I get that sides can improve after they get a lashing from the manager at half-time but it often feels like there's a big difference between halves in many of our games with the first half almost written off, getting through it by defending without any sincere attempt to exert any attacking pressure. It doesn't seem to matter what the score is at half time, most sides that set up very defensively against us in the first half seem to go for it more in the second. Games I'd pick as examples of this: Watford(home) Newcastle(home) Norwich(home and away) West Brom(away) Sunderland(home) Leicester(home Fa Cup, away league) Palace(home and away) Stoke(home) Everton(away) Villa(home) Does anyone else feel like this exists? Or am I just being harsh on, mostly, weaker sides that are bound to have erratic performances anyway?
Managers have a simpler job to do when things aren't going well, somewhat counter-intuitively. They've seen what's going wrong and what they need to change in order to get a result. A team doing well can completely balls things up by trying to be pro-active. Fixing problems that don't exist can be a real issue.
Most games open up in the second half when players tire, formations and tactics change etc. Nothing new. And all PL sides these days are fit, organised and well drilled. There are exceptions to the rule, but most PL games tend to be low scoring in the early stages as a result.
It's like boxers sparring in the early stages of a fight, sussing out strengths and weaknesses. In recent years we had so many stressful ends to games because teams realised `we had a weakness there. Now we are a much more difficult proposition because we have such innovation and strength all over the pitch. The only effective measure against us IS to increase your workrate. It's one thing explaining that to your team but they have to experience a half against us to work out that means MORE effort.
I think teams do plan to tire us out then nick the game late on. I saw Padrew do us twice recently with late goals, once with Newcastle and again with Palace. Leicester did similar too. AVB had to iron out late goal weakness, and hopefully Pochettino has done the same recently. Harry's tottenham had a habit of conceding late goals. We seem to have developed more of a habit of scoring them recently.
I'd agree with what Spurf said. If you don't match our work rate, we'll more than likely overrun you, force you into mistakes, etc. We do seem to be fit enough now to keep that pressure up for the 90 mins, in most games anyway.
I think that the steady rotation is helping on this point, too. If somebody's flagging, then we've often got an available sub to help. Some sides have struggled badly when missing certain players in recent games. Stoke are far, far worse without Shawcross. Palace's form has dipped massively during Bolasie's absence. West Ham are notably weaker without Payet. I think that this stems from both having weaker replacements, but also having to bring in players who haven't played for months.