Late goals.

[Matt]

So I raised the point after the last game but there needs to be a proper discussion now about late goals we've conceded in important matches and/or the manner in which we concede them.

 

Certainly when you consider this from a team/manager/philosophy/ideology about how we play, why we play like we do, who crave and put so much emphasis on 'control' of matches so much.

 

I did feel quite at ease and that we were in 'control' of games earlier in the season but just recently I don't feel we've been in control of games at all.

 

 

Sheff Wed, Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Coventry and Ipswich again. (There may be more?)

 

We won in games against Millwall and Birmingham but late goals against them unsettled us and made for nervy endings when it could and should have been more comfortable.

 

Alot was made about the late goals we scored stat and the score in the last 20 minutes of games earlier in the season and an incredible stat it was, i'm not sure what the 'score' is now but we cannot bury our heads in the sand when it goes against us, not in important matches.

 

It's supposed get easier when you're 1-0, it feels like we make it harder for ourselves, playing the way we do, constantly inviting pressure upon ourselves, letting the opposition press us, is it not abit negative?

 

If we're not going to kill games off we need to do the dirty work better, learn how to grind results out and staying strong at the back, showing some grit and resolve.

 

We've largely had it all our own way for the most part of this season but on those rare times we are backs against the wall we've crumbled, as I keep reiterating i'm actually quite enjoying and understand why we're playing this way in this league but these are all wake up calls.

[coolhandfox]

18 minutes ago, Matt said:

 

Sheff Wed, Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Coventry and Ipswich again. (There may be more?)

Take a our chances and they wouldn't matter, we had plenty of chance to win all those games except the Coventry game.

[Nod.E]

You can add WBA. We rescued it with a late goal of our own, but it's another example of failing to hold on when that was the objective.

[Aleksz]

Sheffield Wednesday was scandalous. But it’s took Ipswich two deflected goals, Coventry playing against 10 men, and Boro scoring a worldie of a free kick. 
 

And as the above poster says you take your chances and they don’t matter. 
 

I’m not too worried about it. Game is the game - we were all told and telling ourselves how crazy this league can be.

[Dan]

We must have the highest % of overall goals conceded in the last 10 minutes by an absolute mile.

[orangecity23]

We could be a lot better at time wasting and slowing the game down. Warnock in the studio today with Sky Sports, should invite him down Seagrave for a seminar on how to take a minute to take a throw in, or the ability to spend 2 mins per goal kick and mysteriously have a different player go down with cramp every time the ball goes out of play.

[HybridFox]

It's the like for like changes with Enzo as well. If we are gonna sit on a lead, let's do it properly and get another CB on for the last 10

 

Or leave Cannon on and put Vardy alongside as a second striker to give Ipswich something to think about and half a chance to score again if we do concede

 

You can't just sit idle and hope for 45 mins every game

Edited 23 January 2024 by HybridFox

[Stinkenzo]

24 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

We must have the highest % of overall goals conceded in the last 10 minutes by an absolute mile.

It feels like it but it took us until late October/early November (Boro away) to concede a league goal past the hour mark. 

[Jattdogg]

Dont sit on 1 nil'ers and you wont have to worry as much.

[STUHILL]

Combination of things, including a stubborn Enzo in managing in game tactics and (not!) making substitutions, as well as players lacking quality in the final third, and most worryingly, an increasing mentality to try hold onto leads in the 2nd half, as opposed to what we were doing earlier in the season and exhausting teams with our passing, and scoring many late goals in the 2nd half to finish off games with relative ease.

 

I can see a fear creeping in of not wanting to lose and throw away our huge points lead in the table. Constantly hearing that we are walking this league and have a Premier League squad who shouldn't be here etc, on top of being relentlessly chased by teams below, can take its toll. That is why I think Top really needs to get us TWO quality signings in this window and we need to treat this period as a bit of a reset and a mentality switch so that we can get our swagger back and try to dominate and exhaust teams with our superior players and style. 

 

Everything at the moment feels a bit wishy washy and meh, and I can't help feel that is because Enzo seems a little too nice and OK with our poor performances, and that mentality has started creeping into the players. I'd like to see more aggression, some nastiness and real arrogance to dominate and humiliate teams. It won't always work, but I can't help think that tonight was a perfect opportunity to bully Ipswich, similar to what Leeds did to them, and we just didn't even try. We got our goal and just let them play their ways back into the game the moment the 2nd half kicked off. 

 

We must find some aggression, arrogance and swagger, if we are to maintain this gap to Southampton and Ipswich.  

[foxile5]

The style of play is risky for holding on. Particularly when they have fresh legs on to chase down our tired passing.

 

I said at the start of the season and will say again now - there needs to be a plan aside from possession in our defensive third. We can't rely on that to see out games in this division and we definitely can't if we get promoted.

[STUHILL]

5 minutes ago, foxile5 said:

The style of play is risky for holding on. Particularly when they have fresh legs on to chase down our tired passing.

 

I said at the start of the season and will say again now - there needs to be a plan aside from possession in our defensive third. We can't rely on that to see out games in this division and we definitely can't if we get promoted.

I wasn't at the game, but many commented on how we were passing longer tonight with no success, and that we likely would have done better if we had kept the ball with our usual style. I have noticed this in a few of our recent games, where we have struggled to control the ball like we used to, and started to become a bit erratic with longer balls. I suspect Enzo still wants us to play his way, but the players are just starting to lose some confidence and Enzo's system only really works if the players are full of confidence and willing to play those intricate passes around the back. 

[Pita]

Been struggling at the end of games. Is it the way we play all the possession then loose consciousness the last 10 mins

[Jon the Hat]

Its football, if you are only a goal up with a few minutes to go the opposition will go for it.  Sometimes it will work.  Even against Man City.

