Why dont we bloody shoot!? Why do we insist on passing the ball in It's so frustrating to watch it really is
Today it was certainly issue and sometimes we do try to pass it into the net it would seem. Lamberts free-kick at the end of the game summed it up...
I don't like to come on here and moan, and I usually don't like the people who do, but this is something we really have the right to moan about. Why would someone as prolific as Lambert not shoot from free kicks?! It's so frustrating to watch.
Lambert should have shot from his free-kick but that's about it. In fact, the one time we did shoot in the first half, I actually complained a little - Connolly had a defender right in front of him! Why did he shoot?
While even Lambert and Sharp seemed to catch the bug tonight, teams definitely have come to realize that our midfield are looking for the pass rather than the shot...we had players walking in without even a thought of a challenge, because Birmingham was falling back to take away any balls into the box. I'm not expecting that Cork will suddenly be cracking 25 yard piledrivers into the top corner, but a few shots from distance now and again might at least force teams to try to close down, which might open up space around the area. Plus, they might get lucky and actually score!
esp today, with the snow the keeper and defenders are looking down to shield thier eyes, and the ball is harder to spot
Agree. If we weren't going to shoot, Richardson or Schneiderlin should have chipped it to the back post for Rickie. He's the only one I'd be confident of in that area. Should have shot. Game over, onto the next, nowt we can do.
That's actually a really good point. Yes some people may say that had one of those players been over the ball, then it would have been pretty obvious to the opposition that we weren't going to shoot, but ultimately these are professional players we're up against. Even with Lambert standing over, I'd expect them to be alert to the possibilty that he might cross, rather than shoot.
what's even more worrying is we only had 4 shots tonight to Brum's 9. No wide service for Rickie or Billy and that seems to be a growing problem too. We have been worked out and perhaps it's time for a rethink?
Not in a million years, imo. We've passed the ball about really well in these past two games imo, and I've got every confidence that the chances - and goals - will quickly return at the end of those moves and passes, especially against opposition weaker than Cardiff and Birmingham. The chances will come, just be patient.
Disagree. Just struggled due to the weather conditions tonight. We will start creating again with Puncheon fully fit, Lallana getting back to his best, and Chaplow returning to make decisions harder for Nige. Lallana said he felt form dropped due to a lack of competition due to injuries over Xmas and New Year.
Adkins on OS said that Ricky should have taken a shot and not chipped it, so for once you may all have been right
Both Puncheon and Lee could be of real use in opening up space...Lee because he's always a threat to get behind the defense, and Puncheon because he's quite capable of running with the ball and forcing the defense out of position to challenge. Times like these that the five-sub rule really haunt us, though; if we could have all of Harding, Martin, Guly/Puncheon, Hammond, Lee and Chaplow as possible substitutes, plus Connolly/de Ridder/Falque as further options, we'd have a tonne of different looks to which we could adjust in-game. Really hope they change it back next year (even though it obviously won't affect us!).
The free kick was frustrating, but I take that game as write off because of the conditions. I think we will give Burnley a hiding on Saturday
