Loss of momentum when attacking

[Corky]

Seems to be far too common in our games, especially tonight. How often did we take an extra touch, delay in laying the ball off, heavy touch to lose control, bit of "skill" easily blocked, aimless cross?

 

Plenty were guilty. Iheanacho, Ndidi, Chilwell, Albrighton, Ricardo, Maddison, Gray all had opportunities to build something but, for whatever reason, didn't happen.

 

Is it nerves about losing the ball? Trying too much? Lack of composure in attacking areas is hurting us.

[LestaAl]

A number of first touches were made, the problem was many of them ended up at the foot of a spurs player....

[Bert]

It’s because we don’t commit enough people forward or in the right areas. 

[chapero82]

1 minute ago, Bert said:

It’s because we don’t commit enough people forward or in the right areas. 

or cross it 20 times into the box without a striker on the pitch

[funkyrobot]

We don’t move well off the ball,combined with a timid, slow passing game that results in us slowly retreating back to the point where Kasper has to hoof it and concede possession. 

[Freeman's Wharfer]

30 minutes ago, Bert said:

It’s because we don’t commit enough people forward or in the right areas. 

This 100%. With Mendy, Ndidi and a back four that's 7 of the 11 who are defensive (inc. Kasper).

 

That's all because of Puel's overly-cautious approach and defensive-first mentality.

[Captain...]

I don’t know what they do in training, but when you see this style of play done successfully it needs a striker that can hold the ball up and bring others into play, giving the three a chance to break the lines and get in behind.

 

Nacho doesn’t do this, Vardy doesn’t do it often enough, Shinji is arguably the best at this but was not very good when asked to play that role.

 

The other thing that this formation/style needs is quick interplay. We saw it with Okazaki setting up Maddison on Wednesday and a couple of times with Ghezzal late in the game today, but not enough.

 

There are 2 main problems in attack, we are too static as a unit, but especially the striker, whether it is Nacho or Vardy they don’t come deep looking for the ball dragging the centre back with them creating space for others to exploit. Static striker means set defence means no space so we end up with the ball going backwards or sideways and losing momentum.

 

Problem 2 is that we have no aerial threat, I don’t want to turn into Burnley, but we have zero aerial threat so all the energy and effort to work a good opening out wide is wasted as soon as we cross it.

[Captain...]

5 minutes ago, Freeman's Wharfer said:

This 100%. With Mendy, Ndidi and a back four that's 7 of the 11 who are defensive (inc. Kasper).

 

That's all because of Puel's overly-cautious approach and defensive-first mentality.

Chilwell and Ricardo are 2 of our most attacking players. The formation and the double pivot/double CDM isn’t the issue, we often have 6 players forward, but it is too static in the middle and too easy to defend against.

[Freeman's Wharfer]

1 minute ago, Captain... said:

Chilwell and Ricardo are 2 of our most attacking players. The formation and the double pivot/double CDM isn’t the issue, we often have 6 players forward, but it is too static in the middle and too easy to defend against.

Rubbish.

 

Yes Chilwell and Ricardo are more offensive full backs than, say, someone like Simpson. But first and foremost they are defenders. Their starting position is alongside their centre halves and they have far more ground to cover to get into attacking areas than midfielders or strikers.

 

There's zero drive through the middle as Mendy and Ndidi offer nothing offensively. It'll never change with Puel in charge, his mentality is defensive first and foremost.

[Ian Nacho]

Because Gray, who's supposed to be upfront, is on the wing, looks up to who's in the box...

 

[Langston]

I agree that Mendy and Wilf (whilst tidy players in their own right) offer no threat when we transition from defence to attack. They're both very safe.

 

You could argue that Puel tried to counter this by throwing in Iborra tonight but it seemingly just left us with a lot of bodies in midfield and no forward presence because Vicente drops so deep.

 

We need a winger and a striker badly in January. 

[NaijaFox]

When you watch good or great passing sides (Barcelona, Man City, PSG, etc.), there's always constant MOVEMENT by players off the ball to CREATE passing lanes. We are often too static, and several times you see the player on the ball (particularly the CDs and CMs) holding his hands out as if asking where the heck everyone else is 'hiding'!   

Edited 9 December 2018 by NaijaFox

[matty98]

It doesn't help that Puel keeps changing formation and players, he needs to pick a system and stick with it for a few games. If players had a good understanding of where they and their teammates where supposed to be maybe they could move the ball quicker.

