Too much at stake?

[lake district canary 4,830]

Looking in on Matt Jarvis''s interview when he arrived, he talks about keeping things tight and hoping to nick the odd goal.  This seems contrary to what AN preaches, but I wonder if AN will be forced to adopt a more defensive approach - as many clubs do towards the bottom end of the premier league, because the stakes are so high.  

It seems wrong to me - I would far rather watch a team really having a good go attacking every team.  Lambert did it in his frst year - and we got away with it, but many said that approach wouldn''t work in the second season - and he really struggled at Villa - adopting a similar approach to dare I say it - Hughton - pragmatic, defence first, minimal attack.  We all know what happened under Hughton (I''d always thought he would be able to get a good balance, but I was wrong) and the last thing I want to see is AN going down a route that leads us to hanging on, hoping for scraps.

The stakes are high and of course we need to stay in the prem - but is Jarvis right, I wonder - will we witness a gradual regress to a defensive, minimal attacking team?  I hope AN is being positive and sticking to his guns, but it seems as if there are plenty of people who already think a defensive mindest is what is needed - players, managers, ex-managers, head of the PFA, etc etc.    

Above all, I hope AN doesn''t fall into the trap of being defensive and that we go out to win games, toe to toe and without fear.  If it means Burnley type season, so be it - but given what happened under CH, we need as a club and fans to have a really positive season in the top flight - for better or worse.   Imo, fortune favours the brave - so will AN stay as a braveheart under the pressure of  being in in the prem, or will he bow under the pressure to stay in the prem at all costs, including the style of football?

[TIL 1010 5,246]

We tolerated months and months,well virtually a whole season of Hughton doing exactly what you are saying we should not do yet you steadfastly stood by him throughout.Give a strength. [:''(]

[TIL 1010 5,246]

[quote user="TIL 1010"]We tolerated months and months,well virtually a whole season of Hughton doing exactly what you are saying we should not do yet you steadfastly stood by him throughout.Give a strength. [:''(][/quote]Should read....Give me strength.

[Wiz 0]

[quote user="TIL 1010"][quote user="TIL 1010"]We tolerated months and months,well virtually a whole season of Hughton doing exactly what you are saying we should not do yet you steadfastly stood by him throughout.Give a strength. [:''(][/quote]Should read....Give me strength.[/quote]Oi! Leave him alone you big bully.  [;)]

[TIL 1010 5,246]

What are you doing here Wiz,have you been told to do one again by the moderator of that other site ? [:P]

[93vintage 16]

Trying to nick a goal on the counter might be the best tactic against a team like Bournemouth. They''re a lot more accomplished than us, and if their game at West Ham is anything to go by then they''re not averse to going on the attack away from home. A containment job might be wise to avoid getting whallopped.

[Highland Canary 78]

With a disappointing points haul from our first four games, a failed transfer window, and away matches at Liverpool and West Ham to follow, Bournemouth is a must-win match however that is achieved.

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

[quote user="93vintage"]Trying to nick a goal on the counter might be the best tactic against a team like Bournemouth. They''re a lot more accomplished than us, and if their game at West Ham is anything to go by then they''re not averse to going on the attack away from home. A containment job might be wise to avoid getting whallopped.[/quote]

Really? I seem to remember a very evenly contested draw and a dominant win in the championship.

This season (bar Southampton) we''ve looked good and easily as accomplished as they have.

Contain Bournemouth, that''s Bournemouth.....at Carrow Road??...to avoid a walloping..?

If we''re scared of teams promoted along with us, we may as well give up now.

[TIL 1010 5,246]

[quote user="Highland Canary"]With a disappointing points haul from our first four games, a failed transfer window, and away matches at Liverpool and West Ham to follow, Bournemouth is a must-win match however that is achieved.[/quote]Highland in doom and gloom negative post shocker !Four games into the season and we are in a must win situation.....Really ? [:(][:''(]

[lake district canary 4,830]

[quote user="TIL 1010"]We tolerated months and months,well virtually a whole season of Hughton doing exactly what you are saying we should not do yet you steadfastly stood by him throughout.Give a strength. [:''(][/quote]

I stood by the board''s decision to keep him on - which is slightly different - and yes, I thought he would pull through, but he didn''t. 

