Matt1892

You didn’t, you highlighted the issue with changing would impact our press when we don’t effectively press anymore. Anyone who watches us play with the basic understanding of football can see that we hardly press the opposition. If you are in that much of a flap about it that the only thing you have left is name calling then maybe avoid anyone who has a different opinion to you going forward, especially when you struggle to articulate your point.

You just asked how we keep up the pressing as if it was a reason for us not changing things up, then when it is pointed out to you that we don’t press effectively anymore you claim it shows Howe’s tactical flexibility by stopping us pressing.

What pressing?

The option would be you drop the defenders back to make more of a low block, then you would look at dropping 2 of the midfielders to slightly deeper so you don’t create a space between them and the defence, then pushing the other midfielder slightly forward to link between them and the attack. It would give you a formation similar to Liverpool and Brighton then and would cut out a lot of the issues with being exposed at the back.

You are not the only one concerned.

Players being injured doesn’t mean he can’t change the tactics involving the players he does put out, it is absolutely ridiculous to think we can’t deviate from the standard 4-3-3 with a high line no matter the players we put on the pitch. If you have a keeper that you rely on to sweep allowing you to play a high line, then that keeper is injured and the replacement can’t sweep, you don’t carry on playing that high line, especially when you are shipping a high number of goals in the process.

Moyes taking Antonio off for Kelvin Phillips was their downfall, he tried to sit on the lead and their hold up play went out of the window at that point and allowed us to have one attack after the other. He only brought Ings on when they went behind, when a like for like swap was the sensible option.

We have had a favourable run in since we came out of January, this extends for the rest of the season apart from the odd game here and there. If we carry on with the same form since then we will finish with about 57 points, although there is no reason why we shouldn’t pick up more than that as our form from February to now has been hit and miss. The good news is there is no team playing like Brighton and Villa did last year chasing sixth and seventh spot.

Everton went through a period where they were galvanised by the points deduction but that didn’t last long, they haven’t won away since before Christmas and don’t look like turning it around. This should be a straight forward win for us.

What happened to Alex Murphy? He looked promising in pre season. A new CB and right forward needs to be our priority.

You are actually proving my point with this post, in that if a player is missing who has a particular skill set you play towards and the back up player doesn’t share that skill set, then you cannot keep playing the same tactics and hope they work.

I think the club should put the feelers out through an intermediary to see who is available and would be interested in joining in the summer. If we can’t attract a manager of quality then I would stick with him and hope he learns, although if we do stick with him then we need to be prepared to give him the whole of next season, rather than moving him on in November if next season starts like this one is going.

You are missing the point too, as nobody is saying that you should still be as good when your better players are out. Where he is tactically limited is where we set up with having a goalkeeper that sweeps up in Pope, meaning we can get away with a higher line, yet when Pope is out and replaced with a keeper that isn’t comfortable sweeping up, we still play with the high line and are done with long balls constantly.

There you go, bucko. https://www.scribbr.co.uk/fallacy/straw-man-argument/

It seems you are the one missing the point now, as you seem to be quoting me and arguing against a point that I haven’t even made. A good old straw man fallacy.

What the injuries this season has shown is how tactically limited Howe is, he has made hardly any adjustments to the formation or tactics despite having key players missing that make the system work. It appears he has no idea how to compensate for not having a keeper that comes out to sweep up, yet still goes with the same tactics meaning that we are conceding goals for fun. Despite the injuries Europe is still achievable, the chasing pack seem that much worse this season so hopefully we can get it.

Again, I was just replying to his point.

The other thing about today was the referee for their second goal, at the time I didn’t think he should of allowed play to continue but I am wondering if Schar is becoming the boy who cried wolf with him going down holding his face at least once per game, that refs are not going for it anymore.

Gordon played for the first one in a similar way he did for the penalty against Bournemouth, he is clever in how he does it.

I’m not the one flouncing here.😂

No, but I didn’t say he did, more pointing out that he hadn’t.

I thought you said you were not replying any more?

I don’t think Gordon took possession of the ball, he tried to reach it but didn’t and at no point did he appear to shepherd the ball.

I am not too bothered if you think I’m talking rubbish or not, you said you didn’t understand why people would think it wasn’t a penalty and I am explaining to you their thought process in why it wouldn’t be. There is a reason why when defenders make tackles they attempt to block the ball, rather than trying to put their foot in between the player trying to kick the ball and the ball. It isn’t worth getting worked up about.

I don’t need to clarify it as we have all seen the footage, you come across as taking this to heart in your response like it is some sort of attack. I can’t think of any penalties off the top of my head but if one of our players was through on goal and was about to kick the ball, then a defender put his foot in the way to stop me having a clear strike of the ball and instead kicked his leg, then I would be arguing for the penalty to us, rather than a foul the other way.