Worst Half of the Season So Far V Swansea...

[Flatcap]

But we're winning.

Are we playing ourselves from last season? They miss a golden opportunity to take the lead and then score a bullet of an own goal.

Seems familiar somehow...

Also, imagine being a Swansea supporter. They have to witness this every season. Dominate possession, then lose or draw. Awful.

 

[Rodley]

It’s the Championship. Everything hard earnt, nothing easy. We’ve a young and very new squad, it’ll happen that we have the odd disjointed performance.

Watched the last 30 minutes, apart from the communication breakdown for their chance thought we edged it. Swansea looked well organised and seem to be making a fair few adjustments to keep us on our toes.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Second half against QPR was worse, we lost 0-2.

We're currently winning 1-0.

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

Strange game. Battered them on golden chances but possession and pressing it was like Swansea had more men!

 

[Camden Blade]

It's a marathon, not a sprint. Wasn't pretty, but it was effective.

 

[Tezza1889]

Thought we were hanging on at the end, again Moore and Brewster were unlucky but come on, they've got (or should have) one job..

Defence, fabulous including cooper, midfield, souza was my MOTM tonight, burrows solid again, hamer drifting but effective, o.hare looks to be struggling to find a role (if you discount what the bitter cov fans said about him having a great game then vanishing for weeks) and, Soutter will run MGW close as the best loan ever should he carry this form on..captain material.

I'm not a fan of Brooks or a terrible critic of the lad tbh, but everything leads to nothing, overplaying it and rolling the ball, it all leads to no end product..seriki however puts the shits up me, and I'm sat on the kop, not defending against him..

I'd play seriki at CF, he's fearless, and will try to do them every one on one..

Happy for the three points, but pretty soon we won't be seen as a threat, Jack Lester needs to get them forwards in for extra hours..

We don't score, it's mild table, this luck will run out.. goals win games guys..

 

[SGBlade]

It’s always frustrating watching your team play Swansea as they have so much control in the midfield. I was pretty impressed by them - they press really intelligently without the ball, which seems something new they’ve added to their usual game, and they’re all v comfortable on the ball, from the keeper on up. I think they might do better this year than predicted.

We massively missed Arblaster today. He would have evened things up in the middle somewhat. Vini and Peck don’t have that level of control but we just had to battle through. We still made 3 or 4 huge chances - if we’d slotted one of those it would have felt like an easy game because Swansea weren’t creating anything clear cut.

We need to get less panicky in the final third and get more control of games in the midfield, but you can’t argue - we’d be top two without the deduction. Think we also need to check our expectations a bit as fans. I know it’s boring to say but the champ is hard graft and it’s not like we have a solid core of Prem players that should walk the league.

Overall a great three points, hard earned. Forgettable performance but fuck it, take the points and move on.

 

[Maidenhead]

Swansea didn't have a shot on target until the 90th minute.
I'd say that was two pretty good halves.
We may not be exciting but we're bloody effective

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

Very disjointed, helped by the ref. Take the result, on we go.

 

[PokerBlade]

I can only think he thought he was offside and gave up for their chance in the first half. Second half...our defence is so incredibly solid, when we get our creative players running at people it's terrifying, but we seemed to have no control over the game. It's a hard one because I feel like we were outplayed but should've won 3 or 4-0.

 

[loyalblade95]

Strange game. Battered them on golden chances but possession and pressing it was like Swansea had more men!

We couldn't score, they couldn't hit the target.

Think that own goal gave us a bit of a lift and took them down a bit in terms of confidence.

Would be surprised if Swansea aren't at the top end of the mid table sides come May.

 

[Bladeinleeds]

First half was a pretty poor show - not uncharacteristic for two sides that have been very solid defensively.

I thought we were much the better side second half though.

brooks had 2 very good chances (created for himself - for his critics) and I think he could have finished one with a bit more conviction.

both our strikers hit the woodwork.