[sylofox]

I'm not in the Puel out but our front third is awful. With Vardy we don't look dangerous now. Without him it's awful. 

 

They mange a 3 on 3 away we gat a 3 on 5.

 

We really have to get away from Vardy going fwd. I do love him but like our title it's becoming a Curse. We can't play without him. 

 

Puel's started our evolution some of it to fast with what he has. 

 

But if the club are backing Puel they need to get the players he needs. Some of our play today was great but we have nothing up front. 

[sylofox]

21 minutes ago, matty98 said:

It doesn't help that Puel keeps changing formation and players, he needs to pick a system and stick with it for a few games. If players had a good understanding of where they and their teammates where supposed to be maybe they could move the ball quicker.

The system matter fvck all. The basics are when defending trac back. Zonal marking don't work. Players watching don't work. 

 

Up front we have the movement of a house brick. Part manager part players. Other teams make an attack 3v3 as spuds did or 3/5 4/5 or 5/5.every time today they had extra men. 

 

Our midfield is shite pushing on or getting fwd. Players 

/manager/tactics I don't know but we got what we gave. 

 

NOTHING

[H.a.r.r.y]

it annoys me how we can have 3 players box 1 player in a corner and he can still get out with ease

[davieG]

Despite the improvement most of our players are not good/experienced enough to play the way Puel seems to want them to play.

 

A lot has been posted about Nacho but at least 3/4 times tonight when we had possession up the pitch he was calling for the ball and ready to go for it if a defence splitting pass had come but they didn’t we either passed it out wide or lost it. I’ve noticed the same with Vardy no one wants to attack down the middle splitting their back line Vardy often looks like he’s screaming on the inside and it’s no wonder the young and inexperienced Nacho gives up.

[fleckneymike]

Agree with @davieG

 

We also suffer from a lack of central players running beyond the ball. Our attacks fizzle out before they even start because no one moves to provide an option. 

[FoxyPalace.com]

None of our strikers apart from Vardy are sharp enough or clever Enough. Time for a over haul, Nacho, Slimani, Okazaki need to be gone.

[Bayfox]

Add to that having everyone back for corners. How the **** do you even start an attack when everyone is in your own box.

 

I'd love to see us go back to leaving 3 up every now and again. Keep the opposition guessing.

 

If we leave 3 forward they leave 4 back. That's 7 people taken out of a crowded penalty area.

 

I was indifferent to Claude but I'm leaning towards being bored of him now.

 

We get the ball wide but can't cross it in because we shipped out 2 forwards with any height and now have to resort to gray playing up top as nacho is basically that lazy he looks like a competition winner playing up front.

[foxinsocks]

when he ball goes to a wade player we have to have players running to the box and we have to have the midfield move up so there is not gap - then the ball must come in earl while their back line is retreating.  To so this you have to be much fitter - I wonder if we have changed the intenciteeee of our training?  Ricardo and Albrighton are capable of early ball sin - so the rest of the teams have to give them targets.

[Bert]

10 hours ago, Freeman's Wharfer said:

This 100%. With Mendy, Ndidi and a back four that's 7 of the 11 who are defensive (inc. Kasper).

 

That's all because of Puel's overly-cautious approach and defensive-first mentality.

Then when we inevitably go behind we are on a uphill task to get back in the game. 

[Lovejoy]

We try and pass our way through yet we have no passing ability in the deep lying midfield and we never get more than 2/3 bodies in the 18 yard box, quite often just one.

 

This is the main reason I actually think another midfielder and inside forward should take priority over another striker, as we don’t even have a good enough starting eleven, let alone having cover.

[murphy]

10 hours ago, Captain... said:

Chilwell and Ricardo are 2 of our most attacking players. The formation and the double pivot/double CDM isn’t the issue, we often have 6 players forward, but it is too static in the middle and too easy to defend against.

So many of us don't understand the system.  The double pivot is not a defensive set up.  Ignore the response you got, you are spot on.

 

 

[Freeman's Wharfer]

37 minutes ago, Bert said:

Then when we inevitably go behind we are on a uphill task to get back in the game. 

And to further compound that problem, he still doesn't throw caution to the wind in chasing a game.

 

How many times this season have Mendy and Ndidi finished the 90 minutes even when we're losing? Or he's waited until 75 or 80 minutes to make a change when it's been clear from 45/50 minutes that it's not working?