Bennett's quote on SS

[Jersey Canary 180]

"If we draw our last 6 games we''ll have 41 points and that''ll probably be enough."

The fact that we have to play Arsenal and Man City away puts a big spanner in the works. I am worried that the draw mentality has manifested in our dressing room and complacency has set in. If that is the case we are in real danger of relegation.

[lappinitup 629]

We''re doomed I tell ye, doomed, DOOMED! [:''(] [:''(] [:''(]        

[TheRock 192]

I read this and died a little inside. This is not the kind of thing you don''t want a professional footballer from your own team to publicly say. [:|]This shows that the players are performing nowhere near 100% IMO, the mentality in the team should be to WIN. It also shows how much the standard has dropped since PL has left. [:(]

[Yellowbeagle 0]

We wont play for a draw againt Reading, we might not do enough to beat them but i dont see us playing for a draw, or setting out for a draw in any of the remaining home games.

[RvWs 4 year contract 0]

Is he not just making the poing that despite all the pant wetting and the crying about drawing games that actually it isnt as bad as the whingers would have the rest of us believe?

Stop crying about every little thing that comes out of the club ffs..

[Jersey Canary 180]

I''ve been quite positive during the last few weeks but this statement today to the alarm bells ringing. There will be uproar if we do go down.

I really really hope we beat Reading as I wouldn''t want to play Villa still needing a win.

[Bws Cat 0]

Source please.

I''m willing to bet that this has been put out of context.

[hogesar 10,953]

Im confused. He''s said if we draw all our remaining games we''ll get 41 points. Yet all the comments suggest he actually said "We''re purposefully going to try and draw all our games. We most certainly will not go for a win against Reading at home. We will play for the draw".

[Jersey Canary 180]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11709/8627497?

Read and draw your own conclusion.

[R Mellie 0]

A previous poster hits the nail one the head here, what was the context?  I haven''t read/seen it, but the quote attributed to EB could conceivably be a response to a number of questions/scenarios put to him......

[Jersey Canary 180]

Possibly but either way it doesn''t give he positive vibes the fans are wanting to hear.

[Highland Canary 78]

[quote user="TheRock"]I read this and died a little inside. This is not the kind of thing you don''t want a professional footballer from your own team to publicly say. [:|]This shows that the players are performing nowhere near 100% IMO, the mentality in the team should be to WIN. It also shows how much the standard has dropped since PL has left. [:(][/quote]

I think we''ve seen this on the pitch in recent matches and manifests itself in matches like at Wigan where we failed to make any real chances against a bottom 3 team.

[Greg 0]

Hughton has clearly changed the players attitudes.

[Phillip J Fry 0]

I don''t see the issue here. All he''s saying is that survival is well within our grasp, even if we fail to win a single game. This does not mean they''ll go into every game looking for a draw, and I have no doubt that the aims against Reading and Villa our wins.

[BOO 0]

Phillip, amazed that you have no doubt that we will win the Villa game.

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

I don''t like to read much into these interviews. But is not the most inspiring of comments. It says a lot for the mentality being installed at the club.

On the flipside, Hughton''s cautious approach appears to have worked, even if we are on a dire run of one win in 15 games.

[Phillip J Fry 0]

[quote user="Vanwink"]Phillip, amazed that you have no doubt that we will win the Villa game.[/quote]

You misunderstand. I didn''t mean that I have no doubt we will beat Villa. I meant I have almost no doubt that the team will be looking to win against Villa and Reading. 

[BOO 0]

Understood

Do you think we were looking to win against the Jacks?

[The ghost of Michael Theoklitos 0]

[quote user="Highland Canary"][quote user="TheRock"]I read this and died a little inside. This is not the kind of thing you don''t want a professional footballer from your own team to publicly say. [:|]This shows that the players are performing nowhere near 100% IMO, the mentality in the team should be to WIN. It also shows how much the standard has dropped since PL has left. [:(][/quote]

I think we''ve seen this on the pitch in recent matches and manifests itself in matches like at Wigan where we failed to make any real chances against a bottom 3 team.[/quote]Yeah, you''re right. You could see the players visibly upset with Turner for scoring the goal to put us ahead on the weekend, and then the relief when Swansea equalised....Oh wait, no you couldn''t!

[Bandit 0]

exatly what i mean. where has the soul and passion from lambos days gone? hoping for draws? says some worrying things about the team.

