out on a very accurate analysis.

 

[TSB]

That's a shame because you missed out on a very accurate analysis.

Perhaps he shouldn't have started it in as if impersonating ROTR.

 

[London Irish]

It was very similar to what Palace did to us in the fateful play off game, keep it tight then go for it. Good tactics for one-off games but over a season? I really hope Oscar is more attacking against the mid-table and lower table champ teams, but I think our victory last night will ensure this is how we will play all the rest of the season against all-comers, regardless of their strengths... but fingers crossed for another eight late 1-0 wins

 

[London Irish]

It's the classic case of a result papering over the cracks. I'm not sure I'd go as far as "shit", but we definitely weren't good. If that game had finished after 70 minutes it would have been another blank in front of goal, another game without a single shot on target and plenty of people on this site would have been steaming in to criticise. The fact we didn't make a change until 74 minutes, despite Rob Green being the second opposing 'keeper in four days who could have played without his hands, has to be questioned. I had completely written off the prospect of us scoring, long before we somehow did. QPR were very poor too. If Yeovil had come to The Amex and played like that I might have said they were doing okay (bearing in mind their resources), but for the richest club in the league by far to produce that performance indicates how badly Harry is doing. There was only one fair scoreline in that game and it was 0-0.

Having said that, I thought our performance against Wigan was easily the best of this season and possibly the last two or three seasons, yet we managed to lose. It just shows how unpredictable the Championship is and, as someone was saying on here yesterday, there seems to be very little correlation between how well we play and the results we get.

Agree with some of that, disagree with maybe more.

But really QPR did play well - they are missing Charlie Austin a lot as their ManU loanee up front looked pretty ineffective. But they controlled the game - our midfield trio battled hard but generally were always turning.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

We didn't have shot on goal for the first hour. .

Unless we differ on the meaning of the term 'shot on goal', then you are well wide of the mark. (a shot on goal to me is a shot AT goal, rather than a shot on TARGET).

We had three shots in the first half from VERY presentable opportunities:

Lingard from the D, in space, missed 4 yards wide of left hand post.
Ulloa from 12 yards, when the ref played on after Buckley had been scythed down, missed by a foot, at the near post.
Ulloa blazed over from 10 yards, when the free kick was pulled back for him at the very end of the first half.

 

[TSB]

That's a shame because you missed out on a very accurate analysis.

I have now read it all. After the embarrassing tribute to ROTR, he questions the players and the manager in a 2-0 win against the best squad in the division. He also describes QPR as 'very, very poor' when most say they were the best side to come to the Amex this season.
What, in your mind, is accurate about that?

My original response stands.

 

[Bold Seagull]

They controlled parts of the game, not all the game. And with a central midfield of Barton, Morrison and Jenas you would expect them to dominate this area against most teams. But the reason I say they were poor is because they had absolutely nothing in the final third. They were quick to shoot from distance, but any team can do that. Try and name a chance they actually created, or one you felt they really should have scored. The closest you'll get is the one Hoilett put across the goal that Kuszczak saved very well to put behind. Other than that, it was all very predictable and lacking in imagination, bearing in mind the resources at their disposal.

Let's also remember the marking for both goals was non-existent. I'm really not sure the sign of a good team playing well is one with nothing upfront and careless marking at the back. And that's before we even start on their substandard work rate.

They obviously are missing Austin hugely, because he's the one class striker they have who is good enough to make their numerous crosses into the box and punts forward into something. Will Keane is a fraction of the player, so it falls to their midfielders to create more clear-cut chances or score themselves, and at no point last night did any of them look like doing that.

Ignoring QPR for a moment, the facts are that once again we played a home game and didn't call the other goalkeeper into action for 70 minutes (and even then it was just to kneel down and catch a ball that Forster-Caskey had chipped straight into his hands). We didn't have any idea of how to score a goal in that game, just like we didn't against Reading on Saturday even when it was 11v11 for 50 minutes. I'm delighted we won obviously, and as I said earlier it is only two home games ago we molested Wigan and somehow lost, so I'm more than happy to take an undeserved result, but anyone being honest has to say there are still one or two significant flaws in our team and how we play. We're being held together by our defensive record, but you can't go into every game thinking that if we go 1-0 down the best we can possibly get is a draw.

You don't arf love the sound of your own typing. Could you not have just cut and paste from your first post!?

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Unless we differ on the meaning of the term 'shot on goal', then you are well wide of the mark. (a shot on goal to me is a shot AT goal, rather than a shot on TARGET).

We had three shots in the first half from VERY presentable opportunities:

Lingard from the D, in space, missed 4 yards wide of left hand post.
Ulloa from 12 yards, when the ref played on after Buckley had been scythed down, missed by a foot, at the near post.
Ulloa blazed over from 10 yards, when the free kick was pulled back for him at the very end of the first half.

We do differ. I mean shots that would have gone in.

Don't get me wrong, I'm DELIGHTED with the win. But to convince outselves we were productive up top is, as TCB says, being blinded by the result (which is, ofcourse, the most importnat aspect at the end of the day).

I for one wasn't impressed at all by QPR. They are the best team to have come to us in terms of individuals but did they ever really tear us apart? nope. Did Will Keane ever get a chance? Nope. Now of course you can put that down to our very good defending but I certainly wasn't impressed with them.

Still a win is a win and, as said previously, I will take a win where we havent had a shot on target for 65 mins and still come out on top somehow. That can only be a positive.

 

[Bold Seagull]

We do differ. I mean shots that would have gone in.

Don't get me wrong, I'm DELIGHTED with the win. But to convince outselves we were productive up top is, as TCB says, being blinded by the result (which is, ofcourse, the most importnat aspect at the end of the day).

