we don't get the ball forward quickly enough

[Baldyboy 1]

For me this has been a problem all season, we do not get the ball out to the wide men quickly enough, we take too many passes to get the ball forward. yesterday there was an instant where Liverpool got from their box to ours in 4 passes and that was not just plying a hoofball either, something which i am not advocating at alll.We need far more creativity especially in the midfield and I know the better players cost more but after a season in this League we surely have more money to spend than before?i would hope we can at least start to pay 3 to 4 million for players now rather than basement shopping again!!!

[Ernie 0]

Totally agree with this, we pass the ball nicely without hurting teams, keeping possession is essential in this league but there needs to be an end product and teams will allow you to pass the ball around in front of them if they know your not going to hurt them.  We are not quick, decisive, inventive or creative enough, we knock it around nicely enough without creating any real threats until we lose possession them all of sudden the opposition gets the ball and 9 times put of 10 does something with it.

[smooth 114]

baldyboy, the basement players you refer to have had a great season, but we always knew how far those types of players can take you as playing in League 1 and hence you are right. Quality is needed.I believe we built up a squad capable of contending to stay up this league, which we have done. We improved our team so that we had the same standard across the board. Steve Redgrave always pointed out that in his rowing teams you were only as strong as your weaker man. I feel we evened out our squad but as many players have played to their highest achievability, when they have an off day we do not warrant a premiership performance.Hence the need to build those players of £3-4million is needed and one to look forward to, each year there has to be improvement. By the players we bring in and by our players improving. Football is ruthless, if you can''t keep pace we will not be hanging on to you.I totally agree about faster, sharper passes and control, this will improve with a better class of player. By playing the ball across our back four giving the ball to Fox who gives it back really gets us going. Yesterday we had poor control when running at liverpool players and hence they got the ball off us with ease. But it is to be expected. We can now look forward to building parts that will keep us up next season, with more clean sheets and with a great deal more quality.Hoofball or the long pass is not a bad word, if your defenders are not good enough get it forward, we are determined to play the ball out and Lambert has great faith in our players. But there is a time and a place, put the ball in the channels, challenge the centre half for a throw in etc. Moving the ball quicker is what the top teams do in this league and it will take us a while to get the calibre of players who can do this but we are getting young quality where this can develop and hopefully they grow as a unit and a team.Lansbury had that killer, premiership pass if you like... I have not seen us once this season put a great through ball along the deck splitting the centre halves and have the forwards run through one on one with the keeper.Rest assured this summer we will add quality and I for one cannot wait. That is no knock on our players who have exceeded themselves and amazingly got us premiership football for a second season. But constructive criticism becomes harsher as mistakes are more costly and time is not of the essence. You move on to improve, stay in this league for a third term and maybe we will get some extra investment so we can have a bit more financial clout as we do not compared to many championship teams. Premiership money helps, but backing from our board is amazing but slight in top football in the 21century.Lets get some quality in this summer and improve this squad, there a number of first team players that will be squad players next season and that is absolutely fine.

[Phillip J Fry 0]

In the first half, when we were playing a 4-1-4-1, keeping possession made sense, we had an equal number of midfielders to Liverpool, and possession was about 50/50. When Drury went of and the defensive plan went to s**t, I noticed just how congested the midfield was getting and was thinking that bringing a striker on for a midfielder and going 4-4-2 with an emphasis on width would help counteract this. The problem is, because your a man light in midfield, you need to be more direct.In the second half, when Fox came off and Vaughan came on, I thought we were going 4-4-2 and felt pretty happy. However we went for the diamond. The diamond midfield congested the midfield even more, where we were undermanned and were passed around to Liverpool''s content.In the second half, it made tactical sense to be more direct, and we weren''t.  

[Canary Wundaboy 1,423]

No better example than the first half at Fulham IMO, plenty of possession, and plenty of passing, but nothing going forwards.

[Gingerpele 0]

I do agree with that to a certain extent.

But at other times, I think we rush attacks too much. There doesn''t seem to be that balance in-between often enough.

Its fine playing long balls up to Moro or Holts head, as long as its accurate and there are players to pick up the knock down. Its fine to play balls for someone like Pilks (or Jackson) to run onto. But they just seem to be rushed, and not well thought out. Or we pass too much, allowing the other team to get into their optimum defensive set up, and were not quick enough/skilled enough to break through that.

With Pilks, Bennett and Howson. We should have been capable of some very effective counter attacks, Liverpool often attacked with Suarez, Bellamy, Downing, Gerrard, Shelvey and Enrique all visibly advanced. But yesterday we just weren''t aware enough to start off a counter attack.

[smooth 114]

ginger pele... our first shot against Fulham came at about 35minutes into the game, wolves or everton was almost the same and yesterday it was EB''s long range effort at 50 minutes. We may be rushing it but it doesn''t show when actually it matters, if you don''t have a shot on target to the 35th and even 50th minute you don''t deserve to win the game.The players of Liverpool are world class, our players have made the step up and certainly it was a master class in certain areas, certainly those small things which then create a goal.Our build up play is often slow and hence our potential width is then nulified by ourselves. We do need to move the ball with a bit more pace but it is against high quality players and we will get better, each year new additions and quality of training each year getting better. But if you don''t shoot you don''t score.

[Bill 1,788]

Our build up seems to slow down. We appear frightened to take on defenders. Bennett is now only starting to shoot.Maybe the is based on not conceding possession, which is fine in the other two thirds of the pitch but when we are near their penalty box we need to be more direct. A bit more adventure, a bit more risk.Would we have scored the second and third goals ''bugs bunny'' scored, I doubt. We would have passed it sideways, then a pretty coupls of triangles before looking up nd finding the defenders had regrouped.We have fast attacking players in Bennett, Vaughan, Pilks and Jackson. Let''s start using them as such.

[smooth 114]

I think we have been at the top of the table in headed goals and we have Morison and Holt attacking the ball in box. These two forwards have made an impression to many centre halves this season.Put the ball into the box and allow our two to challenge and attack the ball instead of this fancy football through the middle with Surman and Hoolahoops. At least with Lansbury he could put that killer ball through the middle, we have struggled with that this season.But you need to play to your individual and teams strengths for me it is Holt and Morison attacking crosses.