Educate me

[Daggers]

I'm not going regularly this season and am struck by this repeated pattern of shite second halves away from home. This isn't fitness, otherwise it would happen at home, and it isn't the team talks - so what is it?

Does Pearson adopt different formations? Is he setting out a stall not to lose and losing momentum?

It seems perverse that we were at our best away from home last season , getting stronger through the 90 minutes and yet this season we can't last the pace.

Tell me what is going on. Please.

[Bert]

I'm not going regularly this season and am struck by this repeated pattern of shite second halves away from home. This isn't fitness, otherwise it would happen at home, and it isn't the team talks - so what is it?

Does Pearson adopt different formations? Is he setting out a stall not to lose and losing momentum?

It seems perverse that we were at our best away from home last season , getting stronger through the 90 minutes and yet this season we can't last the pace.

Tell me what is going on. Please.

I'll tell you the problem today. We thought the game was won at half time.

[davieG]

I'm not going regularly this season and am struck by this repeated pattern of shite second halves away from home. This isn't fitness, otherwise it would happen at home, and it isn't the team talks - so what is it?

Does Pearson adopt different formations? Is he setting out a stall not to lose and losing momentum?

It seems perverse that we were at our best away from home last season , getting stronger through the 90 minutes and yet this season we can't last the pace.

Tell me what is going on. Please.

It's a mystery, I don't think it's fitness, nor do I think it's on Pearson's instructions, it's like they're getting a dose of insecurity from doing so well in the first half, like they can't believe they should be good enough.

Isn't the opposite happening at home?

[Salieri]

It's definitely a strange one. Away from home we seem to be great first half and shite second. Vice versa at home. Defies logic really.

Not sure its anything to do with fitness, or NP's half time team talks.

So, in conclusion, i haven't got a clue.

Hope that helps.

[lildave3]

I'm not going regularly this season and am struck by this repeated pattern of shite second halves away from home. This isn't fitness, otherwise it would happen at home, and it isn't the team talks - so what is it?

Does Pearson adopt different formations? Is he setting out a stall not to lose and losing momentum?

It seems perverse that we were at our best away from home last season , getting stronger through the 90 minutes and yet this season we can't last the pace.

Tell me what is going on. Please.

I'm sure we would if we could!

[maddog]

NP cracked open his personal Champagne fridge at HT, and the players came out pissed!

[davieG]

I'll tell you the problem today. We thought the game was won at half time.

Can't disagree with that, counting chickens and all that.

[lou]

I'm sure we would if we could!

All the budding football managers that were around me at Vicarage Road could tell us exactly what the problem was Im sure

What Bert said was true plus Watford obviously had a good half time talk and came out firing on all cylinders.

[Leicfox]

It could be that the Home teams are far better in the second half than they are in the first ? Preston is a prime example, we did them 1st and they came out 2nd and played us off the park and won. They did the same today against Cov.

It's all so confusing.

[MC Prussian]

It could be that the Home teams are far better in the second half than they are in the first ? Preston is a prime example, we did them 1st and they came out 2nd and played us off the park and won. They did the same today against Cov.

It's all so confusing.

WE are confusing.

So unpredicctabble.

[davieG]

It could be that the Home teams are far better in the second half than they are in the first ? Preston is a prime example, we did them 1st and they came out 2nd and played us off the park and won. They did the same today against Cov.

It's all so confusing.

WE are confusing.

So unpredicctabble.

Better than boring!

[Thracian]

I'm not going regularly this season and am struck by this repeated pattern of shite second halves away from home. This isn't fitness, otherwise it would happen at home, and it isn't the team talks - so what is it?

Does Pearson adopt different formations? Is he setting out a stall not to lose and losing momentum?

It seems perverse that we were at our best away from home last season , getting stronger through the 90 minutes and yet this season we can't last the pace.

Tell me what is going on. Please.

Two substantial or 90 minute games in four days is always likely to impact on the players, particularly older ones like Neilson, Oakley, Howard. Gallagher and even, perhaps, Kingy who was, after all, playing his first full 90 minutes of the season, Fryatt who had run himself to a standstill and Berner who had tried so hard to get forward when his legs eventually didn't seem to want to.

Also if you get defenders wanting to stay back and protect a lead with attackers either not wanting to chase back further than in the opening half or not being able to then you either get gaps developing or you get everyone funneling back and then not wanting to burst forward when we gain possession. This inevitably invites increasing pressure and was particularly noticeable in the first 30 minutes of the second half today

You need players with speed, movement and energy available to replace the wilting. But equally important you need people who can also retain possession because as players tire they either give the ball away much more frequently or they don't go looking for it.

