Lack of aggression 13:22 - Feb 4 with 3042 views | itfc48 | One thing I've noticed during this recent run is we're a lot less aggressive in the press and also lacking aggression going into duels compared to the early season when we really rattled a number of teams. Morsy in particular seems to have really reigned himself in and his aggression is a huge part of his game. Since parking the bus against Arsenal and Chelsea are we now stuck in two minds? |  | | |  |
Lack of aggression on 13:23 - Feb 4 with 2792 views | portmanking | Said the same myself to people around me against Southampton. Morsy had multiple opportunities to stamp his authority on that midfield but looked almost timid in the tackle at times, very unlike him. |  | |  |
Lack of aggression on 13:24 - Feb 4 with 2786 views | Reuser_is_God | I think we are absolutely done physically. It’s not that we don’t want to press, we just can’t anymore. |  |
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Lack of aggression on 13:28 - Feb 4 with 2732 views | BseaBlue |
Lack of aggression on 13:24 - Feb 4 by Reuser_is_God | I think we are absolutely done physically. It’s not that we don’t want to press, we just can’t anymore. |
I've thought that fatigue has definitely been an issue which isnt a suprise really with the demands of the Prem and such a young squad. Hopefully the cup game will be an opportunity to give people a rest and then come back firing with the new additions. |  | |  |
Lack of aggression on 13:29 - Feb 4 with 2717 views | textbackup | We look, to me, like individuals now, as opposed to a unit all playing in a well drilled/coach way. Too many seem to be doing their own thing, where as before (and I know the levels are different) we had Donacian on an overlap, Wes looking for a move from chappers, Broadhead knowing chappers was going to be in a certain place without even looking… etc. Not seeing much in the way of patterns of play. Used to follow a really good ITFC tactics page on Twitter, would break down parts of the games, but not seen them post recently. Maybe it’s a sign he/she isn’t seeing these patterns either! |  |
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Lack of aggression on 13:36 - Feb 4 with 2664 views | TractorJack | Was going to make a similar post asking if anyone had seen the running numbers recently. Weren't we right up there on sprints, distance covered etc early on in season? |  | |  |
Lack of aggression on 13:36 - Feb 4 with 2663 views | textbackup |
Lack of aggression on 13:24 - Feb 4 by Reuser_is_God | I think we are absolutely done physically. It’s not that we don’t want to press, we just can’t anymore. |
I hate saying it, but we look like weak little boys. Bournemouth for example smothered us nearly every time we had the ball |  |
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Lack of aggression on 13:44 - Feb 4 with 2576 views | FrimleyBlue |
Lack of aggression on 13:24 - Feb 4 by Reuser_is_God | I think we are absolutely done physically. It’s not that we don’t want to press, we just can’t anymore. |
Think you're onto the beginning of a wider point there Reuser. When you think of our historical pressing, we would always on 60 replace those involved in it, however our subs have been later in games it feels this season, but also we're had a host of regular muscle and fatigue injuries to cope with. So although we might be able to send a side out to press, I don't feel we've been able to send them out with the purpose of going fully at it with the relaxed notion that we will simply replace the forward line without issue in that 2nd half, so i feel we get a half press from some players and some that hold onto their stamina to get them through more minutes. Esp when you look at our midfield 3 options.. not one of them can effectively go all out in our games, this can't help the situation either. |  |
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Lack of aggression on 13:50 - Feb 4 with 2505 views | Linners | I think it's also to do with confidence - as individuals and as a team. It takes a lot of belief to propel yourself forward into a tackle or a press if you fear that two quick passes will leave you out of position and exposed. I always remember how Matt Holland changed his style of play in the PL - he was much more reluctant to go ahead of the strikers in the 2001/02 season in particular. |  | |  | Login to get fewer ads
Lack of aggression on 14:22 - Feb 4 with 2365 views | Illinoisblue | Been a theme all season. Just basics like stopping the opposition putting a cross in we don’t do well. Just stand off and let chaos ensue. |  |
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Lack of aggression on 14:44 - Feb 4 with 2264 views | Bramidan |
Lack of aggression on 13:36 - Feb 4 by textbackup | I hate saying it, but we look like weak little boys. Bournemouth for example smothered us nearly every time we had the ball |
