Whip it in...

[Bladey McBladeface]

Or shoot.

Too often we get in good positions out wide and drag 2/3 of our players over to the touchline, only to then pass it backwards or overplay it before crossing.

Sometimes I’d like to see us get the ball in the box quicker.

Similarly, we need to start shooting from outside the area more. The lack of goals from midfield is a concern. As good as Fleck is (and continues to be), he should be scoring more. As should Duffy/insert number 10.

 

[Slim Man]

No, no.

Please carry on the chuckle brothers impression. To me. To you. To me. To you.

It’s great to watch, not slow and boring and totally predictable. Honest Lads.

 

[boo radley]

No, no.

Please carry on the chuckle brothers impression. To me. To you. To me. To you.

It’s great to watch, not slow and boring and totally predictable. Honest Lads.

Careful, Nippy cone will be after you.

 

[Smirth]

Some times we are shot shy and miss opportunities to cross but I don’t think it’s something we are guilty of often.

The concern is that we commit so many players forward to attack, that if we do start shooting from distance more or crossing from deeper we risk opening ourselves up to the counter attack with so many players forward.

 

[Bladey McBladeface]

Some times we are shot shy and miss opportunities to cross but I don’t think it’s something we are guilty of often.

We are extremely shot shy / shot quality shy.

Look at how many goals we’ve conceded at Bramall Lane from shots outside the box. By comparison I can only think of Coutts earlier this season who pinged one in.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

GERRITINTBOXYOONITED

 

[Wards]

The GERRITFORRARD brigade are alive and well I see

Why not just go back to the Bassett era and get Jack O’Connell to launch it 100 yards to our strikers?

Look through the divisions and the consistently better sides are patient and methodical for the most part - not relying on luck and something to fall for them in the box.

 

[Weasel]

GERRITINTBOXYOONITED

Your absolutely spot on. There are times when we should 'gerritintboxyoonited' a damned sight quicker than we do. No is advocating launching the ball to no one in particular (or long ball game) but we do need to quicken our tempo up and move the ball up the pitch quicker than we do at home by getting the players to break from midfield quicker (not by banging the ball long so let's put that one to bed).

Instead when we win the ball back we then take 10 passes when 3 would do the same job. We wait til all are back in their defensive shape and then and only then do we and break them down.

Even last night after the goal went in, we spent a good couple of mins in injury time with our centre halves passing to each other before we passed it back to Moore who then kicked it long. Hardly progressive football when the clock is running out. Then and only then is it worth while getting bodies in their box and going long with a few 'hail Mary's. All teams do that.

We need to quicken up our counter attacking play. Our patient play at home is to e and dandy if we have the lead but the best sides always break with pace. Man Utd in the Fergie years used to be lethal at that.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

We also need to take on our man a bit more in the final third

 

[GodricBlade]

The GERRITFORRARD brigade are alive and well I see

Why not just go back to the Bassett era and get Jack O’Connell to launch it 100 yards to our strikers?

Look through the divisions and the consistently better sides are patient and methodical for the most part - not relying on luck and something to fall for them in the box.

Agree - but only to a point.
Patience is only worth the effort if the end product is there often enough. We seem to dilly-dally about TOO much so the momentum goes, defenders get back in place & the threat disappears.
When we do run at players, we create chances. Lately, we haven’t done that enough - especially at home - and now haven’t scored in our last 3 at the Lane.

If that’s what patience does for us - it ain’t working. The truth lies in a patient enough build up with some threat at the end of it that creates a chance. Without that last bit, we’re shafted.

Last night, I think our best chances came from quicker breaks & moves - not ‘hang on, let’s cut back, again’.

 

[Magic Hat]

The GERRITFORRARD brigade are alive and well I see

Why not just go back to the Bassett era and get Jack O’Connell to launch it 100 yards to our strikers?

Look through the divisions and the consistently better sides are patient and methodical for the most part - not relying on luck and something to fall for them in the box.

Wow life is very black and white for you isn,t it mate . "The Gerriforrard" brigade dont want hoofball or slow predictable passing for the sake of it football. We want to see a fast flowing passing game where you cross first time and shoot when you have a chance. This does not rely on luck or the ball to fall to someone by chance it creates more chances to score which is the whole point about football , isn,t it ?

 

[Weasel]

Agree - but only to a point.
Patience is only worth the effort if the end product is there often enough. We seem to dilly-dally about TOO much so the momentum goes, defenders get back in place & the threat disappears.
When we do run at players, we create chances. Lately, we haven’t done that enough - especially at home - and now haven’t scored in our last 3 at the Lane.

