Punting it upfield to a 5’8 striker

[A Storm of Blades]

I have an extra inch.....not bragging ..just saying.

Nobody’s perfect (that isn’t 5’11)

 

[CarlMcBlade]

This is what I think. I think it’s extremely unlikely Hecky’s telling the team to punt it long at the first sign of pressure. I do genuinely think this side is one of the most technically limited in the division. I also think all of the players fear making a mistake and default to the safest option.

Some of our fans need to accept that there’s a gulf in quality between our team and most of the others in this division. We’re not going to go away to Brighton and knock it about all game and create 100s of chances. We are going to have to hang on at times and we are going to have to ride our luck.

I don’t know if Hecky is the best possible option to get the most out of these players. However, I doubt any manager could have this team playing great possession football. Also, it’s fine saying get rid, but realistically, who are we getting in? We don’t have money to pay anyone or get the players they’ll want in. I don’t see any point in getting Wilder in or some young unknown like Wednesday have tried. If those are the options, we may as well stick with Hecky.

We have to fundamentally establish what we really want to be. Take Burnley and Luton for instance, despite the points spread last season I don’t really think there was a cigarette paper between all three teams. But this season it is much more defined, Burnley have chosen to stay with the possession game they know and largely to their credit try to take the game to the opposition and in all fairness it’s their finishing that has let them down. Luton have also stuck to their strengths with a more physical, in your face sort of style that has sometimes put far superior teams on the back foot. Yes, they’re still rooted at the bottom with us, but they are both willing participants in all the game I’ve seen them in.
Us on other hand, don’t seem to have a coherent plan of how we want to play. We seem to be stuck in a hybrid system that works for nobody. We are probably easiest, non-combative opponents any side could wish to play again…We desperately need to find an identity again…and fast.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

We have to fundamentally establish what we really want to be. Take Burnley and Luton for instance, despite the points spread last season I don’t really think there was a cigarette paper between all three teams. But this season it is much more defined, Burnley have chosen to stay with the possession game they know and largely to their credit try to take the game to the opposition and in all fairness it’s their finishing that has let them down. Luton have also stuck to their strengths with a more physical, in your face sort of style that has sometimes put far superior teams on the back foot. Yes, they’re still rooted at the bottom with us, but they are both willing participants in all the game I’ve seen them in.
Us on other hand, don’t seem to have a coherent plan of how we want to play. We seem to be stuck in a hybrid system that works for nobody. We are probably easiest, non-combative opponents any side could wish to play again…We desperately need to find an identity again…and fast.

Some very good and well expressed thoughts in there .

On the stream I watched the Brighton match on , the commentator said - “ I’ve watched Sheffield United several times this season and they start with a nominal back three , but because they fail to keep the ball in midfield , they quickly fall into a back five and often a back seven which means when when they do win the ball in defence they have very few options apart from the long ball “.

I thought this to be a very perceptive observation from someone who can only classed as a casual observer and one which has to call into question our formation and coaching practices .

A notable feature of most of our games this season has been the inability to string more than two or three passes together before conceding possession , and the often desperate and shambolic situation we find ourselves in when we do so .

Some of this is down to the ability or lack of it by the players themselves , but even allowing for the fact that we have a much depleted squad , much of it must be as a result of poor coaching and stubbornly trying to persevere with a system which requires a number of players to take on roles for which they are clearly unsuited (Bogle and Thomas being prime examples) and one which has led to us producing some of the worst statistics in the entire history of the game .

One would think that that there might be a bit of a clue in the latter , particularly in view of the fact that we have been here before in our previous second season in the PL .

Yes , the results against Wolves and Brighton gained us valuable points but it has to be said we had the rub of the green in both and I can’t see us continuing to be successful unless our our blindingly obvious shortcomings are addressed sooner rather than later .

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Some very good and well expressed thoughts in there .

On the stream I watched the Brighton match on , the commentator said - “ I’ve watched Sheffield United several times this season and they start with a nominal back three , but because they fail to keep the ball in midfield , they quickly fall into a back five and often a back seven which means when when they do win the ball in defence they have very few options apart from the long ball “.

I thought this to be a very perceptive observation from someone who can only classed as a casual observer and one which has to call into question our formation and coaching practices .

A notable feature of most of our games this season has been the inability to string more than two or three passes together before conceding possession , and the often desperate and shambolic situation we find ourselves in when we do so .

Some of this is down to the ability or lack of it by the players themselves , but even allowing for the fact that we have a much depleted squad , much of it must be as a result of poor coaching and stubbornly trying to persevere with a system which requires a number of players to take on roles for which they are clearly unsuited (Bogle and Thomas being prime examples) and one which has led to us producing some of the worst statistics in the entire history of the game .

One would think that that there might be a bit of a clue in the latter , particularly in view of the fact that we have been here before in our previous second season in the PL .

Yes , the results against Wolves and Brighton gained us valuable points but it has to be said we had the rub of the green in both and I can’t see us continuing to be successful unless our our blindingly obvious shortcomings are addressed sooner rather than later .

I think the actual pace of the game in the Prem has clearly taken us by surprise. The startling speed at which even mid table teams press you is making us look like the classic rabbit in the headlights.
I don’t like singling out players, but take Norwood for example, he is our main playmaker, our beating heart if you like, but sadly his “quarterback” style of play is so slow and predictable the opposition know what he’s going to do before HE even gets the ball. Yes, we aren’t the quickest team on the park, but it’s the speed between our ears that really let’s us down.

