Every team is boring at times though and why not be defensive or boring at a point where that tactic wins a league? I have at times been critical of Jose and his bus tactics but not this season, I think he has got the balance right.
Far too simplistic. We've only scored 3 goals less than you and we're 17 points behind. You've scored way less goals this season, but you've also conceded far less. The reason you didn't win the league last season was that you seived 50 goals. It's about balance. Yes, to succeed in this league you need a top drawer striker or 2, but you also need to have a solid back line. You'll never win this league with the mindset of "you score 2, we'll score 3"
And no one is claiming otherwise, but some are boring more often than others. Chelsea have one of the best squads in the league, do they really need to be so reserved in nearly every game?
I agree thats his policy but theres gung ho.... and then there's beleiving in your game and keeping going when you get the lead. 1-1 v utd for example. 60mins gone utd had given them a game but were never threatening. they just worked hard. then jose says shut it down and they fell back on themselves conceded and got ivanovic sent off. Thats one exmaple. then theres PSG. I don't think its pragmatic if you actually hurt yourself and your chances by doing it. Sure shut it down but the best tactic is not rodgers just go for it and hope, its to set up to win, and trust in your game. If you sense you can hold back and save legs for 30mins ok but just to go negative and start kicking people round the park is anti football.
True but to put that into context, we weren't expected to get top four prior to last season starting either. I wasn't talking about winning the league either. I was talking about the top four trophy Need to take one step at a time and last season was the one off.
Not so much at some times and had Costa been fit I don't think they would have quite reverted to the turtle that they became but it got the job done and I don't blame them for doing it.
I agree with this. Gerrez is right that this year we've struggled for goals but we've done "ok" at the back over all. when 3-4-3 worked we improved our goals conceded a lot. At the start we were both shipping ****ty goals and struggling to score and many points slipped away.. we played catch up since. It is not quite right that we lost the league due to shipping goals though. We lost the league cos we fell 6 points off when city and cheslea beat us away at christmas and we caught up on an amazing run that city matched more or less. We shipped goals but more or less we were up there cos we won the games. The best balance I agree is being hard to score against when we don't have the ball and offering threat and a finihs when we do have the ball. The overall impression i've gotten over past 2/3 years is rodgers falls into something that works and sticks to it. I don't see a grand strategy that is attack attack attack I simply see that when something works he sticks with it until he finally realises its no longer working. Other managers are able it seems to say today we do X and their team does X and another day he can cay we do Y and then they do it. I'd have zero confidence for example had LFC won 1-0 in league cup semi first leg v cheslea that we could turn up at stamford bridge and be able to hold them out. they have real quality but even sub in say villa or leicester and i'd not have confidence in us
southampton have the same attitude. koeman said himself if they socre first they are confidenct of winning two dms in front of back 4 and big target man.
Sorry but it is. City scored 102 goals last season, to your 101 But only conceded 37 to your 50. Those stats are why you ultimately fell short. You can point to specific games all you like, but it's the overall fact that you conceded too many goals that was the reason they pipped you.
Theoretically, a team could score 38 goals and win every game during the season or score 200 and get relegated. Obviously, both scenarios are unrealistic and will never happen but the point is, its not about how many goals you score or concede, it's about taking your chances and winning games. Obviously, not conceding helps and I've already said I have nothing against a solid defence so long as it doesn't involve parking the bus every week.
I do... they are crap at it cos the keep conceding goals trying it. they two lumps at CB are not good enough to cope. I can tell you there are 8 sides in CL QFs which can prob all defend it better.
Sorry but it is............ Chelsea have won the league and only City have scored more goals (2) and no-one has conceded less, they have the best GD in the division Last season no-one scored more than City, and only Chelsea conceded less, City had the best GD in the division by 14 goals.............
I'd agree with gerrez somewhat. winning the games is where it is at but the best way is what tobes said. be hard to score against and create good chances.
Generally, the team that wins the league has scored a lot and conceded few in comparison to the rest of the league. that's because their a better team as proven by winning the league. The reason they've won the league is because they got more points than anyone else. The only time goals really count is when it comes down to GD Naturally, scoring lots of goals and/or being able to keep clean sheets helps to win games. The two are linked but the priority is to win games. You win games by scoring goals (positive). Keeping a clean sheet avoids losing them (negative).
NO. The reason LFC lost the title (make no mistake we lost it rather than City won it) when we had it at our mercy was we didn't win the points in the 2 crucial matches that mattered. Anyone but Rodgers would have worked it out. I certainly cannot imagine Mourinho Wenger or Ferguson leaving it to chance or unsure what we should do at such a crucial stage of the season. We needed to get 1 point from a home match against Chelsea (who themselves had to win to have any chance whatsover) and then win a match against Palace who had nothing to play for. I honestly thought that Chelsea was going to come and attack and I would have understood completely if Rodgers had parked the bus. NO. He totally lost the plot and a premiership trophy which was already in our hands was lost. Many people can forgive his complete and utter stupidity but I am not sure I can.
We did well.... amazingly well to get into that position BUT... city were always there and at christmas or after villa 2-2 we were not there. We took the lead and got it into our own hands yes and that was great for us. The palace game mattered for naught after cheslea. I agree a 0-0 that was on offer from mourinho would have won it for us. All we needed i agree was not a bus park but a sensible apporach where they packed 8 men back across their box. The two full backs should have been ordered to stay back and then you have enough of a screen taht only a set piece would help them... in the end.... i think we feared them from set piece and felt we needed a goal.. we were panicked after not scoring in first 20. But... lets not forget citys runs too during that season and thats why they were up there. its not all about us... city were they to win it... this year nobody was there to win it when cheslea form dipped.