Swansea had lots of possession but never truely threatened really with the defence doing its job.

I genuinely think someone will take a pasting from us soon if we can click attacking wise.

 

[knowsnowt]

Once wild camped in Greno woods. Woke up with an acorn in my bum bum.
I deffo didn't put it there as I'd not even had a drink.
Packing away a squirrel gave me a sly smile, but I know it didn't put it there either as I had all my tents zips fully closed at all times.
It's a similar enigma.

 

[loyalblade95]

brooks had 2 very good chances (created for himself - for his critics) and I think he could have finished one with a bit more conviction.

There's a bit of Didzy 19/20 Premier League season about Brooks this season, cracking player who like you pointed out creates his own chances, but it just isn't hitting the back of the net for whatever reason. Didzy had 2 goals that season and both of them came in the same game against Chelsea at the lane in lockdown.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Thought we looked we looked a mile off it last night yet had all the better chances in the game . A scruffy win but a win all the same , we really do miss Arblaster in the middle of the park , we’ll need to be a lot better against Luton & Leeds

 

[Speedracer]

Certainly things are not quite clicking for us going forward, but I feel it will at some point.

We are very compact defensively & don't give much away, & if there were more goals generated from our devastating break aways no-one would be complaining, I mean we hit the woodwork twice, Andre missed a couple of easy ish chances & there were others too so we are creating enough to win matches, just not putting them away.

Our defence is working very well though, even when the other sides attack I never feel we are defending with our lives, it looks much more controlled than that, almost like we are saying "come on then what have you got".

Not everything in the garden is rosy just yet, but it is a very promising start for sure.

 

[CrookesBlade]

Certainly things are not quite clicking for us going forward, but I feel it will at some point.

We are very compact defensively & don't give much away, & if there were more goals generated from our devastating break aways no-one would be complaining, I mean we hit the woodwork twice, Andre missed a couple of easy ish chances & there were others too so we are creating enough to win matches, just not putting them away.

Our defence is working very well though, even when the other sides attack I never feel we are defending with our lives, it looks much more controlled than that, almost like we are saying "come on then what have you got".

Not everything in the garden is rosy just yet, but it is a very promising start for sure.

We seem to be getting Moore to do the hard work occupying centre halves and make space for JSR/O’Hare/Brooks/Hamer to create. The issue we have is Hamer is the only one who has a finish in him. I think it will click eventually but it’s frustrating seeing us squander so many sitters.

Defensively we look great though. Managed a good passing team perfectly. Made me laugh when our fans were getting frustrated at allowing the keeper so much time on the ball. If he’s stood on the edge of his own D with nobody to pass to that’s absolutely fine. Souttar and Anel dominating in the air without giving away niggly fouls. Souza protecting the back 4 well.

Predictable groans as well from our fans about the perceived lack of entertainment last night but those are the wins you build a promotion on. Granted we were sloppy in possession first half but much improved seconds Maybe if one of those chances goes in Swansea fall to bits and we are talking about a 4-0 win.

 

[Argentinemanager]

Swansea try to bore teams to death, they offer no real threat and are always playing it back to the keeper, if they go behind its game over for them. Thought last night we were not at it as we didnt expect them to be that negative , second half we should have had at least 2, so it onwards and upwards roll on saturday when we play luton who will come to play on the front foot

 

[blade too long]

Strange game. Battered them on golden chances but possession and pressing it was like Swansea had more men!

Swansea had a lot possession but Cooper would never have known as it was mainly on the halfway line
he second half we got a grip and the result never looked in doubt

the crowd was flat too first half and only woke up when we , sorry they scored for us

 

[SGBlade]

I can only think he thought he was offside and gave up for their chance in the first half. Second half...our defence is so incredibly solid, when we get our creative players running at people it's terrifying, but we seemed to have no control over the game. It's a hard one because I feel like we were outplayed but should've won 3 or 4-0.

