Guest ElCid Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 I didn't see too many complains with the team selection today, and I can't for the life of me believe that a manager as experienced as Benitez is ignoring a solution to our home form as simple as some make it out to be; just play two up front and attack more and it'll be easy. I agree we've not been playing brilliant football for quite some time but we've been very organised. Something that seems to go out of the window at home, we make some ludicrous mistakes and that encourages the opposition. There's got to be some deeper issues at play. For example it wouldn't amaze me in the slightest if it's actually our players that get intimidated by playing at SJP. Nearly every other ground in this league is much smaller and the pressure on us to blow teams away on our own patch is huge. And it increases with every point we drop. On the flip side the opposition players get to come here and enjoy themselves, and crank up the pressure. If they lose, so what? It's Newcastle away. Definitely needs sorting out, but I can't see it happening in a hurry. Might not even happen this season. Just have to hope it doesn't come back to haunt us. This is it imho. We really need some leaders if we do go up. A proper central midfield leader to drag us through games. Well if that is the case every single one of those players should be outed as it is no use at all to have players who are intimatated in playing in front of their own fans. Sorry don't buy it at all that squad has been assembled at a cost which blows away most other clubs in this league. The tactics do not work at home as has been proven in many a game this season and good teams should be able to find away past teams who are 'parking the bus' or 'giving it a go' especially on your home ground. This game is not a one off at home this season and yet the same system is still maintained and the same problems occur. It's up to Rafa to sort it out and sort it out quickly before it is too late and to adopt a more positive method of playing the game through the middle of the pitch where we are currently seriously lacking. You are not going to control games with the likes of Colback playing in this team week in and week out - sick of me saying it to be honest and the fact that he consistently gets a game when he offers nothing (and I mean NOTHING) at all has to be questioned.. Today we were found out big time at full back also as neither Dummett or Anita are capable of providing any quality support in the slightest to our attacking play. The number 10 role is clearly also not working at home either with both Diame and Perez being in the main poor and not being able to keep hold of the ball consistenly to offer genuine support. The tactics at home and away are pretty much identical and it works away from home when playing the counter attack but they clearly don't at home when the opposition is quite happy to let you play that formation as the pressure is on the home team to force the game. It's not working Rafa and needs to change as I said this was not a 'one off' game and the signs at home have been there since the first game against Huddersfield. The comic duo sold Rafa short in January when they refused to sanction the signing of a 'midfielder' and a 'winger' which had been highlighted as two weak areas. I do have sympathy with that and maybe that is the reason these tactics are being persisted with as he does not have full confidence in certain players. Still not working though and every team now comes to St James thinking they can get a result and sorry but that should not be the case and they should be shitting it when the come onto the ptich. You look at other forums and to a tee they are all confident of getting a result due to our home form. Rafa has had all season to sort this out but he still maintains playing in the same formation and I am certainly asking why as it's so obvious it's not working. Hopefully today is a wake up call but I don't buy this excuse of players being unable to play in front of their home crowd and I never will. It does need sorting out but we can't wait for it to come into place as we are at the business end of the sason and failure to get promoted this season would be shocking especially as just one short week ago we were a minimum of 8 points clear of 3rd place. Keep hearing Fulham are a good team blah blah blah they're obviously not that good looking at the league position and the fact they are 17 points behind but they found it so easy today in every area. Is Rafa the best we could have currently? - yes but he is not a god either and is deserving of criticism with the continuation of the home formation and tactics. Needs to change or come May this club may not be playing in the Premier League next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 If you're going off league position we're fucking mint. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallsendmag Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 If you're going off league position we're f***ing mint. Home form table? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ElCid Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 If you're going off league position we're f***ing mint. Obviously not if you can't beat so many teams on your home patch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilko Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 It's painfully obvious that the system he uses works really well away but is largely pish at home, unless we take the lead within 15 minutes. Not sure why he's so totally against changing it, like. It's cost us way too many points this season; we could virtually be mathematically up if we hadn't cocked up so many home bankers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 If you're going off league position we're f***ing mint. Obviously not if you can't beat so many teams on your home patch. Just being facetious, it's a good post. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallsendmag Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Nowt new there. Everyone knows we needed strengthening in a couple of positions in January. That's nowt to do with the negative tactics at home though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ElCid Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 If you're going off league position we're f***ing mint. Obviously not if you can't beat so many teams on your home patch. Just being facetious, it's a good post. It's ok just me being grumpy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 It was funny when Ritchie pressed high and waved for us to press with him, the tactics don't allow it! It's not tactics, are you saying Ritchie was allowed to get forwards but nobody else was? He was screaming at Dummett to get up behind him to defend further up the pitch and he was getting at Colback to start marking people rather than fresh air. He also had a go at Shelvey at one point when he played a ridiculous pass out for a goal kick. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallowgate Toon Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Nowt new there. Everyone knows we needed strengthening in a couple of positions in January. That's nowt to do with the negative tactics at home though We've scored 38 goals in 18 league home games, like, and have some of the highest possession & shots. I'd hardly say we're negative. Inefficient & inconsistent, definitely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallsendmag Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Nowt new there. Everyone knows we needed strengthening in a couple of positions in January. That's nowt to do with the negative tactics at home though We've scored 38 goals in 18 league home games, like, and have some of the highest possession & shots. I'd hardly say we're negative. Inefficient & inconsistent, definitely. Stats can hide a multitude of sins. According to the stats we should have got battered at Huddersfield last week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 It was funny when Ritchie pressed high and waved for us to press with him, the tactics don't allow it! It's not tactics, are you saying Ritchie was allowed to get forwards but nobody else was? He was screaming at Dummett to get up behind him to defend further up the pitch and he was getting at Colback to start marking people rather