ashfosse Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Rather than dwell on whether Pearson is getting the sack or not, what do we all think is wrong with the team? We can talk about formations etc but for me it boils down to simply not having the squad. Many have mentioned that we lack a midfield general who can make a tackle, and i agree, but for me the biggest thing we lack is pace. Other than Dyer (when he plays!) we don't have any frightening pace in attacking positions. So many occasions this season the opposition have simply got tight to Wood, Nugent, Knockaert, Drinkwater and denied them the time and space to play, and for me this is because we have no threat in behind the opposition defence. Despite being able to score goals, Nugent and Wood don't have the pace to frighten defenders, therefore they can hold a higher line and squeeze against our midfield furthur up the pitch. I'm not saying we should sell everyone but i think we lack the options in the squad. Its not working for us at the minute but we simply don't have the personnel to be able to change how we play. i think teams in the league have worked this out and it has become very easy to stifle and frustrate us. For me, up front we are very one dimensional, with two players who prefer the ball to feet and aren't capable of spinning in behind and leaving the defenders for dead. In the wide positions, Marshall and Knockaert have shown moments of brilliance for us, but they have one thing in common, no pace. Obviously a short term solution for this would be to play Dyer, however i think we all agree we need someone with a bit more end product and technique to his game. Cardiff with Campbell, Watford with Vydra, Palace with Zaha all have exciting pace in forward positions with the quality to put teams to the sword, which has also allowed them to be effective on the counter when under the cosh. As well as a ball winning midfielder we all lust over, i think this area needs addressing in the summer window. Having a striker on the pitch or on the bench with blistering pace and goal threat will give us that other dimension that teams will have to be wary of and adjust to. At the Brighton game i would like to see either Vardy or Schlupp given a chance up front. Both have a bit of pace (more than Wood/Nugent and may give Brighton something else to think about in behind their back four. What does everyone else think? Chin up lads! WYS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theessexfox Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 I made a thread on this a couple of weeks back, I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trav Le Bleu Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Said this for a long time. Pacey players make the space and you don't need to pass to feet, just put it a few yards ahead of them and behind a defender. BAM! We haven't had a pacey AND hard-working forward in years. You need both - a fast player who doesn't chase anything is a waste of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynamark Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Vassell anyone.Naughton,Van anholt.Deja vu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Nugent? Not quick? I stopped reading then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmayne7 Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Said this for a long time. Pacey players make the space and you don't need to pass to feet, just put it a few yards ahead of them and behind a defender. BAM! We haven't had a pacey AND hard-working forward in years. You need both - a fast player who doesn't chase anything is a waste of time. Nugent is rapid and works his socks off. I think the problem is in the midfield in terms on the pace of play rather than the outright pace of players. We could do with quicker wingers but the pace of play has slowed down so much recently and its that inability to play at a high tempo that has ruined our chances. For all the criticism of King, he is very good at moving the ball on quickly whereas Drinkwater slows the play far too much. I think that Wood's arrival has changed the way we play and I don't think that has been a conscious decision just that players see it as the easy way out to pump it long. Its the combination of pacey players and pacey football that we need to get back to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfosse Posted 3 April 2013 Author Share Posted 3 April 2013 Nugent is rapid and works his socks off. I think the problem is in the midfield in terms on the pace of play rather than the outright pace of players. We could do with quicker wingers but the pace of play has slowed down so much recently and its that inability to play at a high tempo that has ruined our chances. For all the criticism of King, he is very good at moving the ball on quickly whereas Drinkwater slows the play far too much. I think that Wood's arrival has changed the way we play and I don't think that has been a conscious decision just that players see it as the easy way out to pump it long. Its the combination of pacey players and pacey football that we need to get back to. Rubbish! watching nuge run i can actually feel myself ageing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grewks Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Teams often play so deep against us that it does not matter how much pace we have. Playing a pacey striker can be just as one dimensional as playing a target man. Instead of launching it long to the head of Wood, you would be launching it over the top for the run of nugent. Neither have worked in recent weeks. What is missing though is the individual brilliance of some of our creative individuals, at the start of the season knocky looked dangerous every time he had the ball, now he looks like he is gonna trip over it. We needed someone more creative in january, as drinky, kingy and james are 'retainers' of the ball, not creators of chances. I have said this time and time again this year, bring Lee Tomlin in over the summer, he will give some of what we are missing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmayne7 Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Rubbish! watching nuge run i can actually feel myself ageing. Perhaps that's because you're going senile? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackneyfox Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 I'd put coco and Vardy in the same taxi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfosse Posted 3 April 2013 Author Share Posted 3 April 2013 Perhaps that's because you're going senile? now now Nugent? Not quick? I stopped reading then. If you honestly think Nugent has blistering pace then i would actually fancy my chances at getting into the jamaican relay team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jace Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 I agree I think this could well be the problem with us because despite not being the best passer or shooter we generally play far more balanced when Dyer plays. Could strength a factor too maybe? And well done to the OP for actually creating a thread about something different than Pearson being sacked/replaced Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Ted Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Nugent runs like he's got a potato rammed up his arse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undey Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Hahahahahahaha Nugent fast? Blimey. If Nugent is fast then Lloyd Dyer has chose the wrong career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1984summer Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 schlupp and dyer front 2! problem solved! tell NP to clear his desk and ill move my xbox in first thing tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trav Le Bleu Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 We've been so deprived of pace that people now think Nugent qualifies as "rapid". