A great first half of the season but we all know that it could easily have been even better! -- SW6.doc

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

Monday, January 20, 10:26:16pm [ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: Wednesday, January 01, 03:43:29pm
Author: Ted White
Author Host/IP: host86-180-166-246.range86-180.btcentralplus.com / 86.180.166.246
Subject: A great first half of the season but we all know that it could easily have been even better!

With the, maybe, enforced changes that Marco made in the last two games proves that we can play in different ways. My only dissapointment is that we concede too many goals following long balls chipped over our defence. Whilst I fully accept that this can happen to any team, the thing that I am unable to understand is that we have the goalkeeper and defensive players that could be brilliant at executing this type of pass but we so rarely see it done.

We also have the ideal players to chase this type of ball and in Adama, arguably, the best in the Division. I think that it was against Wolves when Bernd hit a long high ball which Raul chased down, outmuscled the defender and scored.
Adama really worries all opposing managers and defences but, for some reason, we are no longer playing to his strengths. A typical example is the lead up to Bournemouth's second equaliser. having not given any balls over the top which he excels at, he was having to drop back into midfield to receive a ball played to his feet and the one time he was not in that space Diop played a ball into it which was intercepted by their player and the rest is history.
When Adama is on the pitch all our defenders should always be looking to chip the ball over the top of the opposition defenders and Adama will prove to be a much different and valuable player. If we can mix this type of ball out of defence and us playing out from the back, it will keep opponents guessing and will be much more reluctant to press us so high.

I hope Bernd knows the rule that you cannot be offside from a goal kick because, often, Raul or Rodrigo will intentionally stand well into the opponents half and behind their defensive line, virtually, crying out for Bernd to launch a long ball over the top only to see Calvin take the kick and almost always simply pass the ball sidewards to him and then he will play it out to a defender, or launch it towards Raul or Rodrigo who can now be deemed offside so they have to drop back, thus allowing the opponent's, often tall, central defenders to have the advantage of facing the ball. The great Sergio Agüero was a brilliant exponent of this tactic and had a superb understanding with Ederson. City often used it to really put opposing defences under pressure, with fast runners busting a gut to get as far up the pitch as possible ready to receive Agüero's lay off.

I honestly believe that really mixing our game up and really playing to all our strengths will yield even better results in the second half of the season.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

I think we’ve mixed it up well, gone long more than recent seasons. We have played 7th most long balls in the league, when muniz is on the pitch I bet that’s even higher, but it doesn’t suit Raul to play him as a static target man. I also think we are about right points wise, taking FFC specs off we could have got nothing v Ars or Liv who were pushing and CFC/forest games we won with them being quite even. The XG has us about right, every team has ifs, buts and maybes from their results. (NT) -- Henry1879, Wednesday, January 01, 05:02:55pm (croy-26-b2-v4wan-167127-cust1611.vm24.cable.virginm.net/82.38.22.76)
- Whilst I agree with Henry that we have mixed it up a little better this season, I cannot agree that Raul is not suited as a 'static' target man as, since joining us, he has proved time and time again that he can outjump, or outfox, often taller defenders and, more often than not, lay the ball off to a teammate so I believe that Ted has made a good point. (NT) -- Mike T, Thursday, January 02, 07:29:44am (NoHost/51.219.129.25)
- Bournemouth's second goal was in the dying minutes and if Bernd had simply pumped the ball well into their half, putting them on the back foot, instead of passing short centrally to Issa, who clearly did not want, or expect, it the goal would not have been conceded and we would have had another two points in the bag. (NT) -- Ted White, Thursday, January 02, 08:20:49am (host86-180-166-246.range86-180.btcentralplus.com/86.180.166.246)
  - I watched the game between Brentford and Arsenal last evening and could not help noticing how Raya kicked long balls over the top more often than not and once he even threw the ball over the Brentford defenders, positioned above the halfway line. (NT) -- Mike T, Thursday, January 02, 08:47:08am (NoHost/51.219.129.25)
    - I often yearn for the days when great Fulham goalkeepers, like Maik, Edwin and Mark, to name a few, wasted no time after catching the ball in throwing it to a Fulham player positioned way up the pitch. When we are level, or even behind, there is no urgency from Bernd, or other central defenders, to get the game going again as soon as possible in the most effective manner instead, virtually, always going through the same almost 'robotic' routine and sometimes get into trouble by doing it. (NT) -- Ted White, Thursday, January 02, 09:13:11am (host86-180-166-246.range86-180.btcentralplus.com/86.180.166.246)
      - I can remember seeing a clip on a Saturday morning football show screened back in 2001 where Edwin came second in a competition between six keepers where they were judged on the length and accuracy that they were able to throw the ball. I believe that the winner was an American guy who played for Blackburn Rovers but, at least, three of them including Edwin were able to actually reach the goal area with only one or two bounces. (NT) -- Mike T, Thursday, January 02, 12:10:57pm (NoHost/51.219.129.25)
Re: A great first half of the season but we all know that it could easily have been even better! (NT) -- Our Position is about right at the Halfway Point, Wednesday, January 01, 07:31:43pm (host-217-8-22-33.as13285.net/217.8.22.33)
- Your second statement contradicts your first (NT) -- Methuselah, Thursday, January 02, 11:48:42am (NoHost/80.233.43.201)

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT+0
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums^(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.