are we even playing badly?

[shailen]

The thing that's really irritating me with the run that we're on is the fact that I think we aren't even playing too bad. Many of the performances during our run have been good, and we have been in all the games but the Swansea away game where we looked poor. The thing that's letting us down is individual mistakes, and some of our defensive positioning at times. I don't think signing anyone will help us to a great deal as we are, rather the coaches at the club need to improve the way we defend and we should start to keep clean sheets. Also the manager needs to be a bit harsh on the players just to get them to be that little bit more cautious and aware. Nige seems to protect them far too much, and although I agree we aren't playing too badly, I'd rather him give them something to spur them on, privately or publicly.

[roblcfc84]

I think yesterday was ok, but let's be fair alot of industry and effort with no end product. I accept it was Man City but it's like this every game. Teams seem content to us have the ball, whilst we pass it well seldom do we look dangerous. Five points a drift and almost certainties to go down. I said it a number of weeks ago and got some stick but NP just isn't up to task YET. If the long term plan is take lessons learned and come back stronger, I can get onboard. But, although I initially did the same, let's not be fooled by what we saw yesterday. I have no doubt the players are working hard and want to do well but the facts are we are 3/4 players short and 5 points in this league is a lot to catch up. The set plays are awful.

I think we have some players who are adapting well, and Cambiasso is getting better every game. But we are lacking quality up front and at the back. not trying to be on a downer but a lot fans seem to be convinced yesterday was some sort of re-birth. Man City barely got out of second gear. I just hope by January it isn't too late.

One positive though, tactically NP Couldn't have done more much yesterday and the players did their best. Ultimately, like many teams, this season was always going to come down to recruitment and we simply got it wrong (although EC, LU have done ok).

[cc_star]

In 442 we've generally been awful, yes.

Yes we can run about a bit & lose by the odd goal & talk about fine margins but truth is we were overran and teams have found us easy to play against.

Yesterday that changed.

Three of the world's best players in Nasri, Silva & Toure barely created a thing with Hamer not having much to do... If we'd have trotted out our usual 442 God knows what would have happened, even QPR had 807 shots on our goal.

3 in the middle allowed us to play better, allowed Schlupp & Mahrez to prevent fullbacks doubling up on our fullbacks and just to look better in general

Were it not world class opposition yesterday and more like Liverpool, Villa, Sunderland averageness then I think we'd have got something more from those games

451 is the only way, at least for the opening 75mins

[benpicko]

Desperately need a striker

[shailen]

The big difference this year is that we can't expect to dominate games like we did last year. We have to concede possession and break on teams. Even the United game, they were the dominant team, but we had a mad 10 minute spell where we scored 4 goals. So from that perspective, we have been in most games this season. But the story seems to be a mistake from an individual or collectively from us at the moment. Buying a striker may help us score a few more goals baring in mind there's not a lot available atm which is better than what we have. But the way we're not going to lose games is to become defensively solid and that is what we need to rectify first. As bad as this sounds, I wish we had lost one of these games 5-0 or 6-0 because that would motivate the players to give that extra to be organised and committed

[Callabinho]

I've got loads of mates in Manchester having lived there for a short while, all are convinced we will stay up if we do the right business in January. The man city lot thought that we were brilliant yesterday, merly a consolation though when you watch Burnley fly past you.

[shailen]

I've got loads of mates in Manchester having lived there for a short while, all are convinced we will stay up if we do the right business in January. The man city lot thought that we were brilliant yesterday, merly a consolation though when you watch Burnley fly past you.

 

Completely agree, but we need to eradicate those small errors to get anywhere in this league. We are a good example of a team playing well but being punished for mistakes.

[Matt]

We were ok yesterday, no better, no worse, it was ok.

However I don't think Man City were that good - making us look better than we actually were if you get me, it was the same situation when we played Liverpool, we played ok in that game but Liverpool were shocking, they still won 3-1 though, a score line that flattered them based on their performance.

That is where my problem is, whether it's due to the opposition being poor or us genuinely playing well or 'ok' why are we only performing against Everton, Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool, Man City the 'top' teams but then when we play the so called 'lesser' teams it doesn't seem like we even turn up, Palace, Burnley, Newcastle, Swansea, West Brom, Southampton (they're doing well but I'd still consider them below top 10, Burnley managed to beat them anyway), QPR, Villa? Crap in all of them.

The only 'lesser' team we've played and you could give us any credit for how we played is Sunderland, but we weren't amazing by any stretch of imagination.