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfosse Posted 3 April 2013 Author Share Posted 3 April 2013 Teams often play so deep against us that it does not matter how much pace we have. Playing a pacey striker can be just as one dimensional as playing a target man. Instead of launching it long to the head of Wood, you would be launching it over the top for the run of nugent. Neither have worked in recent weeks. What is missing though is the individual brilliance of some of our creative individuals, at the start of the season knocky looked dangerous every time he had the ball, now he looks like he is gonna trip over it. We needed someone more creative in january, as drinky, kingy and james are 'retainers' of the ball, not creators of chances. I have said this time and time again this year, bring Lee Tomlin in over the summer, he will give some of what we are missing. Teams play deep against us? Even away from home? Barnsley certainly didn’t and we got played off the park first half. I agree playing it over the top for Nugent is pointless but then he doesn’t have pace to burn, which is why we need someone that has. At the start of the season other teams hadn’t sussed us out. Knockaert was better because he was given more time and space on the ball. His 40 yarder against Huddersfield for example, do you think teams still allow him as much space as that? Of course not, as managers now realise he’s a threat. No matter how high you rate Tomlin he will be just as useless as Drinkwater if he’s denied space and pressed in his own half. We need someone who’s going to stretch the pitch, allowing more space for creative players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Weasel Fox Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 We've been so deprived of pace that people now think Nugent qualifies as "rapid". He is fairly quick but definately NOT Rapid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackneyfox Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 I agree I think this could well be the problem with us because despite not being the best passer or shooter we generally play far more balanced when Dyer plays. Could strength a factor too maybe? And well done to the OP for actually creating a thread about something different than Pearson being sacked/replaced Sums up just how poor Coco's signings must have been if Dyer is seen to have a positive impact on the team. When we resigned him I said that if he didn't replace Dyer immediately then he would be shown to be a poor manager, here we are 18 months on and he's still getting in the first team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfosse Posted 3 April 2013 Author Share Posted 3 April 2013 Vassell anyone.Naughton,Van anholt.Deja vu are hardly attackers...i'm sure ricardo had bags of pace aswell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vardinhio Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Nugent is just as quick as most strikers around this league. Besides pace is one thing, being able to utilise it is another. Look at Dyer for example, arguably the fastest player in this league and so when playing teams rightly sit back on his flank meaning his "pace" becomes irrelevant... The real apple here is about being able to break through stubborn opposition and in my opinion our lack of creativity in midfield is mostly to blame. Nugent and Wood get barely a kick as a result... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbelladave Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 I thought this was going to be another joke thread but as people seem to be taking it seriously I shall tell you. Sitting comfortably......... For whatever reason (there are various views on this), since November we have become more and more conservative, by that I mean our setup and basic style of play. We set up deeper, and more rigidly, trying to 'tighten up' particularly against stronger sides and/or away from the KP. This is particularly noticeable in wide areas, our 'wingers' are required to stay wide and keep our shape and to fall back and cover the fullback. The fullbacks themselves seem reluctant to break forward quickly so when we win possession in defence neither they, nor the wingers can get forward quickly enough and when they do they are easily picked up. The result, no quick ball available out from defence so it is sideways and back, slowing up the transition and giving the opposition time to mark up and press the players in possession. More sideways and back, then hoof. On the other hand, when we are playing well there is movement across the front line, particularly from the wide men, (Vardy too when he played) leaving space for the fullbacks to drive down flanks. The opposition know it is coming but we are too quick and too fluid for them to do much about it. We are not being 'sussed' or tactically outplayed, we are bringing it on ourselves by our own style of play....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfosse Posted 3 April 2013 Author Share Posted 3 April 2013 Nugent is just as quick as most strikers around this league. Besides pace is one thing, being able to utilise it is another. Look at Dyer for example, arguably the fastest player in this league and so when playing teams rightly sit back on his flank meaning his "pace" becomes irrelevant... The real apple here is about being able to break through stubborn opposition and in my opinion our lack of creativity in midfield is mostly to blame. Nugent and Wood get barely a kick as a result... Just as quick as Zaha? Vydra? Campbell? Bellamy?...No chance. I agree with you on Dyer but that’s the negative of playing a 442, the wide players have defensive responsibilities. Pace is never irrelevant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbelladave Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Nugent is just as quick as most strikers around this league. Besides pace is one thing, being able to utilise it is another. Look at Dyer for example, arguably the fastest player in this league and so when playing teams rightly sit back on his flank meaning his "pace" becomes irrelevant... The real apple here is about being able to break through stubborn opposition and in my opinion our lack of creativity in midfield is mostly to blame. Nugent and Wood get barely a kick as a result... There is a lack of creativity fair enough, but when we were playing well we allowed Knockaert and/or Marshall to roam across the frontline and fill this gap, both physically and metaphorically. In recent times their defensive duties have taken precedent and keeping 'shape' has put a limit on their freedom to roam. So no fluidity in support of the front two, who are now used predominately as target men, roles to which they are not much suited, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep blue Posted 3 April 2013 Share Posted 3 April 2013 Nugent is just as quick as most strikers around this league. Besides pace is one thing, being able to utilise it is another. Look at Dyer for example, arguably the fastest player in this league and so when playing teams rightly sit back on his flank meaning his "pace" becomes irrelevant... The real apple here is about being able to break through stubborn opposition and in my opinion our lack of creativity in midfield is mostly to blame. Nugent and Wood get barely a kick as a result... In Southampton's last game Rodriguez scored a super simple goal via a one-two into the box. It's one good tactic against packed defences, and it's something that we never seem to try. We have the players to do it, Schlupp and King especially (because they are accurate with a short, quick, crisp pass to the "wall" player, and are clinical finishers). I can't understand why we don't play a quick, intricate passing game around the box as I'm sure we would create more chances than we do at present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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