80% possession, 50 touches in the box & just three shots on target against Northampton, who also had three shots with their measly stats. This follows on from Mansfield, Sutton, Bolton & Wigan where possessive dominance also translated into only about 3 - 4 shots on target per match. Did the club spend £25M plus just to have great possession stats? I know managers think good possession stats means their team controls a game & restricts goals against, but that's no use if you can't defend a lead. This sort of obsessive thinking on possession is why LVG got sacked by UTD. As someone else has pointed out, it's all bit Spursy, pretty patterns, plenty of possession, victories but then puzzling & disappointing results because there was no alternative tactics or switch in play when the opposition stifled the plan. CD has done a great job thus far, but now the other teams have most definitely worked us out he has to show his managerial ability in being able to mix the tactics up & exploit the oppositions weaknesses, otherwise he's going to get labelled as one dimensional. I like his passion & honesty after poor results, but I do despair when he keeps referring to possession as though that is the only answer. Looking towards the January transfer window I'd be quite happy so see Sanderson moved on, he's a liability, & exchanging Dykes for another striker that looks like he could score because the latter certainly doesn't.
SPOT ON !!! No one wants to criticise but it's quite clear we've been found out !!!! Sutton was the perfect example it was such a terrible game to watch & if teams are going to set up like that surely we have the talent to overcome it !!!! I want CD to succeed same as we all do but he cannot be stubborn & tunnel visioned !!!! We have to mix it up & if teams park the bus we need to hit them in a different way !! You cannot walk the ball into the net when teams want to stop you playing !!!
Reckon if we get Neumann in Jan, it might give us more foundation with CBs to push Bielik into CDM to support Paik and Iwata more. Wouldnt say no to sacrificing some width to just have willumson and jay and central no. 10s behind Alfie
I must have watched a different game. One where we brought on Yokoyama and Dykes, Cochrane pushed on and we only had Iwata sitting in front of the two CBs. Where we did in fact score a tap in, hit the post and had several efforts inches past the post. Could we move the ball quicker? Definitely. Could we invert the system so its the LB that's high and wide, the LW tucks in, the RB sits and the RW hugs the touchline. Maybe we'll see that when Wright is back. 9 times out of 10 we win that game. But let's be clear, even if we get 100 points that's still 38 dropped. 12/13 games we don't win. It's going to happen. Not sure we need to panic.
Really good points - my issue though is that Laird doesn't have a final pass or beat the defender in him , in fact Cochrane and the Japanese lad tore up Northampton and that TGH or the Icelandic lad then sits in as the defending full back rather than Cochrane. The crosses coming in with Thor as the 10 or Dykes as the sub gives the others something then to play off - however can't see the May / Stansfield partnership working - we need a flyer on the wing / play somebody as a proper winger - Hansson is CDs pick I suggest but not totally convinced by his performances to date
@darrenbrown203 As I said, I'd be interested to invert the system so it's Cochrane and Wright high and wide with Keshi and Willumson as the inside forwards. Then Sampsted playing the RB/CB hybrid role.
Trouble is, people expected us to walk the league & it's not going to be that easy. I cannot believe the absolute garbage that some keyboard warriors are coming out with,anybody would think we close to the relegation zone.
I’m watching and reading a lot of this TH-cam content this season and these blogs/vlogs are great to let off steam. My opinion is that so far it’s been a great season and Blues are playing good football. This reply to your analysis, for me, is spot on. 9 times out of 10 Blues win this game and like 9 they have won (just under one third in and 30 points on the board) 20000 plus folk say ‘well done/job done’ and Stanno’s bagged another! There was only one downside and that is Sanderson’s awful concentration. That was his moment to play his part and he woefully fluffed it. He’s never going to be a first choice centre back again at our club 🤷♂️ KRO
Laird has to come forward because we lose a wide player to fit Stansfield and May play. May isn't good enough to play in a deeper role. Play one or the other and get genuine pace on the flanks. This allows teams to fill the centre
I make a list of red flags.. goalkeeper playing out from the back has cost us dearly. All these defenders in the opposition half creates big problems. Wide men and all forwards , NEVER ever get behind the defence. They play around in FRONT of the packed defence. Laird is devoid of end product, I'd sooner have TGH. By the way, don't be cautious about being critical of the manager. He's making mistakes, the biggest one is not getting BEHIND the defence. Change is needed, it's no use being delusional, top 6 is probable but nothing better. A striker needed in January, yes a goalscorer.
80% possession, 50 touches in the box & just three shots on target against Northampton, who also had three shots with their measly stats. This follows on from Mansfield, Sutton, Bolton & Wigan where possessive dominance also translated into only about 3 - 4 shots on target per match. Did the club spend £25M plus just to have great possession stats? I know managers think good possession stats means their team controls a game & restricts goals against, but that's no use if you can't defend a lead. This sort of obsessive thinking on possession is why LVG got sacked by UTD.
As someone else has pointed out, it's all bit Spursy, pretty patterns, plenty of possession, victories but then puzzling & disappointing results because there was no alternative tactics or switch in play when the opposition stifled the plan.
