I’ve seen it in every game since Coventry. Proper heart attack football.I don’t know when in the game that pic was taken, but it can happen when we get caught on the break. Risk and reward I guess.
I’ve seen it in every game since Coventry. Proper heart attack football.I don’t know when in the game that pic was taken, but it can happen when we get caught on the break. Risk and reward I guess.
Regarding the gap between defence and midfield that I think we’ve all clocked, I remember Jak himself mentioning that very issue from watching last season’s games, saying that it was something to be sorted. I’m sure someone can find the quote.I didn't gloss over it, sorry if it came across that way but I did say that it was against "mid" teams and that against the likes of Southampton and Leicester we'll be done in very quickly.
Today's goals were almost all preventable from our point of view, they were down to individual errors from single players. But even putting that to one side, the gap in midfield is the biggest issue and we need to be better at looking after the ball. We can't rely on Hughes/Egan to pull off heroic slide tackles every five minutes because our midfield is piss weak.
And also, I should have added, I was stunned at how many second balls we lost out to. Ball goes into the air, most of the time it goes anywhere but it was almost always an opposition player that got to it first. Same against Blackburn. That also needs to improve quickly.
I didn't gloss over it, sorry if it came across that way but I did say that it was against "mid" teams and that against the likes of Southampton and Leicester we'll be done in very quickly.
Today's goals were almost all preventable from our point of view, they were down to individual errors from single players. But even putting that to one side, the gap in midfield is the biggest issue and we need to be better at looking after the ball. We can't rely on Hughes/Egan to pull off heroic slide tackles every five minutes because our midfield is piss weak.
And also, I should have added, I was stunned at how many second balls we lost out to. Ball goes into the air, most of the time it goes anywhere but it was almost always an opposition player that got to it first. Same against Blackburn. That also needs to improve quickly.
Sergej Jakirović said:The gap between midfield and defence was always too big in the games I watched from last season. It’s something we need to work on.
I don't want to be in a back and forth that lasts until the end of time so I'll leave it.
If you can't see slater is awful and we get absolutely ragged in midfield every time he starts then that's your myopia.
Do you think it’s a tactical thing on Jakirović’s part or just a lack of depth and quality in key positions? I’m not so sure.
We don’t have a proper number 6. Lundstram is more of a box-to-box number 8 and that’s obvious even when he’s played as the number 6 because of his positioning. The same applies to Slater and Crooks as they like to get forward. Then there’s Palmer who reminds me of an old school number 10 like Özil or Koren that prefers to just stay in the hole behind the striker, waiting to produce a bit of magic but only on their terms.
You hear people talk of players who can play as a number 6 or 8 but I think it’s easier for a defensive midfielder to do a job as a box-to-box one than the other way around. Arteta realised that with Rice and that’s why he pushed him forward. Man City struggled last season mainly because they didn’t have another number 6 when Rodri got injured and Kovačić, a box-to-box midfielder, struggled to do that role for the same reasons Lundstram struggles.
Having slept on it, firstly BC are a very good side, pass the ball quickly and accurately and press us once we lost the ball. Of course, losing is never nice, but as a game it was certainly very watchable.
We have gone from being primarily a defensive side to an attacking one, so the gaffer needs to get the balance right now, at present as already discussed the midfield are not protecting the defence and there is too much room between the 2 lines. Hopefully this new signing at 6 will at least start to bring some protection for the back line.
We have certainly missed Crook's and Ajayi, we looked much more solid against Coventry, and they have been a big miss.
I was impressed with Akintola, he looks a good signing, and Belloumi certainly brings a different dimension to the game.
Delighted for Joseph getting his goal, he had got into good areas when he came on, and to be fair the score could have been a lot closer had their keeper made 2 or 3 good saves, particularly the header from McBurnie.
We have player 2 of the sides Coventry and BC away who looks as if they are going to be pushing for promotion, and last week's performance was clearly due to the bug, so not downhearted, with players coming back, I think we will get better.
Their press after we scored was absolutely stifling, they were incredibly committed and well organised and we simply couldn’t handle it, especially Lundstram who went to pieces. If they play like that regularly they will dominate a lot of teams including the good ones.I'm not convinced they're going to be top 6/are a great side. They've been relatively average to start the season (outside of smacking a poor Sheffield United) but guess we'll see how they go. We got smacked by Norwich 4-0 last season and they finished mid-table and I wouldn't be surprised to see this Bristol City in a similar position.
Their press after we scored was absolutely stifling, they were incredibly committed and well organised and we simply couldn’t handle it, especially Lundstram who went to pieces. If they play like that regularly they will dominate a lot of teams including the good ones.
Agree, very even division this year. The real surprise for me so far is Ipswich - from the bits I’ve seen of them they still haven’t shaken the expectation of losing most weeks and are playing cautiously with little confidence. Big test for McKenna, this the first time of real adversity in his career, he has a superb squad in terms of both quality and depth and has to get them to reset over this international break.Quite possibly, I just question the quality of their playing squad. They may well end up having a good season, it's also an incredibly open league this year to be fair. I suspect there won't be many games we come away from where I think we've just played a top 2/4 side but obviously four sides have to finish there..
For what is worth and I say this with no malice-
Sheff utd we destroyed -Charlton parked the bus and we did not break them down they deserved the draw-Derby we gave away two points criminal -Hull we battered and definitely deserved the three points in terms of the four sides played you are by far the poorest so far.
You guy on the wing was a menace looks a real handful.
Us we need reinforcement up front if Riss get injured we have nothing-rumour a prem loan signing is coming in up top.
Fally-Armstrong have not cut the mustard with us and need moving out.
For what it is worth and I say this with no malice-
Sheff utd we destroyed -Charlton parked the bus and we did not break them down they deserved the draw-Derby we gave away two points criminal -Hull we battered and definitely deserved the three points in terms of the four sides played you are by far the poorest so far.
Your guy on the wing was a menace looks a real handful.
Us we need reinforcement up front if Riss get injured we have nothing-rumour a prem loan signing is coming in up top.
Fally-Armstrong have not cut the mustard with us and need moving out.
For what it is worth and I say this with no malice-
Sheff utd we destroyed -Charlton parked the bus and we did not break them down they deserved the draw-Derby we gave away two points criminal -Hull we battered and definitely deserved the three points in terms of the four sides played you are by far the poorest so far.
Your guy on the wing was a menace looks a real handful.
Us we need reinforcement up front if Riss get injured we have nothing-rumour a prem loan signing is coming in up top.
Fally-Armstrong have not cut the mustard with us and need moving out.