Why are we so good against the top teams this season

[Rudy Can't Fail]

would like to see a table for the bottom teams though

Trust me, you really wouldn't.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

I believe it's because they don't play wide men anymore. The top teams tend to have players who move around the middle and try to pass it through us.

The lesser teams still tend to have wide players and when teams attack against us down the wing, we tend to end up with our full-backs facing their wide player plus the full-back. This is where we have come unstuck so many times and has helped contribute to our full-backs looking worse than they probably are, because they are isolated.

A change of tactics for these teams may be appropriate.

[passitsideways]

Setup and personnel been well-covered already, but I think a big part comes down to attitude. It feels like whenever they play a top team, they recognise that they're not going to have much of the ball, so when they do have it, they pass it around with pace and purpose rather than faffing around aimlessly on the halfway line before passing it back to Guzan when a little bit of pressure comes, then sitting and waiting for a counter attack opportunity which never comes because that team isn't going to commit too many players forward.

(I'm reminded especially of the West Ham game, where they were breathtakingly lethargic until they scored, and then attacked furiously for the final half hour without luck/quality)

[Steve R]

More interesting than anything ... a mini league consisting of the top 4 and us this season -

[Monty]

It's counterattacking, it's being the underdog which takes that pressure off, it's the really huge crowds home and away when we play these teams, all of that. Suits us tactically and suits us mentally.

[Toronto Villa]

it's a positive and a negative in one sentence. We're good when we're not expected to be and when we need to be dominant and aggressive we fall back on to the tried and trusted sit back and break philosophy which doesn't work at home as well. This weekend was one of the first times we've actually seen this side go at a team and not just rely on the counter. We passed it with confidence and push Chelsea back. For me as a big a test comes this weekend when on the back of two really good wins, the expectation will have risen to produce a similar performance and result. We don't need score 4 times or anything but there home crowd will now expect playing better football, and not on mindlessly kicking the ball back to the opponent. We showed we don't have to do that all the time to win. We can play good football and win. Thing is we have been here before and the hope now is that it isn't another false dawn.

[Ads]

More interesting than anything ... a mini league consisting of the top 4 and us this season -

We should be at least four points better off too.

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

More interesting than anything ... a mini league consisting of the top 4 and us this season -

We should be at least four points better off too.

And Chelski 3 points worse off!

[marshall]

would like to see a table for the bottom teams though

Trust me, you really wouldn't.

#

We have taken 20 points from the 10 games against the bottom 6

[Concrete John]

would like to see a table for the bottom teams though

Trust me, you really wouldn't.

#

We have taken 20 points from the 10 games against the bottom 6

That's pretty good and a lot better than I expected, although I'm going to guess that we got more of those 20 away than at home.  Presumably this all means our real faults lie against the midtable sides.

[marshall]

would like to see a table for the bottom teams though

Trust me, you really wouldn't.

#

We have taken 20 points from the 10 games against the bottom 6

That's pretty good and a lot better than I expected, although I'm going to guess that we got more of those 20 away than at home.  Presumably this all means our real faults lie against the midtable sides.

Only beat Southampton out of the teams in 5th-14th. Also actaully it is 18 points not 20

Top 4: 10 Points from 13 games
5th-14th: 6 points from 11 games
Bottom 6: 18 points from 10 games

[stomper]

would like to see a table for the bottom teams though

Trust me, you really wouldn't.

#

We have taken 20 points from the 10 games against the bottom 6

That's pretty good and a lot better than I expected, although I'm going to guess that we got more of those 20 away than at home.  Presumably this all means our real faults lie against the midtable sides.

Only beat Southampton out of the teams in 5th-14th. Also actaully it is 18 points not 20

Top 4: 10 Points from 13 games
5th-14th: 6 points from 11 games
Bottom 6: 18 points from 10 games

So comparatively points per game:-


Top 4: 10 Points from 7 games      1.43 ppg
5th-14th: 6 points from 11 games   0.55 ppg
Bottom 6: 18 points from 10 games  1.8 ppg

Really poor against the mid table teams

[not3bad]

would like to see a table for the bottom teams though

Trust me, you really wouldn't.

#

We have taken 20 points from the 10 games against the bottom 6

That's pretty good and a lot better than I expected, although I'm going to guess that we got more of those 20 away than at home.  Presumably this all means our real faults lie against the midtable sides.

Only beat Southampton out of the teams in 5th-14th. Also actaully it is 18 points not 20

Top 4: 10 Points from 13 games
5th-14th: 6 points from 11 games
Bottom 6: 18 points from 10 games

Very much a midtable clash on Sunday so we'll see how we're progressing here, if we are.

[marshall]

6 of out last 9 games are against teams in the middle of the table