All the goals we have conceded have been after the hour mark (toon - 64mins and 81mins - WBA 90 mins - Norwich 85 mins). Are we running out of steam due to not being fit enough? Very tellingly several players have said that the long distance running fitness work that was the norm in the last few seasons has gone to be replaced with near total training with a ball.
Most of the players haven't had a proper pre-season, for various reasons. Injuries, the Euros, the Olympics, transfers that didn't come off or late moves to us, for example. I think the system of closing down's quite hard work too, so players run out of steam, especially as we've not been getting ahead early on.
Whilst it is still too early to judge AVB and the team, I am bound to say that, so far, AVB has done little to dispel the concerns that many of us expressed when Levy picked him up cheaply after he ruined the Chavs' chances of a top 4 finish, last season.
Players were barely moving on the ball all game, particularly at the back so I can't see it being tiredness. If you look at the goals they were down to giving away stupid setpieces and failing to clear properly. The fact I'm concerned about is 0-0 at half-time in each game. It's taken us too long to show any quality going forward, particularly in the last two games. We're going to have to take more risks and play quicker passes if we're going to open up oppositions.
That closing down is tiring has been my pet explanation for the late goals as well. But for that reason I'd expect AVB to increase the training, not ditch it. The fact that he has ditched it, apparently, I find appalling. It might explain by itself why he's flopped in the Prem. A lot of games come down to who runs harder for longer.
Again I think this is a transitional thing - the system is supposed to be press when you've not got the ball so as to get it back quicker. But we're supposed to have the ball a lot more than 60% of the time so that the opposition wear themselves out chasing after us. That bit isn't there yet. It is completely unbelievable that AVB would have a worse understanding at how to keep the squad fit than Harry and co.
If avb needs to increase the players fitness, cardio levels, to sustain a high pressing game, then that work should be done during the week at training. if its clear the players aren't fit enough to perform to the levels he requires then he should be implementing his pressing system, when the players are up the task. Remember at Chelsea, he played a high line, and that tells me he is obsessed with this high line/pressing game and will play it regardless of the players suitability to the system
The point I made that you didn't quote is that the pressing game doesn't need any higher fitness level than our normal tactic. What it does need is keeping the ball and this is the skill he is working on in training. We've not conceded because we're not fit - it is simple errors.
Yes, but if you remember we discussed this before and agreed we don't have the players to keep the ball and break teams down so avb has to not only teach players new skills and a mentality but of course he also has to improve their fitness levels. As for conceding, errors late in the game do tend to happen due to lack of fitness and concentration, as when you're low on energy you're more likely to make an error, so if a team is constantly conceding late goals then its natural for fans to look at fitness levels and question what is happening.
Can't remember the Newcastle match but in the WBrom and Norwich matches we conceded after taking Sandro off. Today Sandro made more tackles in the first half than Livermore made all match. Nothing against Livermore but taking Sandro off does not help the cause.
If my memory serves they were 5th when he left, 3pts off 4th and went on to finish 6th more than 3pts behind
But they were playing well below par and were in a downward spiral. Arsenal were catching up on them fact, as were the Toon. With the dressing room having turned against him, and the likes of Fat Frank and John "iron my hood, bitch!" Terry in charge, things would still have ended the way they did for them. Probably worse, in fact, because with RDM at least the junior members of the dressing room would not have felt the pressure created by the unbearable tension.
