If you look at the teamsheet we are able to put out and even more telling the calibre of players on our bench - then you will quickly draw the conclusion that we have one of, if not the best squad in the division. The reason then, for our average displays and lack of creative intent, must be put down to our style of play. Formations can be argued long into the night but the simplicity of it is, that we need to go differently about our business. Steve Bruce appears to have an inclin that something isn't quite right - noting that we need to attack with more speed and intent. Tom Huddlestone even pointed out Bruce's half-time comments that we needed to be more direct - not neccesarily with our passing but with our running in possesion of the ball too. Bruce has mentioned this a few times in the last number of weeks, yet nothing seems to have changed. He correctly brought in some pace to help, with the additions of Odubajo and Akpom and even more importantly guile in the shape of Maloney. Adding this to the mix of Diame, Huddlestone, Livermore and the rejuvanised Hernandez - we really should be seeing more from the team. Football is not about how long you keep the ball - winning the possesion stat does not win you the game. We all know winning games is about scoring goals (and then not conceeeding them - something we are well set out to do). Scoring goals normally comes from creating an overload on the pitch - i.e. more attackers than defenders. This can be achieved in a number of ways - catching a team on the break when they have committed players forward, a player going past a man, a clever run losing a defender, a decisive pass or accuate cross taking players out the game. Ultimetely it is not achieved with keeping possesion and playing the game infront of a defence. With more and more teams set to come to the KC with a defensive set-up, we really need to change how we go about our business. I don't believe that the selection of players has been the problem, as the teams put out so far this season have been more than capable of winning the game. In my opinion, Bruce does need the players to be more positive - the first thought of our players should be to find a player in a more advanced/positive position than themselves. If they can't find one can they should look to take the ball forward - only in the situation where there isn't a positive pass on or they can't be attacking themselves should the simply seek to retian possesion. This needs to be instilled on the training ground - Bruce is saying all the right things, it's about time we saw some evidence on the pitch - starting with Ipswich on Tuesday.
When you watch the way other teams attack you see players making darting breaks with the goal in front of them. Other forwards peel off them to give passing options in a COACHED / TRAINED / PRACTISED WAY, leaving defenders either behind them or back-pedalling. For some reason City attack as a unit, gradually moving up the pitch by use of a series of back passes to maintain possession while the whole machine attempts to gradually lumber forward. The main problem with this predictable tactic is that it allows opposition defenders to stroll back to their positions and cover all of our forwards at their leisure. Next time you watch City take notice of which way our attacking players are facing when they receive the ball. They are nearly always facing their own goal with a couple of brawny defenders hanging over them. This means most of their effort goes into holding onto possession and if they're lucky enough to turn they usually only have a fleeting glimpse of goal to shoot at. Bruce desperately needs an attack-minded coach to work with the first team. We have been bereft of any attacking nous for years and SB's only way of dealing with this is by buying a series of strikers who he hopes will be able to solve the problem for him. Our attack has no direction or strategy. We depend on set-pieces far too much or we use the Neanderthal tactic of just getting as many players as possible forward in the hope that someone gets lucky. Our attack is UNCOACHED, UNTRAINED AND UNPRACTISED and someone at City has to take responsibility.
This ^^^exactly. Is there any wonder Diame is frustrated & now seems to be giving up. He never has any forward thrusting team mates to slip the ball to, or to open up gaps through the middle for him to exploit himself.
Very true about the back to goal thing. But I think we need someone to beat a man and get the defenders facing their own goal. I keep banging on about this I know but Bruce will only play defensive players who can't beat a man out wide and he won't let someone like Aluko just run at people from the wing. That makes it easy for the opposition to just sit facing us and watch us pass it about.
This. What Harper said during summer. Only thing I'd disagree with is Bruce needing an attack-minded coach. The need is to have a replacement for Bruce who is capable of what he should be doing. If there were an 'attack minded coach to work with the first team', we would still have the root of the problems in ultimate charge. #BruceOut.
Only Phil Brown in recent years has been an attack minded manager.. Barmby would have brought us that but he never got the chance
Spot on!! No good giving Bruce an "attack-minded" coach as his assistant. I don't know if Phelan falls into this category although ManU seemed to have a well-balanced attack when he was there. But Bruce stifles anyone with attacking ideas. His mindset is totally DEFENSIVE...dont make mistakes and give up goals. Not ATTACK minded...go at the opposition and score more. Bruce and his style of play have to go if we are to unleash the potential in our squad. We should be leading this division not sliding toward mid-table!! BRUCE OUT!!
Under Peter Taylor we played some great counter attacking football & tore teams apart putting 4 or 5 past them (away to Northampton & Bournemouth spring to mind) & achieved back to back promotions. Under Bruce we just do not play attacking football, never have done & never will do (the only exception to this is the 6-0 tonking of Fulham on Sat 28th Dec 2013). It is so frustrating to see such a talented squad of players having so little idea of how to pass the ball quickly & effectively up to the strikers. Its understandable if you have crap players (as in the Dolan era) but this is so clearly not the case this season. Its been said so many times we need a new manager & assistant (hard to believe our No 2 was assistant to Alex Ferguson & helped Utd collect so much silverware). But we are stuck with Bruce. The Allams will never sack him & he will not resign.
I don't think it's as simple as one or two up front. Usually I prefer two up front but I don't think we have two good enough strikers to make it worthwhile dropping a midfielder. I also think our flat midfield four looks incredibly uninspiring in terms of attack: Elmo Huddlestone Livermore Clucas The only one of those with any attacking purpose is Elmo and even that's only to put loads of crosses in from deep. None of those four can beat a man. We need people like Maloney in between the lines to make stuff happen.
