1. Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!

Defending narrow leads ...

Discussion in 'Sunderland' started by Smug in Boots, Sep 14, 2021.

  1. Jme

    Jme Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 25, 2015
    Messages:
    213
    Likes Received:
    736
    Don't agree with it in this division... the ****housery enables big physical teams (most of them in this div) to launch balls into the box from free kicks won from nieve gullible officials who have been got at for 70 mins.... best way is to keep the ball and not let them into the game..
     
    #21
    Daz, Oldsandy, Dorset and 3 others like this.
  2. Smug in Boots

    Smug in Boots Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2011
    Messages:
    53,566
    Likes Received:
    112,763
    Very good point mate.

    I think we're anxious not to be playing catch up but, once 4/5/6 points clear I'm sure we'll see more risks being taken.

    It's difficult to be that brave, at the moment, when the supporters are so desperate for points at any cost.
     
    #22
    smithy in nl and E.T. Fairfax like this.
  3. FellTop

    FellTop Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2020
    Messages:
    7,092
    Likes Received:
    24,834
    I think human nature is at play here. The closer you get to achieving what you are desperate for the more nervous you get. The closer you to get to failing the more desperate you get. Players are human and at 1 goal up with the clock ticking down will start behaving differently, like the opposition will who need a goal. I do not believe coaches can really change that natural impulse of players and so you see game management from coaches. Having someone like Bailey Wright on the bench, with his experience, is a luxury at this level. I would argue it would be remis of a coach not to see the signs and put him on.

    I had a team playing at the weekend and it happened. 2-1 down and as the second half wore on my players started pushing higher and playing more direct. They started backing off and the last 5 ended up entirely in their final 3rd. As a coach I tried to influence it by pushing two midfielders on and a defender into midfield. Their coach reacted. All I would say were entirely natural reactions and within our human nature.

    Of course when we are 2 or 3 up human nature is to start with the Ole's...
     
    #23
  4. samwise_new

    samwise_new Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2019
    Messages:
    3,822
    Likes Received:
    11,014
    said a few times, in this league it all comes down to the ball in the net, the overall play/tactics don't really seem to come into it, just 'gung-ho' then after a goal they all play silly buggers...rarely does this league have a prolific striker that scares the opposition into any tactical change, it always seems to be 'get yer noses in front lads then see what they have got'.

    my worry with this is that teams might just hold back then go hell for leather at us in the closing minutes after we have knackered ourselves trying to break them down...only plus points are that we (currently) seem more likely to score than concede but i remember parky doing similar and getting pelters.
     
    #24
  5. TopClub

    TopClub Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2019
    Messages:
    252
    Likes Received:
    728
    I was hoping that he would put some pace up front on for the last 15 plus maybe a quarter back style midfielder to try and get fast break aways. Stewart certainly covers some ground, can't really remember a centre forward with that much mobility, he must tire towards the end. It will be interesting to see if the tactics change when Broadhead and the german lad are up to speed.
     
    #25
    Robertson and Smug in Boots like this.
  6. E.T. Fairfax

    E.T. Fairfax Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2012
    Messages:
    8,140
    Likes Received:
    9,287
    Theres a difference between this season and previous seasons in this division (thus far). Before this season were sneaking most wins which we barely or didnt deserve or snatching late draws. This season we are winning matches where we should have won more comfortably. Like you say, once we (hopefully) get more points on the board and the pressure is off and we are allowed the odd poor result, the players will relax and win games more comfortably (did I say hopefully?)
    Thats the beauty of our good start when compared with other promotion hopefuls (Ipswich for example). Already they have used a few lives in their hope for promotion. They would take your arm off if they were offered a play off place now. Sheff Wed & Portsmouth have lost their last 2, they must be a bit concerned. We havnt played a current bottom half team yet. So, I know hopes and expectations can change within a game or two at this early stage, but things are looking promising at the moment.
     
    #26
  7. Billy Batts

    Billy Batts Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2019
    Messages:
    2,681
    Likes Received:
    4,988
    Hate it tbh. It will start costing us at some point. Attack is the best form of defense.
     
    #27
  8. Nordic

    Nordic Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2011
    Messages:
    8,032
    Likes Received:
    6,078
    I'd rather we went 3-1 or 3-0 ahead with 15 to go, then deploy the defensive tactic. Perhaps this is what LJ is trying to enforce - finish your chances and be at least 2 goals to the good, or you'll be ****ting it for the last 15.
     
    #28
    Smug in Boots likes this.
  9. Smug in Boots

    Smug in Boots Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2011
    Messages:
    53,566
    Likes Received:
    112,763
    Just watched the last 15 minutes of Bournemouth v QPR at 2-1 ...

    ... if was absolute backs to the wall stuff <laugh>
     
    #29
  10. cumbrianmackem

    cumbrianmackem Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2011
    Messages:
    8,858
    Likes Received:
    23,968
    Lincoln 1-1 Rotherham FT
     
    #30
    Robertson likes this.

