Away goals

[TheBunnyman]

We've got 14 in the league this season, from 17 matches. To put that in perspective, it's the same number as Sunderland and Bolton have scored, and fewer than the away totals notched by Wigan, Wolves and West Ham. It's also less than half what Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd and Man City have scored.

Last season, by contrast, we scored 36 goals in 19 away games. So no prizes for guessing why we've had such a poor season. But WHY has our away form collapsed so totally? Our home record is actually pretty good this season, but away from home we play consistently without any confidence, spark, belief or aggression. Can it really all be down to Lucas replacing Xabi? What's happened?

 

[robinhood]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=39744.msg1085342#msg1085342 date=1270796410]
Can it really all be down to Lucas replacing Xabi?
[/quote]

Yes, I think our setup heavily relies on a player doing a Xabiesque job, and Lucas, although not fundamentally useless, hasn't got the passing range for it.

 

[Rosco]

That and the absence of Torres

 

[TheBunnyman]

[quote author=robinhood link=topic=39744.msg1085353#msg1085353 date=1270797952]
[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=39744.msg1085342#msg1085342 date=1270796410]
Can it really all be down to Lucas replacing Xabi?
[/quote]

Yes, I think our setup heavily relies on a player doing a Xabiesque job, and Lucas, although not fundamentally useless, hasn't got the passing range for it.
[/quote]

But why such a huge disparity between home and away form then? If anything, you'd expect a more defensive-minded side to do better away from home, and to struggle to take teams apart at home.

In fact the opposite has been true. We drew loads of home matches last season; this season, we've drawn only two. But our away form stinks. I think there's got to be something more to this than personnel and tactics. It's mental. I can't put my finger on what's caused it though, or why our good home form can't give us the confidence to play better in away matches.

 

[TheBunnyman]

[quote author=Rosco link=topic=39744.msg1085357#msg1085357 date=1270798355]
That and the absence of Torres
[/quote]

But he's been particularly poor in away matches when he has played. In his last four home games, he's scored eight goals.

 

[Insignificance]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=39744.msg1085342#msg1085342 date=1270796410]
We've got 14 in the league this season, from 17 matches. To put that in perspective, it's the same number as Sunderland and Bolton have scored, and fewer than the away totals notched by Wigan, Wolves and West Ham. It's also less than half what Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd and Man City have scored.

Last season, by contrast, we scored 36 goals in 19 away games. So no prizes for guessing why we've had such a poor season. But WHY has our away form collapsed so totally? Our home record is actually pretty good this season, but away from home we play consistently without any confidence, spark, belief or aggression. Can it really all be down to Lucas replacing Xabi? What's happened?
[/quote]

To put things in perspective we have over and over again controlled the away games and put on a balanced performance.... that we didnt try to score, and hence didnt score is just an irritating side effect!

 

[spider-Neil]

I think our poor away performances has more to do with our inability to keep clean sheets rather than our inability score goals.

 

[keniget]

I think it's all just snowballed from the beginning of the season when we suffered a string of bad results and a number of players were clearly out of sorts after the summer.

At home we've had more confidence in front of our own fans, whilst the visiting sides tend to sit back more and allow us possession. Away from home, we needed to be more assertive and exert our dominance on the game and when the midfield is not capable of doing this consistently and maintaining possession, it's no real surprise that the team have struggled.

 

[robinhood]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=39744.msg1085358#msg1085358 date=1270798358]
If anything, you'd expect a more defensive-minded side to do better away from home, and to struggle to take teams apart at home.
[/quote]

Better in a goals sense?

Anyway, it's not a more defensive minded team than last year, there's just a square peg in a key creative position.

 

[robinhood]

It stands to reason that no we're less creative, we struggle more when the work is harder, but at home, it's only natural to score more easily.

Also Torres scores more freely at home, but I'd be inclined to call that a symptom rather than a cause.

 

[spider-Neil]

as defense minded as we are away from home if we score first we really should be winning the game, if not we are being defensive for the sake of being defensive.

 

[TheBunnyman]

[quote author=robinhood link=topic=39744.msg1085369#msg1085369 date=1270799622]
It stands to reason that no we're less creative, we struggle more when the work is harder, but at home, it's only natural to score more easily.

[/quote]

Then explain all the 0-0s against the weaker sides last season, the majority of which were at Anfield.

 

[Insignificance]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=39744.msg1085383#msg1085383 date=1270802539]
[quote author=robinhood link=topic=39744.msg1085369#msg1085369 date=1270799622]
It stands to reason that no we're less creative, we struggle more when the work is harder, but at home, it's only natural to score more easily.

