Author Topic: Our attacking play...  (Read 5988 times)

Offline gallden

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #40 on: December 26, 2011, 07:32:08 pm »
Put his name there because we know he can do the job. With pretty much every other player we'd have "not PL proven" and such things. The main point is that it's a player who can come in and deliver immediately. And that we can expect it from him. There's also the thing that if we think it's urgent and want a real expensive solution, then I think we'll have to make a sacrifise. Sacrifise Carroll and we admit we made a mistake and move on. Sacrifise Kuyt/Maxi/Bellamy and we'd just have the management team sticking their necks out even more.
It's not as if Torres is scoring either...Maybe he's just that unsettled.

Offline FranklyRed

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #41 on: December 26, 2011, 07:35:09 pm »
our play is way to predictable and all those crosses easy to defend. Fulham, Blackburn, Norwich, Swansea, etc.

Only against better teams we play differently and better football... 
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Offline Gnurglan

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #42 on: December 26, 2011, 07:42:53 pm »
It's not as if Torres is scoring either...Maybe he's just that unsettled.

True, but we wouldn't have that "come good in the future" protective gear. We'd expect him to do it for us.

I think it's fair to call for patience (which is why I'd go with the first option and try Suarez as the main man in a new role), but I can't stand the idea that everyone is doing everything they should. Not when we struggle to score a goal per game. We are or have been extremely protective of our new signings and the management team. They're all without fault, but we can't expect anything right now.

Now that we struggle, I think it's only fair that we ask our big money signings to deliver. If we can't trust them to do it and we can't trust those who have done it in the past (mostly Kuyt and Maxi), but need more money to spend, then we're doing something wrong. Hence I think we should either ask more from those expensive signings, or we should replace them.

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Offline Cid

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #43 on: December 26, 2011, 07:57:35 pm »
Our attacking game -

Charlie Adam - Turns up more often than most midfielders but without lucas or another dm in there he cannot provide the same threat.
Suarez - Will create mountains of goals for a great striker, sadly we don't have one and his finishing is poor.
Gerrard - Finally back and looked like a man amongst reserves today.
Henderson - Very passive, presumably due to his age but shows potential.  At the moment he is not a regular contributor to our attack.
Kuyt - Wasn't great in his prime, now pointless.
Maxi - Great movement and threat, but age and fitness hamper him.
Bellamy - Same as Maxi.
Carroll - No attacking threat.

Offline Cusamano

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #44 on: December 26, 2011, 07:59:28 pm »
Look at how many times Henderson and Adam make runs into the box when we attack.

There is just one part of a very big problem.
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Offline The Jackal

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #45 on: December 26, 2011, 11:46:13 pm »
for anyone watching Match of the Day, those 2 Newcastle goals are exactly what I'm on about. Ben Arfa one - quick incisive play, early ball in the box and Ben Arfa takes up a clever position meaning he hardly has to do any work, simple finish. Ba goal - slower build up, but when the ball finally does come in, Ba anticipates where it's going to go, gets across the defender, goal.

We don't do either of these things anywhere near well enough.
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Offline gazzathered

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #46 on: December 27, 2011, 12:54:32 am »
for anyone watching Match of the Day, those 2 Newcastle goals are exactly what I'm on about. Ben Arfa one - quick incisive play, early ball in the box and Ben Arfa takes up a clever position meaning he hardly has to do any work, simple finish. Ba goal - slower build up, but when the ball finally does come in, Ba anticipates where it's going to go, gets across the defender, goal.

We don't do either of these things anywhere near well enough.

We havent got a striker who takes that chance and runs across the defender like Ba, suarez is normally the one who puts it in the box or he's not that type and Carroll is not quick enough or intelligent enough for it.
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Offline The Jackal

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #47 on: December 27, 2011, 01:09:27 am »
We havent got a striker who takes that chance and runs across the defender like Ba, suarez is normally the one who puts it in the box or he's not that type and Carroll is not quick enough or intelligent enough for it.

it's not about pace though, it's more anticipation and quickness of thought - first yard's in the head an all that.. as to whether Carroll's clever enough, he does it on occasion and did it at Newcastle, just needs to be aware more consistently - and I think that kind of thing can be taught - and he needs to start learing  quickly.

