We must have the worst ball retention of any team in the premier league . What has happened since we played so well against Wolves . Only Taarabt and Faurlin of our team seem to have the skill and composure to control a ball ,look around and pass it to someone in blue and white hoops . The rest of them panic and hoof it , division one style . I feel we would have won that game easy even with 10 men if we had a good possesion game . So now when one of our morons get sent off for being themselves we stand absolutely no chance of winning with 10 men as we give the other team the ball at every available opportunity and invite the pressure back on. Which will eventually turn into goals as our 10 men tire . Relegation will be a certainty if this isnt rectified .Time for Barton to earn his wages instead of playing and talking sh--- .
That's about right. Pass to a bloke in a blue & white hooped shirt. Pass and move, pass and move, simple.
Yes, mine are in my hand. Oh sorry, I thought you were talking about my testes! Had to lighten it up a bit. Sorry. Edit: I just got home after a late night pish-up. Went out with my mates to have a laugh after today. Had to try and forget and move on! It'll be better.
I've mentioned this a few times. We don't seem capable of putting a string of passes together at the back in order to keep the ball. Even at one nil up yesterday we didn't seem to want the ball.
Strangely, Chelsea showed us how to play after players have been sent off. They still didn't break us down much in that game but they kept the ball for long periods and applied pressure.
The fact that we couldn't hold out for a win or even a draw, against an inferior team at home is very worrying. We lost one of two strikers, which is not a disaster when you're already 1-0 up. Mentally we're not quite right.
If you look at the possession stats this season, you will quickly see that there were eunuchs in ancient Egypt with better ball retention than us.
We shouldn't have to string passes together at the back - the passes need to be strung together in front of the back, up the middle and then forward. We're sat back too much and that's where we get tangled. The transition forward needs to be quicker, and if we press up quicker when we do have the ball then we can keep it out of the back and control it better. Well, we need to control it better.
No, they don't. They get it out of the back fairly quickly. We seem to keep giving the ball away with silly passes right in front of the defense.
Spot on mate! If we forget case Cisse now, i dont know why we did get in a state of shock after they score their first one yesterday. It last about 20-25 min in which time they won the match. Our passing play was awful and our defence looked shaky and very uncertain during that period. Every matchday players get sent off ,but not everytime teams who play at home and lead the match lose their match balace and possession of the game for their player get sent off! And that has now happened to us TWICE in a month and with a different manager. I think it is a matter of self confidence and in our case the lack of it. How on earth ,even one man short , you let the team like Wolves look like Barca compared to you at home???
Maybe its time to start thinking diffrently... Maybe, just maybe, we are not as good as we think we are, Maybe, last years sucess was a bit of a fluke and we need to stop buying into the hype that we are a great team... We've got half a premiership squad and we're in this position for a reason? Now if we can get the rest of the players to realise this, then maybe they might start trying a bit harder....? Just a thought...?
I don't think anybody thinks this squad is in a worse position than it deserves - the table doesn't lie. One of the fascinating things about football, however, is the extent to which confidence, reputation and aura play a part in a team's fortunes. String together a run of good results and teams seem get better, harder to beat, play more for each other, battle more to preserve the run etc. Also, the opposition begin to concern themselves more with countering what they think you're going to do, rather than focussing on what they're going to do. So they become more defensive as a consequence. Get a run of poor results and heads drop. First goal conceded and you can see them looking at each other, shaking their heads as if to say "here we go again". It is times like this that a team needs natural leaders. A clenched fist. A snarl. Barked orders. Encouragement. Example. Is there much of this from our team and specially our Dear Captain?
This is a good thread. Ball retention is deffo a major problem for us. I know i keep harping on about this but again i feel it's due to us not having a DM. We have nodody sitting in the middle breaking up the play and giving simple quick passes. Ali was the nearest we had to this, but he was not a DM and was to slow and lightweight to be an enforcer. Barton has lost his male instincts and is playing like a nancy boy. He also gives the ball away far too much. I really hope this young guy from Mal,i Diakite is our answer. We need somebody to sit back and protect our back four, break up opposition play and give the ball simply and quickly to our more creative players. A good DM can slow down the game when needed and speed it up when required. Just my thoughts!!
Agreed. But also the 'first touch' abilities of much of the squad this season has been woeful... as has the quality of the passes they've been asked to bring under control.