This isn''t supposed to be about Hughton, though, more about the difficulties of being a lesser resourced club and the effect that has on the lower half clubs, which is where we''ll be unless AN can work his stuff like he did with Hamilton in the SPL.   We got a hint of it at Southampton - they had players who could really keep us under pressure - and we struggled (even when Whittaker was on the pitch).  It happens to quite a few clubs that they can''t maintain a positive outlook in the face of that kind of play every week - but keep a positive outlook is what the team and AN have to have - and keep the attacking instinct going.  

Bournemouth will no doubt really have a go at us - but we have got to have a go back at them.  Imo, if we go into a defensive shell as a matter of course, we will be stuck near the bottom of the table all season. Our only hope is to attack - even if we get tonked occasionally as a result.  Even if we lose 3-4 or something on Saturday, that will be better than losing 0-2 because we need to start getting people scoring, letting them find their feet and getting a bit of confidence in front of goal.  4-3 would be much better though........

[Temp the Revelator 0]

Hi KO - you need to go back and and read some of Highland''s other posts - this is out as positive and optimistic as he ever gets!

[unique 466]

AN clearly needs to take Matt Jarvis to one side and erase the negative Allardyce doctrine from his mindset.

[CJ 1]

Ldc in order to play defensive like Hughton tried you need a solid defence with good competition for all back four and gk position.

As we all know for whatever reason AN decided this was not a priority and apart from one loanee no strength in depth has been added there. If we get a couple of injuries or red cards I hate to think what the back four will look like, we even shipped Turner to Weds and its rumoured tried to do same to R Bennett.

I really struggle to see how we can survive by anything than all out attack and since our defenders seem as likely to score as anyone probably for the best!

AN has been great for us but I am really worried as with Lambert we have gone up too soon without building the real financial clout it takes to stay here. AN is misguided if he thinks we can survive with this squad too little quality in depth up front and in defence.

And we also have Grabban here making waves and clearly furious at way treated . I would have taken the 7mill and grabbed Austin as proven Prem striker.

Why do we aspire to be a Premier League club and then behave like we really do not belong.

Also why continue to loan out players whose future is clearly not here, Turner and RVW for example just doesnt make sense!

[93vintage 16]

[quote user="Kurious Oranj"][quote user="93vintage"]Trying to nick a goal on the counter might be the best tactic against a team like Bournemouth. They''re a lot more accomplished than us, and if their game at West Ham is anything to go by then they''re not averse to going on the attack away from home. A containment job might be wise to avoid getting whallopped.[/quote]

Really? I seem to remember a very evenly contested draw and a dominant win in the championship.

This season (bar Southampton) we''ve looked good and easily as accomplished as they have.

Contain Bournemouth, that''s Bournemouth.....at Carrow Road??...to avoid a walloping..?

If we''re scared of teams promoted along with us, we may as well give up now.[/quote]In the Championship they were overall the better team and consistently played the best football. We may have had better individuals, but as a team we were playing catchup post Hughton and haven''t had the same opportunity to develop as Bournemouth.Sometimes there aren''t simple rules or conclusions to be drawn from results or whether we should be attacking or not. It''s not a case of being frightened, positive or negative, but trying to get the best chance of winning.It''s interesting that many considered Bournemouth to be this season''s whipping boys, but I never saw that as being likely as their football is very well honed. Give them a goal head start and I''d bet on us losing the game.

[smooth 114]

If we had a better defence and structure then maybe we could hold out, but we do not have that player ability in the back four. Certainly not at this level.

We need to play a little on the front foot, give them something to worry about. I am sure AN will install this in the group.

but we do need to be aware that we need to shore up, Mr Mulumbu will go a long way in helping and until we buy a new centre half we have to do with what we have.

It means that moments like when Howson should have cleared will have to be looked at. It is being decisive and choosing the right choices at the right time, it is why they get paid as much as they do

Bournemouth is a key game, you have to win the mini relegation league, be great to get one over now at home. For me it is a must win, we would have targeted this game and I expect a win. A tough win but a win. Tough away trips where anything is a bonus.

