Overall think we’ve been brilliant this season. I had United-supporting mates coming to watch us tonight, such is the shift in opinion on our play. It’s nothing short of remarkable.

My one complaint though; we’re taking too many touches. I take a kids team and without boring everyone, all our training games are 3 touch. They used to complain but all that’s stopped and now rarely use more than 2.

So it really frustrates me when professionals dwell on the ball and take 2/3 touches to play a pass they could’ve done first time.

Speed that up Vince and I’ll be happy no matter the scoreline.

that's our biggest issue

Agree

There is another professional football team out there and not a kids team, you know?

Sometimes it's not possible to play the 1 and 2 touch football.

It's all about movement anyway, is passing and possession.

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 12:01 am

Overall think we’ve been brilliant this season. I had United-supporting mates coming to watch us tonight, such is the shift in opinion on our play. It’s nothing short of remarkable.

My one complaint though; we’re taking too many touches. I take a kids team and without boring everyone, all our training games are 3 touch. They used to complain but all that’s stopped and now rarely use more than 2.

So it really frustrates me when professionals dwell on the ball and take 2/3 touches to play a pass they could’ve done first time.

Speed that up Vince and I’ll be happy no matter the scoreline.

We pass so much quicker than we have done in many years, our passes are one touch in small triangles and after what we have been Served up for the last god knows how many years you come out with this?

The problem isn’t the build up, or the speed of the passing, it’s passing it too much in the final third that’s letting us down, along with the fact that Jay and Barnes are struggling to get to grips with the plan. One (or possibly 2 ) good new strikers who haven’t been conditioned like Jay and Ash and we rip teams a new one.

Vegas Claret wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 12:02 am

that's our biggest issue

I'd say conceding soft goals in the last three matches is probably a bigger problem.

Spot Charlie was taking the pxxx ignoring Ians runs and passing back or sideways
We needed pace and quicker thought 2 points lost against another alehouse brawler team
We need to give the Lashers a hammering to get back on track

Bin Ont Turf wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 12:14 am

There is another professional football team out there and not a kids team, you know?

Sometimes it's not possible to play the 1 and 2 touch football.

It's all about movement anyway, is passing and possession.

Movement was lacking at times tonight. To speed up our passing, that is the key. The movement in the first half at Huddersfield was superb - perhaps helped by Huddersfield being poor and not really knowing what to expect from us.

If we can get to that level of performance consistently, it’ll be a joy to watch. Hopefully that was a glimpse of things to come.

Spijed wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 12:17 am

I'd say conceding soft goals in the last three matches is probably a bigger problem.

if we passed the ball quicker it wouldn't matter, we would be scoring 3-4 per game

The only thing that makes passing teams not boring g, is that turn of pace after a decisive pass and the ball fired into the net. Manchester City with all their billions, have managed that mostly, although without the end product, they would be boring.

Liverpool are much slicker.

In the Championship, 2 strikers seems to work, rather than one. That's what can get teams up, owing to the defensive errors.

We are Manchester City at the back, without much urgency. Bacj and forth. Cullen completes multiple passes. However, he adds further slowness.

Team just sit back and watch!.

The one moment we made a run, saw and made the pass and got the cross on, was a superb Jay Rodriguez goal. The rest of the match, we were back to type. Slooow.

Dropping too many points, although I must admit to surprise we have many, as everyone is new to the league and each other.

I think we all should give this new project a bit more time.

How many times did Taylor give the ball to THB because he didn't know what to do with it ? He doesn't fit the system.

Spijed wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 12:17 am

I'd say conceding soft goals in the last three matches is probably a bigger problem.

Obviously this is a factor because not many teams will score more than one against us, so if we concede a soft one they’ll sit back and try to soak it up.

But we conceded early and had well over 70 minutes to score two yesterday. With good attacking play, we should be able to score more than one goal. We should also be looking to score 2 every game as a minimum because 1-0 is a risky score line.

It’s all now about opening teams up which needs to be done quickly.

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 8:20 am

Obviously this is a factor because not many teams will score more than one against us, so if we concede a soft one they’ll sit back and try to soak it up.

But we conceded early and had well over 70 minutes to score two yesterday. With good attacking play, we should be able to score more than one goal. We should also be looking to score 2 every game as a minimum because 1-0 is a risky score line.

It’s all now about opening teams up which needs to be done quickly.

Yep your right the top 2 teams last season scored 106 and 83.

If we can get similar tally’s we should be up there

claretandy wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 6:02 am

How many times did Taylor give the ball to THB because he didn't know what to do with it ? He doesn't fit the system.

Eh? Or maybe he was just retaining possession and helping to move the opposition around whilst others tried to create space in front of him….

