Flip Flop

[pauliewalnuts]

McLeish is like Houiller was last season. Just when you thought he's finally getting things right, along comes a shocker of a team selection to puzzle everybody and a perfomance to go with it.

Last year:

Good result at Chelsea, few days later, meek surrender at home to Sunderland

This year:

Good result at Chelsea, few days later, meek surrender at home to Swansea.

[Clampy]

McLeish is like Houiller was last season. Just when you thought he's finally getting things right, along comes a shocker of a team selection to puzzle everybody and a perfomance to go with it.

Last year:

Good result at Chelsea, few days later, meek surrender at home to Sunderland

This year:

Good result at Chelsea, few days later, meek surrender at home to Swansea.

Exactly. After the Arsenal game at home, at the final whistle i said to my mate 'that's the standard the players have got to stick to for the rest of the season, and if we do we'll be alright'. Chelsea apart and the superb second half against QPR, we have'nt really done it that, which is why it's annoying.

[pauliewalnuts]

You do have to wonder, Clampy, what he's thinking when N'Zogbia and Ireland (an in form Ireland and a recently improved N'Zogbia) get left on the bench an Heskey gets played in midfield.

[Clampy]

I totally understood the need to restrict Man City and not let them walk all over us, but Heskey in midfield was'nt the answer. I supppose it could be argued that it worked because they only scored from a set piece but it did nothing for our attacking play at all.

[martyn ellis]

When you leave all your gifted players on the bench as on Sunday (N'Zogbia, Ireland, Bannan) and put ten men behind the ball - that's when you get your 'flop'.

[nigel]

To be honest we have been hit with loads of misfortune bar the Wolves game of late. Plenty of penalty appeals turned down, loads of penatlies being given against us, mistakes at the back being punished, deflections falling towards oppostions strikers and Stephen Warnock.

 If you try and defend far to deep and give the ball away cheaply then you will give away more penalties, you will see more mistakes being made and you will see more deflections falling to the opposition. That's not misfortune or bad luck.

I think giving the ball away cheaply has probably been our biggest problem this season.
Several times this season we've been knocking the ball around quite nicely the just give it away. I think we have a few players who can do it, but we also have a few who, quite frankly, just don't seem comfortable on the ball.
Swansea's first goal was typical, I know the game was only 4 minutes in, but I think it was the first touch they had.
And not having pace with the fullbacks doesn't help. I've lost count of the times Hutton, in particular, hasn't had the pace to beat his player so has cut inside and stopped because he can't use his left foot. He's had so many opportunities to have a bang he'd be in double figures now if he could have used his left. I'm not just picking on him either, there are a couple more who should practice with their weaker foot.

[pauliewalnuts]

The giving the ball away cheaply thing is spot on.

Sunday was a particularly good example of it. We're up against a decent passing side, and, despite having a flaky defence, have decided to be ultra defensive, with a striker in midfield - who actually spends most of his time in the penalty area playing as another defender - so what do we do? We constantly give the ball away cheaply and invite pressure on to us.

It's not by any means a new thng for us, but I thought sunday was a really stark example of how we're frequently our own worst enemy.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I think giving the ball away cheaply has probably been our biggest problem this season.

I think it's been our problem for the last decade. It's our trademark.

[Mister E]

I totally understood the need to restrict Man City and not let them walk all over us, but Heskey in midfield was'nt the answer. I supppose it could be argued that it worked because they only scored from a set piece but it did nothing for our attacking play at all.

We missed having Clark and Herd in the MF to stifle Citeh. With those two available, the strategy might have worked. In their absence we might well have been a little more adventurous, but weren't.
Poor possession, not enough pressing when without the ball, fullbacks with a rash challenge / error in them every game and central defenders that sit deep, get turned and thrash the ball away aimlessly.
Significant surgery is required over the close season.

[django]

We give the ball away so much because of 3 primary reasons.

1. Players feel under pressure, particularly at home.
2. Our mind bending lack of off the ball movement.
3. The way we are set up/ defend too deep/ shape invites pressure and restricts passing options.

All of that is part of the managers job to remedy I think.

I agree with the posts above that every relegated team has moments where hey play good stuff and probably feel aggrieved that they go down. It's a tough league you can't expect to stay in it playing well for half an hour a fortnight.

[TonyD]

There is a reason.  Pick a good team - flip.  Pick a team like on Sunday - flop.  No mystery that our most "special" performances have been when we have gone shit look at that team.

[Greg N'Ash]

The trouble with the Heskey call is we don't know what happened with N'Zogbia and Ireland's recent alledged run-ins. If it was a disciplinary matter AM didn't have much choice

[john e]

The trouble with the Heskey call is we don't know what happened with N'Zogbia and Ireland's recent alledged run-ins. If it was a disciplinary matter AM didn't have much choice

but they both came on later

[Greg N'Ash]

yeah, dropped from the starting line-up possibly

[brian green]

I agree with the theory that giving the ball away may be a trigger to a collapse in playing standards but that throws up another question.   Do we stand off the opposition deliberately as a misguided defensive tactic or just from laziness and lack of commitment?

Apart from the over discussed aerial passing vice the other debilitating vices are not being energetic and aggressive enough in winning the ball and when we have won the ball making a telling pass.   The important word in that sentence is "telling" i.e. not back to Petrov to pass to Collins to pass back to Given to launch at best a 50 50 ball upfield.

As soon as Ireland came on last Sunday he tried to set up the attack.   He will try to pass the ball along the ground.   Heskey in that midfield role is like chucking a brick in a cement mixer at the end of a shift.   It rumbles and tumbles about being useful but it adds nothing to the function of the cement mixer.

There is something going on which causes the players confidence to be so fragile.   I know if I was Barry Bannan and was constantly benched to make way for Heskey to play in the midfield it would make me very angry and disillusioned.

It is all very curious.