First thing, one thing that s**t up opponents last year was the understanding between our full backs and left/right midfielders. The overlapping runs caused all sorts of problems as did the crossing. That now seems to have disappeared and now we are relying on our centre half's to send out these long diagonal balls hoping that Vokes and Barnes can give out some second phase scraps to our midfield. I'd love to see our stats on winning the second ball this season compared to last. I'm guessing its not as good. I hate to say it but I think teams have us figured out. What's the answer? I hope Sean figures it out sharpish. I hope it involves some pace and creativity but i understand that won't come cheap.
UTC.

I still think SD's antics of keep rubbishing them and saying how far behind the rest we are has destroyed club morale. Its proving very hard to get it back together. Hope he does but doubt he can.

Didn’t come cheap in summer either but then was the time to buy it.

Truth is the technical quality just doesn’t seem to interest us. Less points than Sunderland at this stage when they went down, and they were a laughing stock. Embarrassing.

elwaclaret wrote:I still think SD's antics of keep rubbishing them and saying how far behind the rest we are has destroyed club morale. Its proving very hard to get it back together. Hope he does but doubt he can.

Just don’t think many buy into the idea that we’re so unattractive and unable to complete and relied on nothing but hard work when we were literally playing European football...

...Me included

SGr wrote:.... but then was the time to buy it.

This.

And deep in our hearts, everyone knows it.
Not strengthening sufficiently at the time has royally screwed us up.

Need a change to get away from the Safety first approach if for two games against Tottenham and Arsenal you have set up to not lose its difficult for the players to change that mindset and become more attacking in the next game. A classic example was in the first half Barnes made the run but Westwood who had the ball and wasn’t pressured at the time chose the safety first sideways pass.

On Saturday I would go with 4 at the back (Bardsley, Tarks, Gibson and Taylor) three in the centre (if Defour isn’t fit I would go with Cork, Westwood and Hendrick) but not with Hendrick in a number 10 role but all three rotating around like last year. JBG on on side and McNeill on the other with Barnes up front.

In this league back to back wins can dramatically change the situation and if we can get the W against West Ham we can then have a real go at Hudds

Dy1geo wrote:Need a change to get away from the Safety first approach if for two games against Tottenham and Arsenal you have set up to not lose its difficult for the players to change that mindset and become more attacking in the next game. A classic example was in the first half Barnes made the run but Westwood who had the ball and wasn’t pressured at the time chose the safety first sideways pass.

On Saturday I would go with 4 at the back (Bardsley, Tarks, Gibson and Taylor) three in the centre (if Defour isn’t fit I would go with Cork, Westwood and Hendrick) but not with Hendrick in a number 10 role but all three rotating around like last year. JBG on on side and McNeill on the other with Barnes up front.

In this league back to back wins can dramatically change the situation and if we can get the W against West Ham we can then have a real go at Hudds

If we turn up Saturday we could win by a cricket score....by the time west ham roll up on Sunday!!

Another good idea: don't play a club that just shipped 6 goals at home. They had the riot act read to them, and it seemed to work. For the most part we looked like a bunch of plough horses after Venky's were done with them.

ontario claret wrote:Another good idea: don't play a club that just shipped 6 goals at home.

I'm assuming that's rhetorical. You do know we have to stick to a fixture list?
Have you been guzzling the Molson's again?

elwaclaret wrote:I still think SD's antics of keep rubbishing them and saying how far behind the rest we are has destroyed club morale. Its proving very hard to get it back together. Hope he does but doubt he can.

********!