Why Does It Take Us So Long To Get Going?

[ElectroClaret]

Last 20 minutes or so was like chalk and cheese compared to the previous 70.

Mystery why we can't do it from the off.

UTC

[ksrclaret]

It's because we set up with Hannibal as some sort of number 10 which everyone but the gaffer can see he ain't. We were beyond turgid.

When we went 442 and actually looked to attack them directly, look what happened.

[Bordeauxclaret]

I think our aim is to keep it tight.

I’m of the opinion we’d be far better attacking teams from the off.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Negative tactics really. No striker on the pitch then as soon as we add one we score, then add another and are constantly threatening.

Parker just needs to be braver. He gets a lot right but Hull were there for the taking tonight.

Lesson - in this league when all players are behind the ball the space is wide to the byline then cross to a big striker or two.

[jedi_master]

Last 20 minutes or so was like chalk and cheese compared to the previous 70.

Mystery why we can't do it from the off.

UTC

Hannibal is absolutely the problem - not his fault he’s being played in that position though. Surely can play deeper? Even then though, he’s just not as good a footballer as Cullen or Brownhill or as effective as Laurent. Put simply, he is not in our best eleven.

[BigF]

But we are often poor at crossing the ball.

[wilks_bfc]

Can’t see it happening but I’d be tempted to drop Hannibal and go with Andreas and Flemming on Saturday

[bfccrazy]

Koleosho running into players and passing to opposition after a good run isn't very helpful.

[ksrclaret]

Koleosho is also a big problem too. Constantly running straight into defenders as though they will just move out of the way if runs fast enough at them. Constantly giving the ball away with some truly appalling passes. He's just not got a brain for football, he's all pace.

Neither him nor Hannibal should be in our best eleven right now. We were far better balanced when the two were finally removed.

[Dark Cloud]

Because SP is extremely risk averse. Number one target: don't lose. Secondly, become more attacking only if necessary. I'm not (at this stage) knocking it seeing as we're second in the league and have only lost once. However, with the squad available, I will be knocking it if we start letting poor and average sides get their noses in front and we're constantly having to chase games, not always managing it and find we're sliding down the table.

[boatshed bill]

Because SP is extremely risk averse. Number one target: don't lose. Secondly, become more attacking only if necessary. I'm not (at this stage) knocking it seeing as we're second in the league and have only lost once. However, with the squad available, I will be knocking it if we start letting poor and average sides get their noses in front and we're constantly having to chase games, not always managing it and find we're sliding down the table.

Risk averse for sure, but are our players really much better than tier 2?

[Dark Cloud]

Risk averse for sure, but are our players really much better than tier 2?

I actually THINK they (collectively) are, but they have to be selected and used in the right way and the tactics from the manager have to be right.
As I said, I'm not knocking Parker as things stand because we're sitting second and apparently have 4 more points than we did after 11 games under VK, but I feel if we become too "dour" things could easily become unstuck. We could go either way as things stand.

[ClaretPete001]

It's very hard to see why Laurent didn't start this evening. SP does seem to be risk averse but then he made a lot of quite brave substitutions in the second half.

You can identify a few tweaks here and there but fundamentally I can't see why Laurent didn't start other than he is not fit enough to play two games in a week.

Whatever the reason we improved as soon as he came on. Bit disappointing really because I thought we made progress on Saturday and had we played the same team and been as turgid then you could say one step forward and one back but the fact is we played the same team that has not really gelled in 3 of the last 4 games.

And SP must see it or he wouldn't have made the changes he did after an hour.

[ClaretPete001]

Risk averse for sure, but are our players really much better than tier 2?

Certainly, not the squad that VK had...

[Elizabeth]

There definitely was a massive increase in the tempo as we successfully chased an equaliser and at the end when they tired and we sensed a winner.
Parker utilised his squad tonight and I think we will see changes again on Saturday with notably Lauren back in the team for Hannibal and Koleosho rested

[ClaretTony]

Last 20 minutes or so was like chalk and cheese compared to the previous 70.

