| It’s not just about recruitment…. 11:25 - Aug 13 with 1305 views | Bloots |
….its about tactics as well.
There’s a growing obsession about getting players “through the door” but there’s plenty of quality in the squad (albeit light in numbers) to get the basics right.
Tactically and stylistically we really need to improve.
We are far too passive in possession, we pass the ball far too slowly out of defence. Watching our keeper roll it to the full back, who then passes it to the centre back who then passes it to the other CB only to roll it to either the full back or the wide player coming deep is becoming painful to watch.
Our attacking players are constantly receiving the ball too deep and facing our own goal, leaving them two “banks” to negotiate, which they relentlessly fail to do.
We need to move the ball quicker, and not allow the opposition to get back into a defensive shape. We simply don’t break forward quick enough to cause defences problems.
Put simply our players constantly receive the ball facing our own goal rather than at worst on the half turn or preferably facing the opposition. It’s the aspect of our play that frustrates me the most.
If we can’t pass through teams, which is happening a lot due the (lack of) pace of our passing, then we need to start playing earlier longer balls to get defenders running towards their own goal. We rarely do this at the moment, but when we do we look dangerous. We have the pace to do this when we need to.
Our set pieces are truly dreadful, from both an attacking and defensive perspective. It was a tad embarrassing to see Bromley look far more effective at the absolute basics like taking corners and attacking the ball than we did.
We genuinely never look like scoring from a set piece but constantly look like we will concede.
Obviously it’s simpler to just demand more players, and yes we do need help in terms of numbers, but we really do need to address our style and tactics as well.
Sort it out coaching team, it’s your job.
Many thanks.
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| "Great to see you back on here mate, I was considering deactivating my account if you hadn’t returned" - TWTD User (Aug 2025) |
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| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:27 - Aug 13 with 1243 views | Kieran_Knows |
I do wonder what our set piece coach does on the training field? I swear every corner we have almost ends up with the opposition counter attacking us. |  |
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| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:30 - Aug 13 with 1190 views | homer_123 |
"We are far too passive in possession, we pass the ball far too slowly out of defence. Watching our keeper roll it to the full back, who then passes it to the centre back who then passes it to the other CB only to roll it to either the full back or the wide player coming deep is becoming painful to watch."
True enough - however, there is an element here we are forgetting. The reason we move the ball about across the back four is to entice the press and create the space to move into. Our issue lies with teams that conserve their press. Edit: or press very high negating the space to play into. [Post edited 13 Aug 11:31]
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| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:30 - Aug 13 with 1183 views | RamRob |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:27 - Aug 13 by Kieran_Knows |
I do wonder what our set piece coach does on the training field? I swear every corner we have almost ends up with the opposition counter attacking us. |
Need to have one player hugging the opposite touchline, fed up with seeing corners over hit and no one being there to fire it back in |  |
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| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:34 - Aug 13 with 1112 views | LankHenners |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:27 - Aug 13 by Kieran_Knows |
I do wonder what our set piece coach does on the training field? I swear every corner we have almost ends up with the opposition counter attacking us. |
You mean floating it tamely to the back post for O'Shea to head it down across goal while everyone else stays static and looks at the ball isn't a great tactic? Felt like we had more variation and tricks up our sleeve in the Championship before we hired a specialist coach. |  |
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| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:35 - Aug 13 with 1088 views | mellowblue |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:30 - Aug 13 by RamRob |
Need to have one player hugging the opposite touchline, fed up with seeing corners over hit and no one being there to fire it back in |
Virtually all the corners were deep, by the time the ball gets there, defence is primed and ready to clear it. Set piece strategy is truly lame, whether defensive or attacking. |  | | |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:37 - Aug 13 with 1042 views | Wright1 |
Is one of the reasons we don't move the ball quick enough not that we haven't got the right players though? A Hackney, Morsy or Cajuste in place of Taylor at Birmingham the other night would have given us much more control almost immediately IMO.
