Still inviting pressure.

[lake district canary 0]

We have done really well in the last few weeks and Hughton is proving what a good manager he is.   The next step up for me is on the face of it relatively straight forward - and it doesn''t mean we have to go out and spend millions on new players.  It is simply that we carry on improving our composure on the ball.   Defensively it has improved and we are no longer getting over run by teams - but we still invite pressure by getting impatient when in midfield/attack.    We keep seeing terrific defensive work, only for it to be spoiled by giving the ball away really cheaply and on comes the pressure again.     Sometimes it is so bad it is laughable - and I''m not singling anyone out - I just think that they get the ball in midfield and feel under pressure to do something special.   If they just stuck to keeping the ball moving around - we would get on even better than we are now. 

Having the confidence to knock the ball around is something that is an attitude of  mind - ie not trying to do too much - just be satisfied with retaining possession  - and there was a spell yesterday when we did that - but in most of the matches there have been plenty of occasions where the ball has been given away completely needlessly - including yesterday.    We are not scoring that many goals anyway, so we might as well learn to hang on to the ball better - and we would still get chances to score just on the balance of  probability. 

So for me there is still room for improvement and I don''t think we are playing as well as a team as we could.  Its a positive message because we can improve with the players we have - they have not reached full potential yet.    Reducing the pressure by keeping the ball better is an important factor in the team''s development.  Improve that and we could really see something special  (not that yesterday wasn''t special  [:)] ) 

[priceyrice 133]

Interesting comments LDC and i completely agree but i have to say that added quality to our personal would obviously reduce that pressure.

Against the likes of Arsenal and Man U, for a lot of the game we were allowed time on the ball and could pick the passes easily. Man U invite teams to do this with the hope they will hit you on the counter, Arsenal just didn''t press us enough. When we have played the ''lesser'' teams we have much less time to hold the ball and look for that pass, teams like Reading pressed us hard and i think that is the major reason for giving the ball away and inviting pressure back on ourselves while also making for horrible games to watch.

This is something a lot of the bottom half teams in the prem suffer with and while some of it can be attributed to not enough composure from our players, a lot of it also comes down to the fact we don''t have a team of exceptionally gifted spanish players who can control a pass and move it on at exceptional speed, you will often see our players taking one extra touch and it can get very frustrating (Wes prime example).

We have added some of that quality in Garrido and Bassong, who are both very comfortable on the ball, I do rate our midfield but i wouldn''t say we are blessed with technically gifted footballers (as Hughton put it back at the start of the season) in the middle of the park and teams playing a high pressing game are obviously going to increased the chances of us misplacing passes or getting caught in possession.

[PurpleCanary 6,386]

[quote user="lake district canary"]We have done really well in the last few weeks and Hughton is proving what a good manager he is.   The next step up for me is on the face of it relatively straight forward - and it doesn''t mean we have to go out and spend millions on new players.  It is simply that we carry on improving our composure on the ball.   Defensively it has improved and we are no longer getting over run by teams - but we still invite pressure by getting impatient when in midfield/attack.    We keep seeing terrific defensive work, only for it to be spoiled by giving the ball away really cheaply and on comes the pressure again.     Sometimes it is so bad it is laughable - and I''m not singling anyone out - I just think that they get the ball in midfield and feel under pressure to do something special.   If they just stuck to keeping the ball moving around - we would get on even better than we are now. 



Having the confidence to knock the ball around is something that is an attitude of  mind - ie not trying to do too much - just be satisfied with retaining possession  - and there was a spell yesterday when we did that - but in most of the matches there have been plenty of occasions where the ball has been given away completely needlessly - including yesterday.    We are not scoring that many goals anyway, so we might as well learn to hang on to the ball better - and we would still get chances to score just on the balance of  probability. 


So for me there is still room for improvement and I don''t think we are playing as well as a team as we could.  Its a positive message because we can improve with the players we have - they have not reached full potential yet.    Reducing the pressure by keeping the ball better is an important factor in the team''s development.  Improve that and we could really see something special  (not that yesterday wasn''t special  [:)] )

 


[/quote]

 

Isn''t that simply the downside of having two defensive midfielders in Johnson and Tettey? We could play one of those and Howson or Fox, or Howson and Fox, and we would hold on to the ball better, but the defence would be less well protected when we weren''t in possession.

[ZLF 335]

Tettey Bassong Hoolahan It is no coincidence that we have performed outstandingly well with those three.

For the majority of the game yesterday we imposed our style on the game, its not often man u get dictated to. That is to our credit.

It seems we have forgotten we were playing on of the best teams in europe, not just england. We outpassed them, created the better openings and looked more solid at the back.

