Passing Football

[JoeyB]

I think this is where we have been lacking, recently we have not been playing the passing football we were playing when we were winning most weeks. Most teams know that if they want to get a point against us they need to stop us playing footie, and they have resorted in playing long balls and that has made us to start playing long balls.

When teams come to us and start playing long balls we don't seem like we know how to break them down and prevent them from playing long ball and playing passing football ourselves.

Is it just me or do other people think that too?

[lcfc81]

I think this is where we have been lacking, recently we have not been playing the passing football we were playing when we were winning most weeks. Most teams know that if they want to get a point against us they need to stop us playing footie, and they have resorted in playing long balls and that has made us to start playing long balls.

When teams come to us and start playing long balls we don't seem like we know how to break them down and prevent them from playing long ball and playing passing football ourselves.

Is it just me or do other people think that too?

You might be right

Also when we were winning we tended to get an early goal and that settled the team. (Confidence issues witha young team).

Finally teams seem to have more stamina relative to our own, at the beginning of the season we seemed to be able to pull away in the last 15 mins or so. Now we seem to be matched for the whole game.

[C-man]

I thought yesterday at times we tried to play the right sort of football, but their continual (good) pressing and general defensive presence made it difficult for us, and yes we were guilty of lumping it up too much. Wayne Brown anyone? Also, I don't really think our long-ball tendencies when were struggling have anything to do with the oppositions long-ball mentality. It's more to do with the way they defend as a team.

I've missed a few home games recently, but did go to the Oldham match and thought that we lacked ideas and they did well to restrict our passing game. The only game recently that I've seen us play to our best in terms of passing was the first 60 minutes of the Walsall game, where we completely demolished them.

I'm still confident that a win on Saturday, or a win at MK Dons, which will both be difficult to achieve but we can do it, will give us that springboard to confident passing play again and we'll see off the rest of this season.

[welck12]

I think this kinda links in well with the missing davies thread. I agree we do seem to have stopped playing as much passing football in last few games. Agreed the presing by oldham did knock us a bit, maybe he was the key to it.

Again great point about the early goal, its easier to play passing football when your ahead early as everyone is settles down and just goes with the flow.

Maybe the games on sat and against MK Dons will give the players a lift and get them back to before; regardless of if we win. I definatly think it will return, this is just a minor blip which all teams go through at some point in the season.

[Lineker's Left Foot]

I thought yesterday at times we tried to play the right sort of football, but their continual (good) pressing and general defensive presence made it difficult for us, and yes we were guilty of lumping it up too much. Wayne Brown anyone? Also, I don't really think our long-ball tendencies when were struggling have anything to do with the oppositions long-ball mentality. It's more to do with the way they defend as a team.

I've missed a few home games recently, but did go to the Oldham match and thought that we lacked ideas and they did well to restrict our passing game. The only game recently that I've seen us play to our best in terms of passing was the first 60 minutes of the Walsall game, where we completely demolished them.

I'm still confident that a win on Saturday, or a win at MK Dons, which will both be difficult to achieve but we can do it, will give us that springboard to confident passing play again and we'll see off the rest of this season.

I'm sure we won't get a FOURTH draw on the bounce, so something has to give.. a win or defeat IMO

[DJ Barry Hammond]

You also need to remember that although we'd all like to see passing football, at this stage in the season pitches are pretty poor so unless you have players really confident in their ability they will go with the saftey of a hoof.

And with big Stevie, there's no reason why we can't play winning football by playing hoof ball as long as we get players around him to win his flick on's or any second balls.

[BlabyFox]

Completely right in the recent home games but don't know about last night

[Father Ted]

Another thing is that when we do play passing football it is boring and horizontally across the pitch rather than into the feet of Howard and Fryatt which would create a lot more. When you've got King and Oakley just passing to each other on the halfway line you know something is wrong.

[Thracian]

I think this kinda links in well with the missing davies thread. I agree we do seem to have stopped playing as much passing football in last few games. Agreed the presing by oldham did knock us a bit, maybe he was the key to it.

Again great point about the early goal, its easier to play passing football when your ahead early as everyone is settles down and just goes with the flow.

Maybe the games on sat and against MK Dons will give the players a lift and get them back to before; regardless of if we win. I definatly think it will return, this is just a minor blip which all teams go through at some point in the season.

To me it links more with the loss of Tunchev. Last night was no improvement in the passing department. With Morrison moved to right back we had three stop-it-and-launch-it defenders insted of two and this, combined with the policy of Hartlepool to close us down quickly, meant there were long spells of aerial football and the resulting head tennis.

[Thracian]

Another thing is that when we do play passing football it is boring and horizontally across the pitch rather than into the feet of Howard and Fryatt which would create a lot more. When you've got King and Oakley just passing to each other on the halfway line you know something is wrong.

King is joint second top scorer and the third in the club's list of shot takers which hardly suggests a negative player. In his principle role as our holding midfield player he is requiired to be cautious and responsible first, rather than reckless and wasteful.

[Webbo]

The accusations of hoofball are greatly exaggerated. On Saturday we tried to pass the ball but it's hard to play passing football when the opposition pack the midfield. The fact that neither Oakley or Dyer are out and out wide men doesn't help either. Sometimes the long ball is the right ball.

[Thracian]

I think this is where we have been lacking, recently we have not been playing the passing football we were playing when we were winning most weeks. Most teams know that if they want to get a point against us they need to stop us playing footie, and they have resorted in playing long balls and that has made us to start playing long balls.

When teams come to us and start playing long balls we don't seem like we know how to break them down and prevent them from playing long ball and playing passing football ourselves.

Is it just me or do other people think that too?

I wouldn't say for one instant that Harlepool resorted to long punt football. Yes they competed like terriers for possession but there was nothing negative or crude about them when they got possession.

Times they ripped us to pieces with some cracking and pacey wingplay and they passed it around like masters at times.

Would that they did play the long ball cos we'd have had a lot less defensive thinking to do even though Pools were quite strong in the air wherever you looked.

Truth is they emphatically exposed the real problem in our defence where we have players who are competent enough as stoppers but who are slow over five yards, uneasy when twisting and turning and poor at passing.

[maddog]

I think this is where we have been lacking, recently we have not been playing the passing football we were playing when we were winning most weeks. Most teams know that if they want to get a point against us they need to stop us playing footie, and they have resorted in playing long balls and that has made us to start playing long balls.

When teams come to us and start playing long balls we don't seem like we know how to break them down and prevent them from playing long ball and playing passing football ourselves.

Is it just me or do other people think that too?

With Howard in the team we will never, ever play passing football.

Just hoof to Howard. Its not the other teams fault we play hoof ball its ours.

And who really gives a fook as long as we go up.

[MPH]

sounds extremly painful...