Match thread

[Bill 1,788]

55 minutes ago, kick it off said:

Yep. Felt it in my gut that we were going up a little while back after Sheff Weds. Millwall game was when it turned into we're going to win the title.

Couple of mates from uni are in a group chat - one is WBA and the other is Villa. They were taking the **** because I said we'd win the league after Millwall. They're dead wrong. Seen us yoyo enough times to know when we're going up and this is one of our years.

What stuns me isn't the fact we're top - I said after Birmingham on opening day that there was a top side in there somewhere, but the manner in which we're doing it is almost unprecedented. Very few teams turn up and demolish teams home and and away, week in, week out like we have for the past few months. Not in this league. Newcastle under Hughton maybe? The Sunderland side who went up with about 115 points.... aside from that, it's difficult to compare us to anyone. This team is of that calibre. Now we have started converting our chances too, I don't see anybody stopping us.

Watch how the possession football actually works.

Time after time we find our own player with a pass. And when the opposition has the ball we use two players to regain possession.

One simply to jabs the ball away from their player for the other to collect and move the ball on. What has changed this season is we no longer pass it to and fro to keep possession but break quickly.

Perhaps a better 'stat' would be to see how little time there often is between the ball being in our half and it becoming a goal scoring chance or goal.

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

1 hour ago, The Great Mass Debater said:

Defensively, for the goals at least, Swansea were all over the place.

First goal, Hernandez would have converted if defender hadnt. What a pass by Stieperman I think to Pukki, but where the hell is their left-back? Started with Tettey's intercept from a punt forward so perhaps he had steamed up the left anticipating an attack. Acres of space for Pukki to cross.

Second goal (was the kick-off directly from the previous shot over the bar - looked like Aarons fouled their guy when we won possession) but what a dreadful goal to concede from their point of view. Clear indecision, great pressing and composure from Buendia.

Third goal we practically walk it into the net. It starts with a long ball from Klose, so there is no explanation this time for the absence of their left back.

God knows where their right-back is for our 4th goal.

 

Swansea I was going to argue seemed to be a victim of their own approach to play with high attacking full-backs (or rather we exploited this) but two of the goals they conceded they really should have been on the defensive

Not sure who the passer is but although in the end the pass  looks a simple one, to Pukki in an absurd amount of space, what makes it are the control from whoever it is to take the header forward from Tettey so the ball is in the perfect place and then the instant assessment of what to do is, followed by an instant pass. The control and the pass to Pukki seem almost one movement.

[Bill 1,788]

30 minutes ago, PurpleCanary said:

Not sure who the passer is but although in the end the pass  looks a simple one, to Pukki in an absurd amount of space, what makes it are the control from whoever it is to take the header forward from Tettey so the ball is in the perfect place and then the instant assessment of what to do is, followed by an instant pass. The control and the pass to Pukki seem almost one movement.

Steiperman

[Icecream Snow 761]

2 hours ago, The Great Mass Debater said:

Defensively, for the goals at least, Swansea were all over the place.

First goal, Hernandez would have converted if defender hadnt. What a pass by Stieperman I think to Pukki, but where the hell is their left-back? Started with Tettey's intercept from a punt forward so perhaps he had steamed up the left anticipating an attack. Acres of space for Pukki to cross.

Second goal (was the kick-off directly from the previous shot over the bar - looked like Aarons fouled their guy when we won possession) but what a dreadful goal to concede from their point of view. Clear indecision, great pressing and composure from Buendia.

Third goal we practically walk it into the net. It starts with a long ball from Klose, so there is no explanation this time for the absence of their left back.

God knows where their right-back is for our 4th goal.

 

Swansea I was going to argue seemed to be a victim of their own approach to play with high attacking full-backs (or rather we exploited this) but two of the goals they conceded they really should have been on the defensive

I believe the Swansea left back for the first half was the number 21, Matt Grimes. For the first goal, he's the guy whose punt Tettey intercepts and heads to Stiepermann. I actually think he did well to get back into position, but Pukki sprung their offside trap.