Nothing wrong with labelling must wins this early it can help bring momentum we all recall worthy''s premiership drought at the start of the season

[Well b back 3,605]

[quote user="93vintage"]Trying to nick a goal on the counter might be the best tactic against a team like Bournemouth. They''re a lot more accomplished than us, and if their game at West Ham is anything to go by then they''re not averse to going on the attack away from home. A containment job might be wise to avoid getting whallopped.[/quote]

Did we not beat them with ten men lat year ? You seem to have got carried away with the Eddie love in lol

[hogesar 10,763]

[quote user="TIL 1010"][quote user="Highland Canary"]With a disappointing points haul from our first four games, a failed transfer window, and away matches at Liverpool and West Ham to follow, Bournemouth is a must-win match however that is achieved.[/quote]Highland in doom and gloom negative post shocker !Four games into the season and we are in a must win situation.....Really ? [:(][:''(][/quote]

He doesn''t actually think any of this, he just suffers from ADD.

[Lessingham Canary 108]

CJ Wrote; "Also why continue to loan out players whose future is clearly not here, Turner and RVW for example just doesnt make sense!"

Maybe because nobody wanted to take a punt on them, otherwise I''m sure they would have been gone.

AN is adapting to life in the PL, personally I believe he will find the balance to get the best out of what he has, and he will look to win, starting this Saturday, and we will, no matter how positive Highland might get about "being doomed"

[Essjayess 307]

The only true "must win" game is the scenario where 3 points is the only option to gaurantee PL survival. But all 38 games are important to win. Maybe Jarvis was talking on a personal level and hes not quite yet attuned into Alexs matchday style of playing, im sure he will adapt. I hope as im sure LDC does, that Alex continues his no fear attacking style of playing. Somehow the team completely lost that in the last game, im sure we will see a more aggressive stance this time.Regarding defending, im afraid im of the opinion that our defence lets in sloppy goals regardless of our play style, and West Ham were very sloppy against Bournemouth and they got punished. With Wilson up front and now the addition of Murray, they could potentially have a very powerful front line. There is the potential to suffer a very big home defeat, so City will need to be at their best to get anything from this game. I dont know why, but i fancy our chances more away to Liverpool, especially minus Saurez lol.

[It's Character Forming 1,204]

[quote user="Essjayess"]The only true "must win" game is the scenario where 3 points is the only option to gaurantee PL survival. But all 38 games are important to win. [/quote]

I agree with your first sentence and I do find it annoying when people start talking about a "must win" game when it''s the 5th game of the season. It''s not - a win would be a big boost, a draw would be disappointing and a defeat would be a major downer.

And it''s important we go into all 38 games in the knowledge they are all winnable, but some are less winnable than others. For example I''ve been to Old Trafford 4 times with City now and seen us lose 4 times, hopefully this time will be different !

[Mr Angry 2,017]

Where did this inferiority complex come from?

Ok, Bournemouth finished above us last season but if AN had been in charge for the whole season I think we would have finished above them.

They have the same number of points as us-they have played Villa, Liverpool, West Ham and Leicester-comparable to the teams we have played so far.

They scored 4 against West Ham-but they conceded 3.

They are not a team we should be scared of playing, they are a team we should be expecting to beat.

[Wiz 0]

[quote user="TIL 1010"]What are you doing here Wiz,have you been told to do one again by the moderator of that other site ? [:P][/quote]No Til, I''m a nice Wiz now don''t you know.[;)]

[toftwood 4]

Wiz - You are who you are, a miserable git full of crap!

[Horse Renoir 1]

Our results thus far have nothing at all to do with how we''ve set up to play. It''s been poor individual finishing and individual defensive lapses at set pieces that have cost us a more comfortable position.

Keeping it tighter in open play and p1ssing off the paying fans wouldn''t have helped us, at all.

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

Well thank god AN doesn''t think like a lot on this thread. Contain Bournemouth and try and nick a goal on the counter! Nope, we''ll play our game, completely nullify theirs and score 3 goals in the process. Job done.

[OldRobert 38]

[quote user="toftwood"]Wiz - You are who you are, a miserable git full of crap![/quote]With 43 posts in 7 years I don''t reckon you''re really qualified to comment on Wiz matey.[W]