Mystery why we can't do it from the off.

UTC

I thought we started well albeit not for long.

[Vegas Claret]

Petrified to concede. We've played well twice this season and are somehow second, take the shackles off and for the love of god stop playing Hannibal as a number ten. We have some really really good players for this league but play like we don't.

[blatherwickstattoos]

Parker tells them to. Having one striker on the pitch that’s told not to move or get In behind really slows down approach play. We end up going backwards and sideways. We looked far more dangerous with 2 strikers or flemming in the hole in the last 15 than we did the whole game.

[JohnDearyMe]

Hannibal is absolutely the problem - not his fault he’s being played in that position though. Surely can play deeper? Even then though, he’s just not as good a footballer as Cullen or Brownhill or as effective as Laurent. Put simply, he is not in our best eleven.

Agree, he runs around a lot but he lacks quality and a footballing brain. Disappointing signing to date.

[RVclaret]

Petrified to concede. We've played well twice this season and are somehow second, take the shackles off and for the love of god stop playing Hannibal as a number ten. We have some really really good players for this league but play like we don't.

We haven’t played well just twice this season. Hannibal has not been playing as a number 10. Not sure we have that many really, really good players for this league. Only really Esteve who looks a cut above.

[beddie]

The problem is Hannibal. His final ball is poor. Laurent in his place with Brownhill further up. Poor management tonight.

[Neil]

I like how Parker has no problem with making changes around the hour mark as opposed to Dyche and Kompany who'd both wait til about the 88th minute, but slightly worried that's he's not making the right starting 11 selection.

It's about this time of the season that the Kompamy promotion team really gelled after similar frustrating draws to tonight. However, that team had match winners that could turn draws into wins. I hope this team can produce them too but it doesn't look as likely at the moment.

I share the opinion that this midfield 3 is not working and something has to change and based on performances this season, I'd be tempted to try Hannibal further back at the expense of Cullen. Push Brownhill further forward as he's the best finisher of the 3.

Not too downhearted overall but really hope Parker takes the reigns off a bit. I understand the caution as we had to turn around the losing mentality of last season but there's really nothing to fear in this league.

[CrosspoolClarets]

We are all saying the same things but lets not forget we have dropped 4 points from last minute sitters yet are still on trend for automatic promotion at 2 pts per game, we have played 6 away and 5 at home, and we have also played the best 2 other sides both away as well as a side just down from the Premier.

It is a bit Safegate-esque but he gets away with it if it gets us up.

[KRBFC]

Negative boring tactics

Everyone but Parker can see that midfield three doesn’t work together

Koleosho is twice the player on the left but he’s forced on the right to accommodate Anthony… who is very average

[Vegas Claret]

We haven’t played well just twice this season. Hannibal has not been playing as a number 10. Not sure we have that many really, really good players for this league. Only really Esteve who looks a cut above.

I'd argue Roberts, Esteve, Brownhill, Cullen walk into every single team in this league. No idea what you are watching

[BabylonClaret]

Negative boring tactics

Everyone but Parker can see that midfield three doesn’t work together

Koleosho is twice the player on the left but he’s forced on the right to accommodate Anthony… who is very average

What Anthony who set up the equaliser and almost got the winner bar a miskick? Koleosho is a real enigma- he consistently chooses the wrong option

[BigGaz]

Personally I don't understand the discourse that Koleosho is or was outputting anything different on the other side of the pitch. CBA going back through my post history but as far back as Forest away last year in his first few appearances I was saying (and not just me, not like I was the lone canary in the coalmine) that he looks extremely threatening without actually being threatening and wondering what he was doing that was warranting Zaroury being totally phased out.