As I've said we played ok yesterday but I fully expect us to go West Ham next week, be awful and lose again, yes West Ham are in good form but I wouldn't consider them brilliant, I wouldn't consider them a top 10 side, basically what I am saying is we performed yesterday against Manchester City the current champions so therefore we should go to West Ham next we and at least match them, we won't though.

I mentioned after the Man Utd game that it was all good however from that point we had some games we needed to compete in, pick points up, push on to safety and that I was worried we might not be 'up' for those games and got slagged off, seems I was right to have to concerns though.

[red5]

Lampards goal was a defensive shocker,

 

We need a manager with defensive experience

[josh_baskin]

Even Alan Brazil said on talk sport about two weeks ago that's its a strange on as we're bottom but it by no means is reflective of our performances and went on to say that we're far from being the whipping boys.

[suffolk fox]

2 points from 33 would suggest we are. Nowt unlucky about that.

[Raj]

Were not a million miles from a 17th place team.But to get to that position it needs that 5-10% difference in class which nay cost 20-30 million.

All the running around and effort results in.no end product and hides our overall lack of class.

10 games or whatever without a win doesn't bode well for any team,never mind one trying to stay in the league

[MooseBreath]

I think if we played like this in the championship we'd have scored one more goal and conceded one less goal in each game and probably be near the top of the league.

[DennisNedry]

We're not quite good enough all over the pitch.

 

Leading to us getting consistently beaten without getting massively outplayed or thrashed.

[Trav Le Bleu]

We're not playing brilliant, but we're not playing any worse than several of the Premiership's worst teams, which is why there's still an outside chance. It could be as little as a few dubious refereeing decisions going our way taht helps us out the mire.

[Dom_Harborough Fox]

We're competitive every game and no-one's rolling us over. That's the most frustrating thing really, classic case of so near and yet so far.

 

Wouldn't generally be in favour of playing 4-5-1 at home but I think it was the right move yesterday and I think that formation's actually going to have a big role to play in us picking up points, especially away from home.

In my opinion, Cambiasso's every so slightly too immobile to play 90 minutes in a 4-4-2 in this league, at his age. Think 4-5-1 is the best way to get him in the side and make use of his passing and vision without sacrificing anything defensively. We looked a lot more assured defensively yesterday as a result. Pleased to see Drinkwater back in the side as well. The biggest dilemma for me is up front where you've got Ulloa who's been scoring goals but is, again, possibly a little immobile to be used in a 4-5-1. Then we've got Vardy who's got pace to burn and can be a real threat but is short of goals.

 

[pazzerfox]

We can't keep making elementary mistakes defensively.  If we tighten up and get a little bit more quality in January, we have half a chance of staying up, I just feel the damage may have already been done.

[shailen]

We're competitive every game and no-one's rolling us over. That's the most frustrating thing really, classic case of so near and yet so far.

 

Wouldn't generally be in favour of playing 4-5-1 at home but I think it was the right move yesterday and I think that formation's actually going to have a big role to play in us picking up points, especially away from home.

In my opinion, Cambiasso's every so slightly too immobile to play 90 minutes in a 4-4-2 in this league, at his age. Think 4-5-1 is the best way to get him in the side and make use of his passing and vision without sacrificing anything defensively. We looked a lot more assured defensively yesterday as a result. Pleased to see Drinkwater back in the side as well. The biggest dilemma for me is up front where you've got Ulloa who's been scoring goals but is, again, possibly a little immobile to be used in a 4-5-1. Then we've got Vardy who's got pace to burn and can be a real threat but is short of goals.

 

 

Completely agree with this. No way should we be bottom based on performances, but our own errors are costing us atm.

[veezeeblue]

deparately need a link man playmaker 

[Captain...]

We aren't playing badly but we are seemingly guaranteeing at least one major fvck up each game and it doesn't matter if you play well for 89 minutes that 1 minute we switch off costs us a goal and points.

This is the difference between this season and last, we aren't playing any worse but any mistake gets punished.

[MrSpaM]

I would have agreed with you up until the Burnley draw, they've barely strengthened in the summer and we struggled. We've gone backwards.

[Devonfox1884]

I would have agreed with you up until the Burnley loss, they've barely strengthened in the summer and still managed to beat us. We've gone backwards.

Beat us??

[MrSpaM]

Beat us??

Had a brain melt. Edited it now speedy gonzalez

[Silverdaz]

deparately need a link man playmaker 

Nugent??

[Foxey id]

Not playing badly, just being let down by individual mistakes and and overall lack of quality