FWIW I agree there needs to be a bit more ‘fizz’ about our play. I think this is also down to a lack of a true number 10 in our team. We don’t really have anybody centrally who can go past an opponent which is required to open things up for the team.

Spijed wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 12:17 am

I'd say conceding soft goals in the last three matches is probably a bigger problem.

Both are problems. The slow build up and poor crossing (Benson) are reasons our forwards are not scoring enough. The best crosses last night came from Taylor and Maatsen. I'd like t see Taylor revert to left back he looks lost at Centre half and lost the guy for their goal.

We score the first goal, the last three games propably would have been totally different.

Teams have done their homework already on us, and will just sit deep and not give us space to play around, or through them, especially when they have the lead or are holding onto a point.

How many times for example, have we been to Anfield especially over the last few seasons and done exactly that to them and frustrated them, especially Mr Klopp?

This new team will have to find a new way to win games, it's also very sureal for me as a fan watching teams trying to stop us playing rather than the other way round.

I have no doubt it will come, and I'm personally loving watching the likes of Cullen, THB etc play some great football instead of watching other teams and wishing we played like that.

We definitely need better movement but the point of multiple touches/passes is to move the other team around until there’s an opportunity for an opening. We just need to do it a bit quicker but that will come

Both home games we have conceded early. The opposition then become what we have been for years under Dyche - sit deep, framework, allow the opposition possession and all the passing is in front of the midfield 4 i.e. where it can't harm the opposition. Our ponderous build up play allows the opposition to get back into position when they lose the ball and our reticence to playing a ball into the box means we are going to create few clear cut chances. I went to the loo at Watford on Friday around the 60 minute mark and Dave Burnley was at the end of my row. He shook his head as yet more possession came to nothing and my comment to him was "you don't win a raffle if you won't buy a ticket".

Stayingup wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 8:35 am

Both are problems. The slow build up and poor crossing (Benson) are reasons our forwards are not scoring enough. The best crosses last night came from Taylor and Maatsen. I'd like t see Taylor revert to left back he looks lost at Centre half and lost the guy for their goal.

Taylor is the best crosser of a ball in this team.

As people have said it will definitely come it is just a case of people adapting to the new style, especially the players who were here before VK. The amount of times taylor and Roberts passed sideways instead of into midfield or Wide, or the amount of times Cork received the ball on the half turn and instead of going forward cut back and played it sideways or backwards. I don't think the problem is the movement it is the courage to put the ball at risk to find that movement, but not doubt that will come in time.

I must be the only person that saw Taylor misplace less passes than Cork last night.

He also put in our second best cross in to the box late on. Unfortunately there was no one there to attack it.

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 8:27 am

Yep your right the top 2 teams last season scored 106 and 83.

If we can get similar tally’s we should be up there

Another interesting stat is that Fulham lost 10 games last season. So a quarter-ish of all games, but romped top place. They drew almost as many with 9.

Bournemouth lost less but drew 13!!! We need to start finding the net, of course, but shows the margin for error when you only need to win half your games.

Taylor square peg round hole at CB not his choice
We would benefit with a quick centre forward
When wingers set off someone there to pass /cross
Iam sure it will be resolved .

I’m fine with all the passing, but please please please make the most of our new found pace in the side and pass into space!!

The amount of times Maatsen was out on the touch line waiting for the ball only to have it passed behind him to then have to pass it straight back. Use the pace, give him something to run on to. One of the very few times we did that we scored!

I get that it’s early days and a learning curve, but at the minute we’re not benefiting from the pace we have.

I have to say, I do think when/if it all comes together we’re hammer some of the sides in this division.

Spijed wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 12:17 am

I'd say conceding soft goals in the last three matches is probably a bigger problem.

And all three goals have come down the LHS of our back line

Maatsen caught up front leaving CT well exposed in a position he is clearly not comfortable with

It is an obvious weakness that will continue to be played on

FeedTheArf wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 9:30 am

I’m fine with all the passing, but please please please make the most of our new found pace in the side and pass into space!!

The amount of times Maatsen was out on the touch line waiting for the ball only to have it passed behind him to then have to pass it straight back. Use the pace, give him something to run on to. One of the very few times we did that we scored!

I get that it’s early days and a learning curve, but at the minute we’re not benefiting from the pace we have.

I have to say, I do think when/if it all comes together we’re hammer some of the sides in this division.

Yes …. If we are going to be a sort of low-budget Man City we have to emulate their major way of scoring goals and get wide players round the back of defences. It’s difficult to see us scoring from set pieces or from distance ;though Twine may change this to some degree) so getting to the by-line and pulling it back seems vital.