than fresh air. He also had a go at Shelvey at one point when he played a ridiculous pass out for a goal kick. It was tactics, Ritchie wasn't supposed to go charging forward like that (although it was the right thing to do imo if the rest had the bottle to follow) . Interesting though as a while back people wrere saying Mbemba got dropped because of not following instructions V Wolves, todays instrustions seemed to balls over the top through the middle for Gayle (re Shelvey pass out for goal kick) which didn't work and there were a lot more of those passes today. It seems like you can tell within 5 mins at home what the plan is, long diagonals or whatever and it's bloody obvious and whats worse is that we just keep on hammering at that tactic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallowgate Toon Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Nowt new there. Everyone knows we needed strengthening in a couple of positions in January. That's nowt to do with the negative tactics at home though We've scored 38 goals in 18 league home games, like, and have some of the highest possession & shots. I'd hardly say we're negative. Inefficient & inconsistent, definitely. Stats can hide a multitude of sins. According to the stats we should have got battered at Huddersfield last week. Over a whole season? Plus, didn't they have less shots on target than us? I'll concede that the football in the second half of the season hasn't been to the standard of some of the stuff we played in the first, but I don't think it's down to negativity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallsendmag Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Nowt new there. Everyone knows we needed strengthening in a couple of positions in January. That's nowt to do with the negative tactics at home though We've scored 38 goals in 18 league home games, like, and have some of the highest possession & shots. I'd hardly say we're negative. Inefficient & inconsistent, definitely. Stats can hide a multitude of sins. According to the stats we should have got battered at Huddersfield last week. Over a whole season? Plus, didn't they have less shots on target than us? I'll concede that the football in the second half of the season hasn't been to the standard of some of the stuff we played in the first, but I don't think it's down to negativity. We've lost 5 times at home already this season. Last time we went up we lost 4 games in total, home and away. Whichever way you want to look at it we've been poor at home this season, in terms of performances and results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDonis Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Seems like some of you are determined to berate Rafa regardless. I don't remember anyone jumping on him like this in his first season for us, and we were thirty points off the top. Fair enough. But personally I don't think you'd be in this strong a position if he wasn't your manager personally, regardless of what happened last time you were in the Champo. You had a team almost tailor made for footie at that level then and some leaders and winners. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallsendmag Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Seems like some of you are determined to berate Rafa regardless. I don't remember anyone jumping on him like this in his first season for us, and we were thirty points off the top. Fair enough. But personally I don't think you'd be in this strong a position if he wasn't your manager personally, regardless of what happened last time you were in the Champo. You had a team almost tailor made for footie at that level then and some leaders and winners. He's great. I've never known a manager get support like him with the possible exception of Keegan but he's not beyond criticism and our home record is poor this season. He's partly to blame for that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 delooded jordies Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figures 1-0 Football Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 That season is incomparable, the competition is a lot stronger this year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallsendmag Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 delooded jordies We need to know our place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Seems like some of you are determined to berate Rafa regardless. I don't remember anyone jumping on him like this in his first season for us, and we were thirty points off the top. Fair enough. But personally I don't think you'd be in this strong a position if he wasn't your manager personally, regardless of what happened last time you were in the Champo. You had a team almost tailor made for footie at that level then and some leaders and winners. Out of interest, what was he like for you when you played at home? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Seems like some of you are determined to berate Rafa regardless. I don't remember anyone jumping on him like this in his first season for us, and we were thirty points off the top. Fair enough. But personally I don't think you'd be in this strong a position if he wasn't your manager personally, regardless of what happened last time you were in the Champo. You had a team almost tailor made for footie at that level then and some leaders and winners. I don't think we'd be in this position without him becausewe wouldn't have this strength of squad. Could this squad be used better, I reckon it could and there is the paradox. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallsendmag Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 That season is incomparable, the competition is a lot stronger this year. No it isn't. The likes of Huddersfield have gone from relegation fodder to promotion contenders overnight without actually doing anything. It's a poor league and nobody can convince me otherwise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 It was funny when Ritchie pressed high and waved for us to press with him, the tactics don't allow it! It's not tactics, are you saying Ritchie was allowed to get forwards but nobody else was? He was screaming at Dummett to get up behind him to defend further up the pitch and he was getting at Colback to start marking people rather than fresh air. He also had a go at Shelvey at one point when he played a ridiculous pass out for a goal kick. It was tactics, Ritchie wasn't supposed to go charging forward like that (although it was the right thing to do imo if the rest had the bottle to follow) . Interesting though as a while back people wrere saying Mbemba got dropped because of not following instructions V Wolves, todays instrustions seemed to balls over the top through the middle for Gayle (re Shelvey pass out for goal kick) which didn't work and there were a lot more of those passes today. It seems like you can tell within 5 mins at home what the plan is, long diagonals or whatever and it's bloody obvious and whats worse is that we just keep on hammering at that tactic. You're right, the long diagonal balls are a tactic, and we play a relatively cautious formation on Rafa's instructions as well. I don't think he trusts these players to get a result playing a more attacking game personally. Even if it was his style - and it's not - I can't say I blame him. We manage to give away soft goals even when we play defensively. Our shit passing isn't down to his tactics btw, he played a similar formation with Liverpool but they passed it around a lot better. Too many of our players just aren't good enough or lack balls. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figures 1-0 Football Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 That season is incomparable, the competition is a lot stronger this year. No it isn't. The likes of Huddersfield have gone from relegation fodder to promotion contenders overnight without actually doing anything. It's a poor league and nobody can convince me otherwise. Aye, it's a poor league in comparison to the PL - but it's much more competitive and the teams are stronger this year than it was when we were last in it. Huddersfield have actually made a lot of changes to their team from last season, so you're wide of the mark there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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