The Wall - stick or twist?

[hktoffee]

Back 4 depends on opponent.

Strong physical team
Holgate Mina Keane Godfrey with Digne on the left wing.

Quick team
Coleman Godfrey Holgate Digne

Team with a mixture
Holgate Mina Godfrey Digne

This would allow us to dictate play in every scenario.

Newcastle not that quick either. Coleman is done now.

 

[mahermi1]

I'm not saying we played well but I just disagree with this idea that they made chances all the way through because they had a couple of headers off corners and one good counter. I think we let them have too much of the ball and didn't do a good enough job of pressing them and penning them in but that is a midfield problem.

Well I counted five really good chances today and Newcastle are not renowned for being an attacking team. The whole team was poor today, apart from Rodriguez I thought, Sigurdsson playing centre mid is always a mistake, our attack was practically non existent, our crossing was poor from both fullbacks and Wilson led our centre halves a merry dance all day.
Apart from that we were fine Our defence has been very good of late, today it wasn't, at the very least I expect Godfrey back in the team, left or right back, but one of them. Oh and Sigurdsson not playing midfield.

 

[Brizzletoffee]

Thought Ritchie played okay in the first half but was awful second half. We need a player to challenge our strikers, they know they will play no matter what, because there are no alternatives.

Thought he started the game well, just over all last few weeks he’s not been at the races. Granted the team have been a lot more defensive which doesn’t help.

 

[catcherintherye]

I think the big thing people are missing in this entire conversation is if we do start those four and they do keep a clean sheet we've still drawn 0-0 at home to Newcastle and that is still really bad!

It's bad, but it's a lot better than losing said games. And it at least gives us a focus on what we need to improve.

If we lose today 3-2, you can say- ah well at least we are attacking better. We are not. Changing the full backs isn't helping.

 

[TheBigIguana]

It's bad, but it's a lot better than losing said games. And it at least gives us a focus on what we need to improve.

If we lose today 3-2, you can say- ah well at least we are attacking better. We are not. Changing the full backs isn't helping.

Right so I'm curious then: how do we attack better without changing anything with the backline? Is there a way with what players we have right now?

 

[catcherintherye]

Right so I'm curious then: how do we attack better without changing anything with the backline? Is there a way with what players we have right now?

But we have changed the backline, with the changes you advocated, and it made us worse- no threat in open play and less threat of set pieces.

However yes, my focus on improving the attacking play would be based upon the attacking personnel playing better and getting into form. I wouldn't tinker with a successful defence to help their defencies. You are robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Essentially I'd rather have an excellent defence & bad attack v a bad defence and a worse attack.

 

[mahermi1]

Right so I'm curious then: how do we attack better without changing anything with the backline? Is there a way with what players we have right now?

Better midfield, another winger/ striker to put pressure on the existing ones.

 

[TheBigIguana]

But we have changed the backline, with the changes you advocated, and it made us worse- no threat in open play and less threat of set pieces.

However yes, my focus on improving the attacking play would be based upon the attacking personnel playing better and getting into form. I wouldn't tinker with a successful defence to help their defencies. You are robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Essentially I'd rather have an excellent defence & bad attack v a bad defence and a worse attack.

I think saying the attack is worse is misleading. It didn't improve but it really wasn't any worse either. As I said earlier it is hard to be less than nothing.

I don't think playing their way into form is a thing that is going to happen at this point. Something has to be tinkered with to make it work. Play your way into form is essentially a massive shoulder shrug if that is what Carlo were to do.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Better midfield, another winger/ striker to put pressure on the existing ones.

We aren't signing anyone and as my question said I'm curious what people think we can do right now to improve it.

 

[catcherintherye]

I think saying the attack is worse is misleading. It didn't improve but it really wasn't any worse either. As I said earlier it is hard to be less than nothing.

I don't think playing their way into form is a thing that is going to happen at this point. Something has to be tinkered with to make it work. Play your way into form is essentially a massive shoulder shrug if that is what Carlo were to do.

I mean it was worse. We played a terrible team, didn't score and didn't create a discernible chance on open play,

Apologies I didn't your question about how we improve. I will be repeating myself a bit but;

1) Get DCL match fit. I think this will take time

2) Get Richarlinson back into form. I dont know how you do that now. It may mean he's rested for a period. There's a reasonable shout Iwobi is more deserving of playing than him.

You could also try him centrally off DCL. I'm not sure, but thats a puzzle. He's trying but we haven't got him right yet this season.

3) Keep James fit. He makes a big difference.

I'd focus onthose 3 for now. It could be that you play a 4-4-2 but James can play as one of the two, behind an Allan/Doucoure in some games. It would be weakening the team defensively, but hopefully our back 4 could cope with that.

 

[mahermi1]

We aren't signing anyone and as my question said I'm curious what people think we can do right now to improve it.

Well Allan will improve the midfield when he's back, decent on the ball, closes down better and will give us more possession. We have/ our letting, Walcott, Bernard, Tosun, Kean and Bolasie go and I know Bolasie never played and some of the others hardly played. But that is a hell of a saving on our wage bill and if either Ritchie or DCL get injured, who replaces them ?
There are still two days left to bring one attacking player in, we would be absolute fools if we didn't. So I wouldn't be that cock sure no one is coming in.

 

[overkill]

Well I counted five really good chances today and Newcastle are not renowned for being an attacking team. The whole team was poor today, apart from Rodriguez I thought, Sigurdsson playing centre mid is always a mistake, our attack was practically non existent, our crossing was poor from both fullbacks and Wilson led our centre halves a merry dance all day.
Apart from that we were fine Our defence has been very good of late, today it wasn't, at the very least I expect Godfrey back in the team, left or right back, but one of them. Oh and Sigurdsson not playing midfield.

I even prefer Gomes in midfield, he offers more (although not much)

 

[MACCA75]

Stick..

 

[mahermi1]

I even prefer Gomes in midfield, he offers more (although not much)

Definitely thought Gomes done okay when he came on, but it should have been for Sigurdsson, in my opinion.

 

[Dymak]

Attacking is much more difficult than defending. Therefore, good offensive players usually cost more than defensive players. In general, it is much easier to create a good defensive structure than to create offensive patterns that break down opponents.

That is why clubs like Burnley and the like have this strategy. That's why coaches like Roy Hodgson, Big Sam, are attractive to clubs in the lower half of the PL. Because the only goal is to survive in the division. It involves much higher risk to play offensive football, and it requires much greater individual and collective skills. Both coaches and players need to be far more creative. Just think about it, how many goals are scored in football?

But the most difficult thing in football is the balance between attack and defense.

The strategy of having a strong defence is certainly not limited to Burnley and Crystal Palace. In fact, I’m not sure either of these teams even have good defences?

The best defences belong to the top clubs! Liverpool were perennial bottlers before they sorted their defence out. Indeed, they’re now claiming that the loss of their best centre half is responsible for missing out on about 20 points compared to last season.

All of the top clubs have strong, expensive defenders that are well capable of, well, defending!

I agree about the need for balance. I don’t agree that attacking is more important than defending, especially if it leads to you getting ragged all over the place by the likes of Newcastle!