I'd rather we pass the ball forward and aim to keep possession. Anybody can keep possession by passing the ball among defenders when we are playing against a team happy with a draw.
How about not losing the ball, whether it being in the attacking half or the defensive half? How about combining the two styles of play just like competent Premier League teams do?
you wont find openings if your defenders pass the ball to each other and dont attempt to go forward because the opponents just keep their shape you find openings by moving the ball forward and making the opponents move to cut you off then opportunities are created
Not always the case. A team pressing will fall out of shape if the ball is passed to an extra man correctly. Our goal against Bristol City on friday is a good example of that. When they're not pressing I agree its worth trying more direct passing but honestly I dont get the complaint anymore we had the 4th most completed long passes in the league during this gameweek
In the second half Bristol City just sat back and watched us pass the ball from defender to defender when they got the ball they attacked in numbers quickly
To my mind, it just allows the opposition time to set up exactly as they want. Possession football is fine but the ball needs moving quickly and without the constant 'recycling' we too often see.
Bristol City would have scored a lot of goals if it wasnt for some poor finishing and fantastic blocking by our defenders That's what you have defenders for: to defend against opponents attacks not to pass to each other without a threat
There are several ways to win a football game. Some play a more intricate possession based football similar to ours, some play counter attack like Bristol City did friday and some play direct long ball football. Complain about it all we want until there's a change in management this style is here to stay and with time will win us more football games than we lose because the players and the coaching staff are all bought into it
If you pass the ball to Greaves and he cant see a forward pass then passing it to Macca who eventually passes to Greaves is unlikely to find that Bristol City have changed position to allow a forward pass. If Greaves moved forward with the ball to draw the opponents and Slater moves into the space created there's an opportunity to get forward in a more dynamic phase of the game I'm not saying it's easy but it's better than wasting another few minutes and accepting a home draw
Also draw a lot of loseable games as well playing this way. Reason again being because the players are bought into it I agree with this I'm not advocating we cycle the ball round our backline for 90 mins. I'm saying that it does help. Changing the passing angles and lanes by cycling it across the backline and giving alternative options with movement of runners does help. When the opportunity arises of course a player should advance the ball and I personally think its something they're improving on
Unfortunately, with 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw, it will not get us anywhere near the promotion places lower mid table at best
Is that right? If that was the case, I would have given up following CIty on multiple occasions in the last 53 years. Entertainment is a bonus for most long time fans for whom football is an obsession not a hobby. If football was just about entertainment, we'd just switch allegiance to teams that play the most entertaining football.
Sticking my hand up, I’m quite enjoying some of the play we’re getting this season. I find it quite interesting. Not the Donny game though that was crap.
Have to say interesting isn't a word I've ever used to describe watching City. Infuriating, nerve wracking and occasionally even enjoyable are more appropriate
