Alan Pardew

[Mick]

4 days worrying about West Ham and we didn't think about picking up Nolan, what's the point if basics are missed?

[Jack Flash]

maybe he just wants to get points on the board to preserve his job and he feels grinding out points is the best way of doing that.

 

That's what I think. There's probably some clauses in his contract about losing a certain percentage of games so he plays it safe.

[Shak]

Why? We've got naturally talented attacking players, not so much with the defensive side.

 

It's in Pards interests to make us hard to beat before making us an attacking threat.

 

He's already made us a difficult side to beat though IMO (something that he deserves a tremendous amount of credit for), do you not think he should be pushing on and trying to build on that?

 

The next logical step seems to be to focus on our attacking play, which on the evidence if this season he either isn't doing at all or else he has no idea how to go about it.

[Jayson]

Its an ongoing thing isnt it, you dont suddenly just become a hard side to beat. Its based on the preperation he puts in for each individual game. Which you'd imagine is halved now if he's doing the same for European games.

[Jack Flash]

Football didn't used to be this boringly complicated 

[BlueStar]

Used to just have to score more than the other lot,  innit.

[Mick]

Its an ongoing thing isnt it, you dont suddenly just become a hard side to beat. Its based on the preperation he puts in for each individual game. Which you'd imagine is halved now if he's doing the same for European games.

You would still think picking up Nolan would be high on his list of priorities. Even if he did only have half the time to work with the players.

[Shak]

By the way, teams that keep the ball well, create plenty of chances and score goals tend to be difficult to beat.

[Jayson]

Its an ongoing thing isnt it, you dont suddenly just become a hard side to beat. Its based on the preperation he puts in for each individual game. Which you'd imagine is halved now if he's doing the same for European games.

You would still think picking up Nolan would be high on his list of priorities. Even if he did only have half the time to work with the players.

 

He didnt have many chances did he. Hard to deal with a mishit shot going right to someones feet at that speed, especially with him jumping back onside at the last second. Was a bit of luck + clever play from him. We should've cleared it so the lad couldnt get the original shot in.

[Dave]

Football didn't used to be this boringly complicated 

 

I blame the manager that beat us at the weekend.

[Stu]

Why? We've got naturally talented attacking players, not so much with the defensive side.

 

It's in Pards interests to make us hard to beat before making us an attacking threat.

 

He's already made us a difficult side to beat though IMO (something that he deserves a tremendous amount of credit for), do you not think he should be pushing on and trying to build on that?

 

The next logical step seems to be to focus on our attacking play, which on the evidence if this season he either isn't doing at all or else he has no idea how to go about it.

 

True, but there's the added complication of squad rotation (cup games) and having the prep time for matches reduced. He's never had to deal with this before as a manager (European competition) IIRC, so he's got to cut his teeth too.

[Lotus]

Why? We've got naturally talented attacking players, not so much with the defensive side.

 

It's in Pards interests to make us hard to beat before making us an attacking threat.

 

He's already made us a difficult side to beat though IMO (something that he deserves a tremendous amount of credit for), do you not think he should be pushing on and trying to build on that?

 

The next logical step seems to be to focus on our attacking play, which on the evidence if this season he either isn't doing at all or else he has no idea how to go about it.

 

True, but there's the added complication of squad rotation (cup games) and having the prep time for matches reduced. He's never had to deal with this before as a manager (European competition) IIRC, so he's got to cut his teeth too.

 

He's very good about worrying about other teams but he doesn't seem to be very good about making other teams worry about us.

 

In any sport, when you haven't got much time to analyse and concentrate on your opponents strong points you do the next best thing, you concentrate on your own (of which we SHOULD have a shit load) and then enjoy watching THEIR arse fall out after 15 minutes.

 

We have no attacking momentum, no cut and thrust.

[Yorkie]

Hate to use a cliche, but attack is a form of defense. What's the point in focusing on defensive solidity and cohesion when our play is so garbage going forward, that it actually renders us defensively vulnerable? We're susceptible to counter-attacks at the moment, for example; we're so without-plan that we surrender possession easily and mess up our shape off the ball.

 

Those quotes aren't remotely surprising. It's clear as day that there is no focus on the attack whatsoever. I keep using this word - but it's plain opportunist. And if we're going to be so opportunist/reliant on flair players - it becomes totally negated by the likes of Ba and HBA receiving the ball 60 yards from goal.

 

Our attacking tactics this season have been a joke and it's damaging the whole team.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

maybe he just wants to get points on the board to preserve his job and he feels grinding out points is the best way of doing that.

 

That's what I think. There's probably some clauses in his contract about losing a certain percentage of games so he plays it safe.

 

Every manager must think about keeping their job though.

[TRon]

KK rarely mentioned the other team. [/canofworms].