I reckon 90% of home fans say something similar when Swansea visit them this season. It’s an odd feeling I agree, but mainly just a quirk of how Swansea go about their game.

It does make me wonder, though, why we can’t do the same as Swansea but also have a cutting edge because of better players. Are Swansea’s players that much more technically proficient than ours? Is there some system they have that we can’t match?If we had as much of the ball as they had, surely Hamer, O’Hare and JRS would have had a field day?

I hav le no clue but Wilder probably does. We won and created multiple big chances to their one or two. So we deserved the win.

 

[HOT CURRIE 10]

We won,3 points,should have been out of sight,clean sheet,nothing at all to worry Cooper,move on.

 

[1889]

Swansea try to bore teams to death, they offer no real threat and are always playing it back to the keeper, if they go behind its game over for them. Thought last night we were not at it as we didnt expect them to be that negative , second half we should have had at least 2, so it onwards and upwards roll on saturday when we play luton who will come to play on the front foot

Well Wilder must have decided to play them at their own game then, because Cooper must have had more of the ball than anyone, in the first half.

They were pressing high up the pitch, quickly closing down our back four, so the ideal counter to that is obviously, playing it out from the back, which invariably translated to a combination of the following. Ahmehodivic, to Cooper, to Souttar, to Burrows, back to Souttar, to Souza, to Souttar, to Cooper, to Ahmehodivic, back to Cooper…..Boot it.

Against Watford, Cooper hit a superb ball down the right wing over the defender and Rak Saki ran onto it, beat a defender ran into the box and O’Hare scored. (Names of some characters may have been changed due to senility) Last night as we took our goal kicks, Brookes was invariably stood out on the right wing, his marker 20 yards away, surely it would be more productive to occasionally, mix it up a bit and let Cooper launch it towards their right side corner flag for Brookes/Rak Saki to run onto? I mean, I love Souttar, but he’s no Franz Beckenbaur and last night, his misplaced passes under pressure, could have dropped us in it against a better side.

The same principle applies to throw ins. We have a throw, in front of the South stand, 18 outfield players are that side of the centre spot, Brookes is stood alone on John Street stand side and his marker is usually around the centre spot. So we throw it up the line and try and weave a way through their 9 outfield players? Why couldn’t our thrower chuck it back to our talented left back to volley it across the other side of the pitch or quickly back to Cooper to pass it first time to Brookes?

 

[PokerBlade]

I reckon 90% of home fans say something similar when Swansea visit them this season. It’s an odd feeling I agree, but mainly just a quirk of how Swansea go about their game.

It does make me wonder, though, why we can’t do the same as Swansea but also have a cutting edge because of better players. Are Swansea’s players that much more technically proficient than ours? Is there some system they have that we can’t match?If we had as much of the ball as they had, surely Hamer, O’Hare and JRS would have had a field day?

I hav le no clue but Wilder probably does. We won and created multiple big chances to their one or two. So we deserved the win.

I sort of get the principles but in practice I feel like we should hold it more. I remember seeing that De Bruyne was really low on the list for pass accuracy, but that's because a lot of his role is trying to pass the ball through the eye of a needle. You accept him losing the ball because when he finds the pass it's usually devastating. The other one was Warnock at Cardiff. They had terrible possession stats but dominated for crosses and shots because the whole side was geared up so that when they won the ball they got it out wide as fast as possible (bizarrely, I think Ten Haag is trying to copy Warnock at Man U).

Swansea, on the other hand, dominated the ball at the cost of attack. Like with the De Bruyne example, forward passes, through balls, crosses, are how you lose the ball. They just also happen to be how you score.

With us, part of what we're trying to do is put the ball into JSR/Brooks, Hamer, O'Hare when they're under pressure and relying on them to be able to handle it. Risks possession, but leads to chances when they beat their man. Last night though, and against Portsmouth, I thought we were really wasteful in areas we shouldn't be. Souttar's barely misplaced a pass but in the first half yesterday he gave it away under no pressure at least three times I can think of.