Swansea v Leicester City post match thread 2 - 0

[Fox42]

We just simply didn't know what to do with the ball. I don't understand where this miscommunication in each match has come from all the sudden but it needs sorting out. Fast.

[easilee]

Could've scored at least one for my Superbru prediction....Sods!

[lgfualol]

I just remembered I put a bet on for Swansea to win. 

 

There is a light at the end of this tunnel.

[Merging Cultures]

He was stranded in the middle because he was out of position. If he hadn't been 5 yards deeper than the other defenders Montero would have been offside.

If RDL 'Stayed with his man' as you said he would have played him onside, he stopped running to catch Montero offside. Moore was at fault for the first as well, got too tight to Bony then didn't track him back as he put it into the net.

Moore, Drinkwater & Nugent cannot start next Saturday, all 3 of which have been absolutely dreadful for large parts of the season.

You don't have to be goal side of someone to track your player!

[daddylonglegs]

Really painful to watch. Some of the passing was hilariously poor. These players need a massive kick up the arse. Nugent needs a spell on the bench.

[Callabinho]

I don't blame Pearson at all, he wants to stick by the lads who got us up, but they seriously lack any premier league experience. We're merly warm block of butter.

[Hirsty The Blue 94]

You don't have to be goal side of someone to track your player!

He stayed in a perfect line with his other 3 defenders.

[ousefox]

Better get out of this part of the forum for a bit! First half was shit - looked a lot better second half but just didn't seem a threat at all. Vardy should play up top even if it means dropping Ulloa. Would like to see us play our first team from last year against WBA.

[Frost]

Terrible. Wrong team selection for the fourth game running. We're really starting to struggle, and 1 point from our last 4 is dreadful. The amount of times we couldn't make a 5 yard pass was absolutely ridiculous. Not enough strength in depth in defence to actually make any meaningful changes for the next game either. 

 

Cambiasso definitely should've started today. Not got too much to say, just disappointed. Onto the next one.

[Merging Cultures]

He stayed in a perfect line with his other 3 defenders.

And too far from the guy who beat him and then kept running.

Stay in his shoulder, you don't have to play him onside, but tracking him and put a foot in to try to stop him receiving the pass.

When he stopped, he had only one game plan. It didn't work out because Moore was out of position. That's a dangerous game to play.

He should have tracked the player and played to the whistle.

The whole team seemed to have only one strategy though. They all looked clueless.

[midland_red]

I had to have dinner before I felt able to have anything more to say about one of the worst performances I can remember.

There are no positivies to be drawn from it. Absolutely none. we looked dreadful

that said

1) we need to avoid panic (Pearson Out comes to mind)

2) all teams have a bad run in a season and I would rather have it now than in February

3) we knew it would be tough, most of us thought the target was survival and that meant we would lose a lot of games.

BUT.......

there is no doubt that something is seriously wrong.

I discount the idea that the team isnt up to the job - everyone said we gave creditable accounst of ourselves again ttop opposition in the first few matches. We came back against Everton and Arsenal and turned a 3-1 deficit against Man U into a famous victory.

It might be said that we should have bought more agressively, but NP was only too aware that stupid prices were being asked, and he had to have a plan B in case we do get relegated

So theproblem  is more subtle, and as leader Pearson, who I admire greatly, has got to show some leadership here and I think some self reflection. This was a team than ran around like headless chickens, they didnt know what to do, they made stupid mistakes, and they coudnt pass.

so I really hope NP is asking, of himself:

1) am I chopping and changing too much?
2) should I have a core starting XI and not vary from it too much?

3) am I tempted to experiment too much?

4) am I asking players to play out of position?

5) are their players who realy arent up to it in this division and if so am I being sufficiently hard headed?

5) what can I be doing to inject some fire into the team? It isnt that we are losing matches - we expected that - it is the manner of our losing, and sometimes to teams we really should have been able to beat based on our early season form

 

I can't answer these, this board has enough armchair managers - but they are the sort of questions I hope NP is pondering

[suffolk fox]

Better get out of this part of the forum for a bit! First half was shit - looked a lot better second half but just didn't seem a threat at all. Vardy should play up top even if it means dropping Ulloa. Would like to see us play our first team from last year against WBA.

I agree play our first team from last year at home against Wba and play 4 4 2. Note to Nigel that does not include Hammond who couldn't get in our Championship winning team.

[Steven]

I don't blame Pearson at all, he wants to stick by the lads who got us up, but they seriously lack any premier league experience. We're merly warm block of butter.

 

They and he need help.

