Our Problems

[Johnny Cash]

My thoughts on the game vs Birmingham.

 

The way we played was nothing short of awful. If that is not the worst performance of the season to come then I will be driven to the brink this year!

 

Where did we go wrong?

 

Midfield - We have been playing 3 central midfielders who all do the exact same job. The idea of having 3 in the middle is that they offer different options. 1 - Passer who distributes the ball wide and FORWARD, 2 - Tackler to break play up, 3 - Advanced and supporting the strikers.

 

What is the point in having 3 players doing the same job, averagely?

 

Why oh why oh why is our natural instinct to pass backwards? I understand that sometimes you have to go back to go forward and build from the back but Danny Drinkwater is ridiculous at this, if you disagree then you haven't been watching him, please watch the next game. When he goes forward he is actually okay, but that is once in a blue moon.

 

Wide men - Does Ritchie DeLaet smell? Why when he receives the ball, we have no player within 15yards of him, what is he supposed to do with the ball?

 

Forwards - Vardy has SOMEHOW become our best striker. He is willing to go wide and do the running, something you have to do with 3 up front. Wood and Nugent just plonk themselves in the middle and offer no movement whatsoever. 

 

Nugent slows every attack down when he gets the ball due to his incompetence and lack of football brain, he always sees the pass 2 seconds late.

 

Some of the decision making in the team yesterday was woeful, no doubt some of our players were bottom of their classes at school, no doubt at all.

 

AND FINALLY,

 

Zak Whitbread. Is he a walking, talking practical joke? For a tall man, he gets bullied in the air so often. He is slow, has poor positioning and is pretty bad on the ball.

 

If anyone defends him, I won't bite, I'll just say a prayer for you.

 

Yes this is a rant, yes we won, but we won't be winning too many if we play like this. Versus Boro we were poor until we scored, Leeds was awful and Derby we got battered.

 

Most will disagree because that's what happens on here but this is a forum with different views afterall.

[Mark_w]

[Number 6]

Yeh can't believe we've dropped 2 points already this season. Pearson out.

Oh and only scoring 3 at home, what a joke. Pearson out.

His trainers are really white. Pearson out.

[tontolcfc]

Not sure what match you watched.

 

I suspect your glass is half empty

 

I thought the lads did well 

[The God Emperor]

I tend to agree with some of that. the first half reminded of Svens reign after his pre-season. some nice passing put not an awfull lot else. wood looked frustrated and Vardy had to create any chance he had by himself.

different story when we brought some pace and width on. king was able to get forward and score a trademark kingy goal and we looked much more positive.

44fooking 2! 

[Harry - LCFC]

My thoughts on the game vs Birmingham.

 

The way we played was nothing short of awful. If that is not the worst performance of the season to come then I will be driven to the brink this year!

 

 

Wow. That's just downright moronic. We played reasonably well first half.

 

If we'd got the two goals we deserved in the first 45 you wouldn't be criticising, some people just watch the result instead of how the game's played.

[Strokes]

44fooking 2!

He is using different formations and tactics to make us less predictable, so far its worked. We got found out last season by not having another trick up our sleeve, he seems to have created a few options this one.

[Danno]

I think you have an extra chromosome.

[The God Emperor]

He is using different formations and tactics to make us less predictable, so far its worked. We got found out last season by not having another trick up our sleeve, he seems to have created a few options this one.

if i remember he was dong this also during our record run last season aswell, switching between 442 and 433. I think with 433 we shouldnt play king, james and drinkwater all together, especially at home.

[Johnny Cash]

Wow. That's just downright moronic. We played reasonably well first half.

 

If we'd got the two goals we deserved in the first 45 you wouldn't be criticising, some people just watch the result instead of how the game's played.

 

No you moron, I am looking at the performance, not the result.

 

Do some people here actually think we played well in the first half? Did you look at the Birmingham team, name more than three players. I am saying if we continue to play like this we will not be winning games, we have played 3 poor teams and one average/decent one in Leeds.

 

We should have been creating 10+ clear chances vs that Birmingham team not 2!

[Strokes]

if i remember he was dong this also during our record run last season aswell, switching between 442 and 433. I think with 433 we shouldnt play king, james and drinkwater all together, especially at home.

He did change but rarely in the middle of a game, I think he is deliberatly mixing it up this year.

[jonthefox]

[Basingstoke Fox]

We really weren't as bad as you're making out. We were on top for the first 10 minutes and it seemed like we just got caught out by their attack after the 3 minute delay where their goalkeeper was receiving treatment. When we went behind, we didn't panic, we kept trying to play our football and create chances. Okay it wasn't always effective but at least we weren't hoofing it long all the time like we've all seen oh so often in the past when a goal down.

 

My thoughts on the game vs Birmingham.

 

The way we played was nothing short of awful. If that is not the worst performance of the season to come then I will be driven to the brink this year!

 

 

If you really, honestly do think that then I think you might want to find another hobby that will make you happier. Yes it looked like it would be a very frustrating day but the performance wasn't too bad! In fact, I thought it was pretty good.

[GorlestonFox]

5-3-2 > 4-4-2 > 4-3-3

That is all.

[Number 6]

No you moron, I am looking at the performance, not the result.

Do some people here actually think we played well in the first half? Did you look at the Birmingham team, name more than three players. I am saying if we continue to play like this we will not be winning games, we have played 3 poor teams and one average/decent one in Leeds.

We should have been creating 10+ clear chances vs that Birmingham team not 2!

Were the only team to beat Derby this season and they're currently 8th. A very decent result there.

