Well, I've seen it all now. I've just finished watching a premier league team for 90 minutes and their goalie boots his goal kicks directly into the opponent's half without giving his defense a chance to pass it around 8 times or more before advancing. Not only that, they got a free kick near the halfway line and launched it into the opponent's penalty area causing chaos instead of passing it back into their own half and losing any advantage. You won't win anything playing entertaining football like that. Clueless! Oh yes, the team was Manchester City. They only won 1-3 at Leeds, it should have been 7.
out of all the shots we've attempted in the league this season 49% of them have been between the 6 yard and 18 yard line - only cardiff and reading have lower 44% of our attempts have been outside the box - only cardiff have more outside with 48% with boro the least 27%
The advantage, surely, is that we're picking up more points than before. We're going round in circles a bit, but it really is strange that people are so annoyed about a specific tactic despite it observably bringing better results than before.
This is the bit we should be talking more about rather than all this keeper/passing stuff. Chance creation isn't good enough currently and that's the thing keeping us from turning draws into wins. If we can sort out that we'll be a very good side.
I don’t think we’ll see a drastic improvement until we move away from playing centre backs at full back and players like Slater in wide areas.
I do think the wingers are part of the problem, when you look at it on paper with Slater and Longman the attacking quality just isn't there. When we bring the impact subs like Sinik on, it doesn't seem to improve much. Not sure this will get much better until we can get someone in.
Seri is taking on way too much for the midfield role right now. He’s our creative outlet, first point of call in possession and is also providing the most in terms of winning the ball back. Slater/Woods need to step up or we need to find players who’ll complement Seri further as at present they’re not doing enough for me. Ebiowei will be great should it come off as he’s a 1 on 1 specialist, bringing back Tetteh and Allahyar into the fold consistently will help us massively too as it gives us different threats across the pitch to make us less predictable
The system will make more sense when we have a bit of pace providing an outlet and allowing us to actually exploit the forward space that playing out creates in the opposition back line. Currently we're using it to play between the lines to good effect, but with that bit of pace, see whether your Appleton types come along and press high or whether they have actually got the balls to do it. In reply to PLT - Longman has the quality but not the pace and can be inconsistent commensurate to his age. Slater is a centre mid and is there for shape and graft more than attacking prowess, until someone better stakes a claim.
I hoping and praying Traore gets fit and playing, he will be a real asset in mid-field, but a defensive midfielder would be a priority for me in January. In time the likes of Slater, Woods and Longman will just be backups IMO.
Reading these boards, people seem to think Traore will be a box to box type. He can play that role but is primarily a 10, whereas Tufan has been mostly box to box in his career, but he just hasn't yet had the engine/championship savviness so far to do that for 60 or 90 mins in this league, so his best contribution has been in the 10 role to make best use of his considerable technical ability Looks to have come on leaps and bounds fitness wise though so long may that continue. Maybe he could yet become the long term partner for Seri he was envisaged to be in the summer when we signed him?
Chance creation has generally been there in recent games, barring Watford which was always going to be a defensive effort with their squad, but it's that bit of precision quality and detail in the final ball and finish that we seem to be lacking now IMHO - But then can you really expect that when it's been chopped and changed so much in the first half of the season, and we've been playing square pegs in round holes in a number of positions for the majority of it? Also consider the work that has gone into making us more resilient. You can only work on so much in 8 weeks. We've stopped the rot largely, so now to add the fine touches and we should be OK.
You've advocated playing a back 3 and playing Greaves left gives us that option to drop him in when Christie/Coyle bomb forward on the other side. Maybe with the security of a proper DM to drop in instead might allow us to play 2 attacking fullbacks and allow us the luxury of playing Greaves in his proper position but for now we have what we have. Agree that Slater isn't the future in AM or RW slots but he's there for a reason currently, and is generally a solid 6/10 so it's time for a Sinik, Sayyadmanesh, Ebiowei (assuming he signs) , Tetteh, Tufan to turn it in as consistently as Slater does - both in possession and without and earn his shirt. Same goes for Longman, Woods etc... Apologies if this is me being arrogant and telling you to 'shut up'. No apologies if I'm being 'boring'.
I suppose because there should be a trigger that if it comes back to the keeper he should launch it up field. As you say, it's going round in circles but perhaps because we keep seeing the same goal get conceded. Playing out from the back is fine but when you're passing it around and getting pressed surely it indicates there'll be space up field to exploit with a quick ball?
I just don't know why people expect much from Traore, his stats are hugely uninspiring and it seems more hope given how long he's been out than much else.
Depends which stats you look at. If you look at the whole of his French top flight record not just his last club, the fact he moved for 14m 5 or 6 years ago and the fact he's still a 3m valued player (Honeyman 1.2m by the same measure) then you should realise he's been signed with first team hopes - quite reasonably. If he continues his 1 in 5 goal contributions in his time here as he has in the Turkish and French top flights over a number of seasons then you'll maybe you'll understand that he's not quite the donkey you seem to have him down as. And yes, I do know that our Adama Traore is Adama 'Noss' Traore not one of the others.
Honeyman had an attacking return every 4 games last season so if 1 in 5 is the benchmark for Traore, seems pointless as a creative mid.
Did he? He has 1 in 20 this season. Tufan has 4 in roughly a similar amount of appearances and minutes played. Besides,with regard to Traore; majority of the championship is a slightly lower standard than ligue 1 and even the sharp-end of super Lig, Europa league, champions league qualifiers etc..., so may even be capable of more than a goal or assist in 5 wouldn't you say? What I would say, Honeyman hasn't averaged 1 in 5 over multiple seasons at multiple clubs at the level Traore has. Obviously time will tell if he can learn to cope with the physical aspect of this league, but his quality is proven. Plus if you really deep dive 'Noss's' stats he's probably been played 40% as box to box but still gets his assists. His goals have been more consistent playing in a more advanced role in the French top flight. 1 every 340 minutes or so.
Since Liam came in, how many times have we seen a goal conceded from faffing about like that? And that really was faffing, not playing out. Sunderland was emotionally a suckerpunch and soft, but it wasn't conceded from playing out. It was just getting done on the counter - something we'll need pace upfront to implement ourselves on a consistent basis - and therefore limit the opposition press in the process. I'll grant you the one against Cardiff, but honestly, how many others have we directly conceded from attempting to play out under Rosienior?
