I'm not going to read too much into today's result, they are a much better team than us and we decided to gift them three goals in a very short period of time. It's not nice to watch, but these things happen.We are clearly harder to beat on the evidence thus far, although that's a situation which changes potentially dramatically when we pick up injuries. It is still a move in the right direction, though.However, is anyone else worried that we don't really seem to be doing much to keep the ball more often than we have for the last two years?Today, 29% possession at home to Arsenal. OK, they're a possession side, it's not that much of a shock. However, we won at home to Hull, but did so with them having the majority of the possession (45-55). At home to Newcastle, who are a poor side, we gave them 60% possession.I appreciate that possession does not automatically convert into results, but it is hard to consistently play well when you spend so much of the time without the ball. Yes, giving possession away and counter attacking away from home means you can still actually have control of the game (Anfield, for example), possession means nothing if you do nothing with it.However, we are - currently - one of the bottom three sides for possession and passes completed, and we have been for the last two seasons.I reckon Lambert wants to improve it. I am just not hugely convinced he knows how to. He certainly hasn't thus far, over the two seasons he has been here.You will not find many sides who pretty much never have a great deal of the ball and manage to do well.So, when does this start to improve?
The answer is so very simple. When you play a narrow game without quality players. You are fucked. You keep possession by making the pitch wide. Winger or wingers are a banned player under our current and previous Scottish management. We are expecting our full backs to provide width, which wingers provide, would you expect a winger to defend like a full back? It's a defensive tactic, hence our shite home record.
You will not find many sides who pretty much never have a great deal of the ball and manage to do well.So, when does this start to improve?
Quote from: pauliewalnuts on September 20, 2014, 05:32:16 PMYou will not find many sides who pretty much never have a great deal of the ball and manage to do well.So, when does this start to improve? The simple answer is when we have a decent manager. I was thinking about this today, before the game, it's so long since we had a decent manager. Before anybody mentions MON, let's just remember how crap the football was under him.A side should be judged on how they play at home, it's about taking the game to the opposition, showing them what you're made of, how you like to express yourself as a team. Away from home it's easy to play on the counter attack and try and snatch a goal, thereafter defend with 10 men behind the ball for 80 minutes. Great for 3 points and the away fans but shit to watch.Problem is we don't have a manager that knows how to set up the team to entertain and get the 3 points. We opt for castration and dragging them down to our level in the hope we might get lucky. And before anybody mentions budget, remind yourselves how the clubs below us, that humiliate us in the cups, don't seem to struggle with putting a few passes together and actually look like they know what they're doing.For me, the blame lies firmly at Lerner's door. He hasn't either the knowledge or the courage to try or ask for anything different from his managers. It's all about friendship, nice little chats and keeping us believing things will improve despite having tactically inept managers in charge.It really is becoming tiresome and like the football, very, very predictable.
Quote from: The Sound of Villadelphia on September 21, 2014, 01:58:10 AMQuote from: pauliewalnuts on September 20, 2014, 05:32:16 PMYou will not find many sides who pretty much never have a great deal of the ball and manage to do well.So, when does this start to improve? The simple answer is when we have a decent manager. I was thinking about this today, before the game, it's so long since we had a decent manager. Before anybody mentions MON, let's just remember how crap the football was under him.A side should be judged on how they play at home, it's about taking the game to the opposition, showing them what you're made of, how you like to express yourself as a team. Away from home it's easy to play on the counter attack and try and snatch a goal, thereafter defend with 10 men behind the ball for 80 minutes. Great for 3 points and the away fans but shit to watch.Problem is we don't have a manager that knows how to set up the team to entertain and get the 3 points. We opt for castration and dragging them down to our level in the hope we might get lucky. And before anybody mentions budget, remind yourselves how the clubs below us, that humiliate us in the cups, don't seem to struggle with putting a few passes together and actually look like they know what they're doing.For me, the blame lies firmly at Lerner's door. He hasn't either the knowledge or the courage to try or ask for anything different from his managers. It's all about friendship, nice little chats and keeping us believing things will improve despite having tactically inept managers in charge.It really is becoming tiresome and like the football, very, very predictable.So who do you consider is a decent manager? We are actually third in the table having played 2 of the top teams in our first five games
Will we ever get more than 50% possession in a match? Even Hull at home recently we got less than 50%.