Our identity

[Holmesy]

What is it? What are we actually trying to do?

I’m hoping someone who knows more about the game can actually tell me what we are trying to be because I can’t fathom it at all. 
 

Even if we are in a transition season, we should be transitioning into something. What though?!

We’re not a possession team, we’re not a counter-attacking team, we don’t play the ‘intensity is our identity’ style any more, we don’t park the bus. 
 

What are we trying to be? 
 

And don’t get all girlie and defensive, it’s a legitimate question. 

 

[Bimpy474]

We lack a striker. Isak was the focal point. Now we have nothing up there, something that needs to be addressed.

 

Big Nick and Wissa are bad buys imo, they just haven't worked.

 

 

Edited March 8 by Bimpy474

[dcmk]

Holy shit.  Go to bed.

[La Parka]

Just now, dcmk said:

Holy shit.  Go to bed.

😆 

[RUHRLYASLEEVESUP]

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5,

[Holloway]

Areet Holmsey

[Cf]

We're a team who's just played their 19th game of 2026. 

 

Let's not read too much into getting beat off arguably the best team in Europe. 

[nemtizz]

Probably something to do with us signing 2 pathetic, sorry excuse for strikers. 

[Ronson333]

No more runners, some players more technical on the wing that can play against a low block 

[Holmesy]

2 minutes ago, dcmk said:

Holy shit.  Go to bed.

I refer back to the original post about being girlie and defensive. I know it’s inevitable on here but it really was a serious question. 

[Myleftboot]

Our team relies on energy when we don’t have it we struggle.

[The Prophet]

Just now, Ronson333 said:

No more runners, some players more technical on the wing that can play against a low block 

 

Aren't Thiaw, Ramsey and Woltemade all quite technical players?

[astraguy]

fuck me ,make ya parents proud 

[Weezertron]

Think we're just trying to get to the end of the season. I know I am. And I don't mean that in a negative way. This year just hasn't worked out, it happens. 

 

Still invested in the champions league, like. 

 

 

[nufc4eva]

1 minute ago, nemtizz said:

Probably something to do with us signing 2 pathetic, sorry excuse for strikers. 

That's just part of it, the way we play is just off, no style at all and can't pass a ball a lot of the time. A striker would finish chances but we let teams bum us regularly and that's midfield and defence plus we never seem to have or use the space when have it

[Cf]

1 minute ago, The Prophet said:

 

Aren't Thiaw, Ramsey and Woltemade all quite technical players?

 

Ramsey's technical ability is so well regarded he gets sent off for falling over. 

[Ronson333]

2 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

Aren't Thiaw, Ramsey and Woltemade all quite technical players?

I don’t think so, maybe big Nick but he’s not a winger ..

[The Prophet]

Just now, Ronson333 said:

I don’t think so, maybe big Nick but he’s not a winger ..

 

Touche.

[dcmk]

1 minute ago, Holmesy said:

I refer back to the original post about being girlie and defensive. I know it’s inevitable on here but it really was a serious question. 

Where was this question on Wednesday exactly? 

 

It's pretty obvious you are unable to handle a defeat against one of the best teams in the world.  A team who changed their entire team from Wednesday night.  Goto bed and have a sleep on it.

[Ronson333]

2 minutes ago, Ronson333 said:

I don’t think so, maybe big Nick but he’s not a winger ..

Tbh at the moment don’t know what he is, neither does eddie which is a major problem for £70m signing 

 

 

Edited March 7 by Ronson333

[stozo]

It's turned into a transition season. We had one of the top five strikers in the world as the focal point of our attack, we lost him without any real replacements lined up and our attack has cratered accordingly this season. You add in the fact we've played a huge number of games and we are where we are. Likely end result will be a lot of churn in the summer. 

[Vinny Green Balls]

6 minutes ago, Holmesy said:

I refer back to the original post about being girlie and defensive. I know it’s inevitable on here but it really was a serious question. 

Being defensive is also preemptively claiming that people are going to be defensive 

[bobbydazzla]

[Mattoon]

1 minute ago, nufc4eva said:

That's just part of it, the way we play is just off, no style at all and can't pass a ball a lot of the time. A striker would finish chances but we let teams bum us regularly and that's midfield and defence plus we never seem to have or use the space when have it

 

I said it last week after Everton and I'll repeat it, we're still a high pressing team and our formation matches that but our intensity in the press is right down, probably due to the number of games and lack of player options, a mixture of fatigue and conservation.

 

Its no surprise that a lot of our best football comes in the first 30 minutes of a game where we look like we can beat anyone and then it all falls apart.

 

We're trying to play the same high press but without Isak we don't have the means to convert those chances and with the drop off in intensity we leave massive gaps to play though. 

 

I dont think theres a transition in play style, I just think we cant execute our play style except for the odd game.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

Just now, stozo said:

It's turned into a transition season. We had one of the top five strikers in the world as the focal point of our attack, we lost him without any real replacements lined up and our attack has cratered accordingly this season. You add in the fact we've played a huge number of games and we are where we are. Likely end result will be a lot of churn in the summer. 

 

It hasn't though. We started throwing transitional around early doors this season as a fan base but it hasn't turned into one at all as we haven't looked to evolve into playing with a Nick type upfront.

 

Rather we've looked for Nick to fill in the gap until Wissa came back then when that didn't work we've gone back to throwing Gordon up front as he can harass and chase.