Easy Fix

[Poolview]

What went wrong first half yesterday
We didn't close players down, put tackles in, we allowed them as much time as they wanted on the ball
We were slow playing the ball out reverting back to last year's sideways or back passing
What made it worse was we had a water break on 25 minutes and neither the manager nor players changed the way we were playing
The easy fix
Lavery came on, chased and harried them which was contagious and suddenly everyone closed them down
Players started to want the ball and make runs, Swansea didn't look comfortable on the ball now
So the first half against Reading and the second half against Swansea is how we play for 90 minutes in future
Concentrate on the good parts of our play and maintain it for the whole game

 

[tangerinespud]

Perhaps difficult to judge yesterday due to the very hot temperatures? First half it seemed we were content to conserve energy & let them come at us. However, our midfield seemed to be marking space/areas & not opposing players so Swansea were able to get the ball inbetween the lines & play from there. They could & should have been a goal or 2 up.

Second half was better for spells. Lavery & Yates pressed as a pair. Dougall started snapping into their midfield. However, pressing football requires the whole team to do it not just sporadic areas of the pitch. Bowler & Carey the big culprits in not pressing / pressuring the ball.
Never an excuse for missing a penalty but perhaps poetic justice as it was a well excecuted dive to win the spot kick.

Appleton not winning anyone over standing in silence for 90 + minutes on the touch line (bar telling a couple of hecklers to F off later in the game).

 

[20togo]

What went wrong first half yesterday
We didn't close players down, put tackles in, we allowed them as much time as they wanted on the ball
We were slow playing the ball out reverting back to last year's sideways or back passing
What made it worse was we had a water break on 25 minutes and neither the manager nor players changed the way we were playing
The easy fix
Lavery came on, chased and harried them which was contagious and suddenly everyone closed them down
Players started to want the ball and make runs, Swansea didn't look comfortable on the ball now
So the first half against Reading and the second half against Swansea is how we play for 90 minutes in future
Concentrate on the good parts of our play and maintain it for the whole game

said it on another thread, that that first half the players looked to be conserving energy. It was hot out there so if there was no danger when their defence had the ball then why not conserve energy?. Add into the fact that of the first half front three only Yates is really a harrier of players. Second half Lavery came on so there was two of them to do the workload of closing down players and why we looked much more of a threat.

 

[Poolview]

Were we conserving energy in the second half against Reading or the majority of the game at Stoke
Sit back and give teams time and space and you get dominated
The number 6 for Swansea continually walked out of defense with the ball, wasn't challenged and was even allowed to get close enough to shoot
Patino came on stood his ground and he struggled to get a pass away because Yates and Lavery closed his options down
Hard work yes maybe that's why we have subs

 

[voyeur]

Never an excuse for missing a penalty but perhaps poetic justice as it was a well excecuted dive to win the spot kick.

Appleton not winning anyone over standing in silence for 90 + minutes on the touch line (bar telling a couple of hecklers to F off later in the game).

He'll win me over if he keeps telling hecklers to fuck off.

Swans keeper said...

“The second half, the crowd was getting behind them and then they got the penalty. I was just happy to save it, and for us to go on a get the three points.

“I’ll give Deano [Thornton] all the credit. He told me that [Yates] goes left, right, left, right, left, right (alternating sides when taking penalties) so naturally I need to go left to follow his routine.

“I actually think he went down the middle, so I don’t know if he [Thornton] gets the credit or not - but I did go left and I saved it.”