Why the panic?

[jojomk1]

It's barmy you stick with the tried & tested formula which worked last season & add a few additions that's all that was needed, that might have not worked but we wouldn't be any worse off that's for sure

The problem is we can't stick with the tried and tested formula from last season because we don't have a LB to play that way - hope the rest of VK's backroom staff can convince him of that
This season is about consolidation and finishing 17th is a great result for me - those predicting mid table and above are just dreaming
The old adage of making it difficult for the opposition to score has to be our starting point and the current formation with a load of new players leaves us so exposed from midfield to the back
Big job for the management team to recognise the weaknesses that these first three games have exposed

[Dark Cloud]

SD was given pelters from basically the entire football world outside Turf Moor, and eventually from a good number of people within Turf Moor, for making stopping the opposition from scoring the absolute number one priority, especially in this league. It's not very pretty and essentially it can be rather boring at times, but it's pragmatic. If you can make it extremely difficult for the other team to score, you've always got a chance. Build from the back. It's an old adage, but it's never gone out of fashion!

[Ric_C]

7 men behind the ball, with out balls to direct pacey players. It's basically what Palace have been doing for ten seasons now.

[kentonclaret]

[quote=jojomk1 post_id=2175600 time=1693815316 user_id=1850

This season is about consolidation and finishing 17th is a great result for me - those predicting mid table and above are just dreaming

[/quote]

They probably are now but many outside pundits had tipped us to finish mid-table and clear of relegation trouble. What they didn’t know when making those predictions was that we would be foolish/naive enough to go into a new season with no recognised left back.

[123EasyasBFC]

This is absolutely correct and at that point we were playing well and actually on top and Spurs were struggling to cope. Without Maddison I think they'd have been there for the taking, but he almost single handedly dragged them back from the brink. However having said that we have to accept that the reason there's a degree of panic around is that we went from this very positive position, to being 2-1 down at half time and because instead of turning the screw we allowed two awful goals to go in, the first being from our own corner! We went from "comfortable" to chasing the game so, so easily. That's the worry. Offensively we're ok, defensively we're the softest of soft touches and in this league that's a huge worry. Last season when it wasn't quite clicking early on, it was clear that there was much more to come. The difference now is that our best defenders are being made to look naive.

The difference is last season when we took the lead you never felt like we would lose the game, we took the league on Saturday and I felt like an hour had passed and it was only minute 8. Without sounding like dyche it’s is fine margins, we where a minute away from going in at half time at 1-1 which changes the game

[NewClaret]

It's barmy you stick with the tried & tested formula which worked last season & add a few additions that's all that was needed, that might have not worked but we wouldn't be any worse off that's for sure

Only point I can think of here is whether Vinny wants to give the younger players these lessons early doors. Feels to me a bit bonkers not to use our more experienced players, a known system and let last year’s Champions retain their places.

Vinny is still learning though. No complaints from me, just hope he reflects on these questions too.

[AfloatinClaret]

On the upside, those are three difficult opponents that we won't be having to face in the last month of the season.

[Jakubclaret]

I think panicking is an exaggeration people showing concerns about how easy we are getting picked apart is probably more of an accurate description, but like anything proof is in the pudding & time will ultimately tell as the season progresses whether things will improve when the new players have bedded in & adopted to the system whatever the system is remains unclear, if the system is to give the ball away & positionally respond slowly in regaining the shape that's working just fine & no adjustments are needed, the forest game will indicate more but they'll be in the ascendancy leaving Stamford bridge with 3 so they'll be no pushovers, in this league I don't think such a thing exists anyway.

[Tall Paul]

On the upside, those are three difficult opponents that we won't be having to face in the last month of the season.

We play Tottenham again in May.

[claretonthecoast1882]

We play Tottenham again in May.

We will be down ages before that date so no panic needed

[LoveCurryPies]

Probably because we have been poor and naive.

Maybe your username StayingDown4Ever is a clue as to your general positivity.

