Canary02 IV 0 Posted January 19, 2013 When we score first, Hughton''s system works. If we''re away from home, the longer into the game we go without conceding, it looks good. However...When we concede first, we look immediately beaten. There is no belief that we will be able to score a goal. As one of the "smaller" teams in the division it''s likely that more often than not we will concede first, particularly away from home. Unfortunately we have no reaction to this situation that we often find ourselves in. We have not come from behind to win a game this season and not gained a point when we''ve conceded more than a goal.There is no puffing out of chests, rolling up of sleeves and determination to drag ourselves back in. The system doesn''t allow for that. Which isn''t to say they''re not working hard. The effort is there but they''re constricted by the system.The system only allows attacks to be built up at glacial speed with Johnno and Tettey passing sideways and back every time, and against opposition that are already winning and protecting a lead by putting bodies behind the ball we''re hitting a brick wall every time.We score VERY few goals from open play, even during the 10 game run, because we pretty much have to dribble or pass through the entire opposition team to score. Wes and Snoddy both try and do this and Holt has actually been working very hard to get involved with the short passing in the attacking third but it''s not enough to bang down the doors of a Premiership defence. It''s powder-puff.Although personally I''d want us to be more attacking and vary tactics according to opposition, at this point I''d even welcome a change to long ball as at least we''d have more chance of scoring by slinging balls up to Holty and Morison. Perhaps this is part of the reason behind the approaches for Hooper and Graham. Two big men to win headers and a consummate finisher to win whatever falls down or gets flicked on?It feels like Hughton has solved half of a problem from last season but has no idea how to solve the rest. He''s an intelligent, experienced coach so I can''t believe he can''t see what needs to be done, but if he does know he''s keeping it to himself so far. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baldyboy 0 Posted January 19, 2013 what has he solved from last season? a back up keeper for Ruddy cos we have conceded more goals than we did at this point last season!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canary02 IV 0 Posted January 19, 2013 Agreed but generally we have looked far better defensively than last year, mainly due to Bassong and two holding midfielders in front of the back four. The goals have been conceded in clumps such as the two Liverpool games, Fulham, and against an exceptional Man City strike force. The reason we concede in clumps is that the heads go down and we don''t believe we can get back into matches we are losing. He has made us better defensively in my opinion, which needed to be done, but it''s so rigid and uncompromisingly turgid in progressing forward that he has built an entirely new problem of his own making, which he seems loathe to address. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,655 Posted January 19, 2013 today was a carbon copy of the opening day at Fulham......no Bassong, Turner and Bennett at the back and crucially a flat midfield 5 with nobody prepared to break forward to support Holt.......the only difference was it was about 32 degrees colder.Can''t understand to non inclusion of Hoolahan, we haven''t played or a week and we can''t be resting him for Luton? but once again today proved that Bassong is possibly our most important player. Every defender that plays alongside him seems to improve, whichever combinaion we play when he''s not there seems to fall apart. I''d seriousy be concerned for our survival if Bassong were out long term. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canary02 IV 0 Posted January 19, 2013 I can only think that he was determined to play as deep as possible to stop Suarez getting in behind and getting his usual hat-trick and Howson stays deeper than Wes and also doesn''t drift wide the way Wes does. Wes hasn''t been in good form recently but then to be fair, who has? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0 Posted January 19, 2013 Both Hoolahan and Pilkington have looked a tad off form recently.Howson got his chance but yet again looked lacking quality at this level.Right winger E Bennett shoved out on the left was ridiculous. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZLF 261 Posted January 20, 2013 the split between open and set piece goals is nearly exactly 50/50.however in the prem what we dont tend to see are many coming through the middle - our proportion from crosses is very high. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Monty13 2,169 Posted January 20, 2013 I kind of see what your saying but personally I have a slightly different view. I think the formation we play would be fine but we are far too rigid.Both DM seem reluctant to ever go forward, seriously if it''s not a set piece when have you ever seen tettey or bj in the opposition box? When we have the ball one needs to be released to go forward but they stubbornly hold back leaving a huge gap between them and the guy in the hole, who has no support to move forward. Our fullbacks also seem reluctant to overlap, garrido in particular, instead they support the attacks but pretty ineffectively as the ball usually goes backwards to them allowing the opposition to close them down. You rarely see the opposite winger in the box either when a cross goes in.I am the only person that sometimes finds holt frustrating? I f''in love the guy, but up front on his own he nearly always drifts to the wing. Who the hell is he going to cross to? Wes? He sorely needs a strike partner but whether the system will change if we get someone in, who knows.One moment summed today up for me, snoddy ended up getting the ball from holt on the right wing and dribbled forward into 4 red shirts who closed him down. Holt remained behind him making no effort to support, there was no one in the box if he had crossed, howson was on the edge, the two DMs were nowhere to be seen and Elliot bennet was hugging th opposite touchline. It was all just a bit pointless. We don''t ever seem to support attacks fully. whether that''s the formation, the rigidness of the system, bad communication, poor direction from management I don''t know but IMO we could play this same formation and be attacking going forward, we just don''t. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlyBlyBabes 0 Posted January 20, 2013 [quote user="Canary02 IV"]When we score first, Hughton''s system works. If we''re away from home, the longer into the game we go without conceding, it looks good. However... When we concede first, we look immediately beaten. There is no belief that we will be able to score a goal. As one of the "smaller" teams in the division it''s likely that more often than not we will concede first, particularly away from home. Unfortunately we have no reaction to this situation that we often find ourselves in. We have not come from behind to win a game this season and not gained a point when we''ve conceded more than a goal. There is no puffing out of chests, rolling up of sleeves and determination to drag ourselves back in. The system doesn''t allow for that. Which isn''t to say they''re not working hard. The effort is there but they''re constricted by the system. The system only allows attacks to be built up at glacial speed with Johnno and Tettey passing sideways and back every time, and against opposition that are already winning and protecting a lead by putting bodies behind the ball we''re hitting a brick wall every time. We score VERY few goals from open play, even during the 10 game run, because we pretty much have to dribble or pass through the entire opposition team to score. Wes and Snoddy both try and do this and Holt has actually been working very hard to get involved with the short passing in the attacking third but it''s not enough to bang down the doors of a Premiership defence. It''s powder-puff. Although personally I''d want us to be more attacking and vary tactics according to opposition, at this point I''d even welcome a change to long ball as at least we''d have more chance of scoring by slinging balls up to Holty and Morison. Perhaps this is part of the reason behind the approaches for Hooper and Graham. Two big men to win headers and a consummate finisher to win whatever falls down or gets flicked on? It feels like Hughton has solved half of a problem from last season but has no idea how to solve the rest. He''s an intelligent, experienced coach so I can''t believe he can''t see what needs to be done, but if he does know he''s keeping it to himself so far.[/quote] An interesting analysis. OTBC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ron obvious 1,473 Posted January 20, 2013 Good post Monty.We really need to get Garrido & Martin further up the pitch; Garrido for his crossing, Martin should make the (occasional & well timed) foray into the box - he certainly knows where the back of the net is! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites