We're too nice - and its put us in the bottom 3

[st albans fox]

Someone with more time than me will no doubt put some flesh on the bones but we need to start picking up some bookings, especially away from home.

I think we are way too naive re making team fouls and preventing dangerous breaks against us.

When did one of our midfield last 'take one for the team' and take out someone near the half way line?

Our average booking are amongst the lowest in the PL. You may be surprised to see some of the stats.

I have felt this for a long time - it didn't matter last season as we were so much better than the rest. I think it could be the difference between going down or staying up this campaign.

There are no rewards for being 'nice'. Given our attention to detail, I'm surprised this has been overlooked.

[Guest Col city fan]

Cattermole anyone?

[Jimothy]

It's not so much we're not picking up bookings. You can put in hard tackles and not be booked if you're doing it right. One thing I thing we're missing is a defensive midfielder. Watching Southampton in recent weeks, the job Wanyama does cover the back 4 and getting his foot in is vital. We don't really have anyone who does that. There's a difference between an out and out defensive midfielder and a deep lying playmaker.

[Webbo]

Wasyl's elbow? Just because we're not picking up bookings doesn't mean we're not putting in the tackles. From what I've seen this season we're not goody two shoes by any means.

[Magictv]

Cattermole anyone?

       

[MC Prussian]

A ludicrous assumption that the amount of bookings (or absence thereof) is reciprocally connected to the league standings.

 

You can play well and be successful without much tackling or fouling.

Our shortcomings at the moment are found elsewhere.

[Stadt]

We were linked with Raoul Loe who is a 6'4 Cameroonian defensive midfielder, I've never seen him play but it sounds like he's the sort of player we need.

[Callabinho]

Put Wasyl up top.

[Babylon]

If we were picking up more bookings you'd have people on here saying the players are losing discipline and blaming the management for it. It's happened before!

[Charl91]

No, let's call it as it is. The problem is we can't string two bloody passes together.

[MooseBreath]

Yeaaaah we need a double hard defensive mid who's gonna break some legs. Get into em fvck em up. Forget the football it's all about being violent

[Guest Col city fan]

Yeaaaah we need a double hard defensive mid who's gonna break some legs. Get into em fvck em up. Forget the football it's all about being violent

Pretty naive way of looking at it.

Look at Alex Song at West Ham. He's enabling them to play the passing game. Why? Because he sits and wins the ball, sits and wins the ball...ad infinitum.

I suggest exactly the sort of player Arsenal need, for instance.

To be able to play attractive football, you need to win the ball first...the two go hand in hand..a bit of bite and a bit of quality.

I suggest once more, a Lee Cattermole 'type' player would do us just great. Bite and gob is exactly what we need to enable our better players to play the attractive stuff. Lennon did it beautifully.

[Leicester Lass]

Southampton have the fewest bookings in the League...

[st albans fox]

I think a few of you are missing the point I'm making.

I'm not talking about breaking legs or making bad fouls. I'm talking about the professional tug backs and trips which break up the opposition play when they get beyond us.

[eye666]

I think a few of you are missing the point I'm making.

I'm not talking about breaking legs or making bad fouls. I'm talking about the professional tug backs and trips which break up the opposition play when they get beyond us.

 

[davieG]

Pretty naive way of looking at it.

Look at Alex Song at West Ham. He's enabling them to play the passing game. Why? Because he sits and wins the ball, sits and wins the ball...ad infinitum.

I suggest exactly the sort of player Arsenal need, for instance.

To be able to play attractive football, you need to win the ball first...the two go hand in hand..a bit of bite and a bit of quality.

I suggest once more, a Lee Cattermole 'type' player would do us just great. Bite and gob is exactly what we need to enable our better players to play the attractive stuff. Lennon did it beautifully.

Having won the ball you need to keep it, we're not doing that and do something with it, we're not doing that either.

 

That's the problem.

[Babylon]

Having won the ball you need to keep it, we're not doing that and do something with it, we're not doing that either.

 

That's the problem.

 

Nailed it.

[mowmacrefox]

I think a few of you are missing the point I'm making.

I'm not talking about breaking legs or making bad fouls. I'm talking about the professional tug backs and trips which break up the opposition play when they get beyond us.

We ain't cheats mate

[Fox92]

I think a few of you are missing the point I'm making.

I'm not talking about breaking legs or making bad fouls. I'm talking about the professional tug backs and trips which break up the opposition play when they get beyond us.

 

I like those sort of "tactical fouls" too but they have happened this season. I remember Hammond doing it at Chelsea when they broke away.

[shade]

Cattermole anyone?

egomaniacol.

[ScouseFox]

you do know yellow cards aren't a good thing?

cattermole has obviously helped sunderland as they're clearly romping the league. and he's already suspended for too many yellow cards.

[filbertway]

Any other ludicrous reasons we are in the bottom three?

• Away dressing room is too big and their players are too comfortable.
• We don't change our practice pitches dimensions to mirror them of the oppositions, for away games.
• We're taking throw ins too fast/too slow.
• Not intimidating opposition players in the tunnel before they walk out.
• Nigel isn't on the touch line.
• Kevin Phillips has never coached before.
• Cambiasso is dictating the tactics that we play.
• Birch is killing the half time atmosphere.

[babylad92]

tbh our team is quite small not a very physical team at all case in point mahrez drinkwater king RDL theyre not big lads 

 

when i was at the burnley game it was hilarious how small some of our lot looked compared to theres but again we have more skill than them

[babylad92]

 

Any other ludicrous reasons we are in the bottom three?

• Away dressing room is too big and their players are too comfortable.
• We don't change our practice pitches dimensions to mirror them of the oppositions, for away games.
• We're taking throw ins too fast/too slow.
• Not intimidating opposition players in the tunnel before they walk out.
• Nigel isn't on the touch line.
• Kevin Phillips has never coached before.
• Cambiasso is dictating the tactics that we play.
• Birch is killing the half time atmosphere.

 

 

excellent points we never intimadate opposition players back whenever i play football its the best thing to do to win a game just keep looking at them give them bodychecks and smirk at them and they get nervous beforehand ive seen the tunnel cams we dont do that we just tuck them as if theyre mates

[Corky]

We need to wind the opposition up more, I agree. Maybe take the Zaire team's lead and kick the ball away before free-kicks? Maybe do the Cambridge style and grow the grass longer at both ends and soak the footballs in water?