Alexander Isak - C*nt (resting his glass bones so he can get properly injured at the world cup)

[bobbydazzla]

1 minute ago, Yorkie said:

 

Because we don't get far enough in front.*

 

We're currently on course to concede fewer goals than we did in 23/24.

 

*Simplified/reductive; clearly we've got defensive issues too

 

I'm not saying our strikers don't have issues.

 

I'm saying, it is my opinion, that our defensive issues are causing more pain than our goal scoring issues.

 

I want us to go 1-0 and be confident we could see the game out because we're shit hot at the back.

 

You're saying you'd want us to be 3-0 up and be confident we can see the game out because we're shit hot up front.

 

Neither of us is wrong and neither of us is right. We just have different views.

 

 

[Wallsendmag]

Remembering the old "1-0 to the Arsenal" chants. It is possible to win games by not being great offensively as long as you are defensively sound and are organised. George Graham was the master of that.

 

Unfortunately, despite spending £130m on centre forwards we are having to play a winger as CF, and we play in an unorganised, somewhat chaotic shape at times, defensively we're all over the place, the keepers are a shambles and we have a weak mentality. When you add it all up you can see why we've been a hard watch this season.

 

Bringing in a centre forward worthy of the name will solve a small part of those problems but won't fix the other issues. Same goes for bringing in a new GK.

[bobbydazzla]

3 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

Remembering the old "1-0 to the Arsenal" chants. It is possible to win games by not being great offensively as long as you are defensively sound and are organised. George Graham was the master of that.

 

Unfortunately, despite spending £130m on centre forwards we are having to play a winger as CF, and we play in an unorganised, somewhat chaotic shape at times, defensively we're all over the place, the keepers are a shambles and we have a weak mentality. When you add it all up you can see why we've been a hard watch this season.

 

Bringing in a centre forward worthy of the name will solve a small part of those problems but won't fix the other issues. Same goes for bringing in a new GK.

 

Pretty much what I was saying, but better explained.

 

A striker of Isak's calibre would obviously be a great thing to have, but it doesn't necessarily mean we'd have won more games this season given that we're weak as piss mentally and can't defend for shit.

 

[Wallsendmag]

2 minutes ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

Pretty much what I was saying, but better explained.

 

A striker of Isak's calibre would obviously be a great thing to have, but it doesn't necessarily mean we'd have won more games this season given that we're weak as piss mentally and can't defend for shit.

 

 

I dare say we'd have a few more points with Isak. We'd also have a few more points with the 2023 version of Nick Pope and we'd also have more points if we'd kept as many clean sheets and defended like we did in 22/23.

 

There's a lot of things at play here.

[Sima]

Defences can play 5-10 yards further forward and take more risks because our CF options are shite compared to what Isak brought to the table.

 

That's a big contributor to the increased number of goals we are conceding imo.

[Ghandis Flip-Flop]

1 minute ago, Sima said:

Defences can play 5-10 yards further forward and take more risks because our CF options are shite compared to what Isak brought to the table.

 

That's a big contributor to the increased number of goals we are conceding imo.

Yeah the wingers would have more space too, as even the likes of VVD and Arsenals defence were shit scared of him.

[bobbydazzla]

4 minutes ago, Sima said:

Defences can play 5-10 yards further forward and take more risks because our CF options are shite compared to what Isak brought to the table.

 

That's a big contributor to the increased number of goals we are conceding imo.

 

Am sure it's a factor.

 

Another factor is we defend like slapstick clowns.

 

[Yorkie]

45 minutes ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

I'm not saying our strikers don't have issues.

 

I'm saying, it is my opinion, that our defensive issues are causing more pain than our goal scoring issues.

 

I want us to go 1-0 and be confident we could see the game out because we're shit hot at the back.

 

You're saying you'd want us to be 3-0 up and be confident we can see the game out because we're shit hot up front.

 

Neither of us is wrong and neither of us is right. We just have different views.

 

There's no need for this caveat btw, it's all good natured debate.

 

You're right that we're probably splitting hairs. Neither or defence or our attack has been good enough. I just take the view that if, for instance, Wissa works out - we're basically fine. Equally if we'd signed Trafford, it's probably a similarly improved outcome.

[Andy]

46 minutes ago, Sima said:

Defences can play 5-10 yards further forward and take more risks because our CF options are shite compared to what Isak brought to the table.

 

That's a big contributor to the increased number of goals we are conceding imo.

 

100% agree with this. 

 

For a team with so much pace, we're probably one of the least threatening teams in the league when it comes to getting in behind the opposition's defensive line. 

[Kanj]

Defense plays far more confident when your attack works. 

[bobbydazzla]

36 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

There's no need for this caveat btw, it's all good natured debate.

 

You're right that we're probably splitting hairs. Neither or defence or our attack has been good enough. I just take the view that if, for instance, Wissa works out - we're basically fine. Equally if we'd signed Trafford, it's probably a similarly improved outcome.

 

I only put that caveat in there because the people who like the predictive stats that cannot be mentioned get all uppity about me pointing out why the predictive stats that cannot be mentioned are flawed.

 

They see good natured debate as being an affront to their beliefs system. 

 

So I just like to make sure that people know that I'm very happy if other people have a different view to me and it's not a duel to the death.

 

Variety is the spice of life.

 

 

 

Edited March 30 by bobbydazzla

[bobbydazzla]

1 minute ago, Kanj said:

Defense plays far more confident when your attack works. 