If that’s what patience does for us - it ain’t working. The truth lies in a patient enough build up with some threat at the end of it that creates a chance. Without that last bit, we’re shafted.

Last night, I think our best chances came from quicker breaks & moves - not ‘hang on, let’s cut back, again’.

Exactly.

 

[Bayingblade]

Said exactly the same coming out last night. We get into great positions to get a cross in yet choose the short pass. It's not a case of hoofing it into the box, it's a case of getting a cross in when the passing play has worked its way into a position to do so, which was surely the point in the first place - to get into a position to get a cross in. The longer you delay, the more chance the defenders have of getting their positions right.

 

[Weasel]

The tap it sideways to each other from me to you from you to me (David Weir) football is as bad as watching a team do a Wimbledon of old and smashing the ball forward to no one in particular. Both doomed to failure.

The truth is that we probably need something in between. We play nice football but we need to be able to take less touches and move the ball up the pitch a lot quicker when we have the space and chance to break on teams.

 

[thehet]

Or shoot.

Too often we get in good positions out wide and drag 2/3 of our players over to the touchline, only to then pass it backwards or overplay it before crossing.

Sometimes I’d like to see us get the ball in the box quicker.

Similarly, we need to start shooting from outside the area more. The lack of goals from midfield is a concern. As good as Fleck is (and continues to be), he should be scoring more. As should Duffy/insert number 10.

We have to play a 10 for a 10 to score.

 

[jt64]

Yeah, let's take low percentage efforts and put in low percentage balls and not look to create real chances. Has that late Fleck effort come back down yet?

 

[Weasel]

Yeah, let's take low percentage efforts and put in low percentage balls and not look to create real chances. Has that late Fleck effort come back down yet?

But that would be a little bit silly I feel.

 

[Chali 2na]

Or shoot.

Too often we get in good positions out wide and drag 2/3 of our players over to the touchline, only to then pass it backwards or overplay it before crossing.

Sometimes I’d like to see us get the ball in the box quicker.

Similarly, we need to start shooting from outside the area more. The lack of goals from midfield is a concern. As good as Fleck is (and continues to be), he should be scoring more. As should Duffy/insert number 10.

The lack of accurate crosses and the lack of goals scored from outside the area is down to a lack of quality more than anything else.

Improving the quality of the squad is a slow process.

 

[Esablade]

Or shoot.

Too often we get in good positions out wide and drag 2/3 of our players over to the touchline, only to then pass it backwards or overplay it before crossing.

Sometimes I’d like to see us get the ball in the box quicker.

Similarly, we need to start shooting from outside the area more. The lack of goals from midfield is a concern. As good as Fleck is (and continues to be), he should be scoring more. As should Duffy/insert number 10.

..thought we got balls in/across the box and had more shot's from range last night...certainly more than in previous games...sure someone will watch it again and 'analyse'..

 

[SUFC Guy]

Or shoot.

Too often we get in good positions out wide and drag 2/3 of our players over to the touchline, only to then pass it backwards or overplay it before crossing.

Sometimes I’d like to see us get the ball in the box quicker.

Similarly, we need to start shooting from outside the area more. The lack of goals from midfield is a concern. As good as Fleck is (and continues to be), he should be scoring more. As should Duffy/insert number 10.

I agree, we do need to shoot more often and we do need to whip it int box earlier but....

Last night our scottish hero had a shot that nearly took one of the Kop pillars out - the crowd moaned
He then had another chance to shoot and you could tell with his body language that he thought about shooting and changed his mind and passed it instead - I wonder why?

It is a good idea to gerrit whipped in absolutely but there must be players in there waiting for it so we need to be set - if we are not it is easily cleared.

I can see how we try to work the overload - pass and move, pass and move so that we have a player in plenty of space that can get closer into the box to make a killer pass easier to execute. Doesn't often work I know!

If we had a couple of gifted players in the mould of (as an example) Snodgrass then we can whip in pin point crosses early - but we simply do not - Yet!

 

[sheffielder]

Get the ball whipped in and if playing two strikers one has to bust a gut to get across the front post. It really is a lost art

 

[Baaaaaaa Blades]

Your absolutely spot on. There are times when we should 'gerritintboxyoonited' a damned sight quicker than we do. No is advocating launching the ball to no one in particular (or long ball game) but we do need to quicken our tempo up and move the ball up the pitch quicker than we do at home by getting the players to break from midfield quicker (not by banging the ball long so let's put that one to bed).

Instead when we win the ball back we then take 10 passes when 3 would do the same job. We wait til all are back in their defensive shape and then and only then do we and break them down.