Szmodics might be a goal scorer but i'm yet to be convince by his use of the ball and I don't believe he should be in the Chaplin/Hutchinson role.
Palmer isn't Hladky or even Muric with the ball at his feet and his speed and selection of pass doesn't half put people in trouble sometimes. | | | |
| Indeed, but…. on 11:38 - Aug 13 with 1031 views | Bloots |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:30 - Aug 13 by homer_123 |
"We are far too passive in possession, we pass the ball far too slowly out of defence. Watching our keeper roll it to the full back, who then passes it to the centre back who then passes it to the other CB only to roll it to either the full back or the wide player coming deep is becoming painful to watch."
True enough - however, there is an element here we are forgetting. The reason we move the ball about across the back four is to entice the press and create the space to move into. Our issue lies with teams that conserve their press. Edit: or press very high negating the space to play into. [Post edited 13 Aug 11:31]
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….even if a team is pressing high we struggle to take advantage because of the pace of our play.
It’s painful. I’ve become obsessed with watching it, have a look on Sunday! Actually don’t, it’ll ruin your enjoyment!!
But as I said if they aren’t going to press then we need an alternative. Our desire to stick to our patterns of play is bordering on the obsessive.
And that is down to our manager (gulp) | |
| "Great to see you back on here mate, I was considering deactivating my account if you hadn’t returned" - TWTD User (Aug 2025) |
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| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:38 - Aug 13 with 1022 views | BseaBlue |
A few of us have made this point about the keeper though. We don't have the right person between the sticks to beat the press in my opinion. Add in to that Morsy was the pivot, half turn specialist and then we lack two players that were key in us playing that quick, back to front system.
We very quickly need someone to step up to that Broadhead left 10 role. Clarke isn't working there and we need to find someone that can link up with Leif and get us clicking. Hopefully Philogene will be fit soon to do the same down the right hand side. |  | | |
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| Yep, but it’s not just corners…. on 11:42 - Aug 13 with 945 views | Bloots |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:27 - Aug 13 by Kieran_Knows |
I do wonder what our set piece coach does on the training field? I swear every corner we have almost ends up with the opposition counter attacking us. |
….its every time the ball stops.
Even from throw ins, the “thrower” just stands there desperately looking for an option and when he inevitably doesn’t get one, it’s just lobbed aimlessly to the nearest player who invariably loses the dual and we either lose possession or it just rolls out of play and we start again.
Basic stuff that we are failing to execute.
FFS. I might go back to bed. | |
| "Great to see you back on here mate, I was considering deactivating my account if you hadn’t returned" - TWTD User (Aug 2025) |
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| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:44 - Aug 13 with 878 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:38 - Aug 13 by BseaBlue |
A few of us have made this point about the keeper though. We don't have the right person between the sticks to beat the press in my opinion. Add in to that Morsy was the pivot, half turn specialist and then we lack two players that were key in us playing that quick, back to front system.
We very quickly need someone to step up to that Broadhead left 10 role. Clarke isn't working there and we need to find someone that can link up with Leif and get us clicking. Hopefully Philogene will be fit soon to do the same down the right hand side. |
We've just loaned that GK out. |  |
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| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:49 - Aug 13 with 818 views | SamWhiteUK |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:44 - Aug 13 by Marshalls_Mullet |
We've just loaned that GK out. |
Come off it. Muric is totally one-footed and far too slow when it's on his left foot. So much so, he'd sooner try and play it with the outside of his right boot. His very first game against City was a prime example of this and arguably he never recovered from the mistakes he made there. |  | | |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:49 - Aug 13 with 816 views | Pilgrimblue |
Just look at the stats. No shots on target or not enough equals no goals. Can’t win games like that so I’d move Johnson up as at least he has some idea which is more than can be said about Al Hab!
Also we miss Burgess as his size and presence was key to good defence so I’d look seriously at Bromley CB. |  | | |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:58 - Aug 13 with 692 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:49 - Aug 13 by SamWhiteUK |
Come off it. Muric is totally one-footed and far too slow when it's on his left foot. So much so, he'd sooner try and play it with the outside of his right boot. His very first game against City was a prime example of this and arguably he never recovered from the mistakes he made there. |
Last time he was in the Championship he was in the players team of the year.