[JonnyBoy]

the team had no direction and didn't have a clue what they were doing,

 

Nugent needs sacking off in January he is utter shite, De laet good going forward but can't defend. 

 

Milk turns faster than him 

[65RosesFox]

Nugent, like Hammond and De Laet (saddened to see him struggle so badly) are simply not Premier League standard players, just how long is it going to take for people this realise this. 

  

You can't single out Hammond as the only midfielder to struggle today, Drinkwater was worse.

For the first five games this season he was without doubt one of our most consistent midfielders. So to siingle him out and say he isn't Premier League standard when the likes of James and Drinkwater haven't come close to their form of last season is ridiculous.

Watch it back, RDL let the guy run behind him and he decided to stand next to Morgan and watch the ball.

I bet Moore was bricking it because he was the only one watching the players moving while RDL watched the ball and was waiting for the ref.

If Moore held his line like the rest of the defence Montero would've been offside. Moore's positioning was horrendous and if that was Upson or Wasyl that did that rather than the home grown Liam Moore all hell would break loose.

For me we have to go back to basics 4-4-2 and i'd drop both moore and rdl after their recent performances and bring in simpson and wasyl.

[JonnyBoy]

did he play Vardy on the wing as a bet or was Nigel pissed.

[easilee]

God I miss Dyer!

[bovril]

God I miss Dyer!

 

Please. He's the last thing we need.

 

At least we have an extra hour in bed tonight.

[lgfualol]

I forgot to raise the question why after no wins in 5, Swansea played like they had won the last five.

 

Why can't we do that :'( 

[Callabinho]

The worst bit about tonight is complaining about the goal posts.....that was so embarrassing.

[EGBFitness]

Very poor and disappointing tonight, didn't look at ever putting Seansea under any kind of threat.

We have lost all ruthlessness and look deflated, tactics right or wrong we are no longer playing to our strengths and when Plan A hasn't worked we seem to not have the answers.

1. Kasper- not the same as last season, personal opinion but think he now has an attitude that he thinks he is irreplaceable although he has not kept a clean sheet all yet, been at fault for some goals (not tonight) but has become very sloppy with play and for some reason is now our playmaker.

2. De Laet- put a lot of hardwork in, frustrated that he never actually crossed a ball into the box, done well to keep their Left winger out most the game but lack of concentration with ball watching has cost us another goal

3- Wes and Moore- both pretty strong, done well against Bony but nowhere near as good as high of standard as previous games.

4- Konch- S**t! Haven't rated him for good few seasons, been slowly going into decline. Started the season positively but I know struggle to imagine what he brings! No pace, can't tackle, can't pass, can't cross, plays dangerous balls back to KS.

5- midfield- what midfield?

6- Ulloa- No service and is struggling to find space anywhere in the final quarter on his own.

7- Subs- why? 3 subs at once looked desperate and very naive. All 3 didn't offer anything and was very ineffective.

Things need to change and drastically, we have some good players that are not even getting into the bench, change of tactics and personnel is unsettling the team. A loss is not the end of the world and is expected in this division but the lack of creativity and service in final quarter and the flat deflated attitude looks worrying

[Alf Bentley]

From TV:

 

Atrocious 1st half, constantly lost possession bringing pressure on ourselves and failed to offer any creativity or attacking threat. Swansea were good.

 

2nd half significantly better both before and particularly after the substitutions: a lot of possession, a few half-chances....but still not enough penetration. Swansea offered little, so a shame Moore offered them a goal (he's young).

 

Thoughts:

- Were we really hoping to have enough possession with a 4-man midfield of Vardy-Drinkwater-Hammond-Mahrez, plus Nugen doing his midfield/striker shuttle job? Mahrez was decent, but Hammond lacks mobility & distribution, Drinky needs to play with someone more mobile for his quick passing to work and Vardy isn't a midfielder at all.

- A lot of our success last season was built on possession, fluid movement and quick interpassing (plus high pressing and pace on the break). A 2-man central midfield featuring Hammond just cannot do that.

- Ulloa looked a lot better out wide than Vardy did, so NP might be onto something there, if he doesn't want to play both Vardy and Ulloa as out-and-out strikers. Ulloa has decent touch, can beat a man and his short passing isn't bad. He can also get into the box from there to be an aerial/goal threat, if Mahrez, De Laet or whoever gets down the right wing to put a cross in.

-  A lot of the reason why Ulloa is offering so little up front recently is because he's getting crap service and nobody else is getting near to him...only Nugent, who lacks the acceleration to get into space.