And that is what happened with so many of our players in the second half today. Times I shouted "where are the runners" when we gained possession second half today. First half there was lots of movement and people wanting the ball.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

The reason is that in all of our away games we havent taken chances. Should have beaten Ipswich, against United we should have scored before half-time and the same for Newcastle.

Today we thought we had the game won ay HT. We had a couple of glorious chances just before they scored which would have killed the game. The fact is we didnt score again, and then defended badly letting them back into it.

[Salieri]

I can only come to the conclusion that (and it would be the same for most teams in the first half), at home we are complacent because in a sense we are expecting to win, whereas away from home, we come out all guns blazing in the face of adversity.

Its a shame we cant maintain the same intensity regardless of the venue and peiod of the match!

If only it was that simplistic.

[MC Prussian]

It's simple.

First half, we only play away. Second half, at home.

We'd win every game 10-0.

Would be a mess getting to the Walkers in time in between halves, though.

[Guest]

To be fair, today we were comfortable until Wellens went off and we didn't adapt quickly enough.

[Sir Fynwy]

To be fair, today we were comfortable until Wellens went off and we didn't adapt quickly enough.

King and Oakley don't work in the centre, Nigel tried to combat this when Wellens went off by putting King and Adams in the midfield, that also doesn't work. I'm not convinced by Oakley so far this season and it is worrying that we have a 1 man midfield.

[philce]

King and Oakley don't work in the centre, Nigel tried to combat this when Wellens went off by putting King and Adams in the midfield, that also doesn't work. I'm not convinced by Oakley so far this season and it is worrying that we have a 1 man midfield.

I take it that we have decided not to use the multiball system this season?

We just weren't ready for the throw in, to be honest I saw the throw given, looked down and then the ball was in!

Booting into row Z clearly wont work if the ball boys just throw another ball on?

[eaststandtom]

i believe pearson is tinkering with his tactics and formations because we need other options, compared to last season, in the championship.

we became a little too one dimensional last season going forward. it worked but we need more flexibility this year. so i like the idea of playing a 'diamond' midfield incorporating oakley, wellens and king. whats is great to see is that when things go flat pearson can change things and throw on a winger and it can make a difference like yesterday. i can see 2/3 maybe 4 more options compared to last season formation wise which are just as strong as each other. i think we are so used to seeing the classic 4-4-2 formation with wingers that it might take some getting used to otherwise. still, we are doing well even with the tinkering

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

We seem not to concentrate for a full ninety minutes. Something is misfiring. Just appear to get too casual.

[Zingari]

we seem to play in lots of games of two halves

[Scow]

To be fair, today we were comfortable until Wellens went off and we didn't adapt quickly enough.

Yep, this is spot on.

Also, the narrow formation didn't work in the second half. It allowed Watford to create 2 on 1 situations against Berner and Neilson. You can't blame Berner for the goals coming from his side as it's not his job to mark two players and leave his centre backs exposed. However, I do believe Neilson was largely at fault for all three goals.

It's a formation you can use when chasing the game as the opposition won't be throwing their full backs forward. I think they spotted that if they worked the ball out wide quickly, which they weren't doing in the first half, they could really get at us and cause problems. Having Wellens in there though would have allowed us to retain the ball better and it was clear to see his absence led to many stray passes.

[dogadug]

And we didn't look the same going forward once NP changed the tactics

[dandannieldanok]

We haven't gave a full 90 minute performance in any game this season apart from Macclesfield in the cup. At home we play shite in the first half and away we play shite in the second half, it's completely inexplicable and needs sorting. After all it is the players and manager that are the ones mentioning the play-offs so they need to sort it quickly or we'll drift away.

[marbelladave]

Yep, this is spot on.

Also, the narrow formation didn't work in the second half. It allowed Watford to create 2 on 1 situations against Berner and Neilson. You can't blame Berner for the goals coming from his side as it's not his job to mark two players and leave his centre backs exposed. However, I do believe Neilson was largely at fault for all three goals.

It's a formation you can use when chasing the game as the opposition won't be throwing their full backs forward. I think they spotted that if they worked the ball out wide quickly, which they weren't doing in the first half, they could really get at us and cause problems. Having Wellens in there though would have allowed us to retain the ball better and it was clear to see his absence led to many stray passes.

The fault was with the way we played once Wellens went off. We moved our players around and no ome really new where they were playing. Berner started the second half with Wellens in front of him, then it was Gallagher, then Adams then by and large no-one.

It was chaotic and indefensible, NP and the players are equally to blame.

Just a thought;

We have 4 wide men in our squad, none of them started! Only 3 central midfielders (+ Adams, at a pinch) and they all played, balanced squad anyone?