So is it a fitness problem? Surely our fitness staff would know what’s required for the PL? Is it a change in the way we play? Is it that our players do not have the muscular development to cope with PL football? I’m just a supporter so I don’t know the answers. |  | |  |
Lack of aggression on 14:46 - Feb 4 with 2248 views | Steve_M |
Lack of aggression on 13:24 - Feb 4 by Reuser_is_God | I think we are absolutely done physically. It’s not that we don’t want to press, we just can’t anymore. |
It's a large part of it, Morsy and Leif in particular look physically knackered and Omari is probably not far behind. Add Cajuste dropping off on 65-70 minutes and it's not too surprising. Elsewhere, we've rotated well in central defence, don't really have an ideal solution at right back and Delap remains immense despite his workload but central midfield and left back are definitely struggling phyisally. |  |
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Lack of aggression on 14:54 - Feb 4 with 2205 views | portmanking |
Lack of aggression on 14:44 - Feb 4 by Bramidan | So is it a fitness problem? Surely our fitness staff would know what’s required for the PL? Is it a change in the way we play? Is it that our players do not have the muscular development to cope with PL football? I’m just a supporter so I don’t know the answers. |
We train as hard (or even harder?) as we play on gameday. I do wonder if that's starting to have an effect. You only have to look at Luton's squad this season to see how much last season took it out of them. We're going to need to overhaul the middle of the park next season, whichever league we're in. |  | |  |
Lack of aggression on 14:56 - Feb 4 with 2180 views | textbackup |
Lack of aggression on 14:44 - Feb 4 by Bramidan | So is it a fitness problem? Surely our fitness staff would know what’s required for the PL? Is it a change in the way we play? Is it that our players do not have the muscular development to cope with PL football? I’m just a supporter so I don’t know the answers. |
You and me both my man! |  |
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Lack of aggression on 15:00 - Feb 4 with 2157 views | ITFCSG |
Lack of aggression on 14:46 - Feb 4 by Steve_M | It's a large part of it, Morsy and Leif in particular look physically knackered and Omari is probably not far behind. Add Cajuste dropping off on 65-70 minutes and it's not too surprising. Elsewhere, we've rotated well in central defence, don't really have an ideal solution at right back and Delap remains immense despite his workload but central midfield and left back are definitely struggling phyisally. |
Townsend should come on for the last 25, didn't do badly and at times better than Davis v Bristol Rovers and Liverpool, I don't know why McK prefers him to warm the bench. |  | |  |
Lack of aggression on 15:00 - Feb 4 with 2153 views | BlueForYou | Just said the same on another thread. We dont close down tight enough & allow the opposition free use of the midfield. |  | |  |
Lack of aggression on 15:22 - Feb 4 with 2030 views | Steve_M |
Lack of aggression on 15:00 - Feb 4 by ITFCSG | Townsend should come on for the last 25, didn't do badly and at times better than Davis v Bristol Rovers and Liverpool, I don't know why McK prefers him to warm the bench. |
Yes, even if not every match that would surely have saved Davis from quite such a workload. Townsend's energy level at Liverpool, albeit once the match had gone, was really notable. |  |
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Lack of aggression on 15:26 - Feb 4 with 2008 views | Kieran_Knows |
Lack of aggression on 13:29 - Feb 4 by textbackup | We look, to me, like individuals now, as opposed to a unit all playing in a well drilled/coach way. Too many seem to be doing their own thing, where as before (and I know the levels are different) we had Donacian on an overlap, Wes looking for a move from chappers, Broadhead knowing chappers was going to be in a certain place without even looking… etc. Not seeing much in the way of patterns of play. Used to follow a really good ITFC tactics page on Twitter, would break down parts of the games, but not seen them post recently. Maybe it’s a sign he/she isn’t seeing these patterns either! |
I suppose what goes hand in hand with the fitness issues is the fact that were also changing 4-5 players every week. Throughout League 1 and the Championship, you could name the same 8-9 players every week, with 2-3 being either rotated/dropped out through injury or dropped out through suspension. Think that's hurting as well, and like you say, the patterns to our play aren't there because we can't seem to get a consistent team out. |  |
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Lack of aggression on 15:33 - Feb 4 with 1968 views | Steve_M |