[Goalposts]

Interesting balanced take on all the newly promoted team and the challenges.

https://gameofthepeople.com/2023/09/03/ ... ing-tough/

[Rileybobs]

Obviously not time to panic, but definitely time for Vinny to take stock, and probably for a lot of fans to realign their expectations.

Unfortunately I missed the Villa game, but in both the City and Spurs games there have been a whole load of positives. I didn’t think Spurs could live with us for the first 20 minutes on Saturday. The intensity of our press and our pace in attack were causing them lots of problems. But it didn’t take them long to figure us out - in fact it seemed to coincide with a Spurs player being ‘injured’ and both teams taking an impromptu drinks and tactics break.

The most disappointing thing for me was that after half time Vinny didn’t rectify any of the issues which were so apparent from the stands. We persevered with continually dinking balls to Al-Dakhil putting him under huge pressure without an outball.

Our press also looks poorly coordinated. I can understand players hunting down the ball in packs but once the opposition has strung 5-6 comfortable passes together surely it’s time to get back behind the ball and in position. Spurs took huge advantage of this in the second half and the likes of Maddison just toyed with us as we were drawn all over the pitch and out of position.

The business we’ve done in the transfer window concerns me but it’s done. We need to find a way to play more pragmatically and this will come at the cost of some flair, probably across the pitch from front to back.

The positive for me is when we have the ball we’re a joy to watch and we will see some really exciting football this season. Let’s hope there’s more of that than the naive capitulation we witnessed on Saturday.

[StayingDown4Ever]

Maybe your username StayingDown4Ever is a clue as to your general positivity.

Maybe your username suggests you should just stick to the ground catering threads.

[LoveCurryPies]

Maybe your username suggests you should just stick to the ground catering threads.

Especially as they no longer sell the curry pies.

[jlup1980]

SD was given pelters from basically the entire football world outside Turf Moor, and eventually from a good number of people within Turf Moor, for making stopping the opposition from scoring the absolute number one priority, especially in this league. It's not very pretty and essentially it can be rather boring at times, but it's pragmatic. If you can make it extremely difficult for the other team to score, you've always got a chance. Build from the back. It's an old adage, but it's never gone out of fashion!

I'm not sure Sean got pelters for setting up to stop the opposition from scoring as such, but more from playing long ball football when we had the ball. There's a happy medium between Sean and Vincent. You can't ignore the fact that we need to have shape and be able to deal with transitions better - like we used to do under SD. But we also want to attack with purpose - as we do under VK. Surely the two can work together?

[Spijed]

I'm not sure Sean got pelters for setting up to stop the opposition from scoring as such, but more from playing long ball football when we had the ball. There's a happy medium between Sean and Vincent. You can't ignore the fact that we need to have shape and be able to deal with transitions better - like we used to do under SD. But we also want to attack with purpose - as we do under VK. Surely the two can work together?

The two best templates of that seem to be Crystal Palace and Brentford.

[BFC5]

Brentford fan in peace. Clarets my second team due to family connections
Prem is a bloody hard league right?
Before we went up, we were a bit like yourselves, passing team, easy on the eye, silky play etc. But it was clear that had to change. There is no way we could’ve played like that in the Prem, we are simply not good enough to play that sort of game, so we have had to adapt and play to our strengths. Beating the press now involves much quicker direct play, yes a fair bit more long ball stuff but we’ve got fast attackers and obviously had Toney as a big focal point up top.
We’ve used set pieces to our advantage, but we can still play some decent stuff at times.
We generally set up 5-3-2 against the ‘big 6’ and sit deep and look to hit teams on the break. This changes to a 4-3-3 against most teams outside the top 6, where we expect to have a bit more of the ball etc.
I think you’ll have to fast develop a plan B to start getting some points on the board as it’s a very unforgiving league.
You can definitely survive but VK has to adapt more.

[houseboy]

Top 6 ?
Villa finished 7th and Spurs 8th last season.

I think both will be higher this season. Spurs mate of mine says they are a better side without Kane and that looks to be the case.