[cruzFOX]

Ok I’m not going to start on a negative.

we played well initially dominating with our usual style. Ipswich couldn’t hang with us or they hadn’t woken up. There were so many sweet moves from KDH, Mavadid and Recardo. Moves the opposition can only marvel. For most of that 1st half we showed our superiority over Ipswich.

what we didn’t do was back that superiority up with goals.there was a lack of focus, composure, confidence and aggression in both KDH and Ricardo’s missed opportunities. That’s 2 chances that would have easily put us up 3-0. For me that’s game over even if Ipswich were to rally 2nd half. In fact it would have put us in prime position to tear them apart as they get desperate to fly forwards. This is game management.

 

So what happened has a sense of inevitability. We tried to score but their keeper stepped up his game, chances became harder to create now, we started to tire and Ipswich made subs freshened up and increased their intensity. Now we couldn’t hang with their pressure.

 

Enzo had a majestic view of this unfolding from the stands. His pep like expression of disappointment was there for all to see. I hope and pray he can finally fix this issue fast! Like the set piece fiasco under Rogers last season if this is a reoccurring problem and it doesn’t get addressed Enzo will feel the heat. That nice point cushion lead will not hold for too much longer.

end of rant!

[The_77]

4 hours ago, Aleksz said:

Sheffield Wednesday was scandalous. But it’s took Ipswich two deflected goals, Coventry playing against 10 men, and Boro scoring a worldie of a free kick. 
 

And as the above poster says you take your chances and they don’t matter. 
 

I’m not too worried about it. Game is the game - we were all told and telling ourselves how crazy this league can be.

Agreed. Far too many people conflating what’s gone on this season with what happened under Rodgers. 

[The_77]

4 hours ago, Dan LCFC said:

We must have the highest % of overall goals conceded in the last 10 minutes by an absolute mile.

It’s a big chunk but we also score plenty of late goals. 
https://www.soccerstats.com/table.asp?league=england2&tid=j

We’re the only side in the division to have a positive goal difference in every 10-minute segment.
 

Tonight stunk, we had plenty of opportunities to kill the game but let it slip out of our hands. We’ve mismanaged and been unlucky late in a few games but we haven’t capitulated. 
 

There are so many fans who can’t let themselves be happy or enjoy anything anymore and need to make this more of an issue than it really is. 

[The_77]

6 minutes ago, The_77 said:

It’s a big chunk but we also score plenty of late goals. 
https://www.soccerstats.com/table.asp?league=england2&tid=j

We’re the only side in the division to have a positive goal difference in every 10-minute segment.
 

Tonight stunk, we had plenty of opportunities to kill the game but let it slip out of our hands. We’ve mismanaged and been unlucky late in a few games but we haven’t capitulated. 
 

There are so many fans who can’t let themselves be happy or enjoy anything anymore and need to make this more of an issue than it really is. 

To be fair, only the first sentence of my reply was directed at you, @Dan LCFC, the rest was just a bit of a rant about what I’m reading and hearing after the game. 

[StriderHiryu]

It’s a common theme now. 
 

- Not enough subs

- Subs too late in the game

- Sitting on leads instead of finishing games off

 

Enzo has done a terrific job but all of the above happens frequently. There are always going to be bits of luck that go against you, but this has also happened in games where we’ve gotten away with it like Cardiff at home and West Brom away. 
 

Overall we are in a fantastic position in terms of points but I would like to see the above rectified. 
 

Do I think we will? Nope. 

[goose2010]

2 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

It’s a common theme now. 
 

- Not enough subs

- Subs too late in the game

- Sitting on leads instead of finishing games off

 

Enzo has done a terrific job but all of the above happens frequently. There are always going to be bits of luck that go against you, but this has also happened in games where we’ve gotten away with it like Cardiff at home and West Brom away. 
 

Overall we are in a fantastic position in terms of points but I would like to see the above rectified. 
 

Do I think we will? Nope. 

He doesn't trust his bench. And let's be honest would you ? Last night there was no one on that bench that deserved to play because they were in form. No one where you would say oh it's harsh he has been left out. 

 

Hopefully a few will step in at the weekend and impress because currently I would only trust our starting 11. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

Can we merge this thread with one about people leaving the stadium early?

[Tommy Fresh]

2 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

It’s a common theme now. 
 

- Not enough subs

- Subs too late in the game

- Sitting on leads instead of finishing games off

 

Enzo has done a terrific job but all of the above happens frequently. There are always going to be bits of luck that go against you, but this has also happened in games where we’ve gotten away with it like Cardiff at home and West Brom away. 
 

Overall we are in a fantastic position in terms of points but I would like to see the above rectified. 
 

Do I think we will? Nope. 

We didn't sit on a lead and concede late on at home to Cardiff. 

[Guest Lcfc82]

We’re not ruthless enough. Need to take our chances while we’re dominating games and this wouldn’t be an issue.

[Lionator]

4 minutes ago, goose2010 said:

He doesn't trust his bench. And let's be honest would you ? Last night there was no one on that bench that deserved to play because they were in form. No one where you would say oh it's harsh he has been left out. 

 

Hopefully a few will step in at the weekend and impress because currently I would only trust our starting 11. 

part of that is due to the absences though. Say Daka will start when he comes back, Sensi comes in and Fatawu is back fit, you can bring on Cannon, Vardy, Mcateer, Yunus, Iheanacho. 
 

Although all we needed last night was legs not ability as it was our press which got us in a good position and closed Ipswich off. 

[foxinsocks]

This is simply about 2 things

1. Not pushing for a second (we could have put this game to bed in first half... we created nothing in the second half).

2. There is also a mental fragility in the last 5mins.  We play posession football for 85 mins and then basket ball 

Edited 23 January 2024 by foxinsocks