Grewks Posted 13 March 2013 Share Posted 13 March 2013 What do away games against southampton, hull and cardiff have in common? We changed our approach to the match, and didn't lose. We had a clear game plan last night, just like at hull on boxing day, and southampton last season. But when we play sides like peterboro away, we seem content to just throw out our best 11, with no tactical changes whatsoever, and expect to win the game. Now this is ok if you are barcelona and the standards you set are so high no one can reach them, but this is the championship. Too often we struggle against weaker sides due to the lack of changes. I don't believe in all this 'keep a winning team' nonsense. I understand a level of consistency is required, but I can remember that there was an article which revealed the most successful manager in premier league history (fergie) had only ever kept the same team in back to back league games half a dozen times. Our lack of changes to hinder the opposition often stinks of arrogance, and is no surprise we struggle to create chances against the poorer sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babylon Posted 13 March 2013 Share Posted 13 March 2013 What do away games against southampton, hull and cardiff have in common? We changed our approach to the match, and didn't lose. We had a clear game plan last night, just like at hull on boxing day, and southampton last season. But when we play sides like peterboro away, we seem content to just throw out our best 11, with no tactical changes whatsoever, and expect to win the game. Now this is ok if you are barcelona and the standards you set are so high no one can reach them, but this is the championship. Too often we struggle against weaker sides due to the lack of changes. poorer sides. Up until recently we had a decent record of dispatching teams lower in the league, it only really started to become a BIG problem when every man and his job started shoving 5 in midfield. He's waited to long to try and solve the problem, that has been our downfall. He stuck with the 4-4-2 hoping we'd get back to how we were or that teams wouldn't line up with 5 against us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxfanazer Posted 13 March 2013 Share Posted 13 March 2013 Last season maybe a little bit. This season I don't think so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grewks Posted 13 March 2013 Author Share Posted 13 March 2013 Last season maybe a little bit. This season I don't think so But peterboro away is a clear example. I said on here before the game how strong their attack was (boyd and tomlin especially considering we have no players like them) and the fact we didn't accomodate that was poor. We all know that tomlin runs the side, stop him you stop they attacking. I predicted that, it happened, so why is NP getting paid to not stop something which i could?? But....hey ho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilworthfox Posted 13 March 2013 Share Posted 13 March 2013 I think that the topic title should read players instead of Pearson! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grewks Posted 13 March 2013 Author Share Posted 13 March 2013 I think that the topic title should read players instead of Pearson! NP is in charge of tactics.. 90% of the time it is 4-4-2 the way the team is set up has nothing to do with the players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxfanazer Posted 13 March 2013 Share Posted 13 March 2013 But peterboro away is a clear example. I said on here before the game how strong their attack was (boyd and tomlin especially considering we have no players like them) and the fact we didn't accomodate that was poor. We all know that tomlin runs the side, stop him you stop they attacking. I predicted that, it happened, so why is NP getting paid to not stop something which i could?? But....hey ho. Not always down to the manager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilworthfox Posted 13 March 2013 Share Posted 13 March 2013 NP is in charge of tactics.. 90% of the time it is 4-4-2 the way the team is set up has nothing to do with the players. Football clubs need consistency, 4-4-2 is a standard tactic that the majority of teams will start with. I don't see that Pearson is tacticly inept, just has a preference on 4-4-2. Form is temporary... class is permanent & we have been one of the best sides in the championship 12/13 lets no have a knee jerk reaction because essentially we are out of form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haydos Posted 13 March 2013 Share Posted 13 March 2013 You know what is not as simple as 4-4-2 or 4-3-3? EVERYTHING IN FOOTBALL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grewks Posted 13 March 2013 Author Share Posted 13 March 2013 You know what is not as simple as 4-4-2 or 4-3-3? EVERYTHING IN FOOTBALL. im just saying that he does alter his game against the top sides. last night we ensured whittingham didn't get a sniff, just like we did with lallana last season. But when we play weaker teams...e.g. posh, it's almost as if their key players 'tomlin and boyd', are just unmarked and allowed to do as they please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evs_the_fox Posted 13 March 2013 Share Posted 13 March 2013 Our away form has been poor all season so I'd agree with OP's points that, certainly away from home, we should set up to nullify the oppositions strengths more often and not expect that, by simply choosing our best XI, we'll win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc_star Posted 13 March 2013 Share Posted 13 March 2013 It's about performance level too. That's been lacking since the end of Jan, regardless of not changing to suit the opposition (- something you shouldn't do every game if you have strong game yourself!) Our team's performance level dropped, we stopped pressing, we dropped off rather than pushed up, opposing players had more time to make better passes to their forwards. As the results faded, so did the belief, hence the goals conceded later in games. What I took from last night, was that we were at the races when we haven't been for so long. Derby, faced with the incredible losing run will surely get among us... I can see us playing 3 in the middle again. Regardless, I just hope the players believe, show resilience and press high. Onwards & upwards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmt Posted 13 March 2013 Share Posted 13 March 2013 For the past few seasons (although least of all this) I have thought this. Weaker teams come to play a certain style to nullify us, which works to great effect. We prepare better against the best teams and they play to their own strengths rather than our weaknesses and so we tend to do quite well against them. Like I said, it's less this season than before. In Sven's time it was undeniable, we couldn't penetrate against the weaker teams but did well and looked like world beaters against those who didn't set up to frustrate us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Walsh5 Posted 14 March 2013 Share Posted 14 March 2013 I said on here before the game how strong their attack was (boyd and tomlin especially considering we have no players like them) and the fact we didn't accomodate that was poor. No players like Boyd & Tomlin? I'd have Nugent, Knockaert, Wood and even Waghorn (when on form) over them two anyday. We struggle when teams pack the midfield and "park the bus" as they say. Especially if we don't get an early goal and make the opposition open up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyB Posted 14 March 2013 Share Posted 14 March 2013 The reason why we do better against the top teams is the simple fact that they come out to play football, Cardiff, hull, Southampton, all set out to play football nice flowing passing football, and that's what our game is, when teams are playing football, James, Drinkwater (Wellens on tues night) can sit there break up the play and we can hit them on the counter! But teams like Sheff weds, Leeds etc all came to us and flooded the midfield, stopped us from playing football time wasting, it's not that Pearson under estimates them, it's just down to the fact the other teams will come to us and stop us playing, but we will still try to play our passing football, but when things don't start going well at grounds out fans are to quick to jump on them and criticise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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