O4tonygreen
Well-known member
Yes I know we need perspective, and we have done brilliantly to be where we are, Crtichley is ace, the club is going in the right direction etc etc etc, BUT.....
The last few games have been very worrying. We reallly look low on confidence and don't really look like scoring many. I would pick on 3 or 4 summary points of concern...
1) We are playing very boring football at the mo, which was fine whilst we are winning/drawing, but is hard work once we start losing. I would love to see yesterday's stats, but I would wager that we did more backward passes than forward, especially from the midfield. Their first instinct (especially Dougall and Mitchell) is to turn backwards rather than look forward. We play pass after pass across the back four and do some nice triangles, then pass it back to Maxwell who hoofs it forward to a centre forward (either Madine or Yates) who struggle to hold it up against big centre halfs (or is it halves?). We desperately need a creative central midfielder (dare I say it someone on the Charlie Adam mould).
2. I think that teams have worked us out as being weak on defending corners/long throws. Neither keeper commands his box and comes out and catches crosses. The first two goals yesterday were scored with soft header inside the 6 yard box
3. Our corners are awful and we never look like scoring. We seem obsessed with short corners from the left, passing backwards then a soft looping cross to nowhere.
4. Our full backs never overlap like we used to have with Crainey/Eardley, and no-one seems to get round the back. James (who I think has played well defensively), in particular always cuts back onto his right foot. Its no coincidence that we haven't won since Keogh was out who gibes us extra height at the front and back, but also frees Husband up to play at full back in a more attacking way. We need Gabriel and Husband bombing forward,
I really feel for our front payers who make good runs, but we don't seem to have anyone who can thread a ball through to them.
My only positive yesterday was the 25 minutes that Yates and Lavery played together. I would love us to go 4-4-2 and try those two up front, then try playing the ball on the floor a lot more. A coupe f key signings could make all the difference.
As I said at the start though, I'm more than happy to be where we are. That doesn't me we can't criticise though.
The last few games have been very worrying. We reallly look low on confidence and don't really look like scoring many. I would pick on 3 or 4 summary points of concern...
1) We are playing very boring football at the mo, which was fine whilst we are winning/drawing, but is hard work once we start losing. I would love to see yesterday's stats, but I would wager that we did more backward passes than forward, especially from the midfield. Their first instinct (especially Dougall and Mitchell) is to turn backwards rather than look forward. We play pass after pass across the back four and do some nice triangles, then pass it back to Maxwell who hoofs it forward to a centre forward (either Madine or Yates) who struggle to hold it up against big centre halfs (or is it halves?). We desperately need a creative central midfielder (dare I say it someone on the Charlie Adam mould).
2. I think that teams have worked us out as being weak on defending corners/long throws. Neither keeper commands his box and comes out and catches crosses. The first two goals yesterday were scored with soft header inside the 6 yard box
3. Our corners are awful and we never look like scoring. We seem obsessed with short corners from the left, passing backwards then a soft looping cross to nowhere.
4. Our full backs never overlap like we used to have with Crainey/Eardley, and no-one seems to get round the back. James (who I think has played well defensively), in particular always cuts back onto his right foot. Its no coincidence that we haven't won since Keogh was out who gibes us extra height at the front and back, but also frees Husband up to play at full back in a more attacking way. We need Gabriel and Husband bombing forward,
I really feel for our front payers who make good runs, but we don't seem to have anyone who can thread a ball through to them.
My only positive yesterday was the 25 minutes that Yates and Lavery played together. I would love us to go 4-4-2 and try those two up front, then try playing the ball on the floor a lot more. A coupe f key signings could make all the difference.
As I said at the start though, I'm more than happy to be where we are. That doesn't me we can't criticise though.
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