If the supporters actually supported him, he would be fine in the Champ.
He is better than Walton or Palmer with his feet. | |
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| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:58 - Aug 13 with 684 views | RegencyBlue |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 11:27 - Aug 13 by Kieran_Knows |
I do wonder what our set piece coach does on the training field? I swear every corner we have almost ends up with the opposition counter attacking us. |
I must admit I thought he’d be on his way during the summer, given how bad our set pieces have become, but strangely not! |  | | |
| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 12:05 - Aug 13 with 615 views | Dubtractor |
Agree with this, and made a similar observation last night. We are too easy to defend against at the moment. Whilst Chaplin does give the ball away too often, he does that as a result of trying to play incisive balls quickly, and that worked for us a few times last night.
The lack of attacking patterns and routines by Dubtractor 12 Aug 23:11Now, before I start, it's obviously still very early doors and we still have some transfer business to do, so probably too early to reach any conclusions but something has really stuck out for me in the first 2 games.
In our 2 promotion seasons (less so last season!) we had a number of routines and patterns that we executed brilliantly week after week, whether it was the Davis overlap and cutback to the penalty spot, the Chaplin ball round the corner for Burns to run on to, Morsy taking the ball under pressure and breaking the press, Hutchinson cutting inside from the touchline and dragging the defence out of their shape etc etc. We all recognised those routines and they were very effective at creating chances.
We seem to have lost that ability, seem quite laboured in how we move the ball around, and as a result quite easy to defend against. Birmingham completely and utterly stifled us, and tbh Bromley largely dealt with us quite easily tonight too.
Really hoping that there is a lot of work going on both on the training ground, but also on the transfer front, as we need both the tactical approach to unpick teams as well as a bit of x factor on the ball to replace Hutchinson and Broadhead.
As I say, it's early doors and I'm certain things will improve, but I've honestly found these 2 performances a little alarming as we've offered very little quality in the final third at all.
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| It’s not just about recruitment…. on 12:11 - Aug 13 with 547 views | SE1blue |
Playing Clarke and Szmodics out of their best positions baffles me.
At the moment I’d build a team around Chaplin, he seems to be the only one who can move the ball around and make passes that open up the opposition. I’d have Broadhead in there with him as they can both pick a pass. Our passing is woeful at present. |  |
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| Indeed, but…. on 12:33 - Aug 13 with 372 views | homer_123 |
| Indeed, but…. on 11:38 - Aug 13 by Bloots |
….even if a team is pressing high we struggle to take advantage because of the pace of our play.
It’s painful. I’ve become obsessed with watching it, have a look on Sunday! Actually don’t, it’ll ruin your enjoyment!!
But as I said if they aren’t going to press then we need an alternative. Our desire to stick to our patterns of play is bordering on the obsessive.
And that is down to our manager (gulp) |
We're very much in a transition period both on and off the pitch.
For the first time, we are 'up against' it, I would argue more so than last season and on the pitch we have seen substantive changes coupled with a slight change in tactic (from what I have seen so far). The later is a good thing, we had become too predictable.
We also have now, a group of players that haven't actually played together a lot. They know the patters and the runs to make, they know the transitions we are looking for but it's not instinctive as it was a year or so ago.
The best example is Chappers and Burns - they just 'knew' how to work together but that takes time, in some instances it can happen quite quickly, in others it takes time. But I'll lay money on the fact that Chappers didn't need to scan to check Burns had made a run, he'd play the ball almost blind.
I'm not using these as excuses but by way of some examples. Therefore, the patters of play are too predictable and slow because it's not instinctive, yet. It's not that what we are doing are wrong but to play quicker requires a little more instinctiveness and confidence and we are not there yet and I don't think that will change without more time and a result or two. [Post edited 13 Aug 12:39]
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