 

[Dnblade]

With no strength and barely any hold up skills. Away from home.

Yeah, get Hecky out of my club please. Immediately.

One spawny result last week changes nothing. A deflected through ball and a dodgy pen won’t pull the wool over my eyes, we were crap and there’s no pretending otherwise.

Don’t mind losing to better sides, I hate losing playing the stupid idiotic tactics. Or lack of.

But the tactic wasn't to punt it long to Archer,we tried to play out but couldn't get out of our own half,so only then it went back to Wes who sometimes went long,..I think at one time we played 20 passes and couldn't get out of our half.
First half Brighton were better,got an early goal,but were reduced to mainly shots from distance..2nd half it was evenly matched up until the sending off,and then we were the better side for me and could have nicked it with the Bogle chance..Good away point to back up the win v Wolves in the end.

 

[Koh Samui Blade]

Disagree, why doesn't he teach them to string 2 or 3 passes together, these players all managed it at other clubs
So why can't they play simple pass and move football here? You can only assume it's tactics and it's not practiced in training.

I've mentioned this before. Premier and Clhamopnship is like 2 different forms of football.

Playing direct, percentage football cheaply giving away possession, is a viable tactic in the Championship.
However in the Premier League, you just cheaply giving the ball back to the opposition, then you don't see it again for 2 or 3 minutes.

The issue for me is that the lack of possession means our players are stuck in "out of possession" mode.

And totally knackered by the 60th minute

 

[Bergen Blade]

But the tactic wasn't to punt it long to Archer,we tried to play out but couldn't get out of our own half,so only then it went back to Wes who sometimes went long,..I think at one time we played 20 passes and couldn't get out of our half.
First half Brighton were better,got an early goal,but were reduced to mainly shots from distance..2nd half it was evenly matched up until the sending off,and then we were the better side for me and could have nicked it with the Bogle chance..Good away point to back up the win v Wolves in the end.

I think the reason we play it backwards so often is partly due to needing a break from the opposition's pressure. Obviously if a break is on we'd like to go for it, but often we've lacked ball carriers and players in front of the ball, meaning we've decided to try keeping some possession, albeit going sideways and backwards, in order to put a halt to the opposition attacking again and again. I agree it looks a bit strange how often we end up going back to Wes.

 

[Dnblade]

I think the reason we play it backwards so often is partly due to needing a break from the opposition's pressure. Obviously if a break is on we'd like to go for it, but often we've lacked ball carriers and players in front of the ball, meaning we've decided to try keeping some possession, albeit going sideways and backwards, in order to put a halt to the opposition attacking again and again. I agree it looks a bit strange how often we end up going back to Wes.

Yes we do lack ball carriers to help get us up the pitch,I agree.
Yeah we are conscious of not giving them the ball straight back,going long isn't much of an option without McB,so it goes back to Wes,then we try again,can't find an out ball,so back to Wes and then go long and lose the ball.
At least we managed to improve 2nd half and got the wing backs forward,especially Bogle,and got Hamer and Mcatee into the game more..whether that was because they went down to 10,but it was more even 2nd half 11 v 11 for me before that.

 

[ATL Recs]

I think the reason we play it backwards so often is partly due to needing a break from the opposition's pressure. Obviously if a break is on we'd like to go for it, but often we've lacked ball carriers and players in front of the ball, meaning we've decided to try keeping some possession, albeit going sideways and backwards, in order to put a halt to the opposition attacking again and again. I agree it looks a bit strange how often we end up going back to Wes.

The reason we are playing it "safe" going sideways and backwards is a massive fear of failure complex , probably nurtured by the coaching staff and manager - cant see the point of needing a break from the opposition pressure when we then constantly punt it forward to a 5'4" Traore or 5'10" Archer with an occasional 10/20 pass cycle, pre the punt, to catch our breath. Not to mention we are lying so deep that we put more expectation on our lone frontman who if he does get the ball to somehow hold it up for support or run at 3/4 defenders. If we have Mcburnie up top he can flick it on to nobody.
I get the impression we are playing a system that works with high pressing from back to front and front to back every player has to play the press with and without the ball otherwise it doesn't work.

 

[Slim Man]

And we’re doing it again. But it’s even worse than Brighton. That’s ok apparently cos we got a point.

Laughable

 

[Bladey_blade]

If we have a midget up top, and zero overlapping movement, what does/can norwood actually contribute?

 

[RWE]

If we have a midget up top, and zero overlapping movement, what does/can norwood actually contribute?

Set pieces that hit the first man and a booking?

 

[Slim Man]

Set pieces that hit the first man and a booking?

Brilliant to watch i must say

 

[Slim Man]

That fat cunt Yusuf and Snakey Bettis weren’t lying when they said Heckingbottom wouldn’t be judged on results were they?

Not by performances either by the looks of it. Never seen a team look as out of their depth tactically in any league ever. Embarrassing.

 

[ancientblade]

our main problem is midfield i havent got an issue with playing 1 striker but continuing with 3 centre backs as well is plain stupid and highlights heckys total lack of tactical nous were outnumbered in central midfield every game with this tactic bournemouths midfielders had 10 yards of space every time they got the ball add to that the fact norwood souza osborn and fleck are all lower end championship players at best and what can we expect