What has changed?

[CornwallBlade]

I do think it is this:

1. Formation. It's time for a change. The upside of that is that it gives players the chance to reprofile their game and find different angles to attack, possess and defend. Organised teams like Wolves coped with us adequately at 3-5-2, even into the second half when we'd steadied ourselves and started to attack. The wingplay was capably blocked in and the pivot - our good friend Ollie Norwood - was easily pressed and dispossessed or forced into error. And can anyone say that the 3-5-2 played in the way it is with a flat midfield three, is doing anything to feed the front two? The downside is that the formation change is better introduced in pre-season and we seem to be sticking with the tried-and-tested (and now ailing) formation and do CWAK have anything up their sleeves to effectively change it and not put the fear of shit up the players? I do think we need to look at four at the back with either a diamond in front or even 4-3-2-1, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-3-2.

2. Fans. I don't really have to explain this although on balance, it is the same dead atmosphere for all 22 players out there.

3. Players. We are still playing a high percentage of players with us in L1 or the Championship. The stuff we've bought hasn't really blown a hole in the starting eleven and we are still resorted to utilising the old-school, who are not getting any younger. Players like O'Connell, Basham and Baldock have adequately made progress but it seems that the judgements of players like Egan comes into question playing at this level. Norwood isn't and won't be a 'picks himself', Lundstram needs to be shipped out, Fleck's credibility is now seriously in question and Sharp is simply past his best, with McGoldrick not far behind. But still Osborn sits out a half, we failed to play L Freeman, Mousett is simply a busted flush and McBurnie is clearly struggling to make his mark with some frankly appalling service. And yet we've rotated in and out with C Robinson and missed out on countless exciting transfer bids for one or another reason. Those we do bring in are mysterious signings from nowhere, and we fail to land decent talent like Watkins and Cash to name but two. I'm questioning what the backroom conversations are that eventually lead to the missing of transfer goals (is Brewster actually fucking coming, or not?) and then plumping for what seems to be a worrying stream of duds.

4. Goals and saves. We scored low last season, but had a keeper who kept the other end fairly goal free. This season we have let three in (plus five penalties) and have scored one goal from outfield play. This is - like it or not - fucking worrying. Yep - two games in, but it is a bad start no matter what oil you pour on the stormwater coming up. Next game is a game we can't afford not to score in, and can't afford to concede either and we have trouble with both. There are areas on the pitch from a casual observer we simply have to do better in. Short passing in the middle third, midfield advancing and playing a killer pass, shooting from anywhere beyond the six yard box, remaining focussed on stopping the cross and of course, crossing the fucking thing into the danger area. Our crosses are pisspoor. Corners frequently hit the first man, are lofted to the defender on the back post or are simply easily read and pumped clear. When Norwood finds the sweet spot - Egan against Wolves last season - the result is a goal. When it's in freeplay we faff endlessly trying to find the perfect opportunity to get the ball into the box, drawing the front two out on the area while the defenders get the cards out and have a swift round of poker on the penalty spot. We also fail to open up scoring opportunities from outside the box. Lundstram actually came to us from Oxford with a 'he can hit one' reputation. I haven't seen him do this, nor any of the midfield in fact. Get the defence second guessing, get the keeper off his feet and get the second ball saved on Sharp or McBurnie's feet.

Hopefully, this is a blip, albeit a lot earlier than we are used to.

pommpey

Excellent post Pommpey- you hit the nail on the head re:Norwood. There were signs last season that teams realised he can be nullified when harried. This has been evident again this season. It’s the PL and there is no time on the ball. Watching Man City tear Wolves apart was pretty terrifying - they hunted in packs all over the park. I believe that Berge is showing his class in that he can drift around players and must play in a central role for me. Get Osborn in the starting side, get Lundstram out, Burke sitting in the 10 hole and let’s put some fucking pressure on the opposition in their own half. I don’t care if we lose games taking to the opposition but the thought of 8 men behind the ball and hoping to nick something is just too depressing. Let’s see what Sunday brings. Hopefully we can keep a clean sheet/11players on the pitch for 15 minutes and put in a performance. No one will be happier than me to eat humble pie if we play like we did last season and get a win UTB

 

[jono_t2000]