Agree with you that it's not really Luis' game - he prefers the ball into feet so he can try and turn the defender, but we have Bellamy who can certainly do it , but tends to play wide so his time in the box is limited, and  Kuyt who used to be really good at that side of thegame, but is on a really poor run of form in front of goal.. I guess you would say none of our players are really poachers, and we could maybe buy one, but also our current players could all work on that side of their game. Maxi's the only one really with that kind of anticipation and awareness in his movement and he could and should have won a penno as a result of it today..
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Offline masterbaker

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #48 on: December 27, 2011, 01:17:27 am »
Look at how many times Henderson and Adam make runs into the box when we attack.

There is just one part of a very big problem.

totally agree, ive noticed this a lot this season, neither adam or henderson bust a gut to get in the box for any knock downs and the like, the only one who does is maxi and he scores his share because of it

hopefully now that stevie's back he'll provide extra support cuz at times today the ball would be flung in and there would be only one player in the box

Offline penga

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #49 on: December 27, 2011, 01:39:48 am »
Or maybe take Torres back on a 6 month loan, and see how he does first....right now he looks washed up but maybe he has something still left in him
Villas Boas said he was not gonna sell him at any price lol :P maybe he changed his mind but there is no way he gonna let Liverpool take him for a loan... Plus Drogba will be out for a while if the African Cup.


Offline jooneyisdagod

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #50 on: December 27, 2011, 08:24:51 am »
The OP astutely points out that we often have three or four players out wide and no one in the box and that is spot on but there has to be a reason why that happens and to my mind its simply because we have very average players out wide.  Downing struggles to beat a man.  Maxi doesn't have the pace to beat a man and keep it that way.  Bellamy isn't good enough with his close control to dribble past his man.  Kuyt doesn't have sufficient pace or skill to do it either.  So to cut a long story short, we are desperately short on pace and invention and flair and skill on either wing.  And until we get some players out wide that can actually do the above I think this situation will persist until we revert to being a team that attacks through the centre which I don't think we are at the moment. 
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Offline Shanks1965

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #51 on: December 27, 2011, 08:38:46 am »
Our attacking game -

Charlie Adam - Turns up more often than most midfielders but without lucas or another dm in there he cannot provide the same threat.
Suarez - Will create mountains of goals for a great striker, sadly we don't have one and his finishing is poor.
Gerrard - Finally back and looked like a man amongst reserves today.
Henderson - Very passive, presumably due to his age but shows potential.  At the moment he is not a regular contributor to our attack.
Kuyt - Wasn't great in his prime, now pointless.
Maxi - Great movement and threat, but age and fitness hamper him.
Bellamy - Same as Maxi.
Carroll - No attacking threat.
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Offline rednile

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #52 on: December 27, 2011, 12:01:03 pm »
Maxi should be one of the first names on the teamsheet , that should help .
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Offline The Jackal

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #53 on: December 30, 2011, 10:21:24 pm »
Much, much better tonight. We maybe didn't create as many chances, but the quality of chances was much better. The first and third goals are perfect examples of what we should be doing more -

First goal, bodies in the box, and players on the edge of the box for the 2nd balls/ rebounds etc..

Third goal - quick interplay, quick decisive passing and movement.

Hope to see much more of this type of thing from the team now Gerrard is back - I think he helps set the tempo for our play in a positive way..
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Offline mercurial

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #54 on: December 31, 2011, 10:14:56 am »
I would like to see Suarez come in off the right of midfield. I know he looks brilliant in the roving role but in terms of the final penetration we need him to cover a lesser area of the pitch. Right now he is all over the final third and we do not have players who can thrive on that fluidity. If you have maxi and stevie playing alongside him then yes I can see that roving role bringing more goals. As of now, neither Carroll nor Kuyt can take advantage of that. If you need to see the best of Suarez then we need  who are tactically aware of his position in the field and adjust their play accordingly. Our support cast of downing, kuyt, Adam cannot do that, that positional awareness and ability to pounce on the empty spaces in the final third is not there. Stevie's run for the 3rd goal against Newcastle is an example of that.

We need a couple of crafty players alongside Suarez like Maxi and Stevie in the current formation. The problem for the future is we need reinforcements in the final third of good quality  either a proper striker who can make the runs like Fowler into empty spaces or a craft winger who takes the burden off Suarez for the creativity. Right now, he is creating too many things  and the rest of the team is a couple of steps behind him in understanding them.
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Offline itsgunnabebarnes!

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Re: Our attacking play...
« Reply #55 on: December 31, 2011, 10:32:10 am »
I still think there is  a lack on men in the box, and too many times carroll is behind the play as he has been winning the ball.
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