Even last night after the goal went in, we spent a good couple of mins in injury time with our centre halves passing to each other before we passed it back to Moore who then kicked it long. Hardly progressive football when the clock is running out. Then and only then is it worth while getting bodies in their box and going long with a few 'hail Mary's. All teams do that.

We need to quicken up our counter attacking play. Our patient play at home is to e and dandy if we have the lead but the best sides always break with pace. Man Utd in the Fergie years used to be lethal at that.

agree completely - even with seconds left of stoppage time the ball fell to Fleck ( i think ) on the edge of the box , he passed in sideways ! love Fleck but do wish he would just go for it a bit more and run at the defences /shoot more (prob only reason why he isnt a premiership player TBH) - he had a good shot saved by the keeper earlier in the 2nd half - just try and if you can! get on target -you never know where the rebound will go if it is saved

 

[JohnGannonsPerm]

I agree that our build up play at times loses momentum too quickly. That extra pass, or cutting back and playing to the man behind. I noticed in the second half that this allowed Villa to quickly assemble a bank of 4 defenders with a further bank of 3 midfielders just in front of them which meant we are then trying to play around a very crowded third of the pitch. I don't profess to know the answer but I do wonder if our midfield are slow to get up in support at times, particularly with no Duffmeister, which causes this?

 

[BushBlade]

I agree that our build up play at times loses momentum too quickly. That extra pass, or cutting back and playing to the man behind. I noticed in the second half that this allowed Villa to quickly assemble a bank of 4 defenders with a further bank of 3 midfielders just in front of them which meant we are then trying to play around a very crowded third of the pitch. I don't profess to know the answer but I do wonder if our midfield are slow to get up in support at times, particularly with no Duffmeister, which causes this?

I think you could be right but Villa got back and defended well, made very few mistakes. We rely on our full backs and defenders getting forward but only Baldock can put a ball in the box with any semblance of quality. It worked last season because the opposition wasn't as good, their defenders made errors under pressure that we capitalised on. We're playing good teams now that are hitting peak form, that aren't complacent, that know how to position themselves, that close down quicker and keepers that aren't going to be beaten by speculative shots or headers straight at them.

 

[kop_blade9]

Or shoot.

Too often we get in good positions out wide and drag 2/3 of our players over to the touchline, only to then pass it backwards or overplay it before crossing.

Sometimes I’d like to see us get the ball in the box quicker.

Similarly, we need to start shooting from outside the area more. The lack of goals from midfield is a concern. As good as Fleck is (and continues to be), he should be scoring more. As should Duffy/insert number 10.

I have said it all season
We are shot shy!
Test the Goalkeeper.
We don't give it to the strikers enough.
We have lots of little one-two passes in the midfield but none of that in the box.
Creativity is something that needs to be worked on in the training ground.

 

[Tezza1889]

Or shoot.

Too often we get in good positions out wide and drag 2/3 of our players over to the touchline, only to then pass it backwards or overplay it before crossing.

Sometimes I’d like to see us get the ball in the box quicker.

Similarly, we need to start shooting from outside the area more. The lack of goals from midfield is a concern. As good as Fleck is (and continues to be), he should be scoring more. As should Duffy/insert number 10.

I’ve just stopped myself posting something similar, to me that’s a big issue, stop and allow quality defenders to set for a cross that’s going to Leon clarke, not too many defenders in the this league will struggle with that approach, we clearly fear the counter attack, hence the floated cross that hangs and results in the keeper getting it, that gives us time to run back and get into position....

We had enough chances to win that last night and I think we need a spark to get us going again in the final third, midfield and defence excellent, we just need to be more clinical, and as the goal drought continues, that’ll get worse..

 

[Grappler]

We are extremely shot shy / shot quality shy.

Look at how many goals we’ve conceded at Bramall Lane from shots outside the box. By comparison I can only think of Coutts earlier this season who pinged one in.

Nathan Thomas and I think Lundstram was outside the box for one of them

 

[Kenilworth]

OP missed a good one here

 

[Bladey McBladeface]

Last night our scottish hero had a shot that nearly took one of the Kop pillars out - the crowd moaned
He then had another chance to shoot and you could tell with his body language that he thought about shooting and changed his mind and passed it instead - I wonder why?

Fleck’s effort was terrible but the frustrating thing about it was that it really wasn’t on. It was on the half volley, leaning back.

I’m not advocating shoot on sight, I just think that we get ourselves in to good positions in front of goal and out wide sometimes and we overplay it.

 

[Bladey McBladeface]

One of the other main differences this season is that Baldock and Stevens aren’t attacking the ball at the back stick like Lafferty and Freeman did in League One. It’s a different calibre of competition and I know we don’t want to expose ourselves to counter attack’s but it was a big source of goals for us last year.