[/quote]

Then explain all the 0-0s against the weaker sides last season, the majority of which were at Anfield.

[/quote]

Dont be harsh. We played 1-1 on several occacions as well!

 

[robinhood]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=39744.msg1085383#msg1085383 date=1270802539]
[quote author=robinhood link=topic=39744.msg1085369#msg1085369 date=1270799622]
It stands to reason that no we're less creative, we struggle more when the work is harder, but at home, it's only natural to score more easily.

[/quote]

Then explain all the 0-0s against the weaker sides last season, the majority of which were at Anfield.

[/quote]

They parked their bus in front of the goal?

 

[robinhood]

... and we didn't, and still don't, have the cutting edge in the final third to deal with that properly.

 

[TheBunnyman]

[quote author=robinhood link=topic=39744.msg1085403#msg1085403 date=1270806191]
... and we didn't, and still don't, have the cutting edge in the final third to deal with that properly.
[/quote]

We've generally dealt with it better this season, though, despite one of the world's best passers being replaced by Lucas. Why? I think Magic has to take some of the credit, just as he has to take some of the blame for us conceding more goals.

But none of this really explains our chronic toothlessness away from home this season.

Keni's explanation - confidence killed early, fragile mentality, the need for home support - is probably the closest anyone's come. I'd like to hear what the players and the managers think though.

 

[robinhood]

Of course it's never down to one thing - the psychological aspect is always going to impact you when you've been playing badly, but I think there are more fundamental problems than that.

From another point of view, we've had massive injury problems this season, and even last season, some of those 0-0 home draws against lesser opposition definitely had some key players missing from them.

It's been gone over and over, so there's probably little point going over it here, but I get the sense you're trying to avoid blaming the obvious problems on the obvious causes...

 

[TheBunnyman]

Not at all. Lucas for Xabi is the major reason why we've played poorly this season. I was just startled by the difference between our home and away stats, and especially by how few goals we've scored away from Anfield. Seemed slightly more interesting than debating 433/4231 for the zillionth time, that's all.

 

[mark1975]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=39744.msg1085358#msg1085358 date=1270798358]
[quote author=robinhood link=topic=39744.msg1085353#msg1085353 date=1270797952]
[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=39744.msg1085342#msg1085342 date=1270796410]
Can it really all be down to Lucas replacing Xabi?
[/quote]

Yes, I think our setup heavily relies on a player doing a Xabiesque job, and Lucas, although not fundamentally useless, hasn't got the passing range for it.
[/quote]

But why such a huge disparity between home and away form then? If anything, you'd expect a more defensive-minded side to do better away from home, and to struggle to take teams apart at home.

In fact the opposite has been true. We drew loads of home matches last season; this season, we've drawn only two. But our away form stinks. I think there's got to be something more to this than personnel and tactics. It's mental. I can't put my finger on what's caused it though, or why our good home form can't give us the confidence to play better in away matches.
[/quote]

Lucas also played alot of away games last season, Old Trafford where we scored four is one example. I do think there's fundamental flaws with the way we setup sometimes, but a few days later we could put out the same team at home and give someone a trouncing.

I think when we play away we stand off the play alot more and play like the away side, looking to tire the opposition and hit them on the break, the problem is is that we're getting found out in this respect, so we're just inviting pressure and our weaknesses (like those at setpieces and balls from wide areas) are exploited. If we actually went to away grounds with the intent to maintain possession and attack in number maybe we'd be more productive. That said, there are times when we've clearly attacked well and still struggled to hit the back of the net. Either way the problem seems more about the approach rather than the personnel. We obviously need a couple more match winners, but that's besides the point. If we can beat united at home then the same side should be able to go away to lesser teams and get points, and goals.

 

[TheBunnyman]

I think we go with the intent to maintain possession (often successfully), but we usually wait till about the 70th minute before bothering to attack with any conviction. Which is stupid because it allows the home players and supporters to work up a bit of confidence and optimism that they can get a result against us.

It's pretty similar to the way the great Liverpool sides used to play away, but it doesn't work any more and we really should stop doing it. Just pretend you're at home and go for their throats.

 

[Hansern]

The main reason that we're struggeling is of course swaping Xabi with Lucas. That and the fact that Riera hasn't played as many matches as he did last season.

These factors have resulted in us not being able to keep possesion in the same way, and not creating as many chances.