 

Without delving into this can of worms too deeply, while it's true that Keegan's teams did lose games because he didn't set his teams up defensively and sometimes paid for it - we also used to beat the vast majority of mediocre teams through our superior firepower. Losing one game and winning two is better than drawing three.

[Mick]

 

 

He didnt have many chances did he. Hard to deal with a mishit shot going right to someones feet at that speed, especially with him jumping back onside at the last second. Was a bit of luck + clever play from him. We should've cleared it so the lad couldnt get the original shot in.

 

So, basically we're spending time on preparation which really is a waste of time and in doing so we're not very effective at the other end.  In that case, why are we doing it if all it takes is a lucky mishit shot to beat us?

 

You make your own luck in life and at the minute we're getting what we deserve as a team.

[madras]

 

 

He didnt have many chances did he. Hard to deal with a mishit shot going right to someones feet at that speed, especially with him jumping back onside at the last second. Was a bit of luck + clever play from him. We should've cleared it so the lad couldnt get the original shot in.

 

So, basically we're spending time on preparation which really is a waste of time and in doing so we're not very effective at the other end.  In that case, why are we doing it if all it takes is a lucky mishit shot to beat us?

 

You make your own luck in life and at the minute we're getting what we deserve as a team.

come off it mick, as the ball reaches the edge of the box, everybody knew a shot was coming in, you'd rather one of our defenders marked nolan instead of trying to get in between ball and goal ?

[Guest BooBoo]

Football didn't used to be this boringly complicated 

 

Very true.

 

I find the scrutinised and highly detailed stuff like Zonal Marking in turn fascinating and rather annoying in that the game has become some technically analysed to the nth degree. Sometimes I feel I'll scream if I see another chalkboard with 500 lines on it.

[Guest BooBoo]

KK rarely mentioned the other team. [/canofworms].

 

Without delving into this can of worms too deeply, while it's true that Keegan's teams did lose games because he didn't set his teams up defensively and sometimes paid for it - we also used to beat the vast majority of mediocre teams through our superior firepower. Losing one game and winning two is better than drawing three.

 

Yup. KK was one of the most simplistic managers around. 442 with players all over the pitch capable of scoring goals. Motivate and stand well back. If you've got quick witted and footed players then 442 works a treat.

 

Anytime he tried to be clever in his first spell such as the wretched attempts at the then fashionable 3-5-2 we usually lost.

[Parky]

KK rarely mentioned the other team. [/canofworms].

 

Without delving into this can of worms too deeply, while it's true that Keegan's teams did lose games because he didn't set his teams up defensively and sometimes paid for it - we also used to beat the vast majority of mediocre teams through our superior firepower. Losing one game and winning two is better than drawing three.

 

Yup. KK was one of the most simplistic managers around. 442 with players all over the pitch capable of scoring goals. Motivate and stand well back. If you've got quick witted and footed players then 442 works a treat.

 

Anytime he tried to be clever in his first spell such as the wretched attempts at the then fashionable 3-5-2 we usually lost.

 

Exactly.

[Hughesy]

Football didn't used to be this boringly complicated 

 

Very true.

 

I find the scrutinised and highly detailed stuff like Zonal Marking in turn fascinating and rather annoying in that the game has become some technically analysed to the nth degree. Sometimes I feel I'll scream if I see another chalkboard with 500 lines on it.

 

Some of those chalkboard analyses can be brilliantly informative, but there have quite a few I've seen where the conclusion is somewhat stretched from the actual evidence.  Usually to suit some sort of agenda.

[Guest BooBoo]

Ah man it's like all that pretentious waffle on twitter by one of the lads that does ZM. Eg,

 

"Watching Cluj v Galatasary. Dull game but tactically fascinating"

 

Sharrap man, a shit match is a shit match.

[Darth Crooks]

Football is a fairly simple game like. The technicalities come from finding the right combinations of your own squad and playing to strengths. Not shoehorning players into an overcomplicated deconstruction of the opposing team. All these dossiers etc on the other team is time better spent doing something else imo.

[BlueStar]

Ah man it's like all that pretentious waffle on twitter by one of the lads that does ZM. Eg,

 

"Watching Cluj v Galatasary. Dull game but tactically fascinating"

 

Sharrap man, a shit match is a shit match.

 

 

Maybe it's because I'm more into football because of the drinking and swearing than I am the intricacies, but sometimes I read stuff like Zonal Marking when they talk about why managers made certain choices and it fills me with a similar skepicism as when English teachers used to explain the hidden allusions behind every tiny detail in an author's work.  "He called her that because it's a similar name to an egyptian God with a dog's head, symbolising her loyalty." rather than just liking the name.  "He brought on his holding midfielder to adjust the pace of the game to further suit his modified peruvian Christmas tree formation and allow his goalkeeper to put additional pressure on the perpendicular channels." rather than because the guy he replaced looked a bit fucking knackered.

[Guest BooBoo]