Excellent post Pommpey- you hit the nail on the head re:Norwood. There were signs last season that teams realised he can be nullified when harried. This has been evident again this season. It’s the PL and there is no time on the ball. Watching Man City tear Wolves apart was pretty terrifying - they hunted in packs all over the park. I believe that Berge is showing his class in that he can drift around players and must play in a central role for me. Get Osborn in the starting side, get Lundstram out, Burke sitting in the 10 hole and let’s put some fucking pressure on the opposition in their own half. I don’t care if we lose games taking to the opposition but the thought of 8 men behind the ball and hoping to nick something is just too depressing. Let’s see what Sunday brings. Hopefully we can keep a clean sheet/11players on the pitch for 15 minutes and put in a performance. No one will be happier than me to eat humble pie if we play like we did last season and get a win UTB

Exactly if you can sack the "quarter back", you've gone 90% to winning the game.

Unfortunately our quarter back looks like he's stood in concrete most of the time. When he gets rushed he either passes backwards or gets dispossessed.

He doesn't have the technical ability or speed to slip a tackle.

Norwood with time looks like Beckham and land a ball on a 10p coin

Norwood being harried looks like a 1 legged hedgehog staring into the headlights of an incoming truck.

 

[Jan Age]

1. We aren’t winning the first balls
2. We aren’t winning the 2nd balls
3. We aren’t keeping possession for long enough
4. We aren’t creating chances

now before we go into comments about anything else any manager at any level will tell you you got to get those things sorted.

it was also vital we picked up points early given the run of fixtures coming up and we haven’t.

We have the look of a team that will struggle this season (the swagger has gone)

Sundays game is already huge now and we need 3 points.

Ive been watching football long enough to know what this season holds.

 

[Keen Blade]

Exactly if you can sack the "quarter back", you've gone 90% to winning the game.

Unfortunately our quarter back looks like he's stood in concrete most of the time. When he gets rushed he either passes backwards or gets dispossessed.

He doesn't have the technical ability or speed to slip a tackle.

Norwood with time looks like Beckham and land a ball on a 10p coin

Norwood being harried looks like a 1 legged hedgehog staring into the headlights of an incoming truck.

When a hedgehog rolls itself up , is it called a baller ?

 

[Carlton Blade]

Moose went downhill.

First few games. Dogged defensively, struggled in the final 3rd

Moose comes in. Everything clicks. Wolves swat, Spurs away, Burnley at home, Man Utd at home we are genuine threat to score 2+ goals in every game.

From the Villa home game onwards we only see tiny bursts of good Moose (Man City away first half was the swansong). We go back to being defew, trying to "manage" games by staying in them for an hour with mostly direct football.

From Boxing Day onwards we have scored 16 goals in 22 league games. 28 league goals (Pro rated over a full season) won't be enough. Especially when other teams appear to be focused on goalscoring g this season over defensive solidity.

If we don't make teams take out attack seriously (as at least a threat to score 2+ a game) we will struggle to maintain a solid defensive record (concede less than 50 is what we should aim for)

We need to add variety in method to our attacking plan.

 

[Tezza1889]

Has money rocked our boat?

Have Lundstrams wage demands brought it home that the players are miles away financially from the opposition theyre trying to beat..

Do not underestimate the significance of him asking for 60K* a week which the club will not pay, he was scoring goals and winning Premier league games, what does de bruyne earn for the same feat?

Note.. Comparing KDB to JL is madness I know, one player is world class, and up to now the other is a one season wonder who raised his game for a big payday, but take it back to basics and the fact is they're both in the same division, doing the same thing, it's not as far fetched a comparison as you'd first thought is it.

*alleged..source, bloke on kop..

 

[5tannington Blade]

In terms of the actual team - you'd have to say not much but it is all fine margins. I would say we were at our peak last season either in the first half against Burnley or first half against Man United. The team was almost the same for both games - see below (Jags and Moore were the only 2 changes for Man U).

It just seems to all be fine margins, Henderson will naturally save 1 or 2 more difficult shots every other game, Mousset was on fire at that time and converting difficult chances (unlike McBurnie at the moment), Jack O'C was on the overlaps, and Fleck was in better form in that position than where Berge seems to have suddenly found himself in AM (although Berge is coming on incredibly). Whether its the crowd, lack of confidence, change of personnel has affected our general fluidity though it is hard to say.