I'd be surprised if Man City manage to create 10 clear cut chances a half against Cardiff today and the gap in quality between those 2 is far greater than between Birmingham and ourselves.

[Strokes]

No you moron, I am looking at the performance, not the result.

Do some people here actually think we played well in the first half? Did you look at the Birmingham team, name more than three players. I am saying if we continue to play like this we will not be winning games, we have played 3 poor teams and one average/decent one in Leeds.

We should have been creating 10+ clear chances vs that Birmingham team not 2!

I didn't go but I'm guessing we had at least 3 clear chances.

[Arriba Los Zorros]

we are not the finished article, yet, no, but there is potential for this to be a good season. If NP can find a balance between the first half and second half of second half (if you get me) then we shall do well.

[Harry - LCFC]

No you moron, I am looking at the performance, not the result.

 

Do some people here actually think we played well in the first half? Did you look at the Birmingham team, name more than three players. I am saying if we continue to play like this we will not be winning games, we have played 3 poor teams and one average/decent one in Leeds.

 

We should have been creating 10+ clear chances vs that Birmingham team not 2!

 

Green, Shinnie, Byrne, Bartley, Burke, Elliott. Novak, Robinson, Mullins - off the top of my head.

 

I think we had six shots first half - some of them fairly easy chances - only reason we weren't winning is because Drinkwater and James had a few miserable attempts on goal. Had we been clinical then we would have been winning. Performance was fine, finishing was not.

[Guest]

I agree on the lack of support for De Laet when he was going forward. Until Knockaert came on it didn't really change either.

The rest of it however is a different story.

[NathanC93]

We got battered by Derby? Were you watching the same game as me? We definitely didn't.

[fleckneymike]

No you moron, I am looking at the performance, not the result.

 

Do some people here actually think we played well in the first half? Did you look at the Birmingham team, name more than three players. I am saying if we continue to play like this we will not be winning games, we have played 3 poor teams and one average/decent one in Leeds.

 

We should have been creating 10+ clear chances vs that Birmingham team not 2!

 

So your ignorance of an opposition squad is a barometer of their respective quality?

 

We were ok first half but in a few situations we made the wrong decision and a badly out of form Chris Wood impacted greatly on our play.

 

The midfield 3 were set up with James sitting and King and Drinkwater advanced and on numerous occasions we walked through that Birmingham back line. We were unfortunate to be behind at the break but also victims of of our profligacy in terms of shooting and some passing. 

 

Due to the ineptness of Wood the change at half time was necessary and the obvious weakness in Birmingham's midfield and attack meant we could be very open and opt for 442. By no stretch of the imagination have we played well in our opening three league matches but yesterday's performance was encouraging (but admittedly not 'great').

 

What appears to be happening is certain fans attend games with pre determined ideas about formation and systems and then seek confirmation of these feelings and interpret events accordingly.

[cc_star]

My thoughts on your comment are summed up pretty well by your actual comment. Many are being driven to the brink by a vocal negative minority.

Is all smelling of roses? No, not yet.

Are we doing pretty well anyway? Yes, absolutely.

We started last season doing everything right & still lost games by the odd goal despite creating 20 chances & passing all over most teams we came up against.

If the fans helped then the results might be breeding some confidence to play with more fluidity but negative atmosphere is deafening, but the snatched passes & lack of desire to try special things will remain.

[DennisNedry]

 

The way we played was nothing short of awful.

 

I stopped reading after this.

[Harry - LCFC]

 

 

What appears to be happening is certain fans attend games with pre determined ideas about formation and systems and then seek confirmation of these feelings and interpret events accordingly.

 

Possibly the best summary of some fans' views I've ever seen on here. Brilliant stuff. You're dead right, too many fans look for what they want to see.

[kingfox]

Terrific rant, we weren't that bad against Birmingham, but I can see your point on most of those things. I said after Leeds, areas still need to be addressing and I said the same thing again yesterday despite us sitting second in the league. 

 

The midfield I agree with, playing three like that straight across the middle of the park, is a negative approach, as they are all kind of similar, I've said that many times myself. James and King though have brilliant all round games, they can defend, they can pass they can attack. Therefore where you say we need a passer who looks out wide and goes forward, James and King do this, as well as tackle to break up play, but our problem is we don't have a player who looks forward, supports the strikers, who is quick on the ball and tries to unlock things. We need a player like that to replace Drinkwater, who is nothing short of overrated, seriously you all say oh he is decent...no he isn't, like Johnny said fans need to watch him more closely, he is negative and brings absolutely nothing to the team. He was average against Leeds, and he was shit yesterday.

 

De Laet had hardly any support yesterday, and when he tried to make runs, he had no support after being ousted by two-three Birmingham players, who were on him like a rash. He didn't have the best of games defensively either, but players need to release him so he can get forward, we seen last season how deadly he can be attacking wise.

 

Vardy playing well is a positive sign, but if fans don't agree with Johnny in some way about Nugent and Wood then frankly you are all deluded. Col alluded to Wood yesterday by making a thread himself, and his form so far has been absolutely poor. Nugent being played out wide is a major joke as well, when we took Wood off, and when Vardy scored he eventually came to life with 10 minutes left to go, and thankfully we scored three, he was beginning to link up well with Vardy and he scored a penalty. He is not a flaming wideman ffs, he is a striker, so use him as one, and cut out this 4-3-3 bollocks. 

 

I have nothing to say on Whitbread, that's the only thing I don't really agree with, yes he is wary of mistakes, but he dominated the air yesterday, and his tackle started the first goal. 

 

We need changes to the midfield, and play two up front, forget this 4-3-3 bollocks, we need to mix it around with 3-5-2 & 4-4-2.