Hi All new member here just a bit confused about some recurring problems with our side and wondering if anyone had any views on them. First Problem is our habit of losing games from winning positions. This has been a problem for a good few seasons now steming back from the keane days in our 2nd season back in the prem. We had a massive problem with this last season and im sure we ended up being the team losing the most points from winning positions an unwanted title we currently hold this season. I believe the problem can only really lie with 2 parties, the manager and the players. Is the problem with the way bruce sets us up to play and if we score we sit back. From the stands this is often pretty obvious to see particularly going into the closing 20-30 mins of games. There have been several games this season that we have bossed e.g. Birmingham, Everton, Wigan and to an extent Tottenham on saturday and then for some reason we have changed our play and allowed teams back in. I am a great advocater of the "if its not broke dont fix it" philosophy and we have played some great stuff this season going at teams getting a goal up and then we just seem to stop and allow the opposition to play. At this level it is suicide to do this as with the quality of players most teams possess we are always going to get opened up. Also the best form of attack is defence why not go and kill teams off get 2 or 3 goals up then sit back one goal is too slender an advantage. Is this philosophy deep-seated in the mindset of the club as although our squad has changed in personnel several times in the last few years the same problem keeps biting us in the butt. Is it also simply a case of the players we sign not being mentally strong enough to trust their own abilities and continue to sit deeper and deeper as games progress or is it simply a fitness thing (I certainly hope not). All I know is whatever the problem it needs sorting and fast as it is in danger of ruining our season. Second point is again similar a problem that has also berated us since the keane days of continually conceding from set pieces. Is this a concentration thing or as i touched on earlier are our players not mentally strong enough or brave enough to go in and get hurt and take one for the team (Again I certainly hope not). It cannot be said that we are a small team and get bullied as we have had some large players over the last few years, Turner, Bramble, Jones, Cana to name a few. Is our downfall due to coaching inadequacies or marking theories ie zonal or man marking. Again this problem needs fixing and soon if we are to get our seaon back on track. Anyway this seems like a bit of an essay so i will end it now but these things just get on my nerves so much as other teams dont seem to suffer from them.
First up, what an excellent first post. The sitting back when we go in front thing is for me, if i had to pick a fault, Bruce's failing. I could understand it to an extent, where it not for the quality we now possess going forward. When we attack with pace, any team will struggle against us, and if we get caught, and they break, we then have more space if we can nick i t back, it's basic stuff, but definitely a major issue for us. Our home goals for record is appalling for a team with such a good home record, and doubtless, the amounts of points we've thrown away, have been from not pressing on and stretching the lead when we have the chance. I can think of several games this season when we should have handed out pastings and instead had to withstand a bombardment for the last ten minutes, often losing deserved points, there should be an extra 15 in our goals for column, and there should be an extra 6-8 points minimum on the board for it. That said, the progress we've made is magnificent, the next step is to start finishing of teams when we are bossing them, i have a hunch that with Sess, when Welbeck and Campbell come back, we might start getting 2's and 3's rather than 1's and 2's.
yes great post, have been thinking about your first point for a while now. Like BB I feel this could only be SB's fault, not sure if he's being too conservative and trying to preserve the plays so that we do not loose any more to injury? I know that sounds like bollocks but the situation is bollocks and needs sorting. Easy for me to say but its not a difficult one, don't back off after taking the lead. As for your second point, that for me is about bottle.......... to often we go missing in action