CD has done a great job thus far, but now the other teams have most definitely worked us out he has to show his managerial ability in being able to mix the tactics up & exploit the oppositions weaknesses, otherwise he's going to get labelled as one dimensional. I like his passion & honesty after poor results, but I do despair when he keeps referring to possession as though that is the only answer.
Looking towards the January transfer window I'd be quite happy so see Sanderson moved on, he's a liability, & exchanging Dykes for another striker that looks like he could score because the latter certainly doesn't.
Sanderson shoul have gone in the summer. KRO
@@2002ChrisK & Dykes never have been bought. His stats for QPR & Scotland were woeful; 37 in 165 games for the former & 9 for the latter since 2020.
SPOT ON !!! No one wants to criticise but it's quite clear we've been found out !!!! Sutton was the perfect example it was such a terrible game to watch & if teams are going to set up like that surely we have the talent to overcome it !!!! I want CD to succeed same as we all do but he cannot be stubborn & tunnel visioned !!!! We have to mix it up & if teams park the bus we need to hit them in a different way !! You cannot walk the ball into the net when teams want to stop you playing !!!
Reckon if we get Neumann in Jan, it might give us more foundation with CBs to push Bielik into CDM to support Paik and Iwata more.
Wouldnt say no to sacrificing some width to just have willumson and jay and central no. 10s behind Alfie
100% agree guys we need plan b ..c as upto now CD plays one way
Totally agree that Jukey shows more the Dykes
Jukey did OK against Sutton and offered a physical presence up front. Can defend in his own box too. KRO
It’s clearly apparent we have no plan B! CD has now got to work on B definitely!
Agree about Laird distorts our play for no end product much better with more varied play of TGH . Come back Scot wright game changer.
Agree Laird brings little to the table! TGH was much better tbh
I must have watched a different game. One where we brought on Yokoyama and Dykes, Cochrane pushed on and we only had Iwata sitting in front of the two CBs. Where we did in fact score a tap in, hit the post and had several efforts inches past the post.
Could we move the ball quicker? Definitely. Could we invert the system so its the LB that's high and wide, the LW tucks in, the RB sits and the RW hugs the touchline. Maybe we'll see that when Wright is back.
9 times out of 10 we win that game. But let's be clear, even if we get 100 points that's still 38 dropped. 12/13 games we don't win. It's going to happen. Not sure we need to panic.
Really good points - my issue though is that Laird doesn't have a final pass or beat the defender in him , in fact Cochrane and the Japanese lad tore up Northampton and that TGH or the Icelandic lad then sits in as the defending full back rather than Cochrane.
The crosses coming in with Thor as the 10 or Dykes as the sub gives the others something then to play off - however can't see the May / Stansfield partnership working - we need a flyer on the wing / play somebody as a proper winger - Hansson is CDs pick I suggest but not totally convinced by his performances to date
@darrenbrown203 As I said, I'd be interested to invert the system so it's Cochrane and Wright high and wide with Keshi and Willumson as the inside forwards. Then Sampsted playing the RB/CB hybrid role.
Trouble is, people expected us to walk the league & it's not going to be that easy. I cannot believe the absolute garbage that some keyboard warriors are coming out with,anybody would think we close to the relegation zone.
I’m watching and reading a lot of this TH-cam content this season and these blogs/vlogs are great to let off steam. My opinion is that so far it’s been a great season and Blues are playing good football. This reply to your analysis, for me, is spot on. 9 times out of 10 Blues win this game and like 9 they have won (just under one third in and 30 points on the board) 20000 plus folk say ‘well done/job done’ and Stanno’s bagged another! There was only one downside and that is Sanderson’s awful concentration. That was his moment to play his part and he woefully fluffed it. He’s never going to be a first choice centre back again at our club 🤷♂️ KRO
Davies himself in post-match interviews (Mansfield & Sutton)Has said We've lacked Quality, invention, Skill,..Says it all really..
Play may and standsfield each side of with a big man up front
Laird has to come forward because we lose a wide player to fit Stansfield and May play. May isn't good enough to play in a deeper role. Play one or the other and get genuine pace on the flanks. This allows teams to fill the centre
I make a list of red flags.. goalkeeper playing out from the back has cost us dearly. All these defenders in the opposition half creates big problems. Wide men and all forwards , NEVER ever get behind the defence. They play around in FRONT of the packed defence. Laird is devoid of end product, I'd sooner have TGH. By the way, don't be cautious about being critical of the manager. He's making mistakes, the biggest one is not getting BEHIND the defence. Change is needed, it's no use being delusional, top 6 is probable but nothing better. A striker needed in January, yes a goalscorer.
Yep just go more direct 4-4-2 Alfie & Jay upfront. Stop all this over playing with the ball. It's league one not the premiership 👍💙
Yeap sledgehammer to crack a nut at the moment. KRO
Should not need a plan B the money spent on trying to get out of the 3rd division.
Get a grip, how many games we lost, we will be ok, if you don't think we won't win this leagues then that's madness