I for one wasn't impressed at all by QPR. They are the best team to have come to us in terms of individuals but did they ever really tear us apart? nope. Did Will Keane ever get a chance? Nope. Now of course you can put that down to our very good defending but I certainly wasn't impressed with them.

Still a win is a win and, as said previously, I will take a win where we havent had a shot on target for 65 mins and still come out on top somehow. That can only be a positive.

Great game, great win. If you're going to sit there with a mindset of we don't attack enough, and that we're not doing what you think we should be doing, you're only going to see what you're going to see.

There are plenty of people that in the opposite to yours, TCB's and other dire readings of the game that saw an enthralling contest between 2 very committed teams, and a thoroughly enjoyable game of football.

Yes yes, quote back shots etc. whatever floats you boat, but football is a game, it's not a spreadsheet or algorithm, it's beauty is in how it plays out on the night. You've painted a picture of an unimpressive game between two teams that haven't played well. It really wasn't the same game I saw.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Did Will Keane ever get a chance? Nope.

Yes.

From about the penalty spot, at the South end. Hit hard and low, on the turn, but thankfully straight at Koosh.

(I know its pedantic, but I get wound up by throwaway remarks about 'no shots' etc, etc, which are generally complete bollocks)

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Great game, great win. If you're going to sit there with a mindset of we don't attack enough, and that we're not doing what you think we should be doing, you're only going to see what you're going to see.

There are plenty of people that in the opposite to yours, TCB's and other dire readings of the game that saw an enthralling contest between 2 very committed teams, and a thoroughly enjoyable game of football.

Yes yes, quote back shots etc. whatever floats you boat, but football is a game, it's not a spreadsheet or algorithm, it's beauty is in how it plays out on the night. You've painted a picture of an unimpressive game between two teams that haven't played well. It really wasn't the same game I saw.

How bizarre. I am as close to blindly optimistic as they come. I can't STAND moaning in the crowd and was one of very few absolutely championing Poyet's style of ball retention along the back line.

All I've stated is we had no shots on goal for an hour. If I've got that stat incorrect then that's fine. But I am certainly not negative in my viewing of Brighton matches.

I actually enjoyed the game despite your assumptions I didn't. But again, the fact we couldn't get a shot on target for over an hour at home did concern me. Seeing as you need to kick the ball between the posts to score, it would worry me if others didnt think this was an area which we may want to improve on.

Was it a terrible performance? no. Of course it wasn't and I never claimed it was.

Was it a great performance? No. But am I delighted with the win? Absolutely.

It seems odd that a very MILD piece of criticism by far (stating a fact we didnt have a shot which could cause a goal for over an hour) seems to upset some.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Yes.

From about the penalty spot, at the South end. Hit hard and low, on the turn, but thankfully straight at Koosh.

(I know its pedantic, but I get wound up by throwaway remarks about 'no shots' etc, etc, which are generally complete bollocks)

No that's fair enough. I forgot about his shot.

 

[Mellotron]

Actually, being able to appreciate a good performance when we lose or disappointing aspects of a win is what ensures many of us don't fall into the 'my team won= it was amazing, my team lost = it was the worst game I've ever seen' mentality that so many intellectually challenged football supporters across the country have. We defended well, we competed with talented individuals (but not a good team) and we got lucky by scoring out of nothing, but let's not pretend we actually played anything that resembled good football or entertainment.

I'm not turning up with any particular mindset or agenda either, because for what it's worth I think we've played well in almost every recent home game (Wigan, Hull, Doncaster, Leeds, Birmingham). But the last two have exposed one or two issues, no doubt about it.

There was nothing "lucky" about Bruno's orchestration of the first goal. It was individual ability and vision.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

but let's not pretend we actually played anything that resembled good football or entertainment.

Genuinely, were you not entertained by last night's match?

I'm baffled by that.

Even if we agree that we were short of attacking intent for 2/3 of the game, does that really mean that there was nothing 'entertaining' on show? Is it really as simple an equation as "shots on goal = entertainment"?

Is a good save, or even an important claim by the keeper less entertaining than a defence splitting pass? Or a big saving tackle or a towering header less entertaining than an attacking one-two?

I was just as entertained by Koosh and Upson's performances last night, a by a forward player on his game. I was entertained by Rohan Ince. everything Rohan does is entertaining. I was also entertained by Hoilet and Morrison.

Is it ALL about the Albion's forwards? Because you are paying to watch 22 players, seems a shame if you are only concerned about the performance of 3 of them.

 

[Bold Seagull]

How bizarre. I am as close to blindly optimistic as they come. I can't STAND moaning in the crowd and was one of very few absolutely championing Poyet's style of ball retention along the back line.

All I've stated is we had no shots on goal for an hour. If I've got that stat incorrect then that's fine. But I am certainly not negative in my viewing of Brighton matches.

I actually enjoyed the game despite your assumptions I didn't. But again, the fact we couldn't get a shot on target for over an hour at home did concern me. Seeing as you need to kick the ball between the posts to score, it would worry me if others didnt think this was an area which we may want to improve on.

Was it a terrible performance? no. Of course it wasn't and I never claimed it was.

Was it a great performance? No. But am I delighted with the win? Absolutely.

It seems odd that a very MILD piece of criticism by far (stating a fact we didnt have a shot which could cause a goal for over an hour) seems to upset some.

That's how your posts are coming across to be honest. Read them back, sounds like we were crap, QPR were crap....It had to be my assumption you didn't enjoy the game, as until your post above you haven't really said anything positive other than the result.