[Phillip J Fry 0]

[quote user="Vanwink"]Understood

Do you think we were looking to win against the Jacks?[/quote]

Hard to say, Swansea are a good side and I think a point is a decent result. I think that yes, we did aim for the win or at least regarded it as a winnable game, seeing as it was at home against a team in poor form. The final 10 mins when we went 4-4-2 despite the face we would have had a guaranteed point a if we stayed 4-2-3-,1 indicates (for me) that the team were aiming for the win. 

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

[quote user="The ghost of Michael Theoklitos"]Yeah, you''re right. You could see the players visibly upset with Turner for scoring the goal to put us ahead on the weekend, and then the relief when Swansea equalised....Oh wait, no you couldn''t![/quote]I don''t think that is the point being made...  The balance between wanting to win games, and not losing them has changed.

[BOO 0]

Swans season was over, they are safe in the Prem and they have won a cup, which is pretty amazing for them, they normally have a pretty good away following yet they sent half their tickets back for this one Phillip.

They were undoubtedly there for the taking and a game which in the context of our relegation fight should have been a cup final for us.

In the light of what you said about the last 10 mins do you really believe that we went out there set up to win the game?

[Phillip J Fry 0]

[quote user="Vanwink"]Swans season was over, they are safe in the Prem and they have won a cup, which is pretty amazing for them, they normally have a pretty good away following yet they sent half their tickets back for this one Phillip.

They were undoubtedly there for the taking and a game which in the context of our relegation fight should have been a cup final for us.

In the light of what you said about the last 10 mins do you really believe that we went out there set up to win the game?[/quote]

Yes. The change highlights that Hughton wanted to win. If he only wanted the draw, he wouldn''t have gone 4-4-2 after going 2-2, he would''ve stayed 4-2-3-1 and kept the game scrappy and uneventful. The fact that the change cam after they equalized means that Hughton wasn''t happy with just a point and wanted all three.

[BOO 0]

So why did he not set up 4-4-2 at the outset?

[Jersey Canary 180]

[quote user="Vanwink"]So why did he not set up 4-4-2 at the outset?[/quote]

Because we get a hiding every time we play 442.

[BOO 0]

Did you get to the Everton game?

[Phillip J Fry 0]

[quote user="Vanwink"]So why did he not set up 4-4-2 at the outset?[/quote]

A variety of tactical reasonings. I guess the main issue was the midfield. Swansea, as we all know, dominate the ball and control the midfield very well. If we played 4-4-2 then we would be a man light when compared to Swansea in their 4-2-3-1. Swansea can''t be given free reign in the midfield, they''d destroy you. You have to limit their possession and force them into areas that aren''t dangerous to your team. A 2 man central midfield can''t do that to a 3 man central midfield. You could have the fastest, most energetic midfielders in the world, but they can''t make up for a spare man, particularly one who can manipulate the ball. If we went 4-4-2 we would have to be less forceful when both defending and attacking. We couldn''t press at all, instead having to drop deep and rely on wasteful finishing and defensive shape, we almost certainly wouldn''t control the ball in the attack, leading to a game when our tactical plan would be sit back and maybe get a goal from a defensive lapse (something we didn''t do against Swasnea).

Playing a 4-5-1 variant is not inherently more negative (or less attacking) then playing 4-4-2. In many cases, it could actually be seen as more attacking.

[BOO 0]

Sorry I thought you said that by going 4-4-2 it showed that we wanted to win?

[Cerberus 0]

Mr Fry,Agreed, 4-5-1 doesnt have to be negative, but it is inherently reliant upon fluidity between midfield and attack, as otherwise the lone forward becomes isolated. We are not breaking forward quick enough at the moment, partly becuase we lack much pace and partly because the middle two are holding back to maintain our shape.Hughton is clearly no idiot and if RVW is to be believed, we will be taregtting players who can brake with pace from midfield to provide a greater attacking threat whislt maintaing some protetcion of our full backs. I am confiendent we will be able to find such players.I aslo hope that we can somehow scout a younger version of Viera/Keane/Toure and find a physically strong player who can pass, tackle and chip in with goals. These players are more unique, but with the extra TV money, low wage bill and no debt, we should be prepared to find £10 to £15M for two such players. If so, I think that only one of Tettey, BJ and Howson will see much game time next season or they will be rotated to a greater extent.