Inevitably they were going to have opportunities and periods of pressure (8 comeback wins shows how good our win was) It was only as the game drifted on that we sat deeper IN SELF CONFIDENCE that we could keep them locked out. Knowing when to be secure and when to be expansive is a tough balance, I thought we got it right yesterday as we never really looked like conceding - how often will RVP look a passenger???

[Beauseant 0]

I''m sorry, I must have dozed off and missed this pressure. At no point did United pin us back for extended periods. Don''t be fooled by Fergie''s propaganda of "They defended with their lives". Other than Young''s first half effort the nereast United came to scoring was through Bassong.

People really need to get over Lambert. We are trying to stay in the Prem on a tight budget. In the last month we''ve beaten Spurs, Arsenal and United, all deservedly,and if that means a lack of high scoring shout outs I for one don''t care. If you want all out attack and clueless defending there''s a team in Birmingham that desperately needs a transfusion of fans.

[lake district canary 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]Tettey Bassong Hoolahan It is no coincidence that we have performed outstandingly well with those three.

For the majority of the game yesterday we imposed our style on the game, its not often man u get dictated to. That is to our credit.

It seems we have forgotten we were playing on of the best teams in europe, not just england. We outpassed them, created the better openings and looked more solid at the back.

Inevitably they were going to have opportunities and periods of pressure (8 comeback wins shows how good our win was) It was only as the game drifted on that we sat deeper IN SELF CONFIDENCE that we could keep them locked out. Knowing when to be secure and when to be expansive is a tough balance, I thought we got it right yesterday as we never really looked like conceding - how often will RVP look a passenger???[/quote]

The point behind my post was to try to see where we can improve.   We are not there just because we beat Man Utd.   There were still elements of the game where we can improve.   I''m not belittling a super team effort and we did show confidence - but we are still a work in progress - and it is only right to see where we can go from here.

[TIL 1010 5,246]

If we are still inviting pressure then having kept 4 clean sheets in the last 5 league games (and the 5th game we did not lose) then i for one say keep it up and long may it continue.

[lake district canary 0]

[quote user="TIL 1010"]If we are still inviting pressure then having kept 4 clean sheets in the last 5 league games (and the 5th game we did not lose) then i for one say keep it up and long may it continue.[/quote]

No, we carry on improving and look to develop.   We are not there yet.

[Gingerpele 0]

I don''t think its a problem.

Clean sheets against Arsenal and Man.U. What more can you ask for? And then one against Stoke who are a very tough team to play against and different. One moment of poor defending (from both Bassong and Turner I thought, neither picked Benteke up, personally I thought that was Bassongs job but many blamed Turner). Took Mr.Spurs (one man team...) for them to score a goal against us against a weakened side in the cup.

After the Liverpool and Chelsea thrashings, we got everyone we needed back fit (well Whittaker not for a couple games) Hughton has built a great defensive unit, and a nice attacking unit, but its also more fluid than many still seem to give us credit for. We are cautious, but we do take some risks and go for it at times.

[ZLF 335]

I agree there is still scope to improve and over the next 12 months expect to see a couple of strikers, a defensive midfield partner for tettey, a right back and another creative midfielder in place of wes.

Then we can win a cup...

[Mister Chops 7]

It''s an interesting mentality when you defend a team that loses 5-0 at Fulham and 5-2 at home to Liverpool, but criticise a team that beats Manchester United & Arsenal, keeping two clean sheets in the process.Some might say it''s "positive trolling".

[TIL 1010 5,246]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]It''s an interesting mentality when you defend a team that loses 5-0 at Fulham and 5-2 at home to Liverpool, but criticise a team that beats Manchester United & Arsenal, keeping two clean sheets in the process.

Some might say it''s "positive trolling".

[/quote]

[Y]

[lake district canary 0]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]It''s an interesting mentality when you defend a team that loses 5-0 at Fulham and 5-2 at home to Liverpool, but criticise a team that beats Manchester United & Arsenal, keeping two clean sheets in the process.Some might say it''s "positive trolling".[/quote]

You might say that Mr. C but I think that is harsh.   I said in my posts its about looking ahead - seeing how we can go on improving.  Isn''t that what we all want?     I am a realist.   I try to see things as they are.  The realism says to me - a great result, now how can the team improve from here.    Not unreasonable, there is always room for improvement - unless you are one of those that because we beat "The Wonderful Man Utd"  that Christmas has come early.   No, it is just three points, great as it was - and there are things that need improving.   

[Mr Jenkins 0]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]It''s an interesting mentality when you defend a team that loses 5-0 at Fulham and 5-2 at home to Liverpool, but criticise a team that beats Manchester United & Arsenal, keeping two clean sheets in the process.Some might say it''s "positive trolling".[/quote]

The dear boy is a mystery to me Mr Chops.  My grandson used to be very similar, one day he would enjoy peas pudding and the very next would cry at the sight of it. Of course when he grew up we discovered the real problem, it`s something that is rarely mentioned in the family now!

[lake district canary 0]

[quote user="canarygirl"][quote user="Mister Chops"]It''s an interesting mentality when you defend a team that loses 5-0 at Fulham and 5-2 at home to Liverpool, but criticise a team that beats Manchester United & Arsenal, keeping two clean sheets in the process.Some might say it''s "positive trolling".[/quote]

The dear boy is a mystery to me Mr Chops.  My grandson used to be very similar, one day he would enjoy peas pudding and the very next would cry at the sight of it. Of course when he grew up we discovered the real problem, it`s something that is rarely mentioned in the family now! [/quote]

Oh dear, another who completely misses the point.   I sometimes wonder why I bother.     Its supposed to be about the club - you know - football?   Misplaced passes and that kind of thing.   The uber positive from yesterday is that we beat a top club and yet there is room for improvement.  The saying is true - "people ridicule what they don''t understand".....................

[Nuff Said 5,965]

[quote user="canarygirl"][quote user="Mister Chops"]It''s an interesting mentality when you defend a team that loses 5-0 at Fulham and 5-2 at home to Liverpool, but criticise a team that beats Manchester United & Arsenal, keeping two clean sheets in the process.Some might say it''s "positive trolling".[/quote]

The dear boy is a mystery to me Mr Chops.  My grandson used to be very similar, one day he would enjoy peas pudding and the very next would cry at the sight of it. Of course when he grew up we discovered the real problem, it`s something that is rarely mentioned in the family now! [/quote]Eh?

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="canarygirl"][quote user="Mister Chops"]It''s an interesting mentality when you defend a team that loses 5-0 at Fulham and 5-2 at home to Liverpool, but criticise a team that beats Manchester United & Arsenal, keeping two clean sheets in the process.Some might say it''s "positive trolling".[/quote]

The dear boy is a mystery to me Mr Chops.  My grandson used to be very similar, one day he would enjoy peas pudding and the very next would cry at the sight of it. Of course when he grew up we discovered the real problem, it`s something that is rarely mentioned in the family now! [/quote]It''s a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world.

[Mungo Bumpkin 0]

Oh dear, another who lacks the insight that comes with seeing games as they should be, live and in person ... But don''t let that deter you fro m sharing your pearls of rather confused wisdom.

[Stig 0]

I think it''s pretty damn clear what LDC is saying. Our ascendancy hasn''t finished just because we beat Manchester United. We are not a perfect team, there is always something that can be developed... LDC wanted to discuss what that development could be. Whatever our next step is, I can''t wait to see it and see us win even more of these important games.

[Bws Cat 0]

Although I am usually a fan on LDC, I can''t help but feel that there is a subtle undertone to this post.

[Stig 0]

Just... no. Why is it not the most obvious thing to talk about? The most obvious question to ask after beating Manchester United is "Where do we go from here?"If the management hasn''t asked questions of the things that didn''t go right (A few misplaced passes) then they must have ignored them... and if you ignore problems they don''t usually go away.

[lake district canary 0]

[quote user="Resident Canary Stig"]Just... no. Why is it not the most obvious thing to talk about? The most obvious question to ask after beating Manchester United is "Where do we go from here?"If the management hasn''t asked questions of the things that didn''t go right (A few misplaced passes) then they must have ignored them... and if you ignore problems they don''t usually go away.[/quote]

Thanks, Stig, at least some people can take things at face value.    Its true though, too much giving away possession leads to pressure, its not rocket science and it is happening too much in our matches.    Some days we will get away with it - and at least the defence has improved - but there will be days where if we don''t improve this aspect of our play - we will get punished.

Against every team this season we have been guilty of giving the ball away too cheaply - way too cheaply - but I think that with the improved confidence the team is getting through good results, this can improve - better decision making will lead to better build up play and better retaining of possession.  That is all, no ulterior motives (bw''s cat), no trolling (Mr C) and where canarygirl is coming from I don''t know.  Just football.  Please.

[dpit 1]

The Binfinder General''s moste excellente assistant wrote:

"Although I am usually a fan on LDC, I can''t help but feel that there is a subtle undertone to this post."

Uh oh. Next stop the ducking stool for you LDC.

[Bws Cat 0]

Indeed dpit, LDC must watch his tone.

The Binhunter Brigade is quick to retribution.