 

Attack plays far more confident when your defence works.

[Shearergol]

Experts have identified that neither our defence or attack have been effective as they could be. Season saved.

[Abacus]

The bit in the middle isn't all that good either. You're welcome.

 

Edit; Just sort them three bits out and we're golden.

 

 

Edited March 30 by Abacus

[LFEE]

3 hours ago, Wallsendmag said:

Remembering the old "1-0 to the Arsenal" chants. It is possible to win games by not being great offensively as long as you are defensively sound and are organised. George Graham was the master of that.

 

Unfortunately, despite spending £130m on centre forwards we are having to play a winger as CF, and we play in an unorganised, somewhat chaotic shape at times, defensively we're all over the place, the keepers are a shambles and we have a weak mentality. When you add it all up you can see why we've been a hard watch this season.

 

Bringing in a centre forward worthy of the name will solve a small part of those problems but won't fix the other issues. Same goes for bringing in a new GK.

 

Was a lot easier to do it then. Just keep passing the ball back to your GK etc. Along with higher tolerance of fouls made against forwards.

[Stottie]

4 hours ago, Yorkie said:

We've scored more than two goals on three occasions in the league this season (Everton, Burnley, Leeds).

 

22/23: 11

23/24: 14

24/25: 12

25/26: 3

 

Incomplete sample in the case of this season obviously but you don't picture it increasing a great deal.

 

Being a serious goalscoring threat has always been the key ingredient to our success under Howe, and there's only 22/23 where we've looked rocksteady at the back as well. Look at games like Forest at home last season; we looked like we could concede at any point but fortunately we had enough about us at the top end to still win.

 

Clearly we've got our issues at the back - the key one being goalkeeper - but the seed of all our on-field issues is the dysfunctional attack, accountable mostly to the lack of a good striker.

 

Some folk won't listen because its xG, but we've scored 7 goals off 12 xG in the PL this season when a single goal up. Our xG when winning actually goes up, but our finishing has gone to shit. This has left us exposed to comebacks. In that game state, our opponents have 13 goals off the same 12 xG. Had some of them chances gone to Isak, he'd have finished them.

[Stottie]

3 hours ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

I dare say we'd have a few more points with Isak. We'd also have a few more points with the 2023 version of Nick Pope and we'd also have more points if we'd kept as many clean sheets and defended like we did in 22/23.

 

There's a lot of things at play here.

It feels like Pope's gone off a cliff. Alisson has too, so he's in good company, but a shame to witness all the same.

I hope it does not affect how people remember Pope, because he's been great for us. 

[Wallsendmag]

41 minutes ago, LFEE said:

 

Was a lot easier to do it then. Just keep passing the ball back to your GK etc. Along with higher tolerance of fouls made against forwards.

 

Ok then Chelsea 04/05.

[Paully]

I’d take this rat bastard back in a heartbeat - humongous miss!

[LFEE]

40 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Ok then Chelsea 04/05.

 

Did they grind out that many games? Seem to recall them being quite free scoring. Either way the point was made both views are not incorrect. I do however fall down on the side of us being unable to score a second clear goal in most games this season being the stumbling block.

 

Could probably go through most of our games and recall moments when we should’ve went 2-0 up or something similar.

[Wallsendmag]

41 minutes ago, LFEE said:

 

Did they grind out that many games? Seem to recall them being quite free scoring. Either way the point was made both views are not incorrect. I do however fall down on the side of us being unable to score a second clear goal in most games this season being the stumbling block.

 

Could probably go through most of our games and recall moments when we should’ve went 2-0 up or something similar.

 

They had eleven 1-0 wins that season.

[LFEE]

8 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

They had eleven 1-0 wins that season.

Well that’s your point proven. Still say even in 04/05 defending could be far more robust than it’s allowed to be now.

 

It does highlight there is a definite argument to have a specific No.6 which was probably it’s birth that season in England?

[bobbydazzla]

1 hour ago, Stottie said:

 

Some folk won't listen because its xG, but we've scored 7 goals off 12 xG in the PL this season when a single goal up. Our xG when winning actually goes up, but our finishing has gone to shit. This has left us exposed to comebacks. In that game state, our opponents have 13 goals off the same 12 xG. Had some of them chances gone to Isak, he'd have finished them.

 

On the flip side, we're also exposed to comebacks because we're weak as piss mentally and are prone to defend like clowns in a big top.

 

If we're needing 2 goals just to be in with a chance of getting some points then that suggests there's a fundamental problem with our approach to defending.

 

Of course, being more clinical up front would be great, I don't think anyone is saying we've been ruthless at putting the ball in the net.

 

But for me, our defensive frailty and conceding soft goals at key moments has been far more painful to experience than our missed chances.

 

 

[Cort]

 

[1881]

 

unfortunately the really sad thing is that the original tweet is true. The broadcasters and sponsors are most interested in the clubs with the biggest global following and will therefore do what they can to make those clubs successful. And the more that media/broadcasters run the game and can influence the agenda (eg unsettling players to get them moves). More and more rules are coming in - beyond the financial - which are making this happen. A good example is the removal of the cup-tied rule which benefits clubs who can afford big money signings in January.

 

this table from football-observatory gives an indication of how far we are behind in this aspect too... continued on following post

 

 

41 minutes ago, Cort said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 30 by 1881