Defending narrow leads ...

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Smug in Boots said:
The key phrase, in all of this, is 'nothing to lose' which means the losing team may as well throw everyone up, including sometimes the keeper as time ticks away ...

... the team, defending the lead, obviously can't match that.

So the balance will inevitably shift to one degree or another.

We just have to hold the ball and try to work it up to the forwards who can waste time ...

... if we were a shytehouse team, like Wycombe, we'd have won that game
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We just have to hold the ball.............That is key mate.

Watching City string 30/40 passes together, not stressing, yet not making ground due to the fact that their opponents are camped in their own half, they still don't fret. Keeping possession, City are still 100% in control.

I love that patience.

If you have that kind of confident strategy, and the defending team decide to attack, City simply demolish the open defencive spaces left.

However, they are full of immense tallent though.

Keeping the ball doesn't mean pepper your opponents goal. You can still conserve energy by utilising width etc
 
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sad-eyed prophet said:
Exactly. By conceding the ground,you invite them on. I would much rather we continued to play attacking football,looking for a third,and try to pin them back,than rely on shoring up the defence and conceding ground and possession.If they manage to break through,so be it.If we have belief in our attacking strategy....and it's worked for 80 minutes of the match...why alter it.
I understand the opposition mentality of " if we're a goal behind we may as well go for an equaliser and if we concede another what does it matter",but that's them controlling the match rather than us. If we're on it,the moment they take up that mentality,we should be looking for more goals,
and putting the match beyond them.
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Good point, particularly when you consider our superior bench
 
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Jus watching West Ham at Man Utd.

It's 50 minutes and West Ham are defending a 1-0 lead ...

... they have everyone in their final third, most of the time, and Man Utd keep creating chances.

Interesting .....
 
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Smug in Boots said:
Jus watching West Ham at Man Utd.

It's 50 minutes and West Ham are defending a 1-0 lead ...

... they have everyone in their final third, most of the time, and Man Utd keep creating chances.

Interesting .....
Click to expand...

Players have to be good enough to park the bus for a long time.

In the Champions Lingard, gave the ball away in the last few minutes.
 
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