The third goal is quite interesting, because Pukki and Stiepermann dropped deep. Buendia takes up an advanced central position (and takes the left back with him) and flicks the ball back to Pukki. Someone from Swansea should have been tracking Aarons's run.

[Chelm Canary 404]

What a career Leroy Fer could have had. 

I'm sure he's made his money but he was totally ineffective and hauled off at half time.

 

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

7 hours ago, Bill said:

Steiperman

Thanks.

[westcoastcanary 173]

Stiepermann is a hugely under-appreciated contributor to our emergence as a real force this season. His two assists (for Pukki), and single goal, conceal his crucial role in so much of our attacking play. His key pass to Pukki yesterday, with neat control of Tettey's header, immediate turn to face forward, instant appreciation of the penetrative pass and quick feet for its delivery, was just one example. He deftness of touch for a big man, and his ability to thread a possession-maintaining pass through from the tightest of spaces, with a sometimes unbelievable appreciation of angle of run, has been crucial to upping the speed and directness of our attacking play. 

[kick it off 1,948]

29 minutes ago, westcoastcanary said:

Stiepermann is a hugely under-appreciated contributor to our emergence as a real force this season. His two assists (for Pukki), and single goal, conceal his crucial role in so much of our attacking play. His key pass to Pukki yesterday, with neat control of Tettey's header, immediate turn to face forward, instant appreciation of the penetrative pass and quick feet for its delivery, was just one example. He deftness of touch for a big man, and his ability to thread a possession-maintaining pass through from the tightest of spaces, with a sometimes unbelievable appreciation of angle of run, has been crucial to upping the speed and directness of our attacking play. 

He has also taken on the Maddison mantle as ball carrier - that's a huge part of what he does well. We need a player who can pick the ball up and carry it 30 yards forward linking the defence and attack, and he does that constantly.

[The Great Mass Debater 1,078]

10 hours ago, Chelm Canary said:

What a career Leroy Fer could have had. 

I'm sure he's made his money but he was totally ineffective and hauled off at half time.

 

For years I said that whilst we had all of the components of a great midfielder in our teams, we needed to play about 6 midfielders to get them all on the pitch at the same time. We had midfielders who were all pretty much good at one thing. Tettey - intercepting, BJ - Ball winnng, Fox - Passing from deep, Hoolahan - Creativity etc. What we needed was to move from players with singular strengths to pursuing players who could do it all like Gerrard.

I truly believe that Fer is one of the most complete central midfielders we ever had. He could do everything, with no major deficits in his game.

Agree he could have had a great career

[lake district canary 4,531]

29 minutes ago, The Great Mass Debater said:

I truly believe that Fer is one of the most complete central midfielders we ever had. He could do everything, with no major deficits in his game.

Agree he could have had a great career

You can't be a complete player if your fighting attitude isn't there. I was quite pleased he was in the starting line up yesterday as I knew he wouldn't be up to what was needed to do well against us.

[king canary 7,578]

52 minutes ago, The Great Mass Debater said:

I truly believe that Fer is one of the most complete central midfielders we ever had. He could do everything, with no major deficits in his game.

I think he sometimes struggled playing with players without the Dutch finesse he was used to. You'd see him playing a little intricate lay off to some like Bradley Johnson who just wasn't comfortable with the that sort of play and would just hoof it away.

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

I think Fer was a greatly talented player but ultimately just a bit lazy. Had all the attributes to be world class but missing that bit of application.

[The Great Mass Debater 1,078]

2 hours ago, king canary said:

I think he sometimes struggled playing with players without the Dutch finesse he was used to. You'd see him playing a little intricate lay off to some like Bradley Johnson who just wasn't comfortable with the that sort of play and would just hoof it away.

Interestingly that was one of the arguments made for why RvW flopped here.

Many people said that at the beginning of his career with us that he would make intelligent runs and get himself into positions, with the team on a completely different wavelength and not even looking to play him in/find his runs.

Whilst it's true we never played to his strengths his lack of success since leaving us doesnt suggest it was ultimately a product of our play

[ROBFLECK 132]

I felt anxious in first half (q my post in this thread), but thought the lads did so well in second! What a goal by young Max though...we've showed again what spirit we have in the team