Having watched Swansea again today ... I cant help but feel by god it is serious overkill of passing ? When they have the chance to hurt teams by putting the ball in the box they dont ! they simply pass it again sideways and wherever it takes them ! Some of there play is good but i cant help thinking that they will benefit from a half and half syndrome .. Keep possession and then put the ball where u can actually score goals ! They r being found out a little bit but they av done enuff for the present season ... But it does make it interestin for next yr when all teams know how to approach there pass pass style into the championship ! Who knows but im sure it will def get harder for them now ! I reckon the Stoke public would struggle to watch this sedate manner of football ! regardless of our own troubles !!!! Thoughts fellas ?
Potter P Agreed, I thought we had Swansea sussed well and truly at home. They did beat us at their place but it was an easy victory for us at home I thought. YES they pass it well enough but with no cutting edge. I remember at least four times they tried to pass it out of defence and we should really have punished them more than we did. That is where I give credit to Tony Pulis, we stopped their passing game and once you do that I think they are basically shafted. Also, their defence is way too sloppy they leave far too many gaps at the back but... Can they change? sure they could but I'm one of T.Ps biggest critics sometimes but I would honestly rather watch Stoke mix it than "tippy tappy footie" It's worked for them this season, next one will be 3 times harder I think. Might be wrong but Brendan Rodgers is a lot like Roberto M i.e. Wigan they WANT to play football and even Utd and the other big teams know how to win ugly. They have been well and truly found out IMO. cos they are safe but I fear next season they might? just fade away re West Brom?? They HAVE changed their style a little and will be here for a few years now. I hope just like we are Potter P.
Every teams style can become overkill! Lower skilled teams like ourselves over kill the direct hoof and pasing teams overkill the sideways and backwards passing. Arsenal have often been slated for trying to pass it into the net. There are a handful of teams that get it right, United, Barca, Real, Man City etc but they even have their moments. Its not a teams style or the way they overkill it, but how they adapt when teams neutralise their strengths. I do find it ironic that people seem to look for fault in the passing game but defend the direct game! I suppose its what suits.
Its all a matter of balance, one of the best footballing teams ever - AC Milan of the Van Basten, Rijkaard (SP) and Gullit, did not always resort to tippy tappy stuff. With a typical Italian defence they could hoof it with the best of them. Of course with AC it was a fantastic 45 yard pass into open space for VB to run onto, with us its 'hoofball'
