Doesn't always give end product. So far, Swansea 68%,3 shots on target, 0 goals Newcastle 32%, 3 shots on target, 1 goal
The Swans are simply outstanding IMO and they way football should be played ... making Newcastle look like donkeys ... But they are simple to beat: We must go for it from the off with a higher tempo than Swansea can handle and BZ is key .. Give the ball in the final third to Adel Zidane as he has too much for them. Let Diakite run and scare the ****e out of them Diakite/Barton must not jump in but when its on and only when its on... bite and bite hard ... you take Britton and Allen out it all falls down. Let them play and we will be comprehensively beaten and could lose another to a sending off.
That's it. The way we played second half at their place with the added quality of BZ, Samba and Adel on form.
Swansea are the most boring team in the PL. 58 passes to get to the halfway line is not exciting. They are just time wasting from the 1st minute onwards.
WHU just did it and the crowd were doing oles and they never got past the centre circle, just playing it across the back 4 to a midfielder and then across the back 4.
Papiss Cisse - what a gem for Newcastle, such a great goal scoring talent, and seems like a really good natured fellow too.
just saw on another forum they were describe as playing Chuckle brothers football. "to me, to you, to me....."
Of course, having the majority of possession doesn't guarantee a team victory. But I'd argue that it gives them a greater chance. As I've said many times before on other threads, if you've got the ball the opposition can't score. But it's also clear that teams need creative midfielders with vision and guile to create chances with that incisive pass. And someone to get on the end of it! For me, this is where Swansea are lacking. They look better when Scott Sinclair is interested... and he's gone a bit off the boil. I still don't rate Graham (narrow escape that) and Sigurdsson's done OK, but ain't the answer for them either. I honestly belief that if the Rs can emulate the performance, concentration and cohesion they showed against the Gooners, they're a better side now than the Swans. P.S. No way was possession last Saturday that heavily biased in favour of the Arse. I think Auntie had it more accurate at 50/50.
Sigurdsson has done ok? 8 goals in 12 game from midfield? I would be delighted if we got him, hes a class player. Heider should convince him to join! Youre right that the opposition cannot score but neither can they when they have the ball in their own half and any mistake is far more dangerous for them.
Its a skill to retain the football with it the either team can't score and IMO its the way to play ... I played in France and this was evident there. Swansea aren't the finished article by any means as they have blunt teeth ... but this is the new foundation of football and to me its beautiful and pisses over any form of tactical theory people can come with on this site. Stoke's style is boring to me because its easy and the style of football I had to play in England in the past. respect your opinions but of course you are very wrong. The Swansea game when it goes to the next level (when they grow teeth will be very hard to play against ... in fact most look at Barcelona and get juiced up why? they play football ... so do Swansea as did QPR
Swansea are nothing like Barca, Barca are incisive. Swansea are incredibly dull and remind me of the Liverpool team of the 80s. Keeper rolls it out to FB, FB kicks it back to the keeper etc. That was possession football to and did that excite you? Theres a difference between exciting possession football like Barca and even arsenal and defensive possession football like the liverpool of old and Swansea.
Swansea with our front two: Cisse/BZ would be knocking on a Europe spot IMO ... I expect them to buy in the Summer and they will be around for a while ... great credit to football that club but on Wednesday I don't care how we have to get three points
There are just some different philosophies of play. I think we can all agree that Swans' passing style is far better than the "go long and press" method. For me the most entertaining way of playing is a nice balance between short and long with tactics being able to be altered depending on the situation and the opponents. Of the top teams, Man United come closest to this I think. They also show that its possible to be the most successful Club in the Country without sacrificing entertainment.
