Small margins

[billycopper]

Roberto has spoken about "small margins" being the difference recently and he is right...to a degree. If Ramires had stayed on his feet Chelsea wouldn't have got the freekick from which they scored. If Walker hadn't had the presence of mind to take a quick freekick Adebayor wouldn't have scored the winner for Spurs. And if Barry hadn't dangled an inviting leg Oxlade-Chamberlain wouldn't have gone over to help give Arsenal a chance to turn the recent cup tie.

Those are important reasons why we lost the games, but we never did anywhere near enough to win them. It's not Martinez's fault. We've had more than a decade of being stoic and it will take time to develop a more penetrative brand of football. Maybe the first step is to 'wise up' a bit though and not to give other teams the small margins that give them the edge?

We've had this discussion before and I'm not advocating that we start diving but maybe we need to be a bit more aware that other teams will do it? Our game management could be better too. In the closing stages of games that we're winning we very often keep looking for a second goal rather than focussing on keeping possession so that the opposition can't have it to equalise.

 

[Khalekan]

In the closing stages of games that we're winning we very often keep looking for a second goal rather than focussing on keeping possession so that the opposition can't have it to equalise.

Billy, that is plain ridiculous.

I can't recall us losing a lead in the dying minutes this season, apart from the Goodison derby.

Last season however, we did exactly what you suggest and lost an awful lot of points.

Off the top of my head, Norwich home and away, Fulham away, Barcodes at home.

There was nine points at least we squandered by "defending" a one goal lead late in the game.

 

[deipnosophist]

Billy, that is plain ridiculous.

I can't recall us losing a lead in the dying minutes this season, apart from the Goodison derby.

Last season however, we did exactly what you suggest and lost an awful lot of points.

Off the top of my head, Norwich home and away, Fulham away, Barcodes at home.

There was nine points at least we squandered by "defending" a one goal lead late in the game.

away at Spurs as well

 

[Khalekan]

Yip....I forgot about that one.

 

[billycopper]

Billy, that is plain ridiculous.

I can't recall us losing a lead in the dying minutes this season, apart from the Goodison derby.

Last season however, we did exactly what you suggest and lost an awful lot of points.

Off the top of my head, Norwich home and away, Fulham away, Barcodes at home.

There was nine points at least we squandered by "defending" a one goal lead late in the game.

We haven't been in the position of protecting a narrow lead too often. I guess what I'm getting at is that we don't really follow the received wisdom of replacing forwards with defenders and running down the clock.

 

[billycopper]

Game management wasn't necessarily the main thrust of my argument. It was more than we're losing by fine margins when we probably should be drawing games and that the pendulum has some way to go for us to be winning these matches.

 

[Bluesnapper]

I wish Coleman would run that extra two yards, a small margin, a bit quicker and be in position to stop goals being scored by him not being in the right place.

 

[Khalekan]

We haven't been in the position of protecting a narrow lead too often. I guess what I'm getting at is that we don't really follow the received wisdom of replacing forwards with defenders and running down the clock.

But that is exactly what Moyes did last season with disastrous results in at least five games....the ones me and deiopnosophist mentioned.

 

[DualityNSNO]

We haven't been in the position of protecting a narrow lead too often. I guess what I'm getting at is that we don't really follow the received wisdom of replacing forwards with defenders and running down the clock.

Chelsea away, and, when we had our whole first team squad pretty much fit, any game in which Stones came in in the last 10 minutes, usually for an attacking player, to play at RB, with Coleman in front of him.

That is defensive, albeit not "Saha off, Distin on" defensive. And actually won us games.

 

[billycopper]

But that is exactly what Moyes did last season with disastrous results in at least five games....the ones me and deiopnosophist mentioned.

Fair enough. Does that mean that it doesn't work or that we haven't mastered it though?

 

[Khalekan]

It means it is better to kill a game off.....and the best way to do that is to score another goal.

So's we aren't sitting on a one goal lead near the end.

 

[toffeejack]

We haven't been in the position of protecting a narrow lead too often. I guess what I'm getting at is that we don't really follow the received wisdom of replacing forwards with defenders and running down the clock.

we had a manager who did that last year and it normally ended badly, we don't have him anymore and it's ending badly for his current club. we have a manager who favours a positive mentality and we're gaining much more points in the last 10 mins. i know that's not to do with losing 2 points, but that's only happened in the derby?

and that was from a needless set-piece as opposed to being caught attacking.

attack is the best form of defence!

 

[LinekersLegs]

we had a manager who did that last year and it normally ended badly, we don't have him anymore and it's ending badly for his current club. we have a manager who favours a positive mentality and we're gaining much more points in the last 10 mins. i know that's not to do with losing 2 points, but that's only happened in the derby?

and that was from a needless set-piece as opposed to being caught attacking.

attack is the best form of defence!

Not sure it always is but know one thing for sure it is better for my nerves! That last ditch defending lark with 11 players behind the ball in the dying minutes with the opposing sides taking pot shots at our goal has played havoc with my nails and blood pressure.
It is the same with England and world cups as we try to hold on for the penalties.

 

[DualityNSNO]

Not sure it always is but know one thing for sure it is better for my nerves! That last ditch defending lark with 11 players behind the ball in the dying minutes with the opposing sides taking pot shots at our goal has played havoc with my nails and blood pressure.
It is the same with England and world cups as we try to hold on for the penalties.

Which is quite funny as you end up losing those anyway.

 

[billycopper]

It means it is better to kill a game off.....and the best way to do that is to score another goal.

So's we aren't sitting on a one goal lead near the end.

Mourinho is the master of shutting a game down and there isn't much that he hasn't won. Aren't there lessons we can take from him? And isn't it a bit naive to leave yourself so open when you already have a lead to protect? Wouldn't it be better to draw the opposition out and finish them off on the counter-attack?