- If Vardy was the sole front man, firstly his pace would be a threat on through balls, and secondly opposing defences might sit a bit deeper, giving our midfield more room to play. That would be very useful if....if.....IF...

- IF we played a central midfield that could keep and use the ball. That central midfield isn't Drinky+Hammond!! 3 players from Drinky, Cambiasso, James & King for most games, please, with Hammond to mainly come on from the bench to close matches down, as he often did last season (maybe starting in a 3-man central midfield against some top teams)

- De Laet is getting slated unfairly. OK, his positioning is sometimes dodgy - and Montero roasted him 2 or 3 times, but Montero looked a very good player - and De Laet didn't do a bad job on him overall....he also offers pace & width going forward.

- I understand what he's trying to do with Nuge shuttling between midfield and attack. It worked well in the Championship but isn't working in the Premier (probably because our midfield is having to sit deeper more, and Nuge doesn't have the mobility/acceleration to bridge the gap between midfield and attack, leaving Ulloa isolated so he looks like a mug (he isn't). Nuge is a clever player, but lack of acceleration is his downfall at this level.

- Mahrez looked the part

 

You'll probably think that I've completely lost it, but how about this for a 4-2-3-1 set-up (bringing in Schlupp to revert to a 4-4-2 for more width against weaker/defensive teams)....

 

4-2-3-1:

                      Schmeichel

De Laet    Morgan     Wasyl*     Konch

   2 of Drinky, Cambiasso & James

  Mahrez    King (or Powell)    Ulloa

                        Vardy

(would need to be fluid/mobile, but those players are capable of that)

 

* I think Moore might need a rest. This happened with him last season - started really well in early games, but couldn't maintain that high quality

 

That formation sacrifices some pace on the wings, but could have a lot of fluidity, possession and creativity....and more goal threat.

[mattsmith74]

In my view there is too much tinkering going on. Pick a team and system and stick with it. Today's team was a disaster waiting to happen. Swansea were always going to have plenty of the ball and DD and Hammond simply couldn't cope. Cambiasso is by a million miles the best midfielder we have and has to play from the start. I thought we did ok in the second half but the first was pathetic. How many times did we give the ball away.

That said we've shown we can compete and there will be another full house at the KP next week. So let's raise the roof and get behind the team.

[65RosesFox]

Very poor and disappointing tonight, didn't look at ever putting Seansea under any kind of threat.

We have lost all ruthlessness and look deflated, tactics right or wrong we are no longer playing to our strengths and when Plan A hasn't worked we seem to not have the answers.

1. Kasper- not the same as last season, personal opinion but think he now has an attitude that he thinks he is irreplaceable although he has not kept a clean sheet all yet, been at fault for some goals (not tonight) but has become very sloppy with play and for some reason is now our playmaker.

2. De Laet- put a lot of hardwork in, frustrated that he never actually crossed a ball into the box, done well to keep their Left winger out most the game but lack of concentration with ball watching has cost us another goal

3- Wes and Moore- both pretty strong, done well against Bony but nowhere near as good as high of standard as previous games.

4- Konch- S**t! Haven't rated him for good few seasons, been slowly going into decline. Started the season positively but I know struggle to imagine what he brings! No pace, can't tackle, can't pass, can't cross, plays dangerous balls back to KS.

5- midfield- what midfield?

6- Ulloa- No service and is struggling to find space anywhere in the final quarter on his own.

7- Subs- why? 3 subs at once looked desperate and very naive. All 3 didn't offer anything and was very ineffective.

Things need to change and drastically, we have some good players that are not even getting into the bench, change of tactics and personnel is unsettling the team. A loss is not the end of the world and is expected in this division but the lack of creativity and service in final quarter and the flat deflated attitude looks worrying

How you have given positive points for De Laet, Morgan and Moore after todays performance is impressive but then slating Konch as the worst part of our back five is something else.

[DanTheFox07]

Can someone tell me why Simpson can't get a look in ahead of De laet? after all we are talking about a defender, for me you have to swap him out to dodgy at the back with him, cost us the second goal! also Konchesky why does he always attempt stupid 30-40 yard back passes? We need a new left back and have so for 2 season's now! my other gripe as im sure has already been mentioned previously, but why go to swansea off the back of a defeat away from home and go 4-3-3 with a striker on the wing when we have the player's to play in that position but not put on the bench. 

 

I think Pearson can easily say we were under par here and gave the ball away to much, but he made fundamental error's in team selection and tactics. No knockaert or Albrighton on the bench is a strange one for me, truly don't know why knockaert is still being made an example of.