I saw someone saying earlier that fundamentals are easy to teach but the player he most reminds me of is Adama Traore. That lad is pushing 30 now and everyone was waiting for years for him to marry the technical ability to his undoubted physical and dribbling ability and become the unstoppable force he might have been but it never happened. It doesn't for some.

To me he is our first choice starter because we haven't got anyone else. At the minute. Neither Anthony nor Sarmiento are the answer, long term and when Ramsey, Benson and Redmond start making their way back I think he is going to be of most use for us as someone who is going to come on for the last 20 against a tiring defence. At least until he (hopefully) sorts out his final ball and decision making.

[superdimitri]

Personally I don't understand the discourse that Koleosho is or was outputting anything different on the other side of the pitch. CBA going back through my post history but as far back as Forest away last year in his first few appearances I was saying (and not just me, not like I was the lone canary in the coalmine) that he looks extremely threatening without actually being threatening and wondering what he was doing that was warranting Zaroury being totally phased out.

I saw someone saying earlier that fundamentals are easy to teach but the player he most reminds me of is Adama Traore. That lad is pushing 30 now and everyone was waiting for years for him to marry the technical ability to his undoubted physical and dribbling ability and become the unstoppable force he might have been but it never happened. It doesn't for some.

To me he is our first choice starter because we haven't got anyone else. At the minute. Neither Anthony nor Sarmiento are the answer, long term and when Ramsey, Benson and Redmond start making their way back I think he is going to be of most use for us as someone who is going to come on for the last 20 against a tiring defence. At least until he (hopefully) sorts out his final ball and decision making.

I don't think it's just down to him. Part of our game plan just seems to be to get the ball to him as soon as possible and expect him to run past a few players and score like Maradona.

He's just not that good and because we insist on using him as a sole creative outlet it makes it very easy for the opposition to keep him quiet.

There needs to be more variation to our play and less predictability and we need to stop relying on him.

He'll do better to be a bit quieter in games and catch the opposition by surprise rather than running into trouble all the time. Fans love a winger trying to take on their man but the game is a lot more complicated then it used to be.

[CoolClaret]

Negative boring tactics

Everyone but Parker can see that midfield three doesn’t work together

Koleosho is twice the player on the left but he’s forced on the right to accommodate Anthony… who is very average

Anthony has provided two clear cut chances from the left with two superb balls in for Foster and Flemming respectively, he's getting into it more now and is doing some clever stuff.

Koleosho has a lot to learn, has all the raw elements but is lacking elsewhere.

Of course he should have been allowed to develop more naturally instead of being thrust into the side from the off last season after never playing more than a handful of games (no wonder he got a bad injury) and is now expected to be a stand out player in our team.

He could do with some time on the bench and coming on as an impact player - on either wing.

[MACCA]

I'd argue Roberts, Esteve, Brownhill, Cullen walk into every single team in this league. No idea what you are watching

Cases for Trafford and Fleming too, without looking at Luca or when Ramsey and Tresor are fit, they're going to be big additions

[Row x]

Negative tactics really. No striker on the pitch then as soon as we add one we score, then add another and are constantly threatening.

Parker just needs to be braver. He gets a lot right but Hull were there for the taking tonight.

Lesson - in this league when all players are behind the ball the space is wide to the byline then cross to a big striker or two.

Both players involved in the goal started the game, so I don't understand your opening point.

[Tricky Trevor]

I honestly believe the plan is to get to HT at 0-0. If we score it’s a bonus. Tactics change after HT dependent on the score.
We look so much better when pushing onto teams and it’s a shame SP hasn’t got the confidence in them to let them loose and attack sides. The widemen must be ordered to get early crosses in instead of fannying around before playing it back to FBs who then play it back to CBs and we regurgitate.
Foster has taken so much sh!t on here, including from me, but it is now obvious after seeing Flemming up top that it is lack of service from widemen that don’t deliver.

[AGENT_CLARET]

Koleosho running into players and passing to opposition after a good run isn't very helpful.

Koleosho is all fart no sh1t