The attitude is all wrong in our team, we don't take enough shots around the edge of the box and we try to hard to walk the ball into the net. When we should attack at the end like tonight we do the opposite and invite the opposition their chance to score by not pressing up the field and give them the opportunity to get 5 or 6 players in our half of the pitch. Tonight the last 15 minutes epitomises what is wrong at the moment, teams are chasing our players down to tighten the angles we can pass and we seem content to rest on our laurels. You don't deliberately keep the ball in your own half when against a team that is one man down and the score line is seperated by just a one goal margin. It is far too lackadaiscal to be a successful tactic, if we are supposed to be like Barca then we have to run head on at defenders and we have shoot often around the box, we have to hit top gear when one man up and we have to show 'we will score more' attitude. Right now we are doing none of this and it is starting to worry.
I thought we were decent first half and it looked like a breakthrough the way we were playing, putting crosses in and Bony scoring. As the first half wore on we started playing the ball back again.
Fair comments, Project. The way to deal a hard pressing side is with movement. When that stops, the options dry up, passes are forced and possession is lost. People who have played the game know that one of the best ways to snatch a rest is to deliberately allow yourself to be marked so your man on the ball can't give it to you. I see too much of this going on in our team. Not enough effort is being made to find space by those off the ball. As for shooting, we keep trying to walk the ball in, get the perfect goal. I agree we should pull the trigger more often but not at the expense of a productive pass to someone in a better position.
This second half was a repeat of the second half against Cardiff. Run out of steam or desire or both. On the brighter side I thought Lamah did more for us when he was on the field than Routledge and Dyer have done in the last few games. He showed he was prepared to take players on and could go past them. He made good runs and worked well with Pozuelo. He was not a liability defensively. Clearly shy of match practice, he put in a shift while he was out there. Time to ring the changes with respect to wingers.
I am not particularly concerned about our position, it is our form and the lack of attacking intent of late. If it continues then it is a matter of time before our lossless record in that table disappears, and of course more to come in the Premier League.
I know what you mean Project, but I put it entirely down to ML balancing the PL and Europa Cup. That was game number 19 for us tonight. Most PL teams will have played 10 PL matches and 1 League Cup match (if they got knocked out 1st round). I am sure when we only have the PL to concentrate on full service will resume
Disappointing for sure but credit to them and they deserved the draw at least. What's infuriating is passing the ball away again in the 91st minute. Even lower levels of professionals will tell you it's crucial to play keep-ball in those situations. Rangel and Davies to blame but let's hope they learn this time because they didn't learn from what happened last.
I'm a bit fed up with the result also. Very frustrating. However, overall I thought it was a step up from Cardiff, with Lamah, Pozuelo and Davies standing out for me. Maybe Lamah was taken off to save some gas for a starting place against Stoke? The second half dip in effort I can only put down to tiredness....it was a 5 hr flight there and I'm sure it took its toll. Hopefully they can pick up the pace on Sunday and get a win vs Stoke. At the end of the day, we didn't lose and the performance was nearly a very good one.
Good result tonight although disappointed to concede in injury time, but nevertheless still undefeated and all but qualified for the final 32. Well done to the team which was a difficult match over in Russia. As one of the smaller and recent addition to the premier league we have been exceptional. It surprises me to see so many on here continually criticising the team. It's a tough league and a tough fixture schedule and we are more than holding our own. No criticism from me I'm happy to see us in the top flight long may it continue and if it doesn't then I'll still be there come what may. Enjoy it while we can!!
Reading all these post match analysis I'm glad i didn't get to see the game. Saw the bloody equalizer though
Fair play mind tidy finish, my boy owe's me a tenner now. I said if anybody was to score that it was that lad. Think ML needs to go after him come January, looks a tidy player.
Good finish. great build-up work from Lamah. [video=youtube;AByJR-zRtOk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AByJR-zRtOk[/video]
We played a very poor third rate side where the other two sides beat with ease, the only two points they got were against us where they could even have won the game even with 10 men...We were poor from start to finish against such a low caliber side that was not a problem for the other two..Don't kid yourselves we were good just to feel better as it was pathetic we could not beat a poor side......with ease
I don't think you will find any other Swans fan agreeing with you that we were poor from start to finish.
Oh for a 90 minute performance Oh thank God we are at least still in this crazy glorious competion. You have to be in it to win it
