The three main reasons we are not scoring enough goals.

[Thedelldays]

The designated wide men do not quickly get wide when we win the ball.

 

They stay narrow, the left side is a little better than the right. Either McGoldrick or Lallana don't have the self discipline to do this, as they prefer the mid positions and don't bother going wide, staying narrow.

 

This means our wide play needs the full backs to get forward wide. That takes too much time. As the players on the ball have to wait for the wide options to appear eventually, the ball is passed sideways and backwards allowing opposing players to get goalside en masse.

 

That then means we have nowhere to go and really are not going to get into dangerous positions.

 

The two wide men have to be on the touchline available to receive the ball and drive for the byeline supported quickly by the nearest players.

 

In the meantime the other wide man is making a run for the corner of the penalty area, covering anything coming onto the far post, getting behind the last defender, who is likely to be pulled in, to cover the centre backs exposed by the quick break.

 

So now we have two problems both McGoldrick and Lallana allow themselves to be sucked in to the near post area consequently the right side is empty and we are not getting past the defenders.

 

The players who win the ball have to break quickly towards one side or the other, the wide men have to drive forward, the outnumbered defence has to be pulled across to cope, the other players breaking go for the box and the far post.

 

The time to pass the ball around, is if there is rapid lateral interchanging movement from the front players, pulling defenders around and creating space to allow a quick break.

 

We tend to move up the pitch in straight lines, the frontman static and marked and the others passing the ball around and nobody going anywhere except into a massed defence.

 

 

that is alot to point out when you say there is nothing wrong with the system...

[derry]

that is alot to point out when you say there is nothing wrong with the system...

 

Cross purposes here, I'm saying it doesn't matter about the so called system, 442, 433, 4d2h2w1h1f, 532, whatever, the same basic rules apply, the time to attack with pace is immediately on winning the ball, we don't do this, as we can't do this, because of the way individuals are not using width. The opposing defence is allowed to play close together. We have to open up the defence.

[1965onwards]

Well analysed Derry,but above the head of the vast majority on here,who only understand passing or hoofball and nothing in between.

[Wes Tender]

Well analysed Derry,but above the head of the vast majority on here,who only understand passing or hoofball and nothing in between.

 

Agreed that it is a very good analysis of where we have been going wrong. Also as others have mentioned we seldom leave a player or two upfield at dead ball situations allowing all of the rival team to fill our penalty area and crowd Davies' movement.

 

There is a time and a place to play hoofball as part of a strategy to overcome some teams and it can be a potent weapon against a strong midfield as part of a team's armoury if there are the players to implement it with a speedy big striker, which is something we don't have currently. However, several teams seem to use it against us and we have little answer to it.

[ottery st mary]

The three main reasons for not scoring.....Lowey, Wildey and Dutchey...

 

In case I have got that wrong and they are not are front three after all, I will say it is the fault of our three reserve strikers....Mighty Mac, Robertson and BWP...

 

Or if none of the above...I hold Alpine, SOG AND OTTERY(ME) responsible for knowing nothing about football and never attending St Marys but knowing everything about running a Soccer club.

[derry]

Agreed that it is a very good analysis of where we have been going wrong. Also as others have mentioned we seldom leave a player or two upfield at dead ball situations allowing all of the rival team to fill our penalty area and crowd Davies' movement.

 

There is a time and a place to play hoofball as part of a strategy to overcome some teams and it can be a potent weapon against a strong midfield as part of a team's armoury if there are the players to implement it with a speedy big striker, which is something we don't have currently. However, several teams seem to use it against us and we have little answer to it.

 

We have hardly ever done it. Most forwards are a liability defending and don't mark anyway. I would like to see us leave 3 up, that would need a min of 4 to defend, probably 2 further would fill in outside, the box then add the corner taker.

 

That would leave only 3 or 4 to mark for the cross, that would stop a lot of our problems. Also allow the goalkeeper room to manoeuver

 

However the coach would need to have some balls to do it.

[Wes Tender]

We have hardly ever done it. Most forwards are a liability defending and don't mark anyway. I would like to see us leave 3 up, that would need a min of 4 to defend, probably 2 further would fill in outside, the box then add the corner taker.

 

That would leave only 3 or 4 to mark for the cross, that would stop a lot of our problems. Also allow the goalkeeper room to manoeuver

 

However the coach would need to have some balls to do it.

 

Agreed. It is fine if you have tall forwards really adept at heading a ball, as there is an even chance that they can defend the high balls in against the rival strikers. But we don't really seem to possess such strikers with both height and heading ability, so as you say, what is the point in keeping them back crowding the box? Also OK with strikers left upfield if they are prepared to run full tilt at the goal as soon as the ball clears to them, but knowing us, we would then hold the balll up in midfield passing it in pretty triangles until the opposition had got back in numbers.

[West End Saint]

The system we play works when we press the play high up the pitch and win the ball in the opponents half 1 or 2 quick passes and in on goal when we build up slow from the back we take to long and teams get set and defend the 18 yard box and we run out of ideas.

 

The games we have won and played well Brum Reading Derby have all been when we have presed teams and won the ball in there half we have no plan b and no one to go long to.