Lack of aggression on 15:26 - Feb 4 by Kieran_Knows | I suppose what goes hand in hand with the fitness issues is the fact that were also changing 4-5 players every week. Throughout League 1 and the Championship, you could name the same 8-9 players every week, with 2-3 being either rotated/dropped out through injury or dropped out through suspension. Think that's hurting as well, and like you say, the patterns to our play aren't there because we can't seem to get a consistent team out. |
"Think that's hurting as well, and like you say, the patterns to our play aren't there because we can't seem to get a consistent team out." Also, to note that we get a lot less of the ball than we have been used to so, even where the team has been consistent, we've had far less opportunity with it. That really showed once Southampton went defensive on Saturday. Obviously the inexperience of our forwards did too but there's more than one explanation for most of these things. |  |
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Lack of aggression on 16:18 - Feb 4 with 1808 views | RegencyBlue |
Lack of aggression on 13:24 - Feb 4 by Reuser_is_God | I think we are absolutely done physically. It’s not that we don’t want to press, we just can’t anymore. |
That’s one of the really noticeable things about other teams players in the PL, the sheer physicality of them. They just keep going. The other thing is many of our players are very lightweight, they just bounce off opponents! |  | |  |
Lack of aggression on 16:23 - Feb 4 with 1770 views | hype313 |
Lack of aggression on 13:29 - Feb 4 by textbackup | We look, to me, like individuals now, as opposed to a unit all playing in a well drilled/coach way. Too many seem to be doing their own thing, where as before (and I know the levels are different) we had Donacian on an overlap, Wes looking for a move from chappers, Broadhead knowing chappers was going to be in a certain place without even looking… etc. Not seeing much in the way of patterns of play. Used to follow a really good ITFC tactics page on Twitter, would break down parts of the games, but not seen them post recently. Maybe it’s a sign he/she isn’t seeing these patterns either! |
Stu Watson mentioned that we do look like a team of individuals rather than a cohesive unit. |  |
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Lack of aggression on 16:25 - Feb 4 with 1761 views | BrightonBlue |
Lack of aggression on 14:22 - Feb 4 by Illinoisblue | Been a theme all season. Just basics like stopping the opposition putting a cross in we don’t do well. Just stand off and let chaos ensue. |
This aspect has surprised me recently. We seem to be a yard or two off it to prevent the cross |  | |  |
Lack of aggression on 18:03 - Feb 4 with 1534 views | Illinoisblue |
Lack of aggression on 16:25 - Feb 4 by BrightonBlue | This aspect has surprised me recently. We seem to be a yard or two off it to prevent the cross |
Obviously the step-up to the prem is a big one but given the levels of quality we’re up against, all the more reason to maybe smash into somebody, as a former manager of ours once said. We’re very easy to play against. Saints didn’t have to work too hard to beat us. |  |
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Lack of aggression on 18:08 - Feb 4 with 1515 views | gainsboroughblue |
Lack of aggression on 18:03 - Feb 4 by Illinoisblue | Obviously the step-up to the prem is a big one but given the levels of quality we’re up against, all the more reason to maybe smash into somebody, as a former manager of ours once said. We’re very easy to play against. Saints didn’t have to work too hard to beat us. |
We really did nothing in the summer to add to our physical presence. We just look so weak to me. The most significant bit of business in the winter being ANOTHER 8 stone winger/AM at more than 15 million totally done me I'll be honest. |  |
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Lack of aggression on 18:21 - Feb 4 with 1467 views | LeoMuff |
Lack of aggression on 18:03 - Feb 4 by Illinoisblue | Obviously the step-up to the prem is a big one but given the levels of quality we’re up against, all the more reason to maybe smash into somebody, as a former manager of ours once said. We’re very easy to play against. Saints didn’t have to work too hard to beat us. |
Trouble is they are all so adept at conning the refs with the slightest hint of contact, increased aggression is difficult in the prem |  |
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Lack of aggression on 20:00 - Feb 4 with 1283 views | cbower |
Lack of aggression on 14:22 - Feb 4 by Illinoisblue | Been a theme all season. Just basics like stopping the opposition putting a cross in we don’t do well. Just stand off and let chaos ensue. |
The amount of times we shadow box and allow crosses to come in or players to get into our box unchallenged hasvreally increased over the last six or so games. |  |
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