[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=42681.msg1215688#msg1215688 date=1289426573]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=42681.msg1215666#msg1215666 date=1289426069]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=42681.msg1215661#msg1215661 date=1289425956]
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=42681.msg1215643#msg1215643 date=1289425613]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=42681.msg1215631#msg1215631
date=1289425385]
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=42681.msg1215625#msg1215625 date=1289425261]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=42681.msg1215615#msg1215615 date=1289425149]
when we hold a deep defensive line everything else falls apart. roy see this and does nothing to change it. I fucking hate him.
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It's even worse than that. He DOES change it for the odd game but keeps going back to it, like a dog going back to its own vomit.
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pure fear. doesn't want to get caught on the counter attack, making sure we don't lose rather than going all out to win.
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Do you know how many defenders we had on the bench?? I don't know what the fuck you want us to do, push up against a side that threatened us with pace time and time again?
We were away from home, yeah they're shite but they're also a quick, athletic side, I'm surprised that passed you by.
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the threat of the counter attack was definately there but if we are playing in a manner that is effectively negating all our attacking players then pushing higher up the pitch is worth the risk. we've held a high line against better opposition than wigan.
[/quote]Thats fucking chalkboard, football manager wank Niel. We got raped again and again by pace, all a higher line does is give them more room to rape us into.
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bullshit. I fucking said the formation to play was 4-5-1 and flood the midfield making it difficult for the opposition to play through us, but oh no 4-4-2 is the way to go.
and then you have the deep defensive line because we can't push up in case we get caught on the counter but we are STILL getting carved open so yeah, that's right, negate ALL of the attacking players by defending deep and STILL be defensively all over the place.
at least by pushing up you are making us more compact, bringing more of the attacking players into the game and making it more likely you will keep the ball because the players are closer together.
if your strength lies in your attacking players then there is no good reason to defend deep, it doesn't make any sense.
fucking bread and butter tactics that the manager is incapable of grasping and even when he lucks onto it for a few games he can't wait to go back to the tried and tested that has earnt us so much points. it's okay though with points here and there but that's going to get us a 4th place finish.
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Bollocks, I can't even be arsed. There's plenty of arguments you're putting forward lately that you argued against under Benitez - "oh playing 451 away from home is soooo negative, where are the attacking fullbacks" blah blah. Neil, the team's not good enough, we don't have a wealth of options, but here's a conundrum for yer:
Whatever formation we play we always end up playing shit away games like this EVERY season where we don't impose ourselves on the game enough or retain possession enough. Now is the constant:
A) The manager
B) The players
C) The tactics
We need better, and until we get it, no amount of moaning over the formation, tactics, subs, approach, is going to change it because this is us. Good enough to go into a big game fresh and up for it, shit enough to go up against the dregs of the league and get outmuscled, out-paced and out-fought.