  11. malagamackem

    malagamackem Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2014
    Messages:
    1,690
    Likes Received:
    10,127
    Great debate. It works and is nail-biting though. It clearly works more often than it backfires otherwise it wouldn't happen.
    The issue on Saturday was that we created more chances that we should really have scored from and didn't. LJ then had. choice of either a) keep going with 10-15 minutes remaining and leave ourselves more open to a counter attack or b) close the ranks and make it even more difficult for the opposing team to score. Not an easy decision but the stats show that option b is the better choice most times.
    However, my blood pressure is through the fecking roof and I am booking myself in to have my fingernails replaced next week
     
    #31
  12. Glencoe

    Glencoe Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2019
    Messages:
    507
    Likes Received:
    1,418
    Like the majority on here I don't like it but I'm not going to argue with a manager who has provided us with our best start to a season for years.

    I think it will stay until it stops working but already the are quite a few credits in the bank on this on.

    I can see the rationale behind it, if the opposition are piling more and more attackers into the game do we just leave things as we are and gamble on our outnumbered defence holding out maybe with the chance of us scoring again.
     
    #32
    Robertson likes this.
  13. Draig

    Draig Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2019
    Messages:
    2,275
    Likes Received:
    5,412
    Less likely to get caught out? Maybe, but far more likely to concede free kick on the edge of the box or a penalty due to **** housery.

    The idea of game management in the Premiership is fine because of the standard of refereeing but with ****e L1 refs then it becomes a bit more of a lottery.

    Frankly I would rather we didn’t buy a ticket for that type of lottery and instead did our defending outside of the other team's box and bought a ticket for the type of lottery where we have a chance of scoring more goals ourselves!
     
    #33
  14. ned_werby

    ned_werby Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2019
    Messages:
    984
    Likes Received:
    1,887
    don't wish to get into a 'debate' about it but so far this season we've conceded zero penalties and few, if any, dangerous free-kicks around the box. the tactic is working. and we can out-****-house most teams these days if we need to.
     
    #34
    malagamackem and Draig like this.
  15. Mackem74

    Mackem74 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2019
    Messages:
    482
    Likes Received:
    1,598
    Its horrible at the time but weve not offered up many chances in the final few minutes of games. I think sometimes the emotion and stress of watching your team clouds the reality of what you are seeing
     
    #35
    malagamackem likes this.
  16. I'm still not with the logic of it. In every match we play the opposition will have periods when they come at us,useful spells of possession,an increased threat on our goal,and if we're comfortable in our defensive play which is good enough to restrict them to perhaps one goal and a handful of half chances during those spells of play,why do we think the last 10 minutes will be any different to the first 80? If we're the better side,capable of defending their play,and ahead in the match,why do we want to sit 5 or 10 yards outside our box,concede the ground and invite them on, with all the risks in and around our penalty area that it brings? If we continue to play as we have done throughout the match,we would have the majority of the ball,play would be in their half the majority of the time thus diminishing their threat.
     
    #36
    Random lad, Oldsandy and Draig like this.
  17. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2015
    Messages:
    6,796
    Likes Received:
    11,918
    I think that the idea that game management isn't needed in League 1 is wide of the mark. I watched an Isthmian League team last night that I've watched a couple of times in the last week or so. They have some good players and play decent football but have only one way of playing. Despite a couple of good wins, this lack of a Plan B has led to them taking some heavy beatings. Even their fans have pointed this out, both in the ground and on Twitter. Their response has been to bring in a couple of players who are well past their best for this level 'for their experience'. Last night, they got their noses slightly ahead in the first half, partially due to these 'experienced' lads, but in the second half, the opposition made a slight tweak and were by far the better side. With no game management plan, the home side were constantly on the back foot and eventually conceded an equaliser and only clung on to the draw through some luck and some poor refereeing.
    Which is a long-winded way of saying, being able to defend a lead and being able to change your game plan to facilitate that is important at all levels.
     
    #37
    Random lad likes this.
  18. Smug in Boots

    Smug in Boots Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2011
    Messages:
    53,566
    Likes Received:
    112,763
    Why did I have to post this stinking thread <doh>
     
    #38
    vinkel, ab65, Draig and 1 other person like this.
  19. Essayyeffcee

    Essayyeffcee Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2019
    Messages:
    6,414
    Likes Received:
    18,150
    You feeling bad? What about @ned_werby ? He said we hadn't conceded any penalties! :emoticon-0138-think
     
    #39
    ned_werby, Oldsandy, Ozzymac and 2 others like this.
  20. monty987

    monty987 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2011
    Messages:
    8,076
    Likes Received:
    3,216
    O brien should have been on and we should have kept Wyke.
     
    #40

Share This Page