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Link-up play, fluidity & awareness


WarrenBartonCentrePartin

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Think the fact the every team we play against right now seems to do it without any real fear. We look like a team, other teams expect to gain three points from making it so much harder for us to refind our form. At any level of football it's difficult to find your rythm when your opponents are pressing you all over the pitch.

 

We need to hammer a team, score 3+ without reply. Give the next team/manager something to worry about again.

 

This. Unfortunately, our manager seems to be constantly worried about any threat of a goal from opposition, forgetting the benefits of being positive in our play and we consequently have no identity. I can't see us getting out of this funk with AP at the helm, he's just obsessed with weaknesses, he seems to have a complete lack of faith in the team a lot of the time.

and yet we did actually play quite expansivly against man utd and arsenal. almost as if he's thought "if we are gonna get beat anyway we may aswell play pretty"

 

Yep. It's a cowardly way of playing the game and it appears he will never change his ways.

a couple of results and some confidence can change things. the way some are going on you'd think we reached 5th last season in spite of him playing for draws all last season.

 

True. No excuse not have a real go at Reading anyway, and Villa for that matter.

certainly.
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Think the fact the every team we play against right now seems to do it without any real fear. We look like a team, other teams expect to gain three points from making it so much harder for us to refind our form. At any level of football it's difficult to find your rythm when your opponents are pressing you all over the pitch.

 

We need to hammer a team, score 3+ without reply. Give the next team/manager something to worry about again.

 

This. Unfortunately, our manager seems to be constantly worried about any threat of a goal from opposition, forgetting the benefits of being positive in our play and we consequently have no identity. I can't see us getting out of this funk with AP at the helm, he's just obsessed with weaknesses, he seems to have a complete lack of faith in the team a lot of the time.

and yet we did actually play quite expansivly against man utd and arsenal. almost as if he's thought "if we are gonna get beat anyway we may aswell play pretty"

 

Yep. It's a cowardly way of playing the game and it appears he will never change his ways.

a couple of results and some confidence can change things. the way some are going on you'd think we reached 5th last season in spite of him playing for draws all last season.

 

I think he's always, bar a handful of games, set out to be compact, hard to beat and to snatch a win with a physical, percentages style. It worked last year but not been so effective this year, it was never really a strategy that could truly last as we really rode our luck at times and relied on too many individuals to consistently make something happen. Working on defending 4 days a week says it all. It's all about stopping goals and that stems from a lack of belief in the squad he has, in my opinion, and I think we're a better team than that.

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Think the fact the every team we play against right now seems to do it without any real fear. We look like a team, other teams expect to gain three points from making it so much harder for us to refind our form. At any level of football it's difficult to find your rythm when your opponents are pressing you all over the pitch.

 

We need to hammer a team, score 3+ without reply. Give the next team/manager something to worry about again.

 

This. Unfortunately, our manager seems to be constantly worried about any threat of a goal from opposition, forgetting the benefits of being positive in our play and we consequently have no identity. I can't see us getting out of this funk with AP at the helm, he's just obsessed with weaknesses, he seems to have a complete lack of faith in the team a lot of the time.

and yet we did actually play quite expansivly against man utd and arsenal. almost as if he's thought "if we are gonna get beat anyway we may aswell play pretty"

 

Yep. It's a cowardly way of playing the game and it appears he will never change his ways.

a couple of results and some confidence can change things. the way some are going on you'd think we reached 5th last season in spite of him playing for draws all last season.

 

I think he's always, bar a handful of games, set out to be compact, hard to beat and to snatch a win with a physical, percentages style. It worked last year but not been so effective this year, it was never really a strategy that could truly last as we really rode our luck at times and relied on too many individuals to consistently make something happen. Working on defending 4 days a week says it all. It's all about stopping goals and that stems from a lack of belief in the squad he has, in my opinion, and I think we're a better team than that.

unless you know that you are a barce you always set your team out like that, compact, hard to beat etc, then expand it when you have the ball. going back over old ground to say that all season when we've had the ball there's a lack of movement which makes the bloke with the ball look like crap when he gives it away.
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Guest frazernufc

Anita is the only player for the past couple of games ive seen a few times that seems to take the ball and looks for a bit of urgency and wants to link up, Marv has done it once or twice but not with the directness I've seen Anita. The rest of the team look shit. Always seem to defend with 3 players (4 sometimes if Santon hasnt fucked off somewhere) with the defensive Midfielders charging back too late to get a block, and only seem to attack with a maximum of 3 players scattered around in shit positions. Our midfield just seems so ineffective.  Last season we seemd to defend with a back 4 and 2 Midfielders and it was tough for the opposition to break through for the majority of the game. Attacking wise we have no movement, no options, no final ball. The only thing that we do is play across the back four then attack a wing, either to watch some gutless run fizzle out, the winger get some space then cut inside and lose it, or watch either a weak ball get played into the box with one player in the box.

The majority of the blame should be for Pardew for his shit and clueless tactics.

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This is one of the many reasons Ben Arfas return can't come soon enough. Not just for his goals/assists but for the sheer unpredictability he brings us. He'll help create those spaces again, kick us back into form.

 

Worrying thought though, relying on a 'player' coming back to get us playing well again. All speculation though I guess.

 

 

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Watching on tv is bad enough. But actually watching us live yesterday, it was distressing being able to scan the length of the pitch and see not a single player looking for the pass. The amount of times we'd win the ball and if we just charged forward could've forced something. But instead they move the ball backwards or just hold it at the centre circle, while not a single one of our players reacts and then before you know it Norwich have regained shape and are ready to snatch the ball right back off us.

 

It's no surprise that Marveaux and Anita are the ones that we look at and say are trying to make the most effect going forward. They've probably had some of the least training under Pardew (so much time on the sidelines for Marv and Anita not being here for long). Wait until he coaches it out of them too.

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Guest Roger Kint

Watching on tv is bad enough. But actually watching us live yesterday, it was distressing being able to scan the length of the pitch and see not a single player looking for the pass.

 

Not that you are saying it is but its not strictly a Pardew issue tbh. Unless people now think he tells them to avoid recieving the ball :lol:

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I wouldn't say it's all Pardew. To an extent I worry that players are now starting to hide a bit and are scared of charging forward to make a mistake. But on the other hand, I still place a lot on him. As I feel it's his methods that are causing them to be afraid to attack. And while he's obviously not telling them to avoid the ball, it's quite clear he's not instilling a 'show for the ball' ideology.

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Guest Roger Kint

I wouldn't say it's all Pardew. To an extent I worry that players are now starting to hide a bit and are scared of charging forward to make a mistake. But on the other hand, I still place a lot on him. As I feel it's his methods that are causing them to be afraid to attack. And while he's obviously not telling them to avoid the ball, it's quite clear he's not instilling a 'show for the ball' ideology.

 

Suppose it doesnt help when he starts a coward like Obertan the last two games, how many times will he get away with hiding no matter who has the ball?

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Movement? What the hell is movement?

 

Our playing style is embarassing at the moment - we just let Krul hoof it, the defender wins the header, they pass it around, we win the ball back, then pass it to Krul. Krul then hoofs it etc.

 

We've been doing that every game we've played 4-4-2 since Pardew came to the club. We got where we did last season based off 2 players been in the form of their lives for half a season each and a solid back 5.

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