Coventry City
- Thread starter CroJack
- Start date
Because I've championed Cullen on here I looked carefully at his contribution and I didn't see so much as one chance created for him - not even a fucking semblance of a chance. 
Our midfield is PISS POOR and they haven't got a creative bone in their collective bodies. Hell, some of them can't even do the basics properly and they have the nerve to call themselves professional footballers!
Well I don't see much that's professional about them at all. Under/over hit passes are the norm; accuracy is disgraceful; intelligent movement a thing of mystery to them; dead ball kicks a complete and utter waste of time; fitness levels VERY questionable and urgency/intensity is something they don't do.
We nearly lost that game at the end and couldn't have complained had we done so. We certainly didn't deserve to win it and I shudder to think what even a lowly Premier League side would do to them. Best stay where we are if that's going to be a typical performance.
Steve Cooper had better read most of them the riot act because right now they look a total apology of a side and that's putting it mildly!
Our midfield is PISS POOR and they haven't got a creative bone in their collective bodies. Hell, some of them can't even do the basics properly and they have the nerve to call themselves professional footballers!Well I don't see much that's professional about them at all. Under/over hit passes are the norm; accuracy is disgraceful; intelligent movement a thing of mystery to them; dead ball kicks a complete and utter waste of time; fitness levels VERY questionable and urgency/intensity is something they don't do.
We nearly lost that game at the end and couldn't have complained had we done so. We certainly didn't deserve to win it and I shudder to think what even a lowly Premier League side would do to them. Best stay where we are if that's going to be a typical performance.
Steve Cooper had better read most of them the riot act because right now they look a total apology of a side and that's putting it mildly!
KVetch
Key Player
Agreed. Passing and creativity have been a problem for too long, Cooper should have sorted that out by now. Coventry should not have been dominating possession like they did. Gone are the days of Swansea possession football. I'd like to see someone other than Grimes take free kicks.Because I've championed Cullen on here I looked carefully at his contribution and I didn't see so much as one chance created for him - not even a fucking semblance of a chance.
Well I don't see much that's professional about them at all. Under/over hit passes are the norm; accuracy is disgraceful; intelligent movement a thing of mystery to them; dead ball kicks a complete and utter waste of time; fitness levels VERY questionable and urgency/intensity is something they don't do.
We nearly lost that game at the end and couldn't have complained had we done so. We certainly didn't deserve to win it and I shudder to think what even a lowly Premier League side would do to them. Best stay where we are if that's going to be a typical performance.
Steve Cooper had better read most of them the riot act because right now they look a total apology of a side and that's putting it mildly!
CroJack
Key Player
They didn't. It was 51% in our favour.
The problem is something else. We simply can't cope with teams who press us high. We couldn't cope last season, and we obviously can't this season. Credit to the Coventry manager, who has watched our games from last season, and to his players, who executed perfectly his orders.
What do we do when teams press us high? We panic. We receive the ball with our backs facing oposition goal, and (too often) lose it, because (too) many of our players can't hold and control the ball when under pressure. Ayew is the only one who can. What's next we do? We try to pass the ball back to our defenders, who then hoof it, or we pass the ball blindly forward to nowhere. In both cases we lose possession. And then we repeat the process.
Here is how to beat teams who press you high:
1. Use the same high pressing against them.
2. Move. Run into the spaces to receive the ball from the players under pressure, run forward with the ball, and run into channels to receive the ball. We used to call this pass & move Svanselona style. We used to tire opposition teams by making them chase shadows. Rodgers used to say "We passed them to death".
We did neither of that against Coventry. We didn't press them properly, and we were too static. Static is another word for being lazy.
It's also possible to combine 1. and 2. but we are not Leeds, and our manager is not Bielsa.
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Behindthegoal
Key Player
Yes indeed. Ayew excepted we can’t receive a pass under control. I would think it’s a skill that is hard to teach. Much easier is to press properly, hopefully for 90 minutes, and score on the break. We have the runners though recent experience is that they can’t hit the target.
A question about possession when they were playing head tennis, which seemed to be half the time, how is possession allocated?
A question about possession when they were playing head tennis, which seemed to be half the time, how is possession allocated?
CroJack
Key Player
It's not allocated. It's same with one touch clearances, tackles won where you don't regain possession, and bad ball control. All these actions are called touches. Every pass is a touch, but not every touch is a pass.
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Some stats from the game:
POSSESSION: 50-50 SHOTS: 9-6 OT: 3-3 CORNERS: 3-2 FOULS: 12-11 GOALS: 1-1
Apart from Ayew, Cullen's 30 minutes and Fulton's cameo, there were few that showed anything worthwhile last night although we are indebted to Connor for saving us a point. Gyokeres was ineffectual (although he had bugger all service), Lowe was off the pace such as it was and Smith was fair to middling. Given it was his first game, Bennett was decent enough. As for Grimes, he's all over the shop and not in a good way. His passing has become very erratic and his secondary assist for our goal was cancelled out by his mistake that gave them their goal.
This midfield lineup is not working. They leave gaps which are exploited but create very little in return. For Bristol City I'd bring in Palmer if he was allowed but definitely Fulton and I'd start Cullen who needs match minutes under his belt. However, against Coventry I noticed that Cullen was often out wide on the left whilst Ayew was the central attacker. This needs to be reversed. Ayew has more ability to beat a man whilst Cullen is the more natural goalscorer who should be working the box. Bristol will be a tough game, one which we'll lose if we repeat that Coventry debacle.
POSSESSION: 50-50 SHOTS: 9-6 OT: 3-3 CORNERS: 3-2 FOULS: 12-11 GOALS: 1-1
Apart from Ayew, Cullen's 30 minutes and Fulton's cameo, there were few that showed anything worthwhile last night although we are indebted to Connor for saving us a point. Gyokeres was ineffectual (although he had bugger all service), Lowe was off the pace such as it was and Smith was fair to middling. Given it was his first game, Bennett was decent enough. As for Grimes, he's all over the shop and not in a good way. His passing has become very erratic and his secondary assist for our goal was cancelled out by his mistake that gave them their goal.
This midfield lineup is not working. They leave gaps which are exploited but create very little in return. For Bristol City I'd bring in Palmer if he was allowed but definitely Fulton and I'd start Cullen who needs match minutes under his belt. However, against Coventry I noticed that Cullen was often out wide on the left whilst Ayew was the central attacker. This needs to be reversed. Ayew has more ability to beat a man whilst Cullen is the more natural goalscorer who should be working the box. Bristol will be a tough game, one which we'll lose if we repeat that Coventry debacle.
KVetch
Key Player
51% is too low imo, the end of the match I was afraid we were about to give it away. Should uave pressed higher yes.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
That Andy Pandy used Fulton in place of his #9 at half time to bolster the midfield is testament to the fact that Grimes / Smith were not getting it done. And Ayew / Lowe were not supporting as they should.
Fulton should start. I don’t see enough of anything to dictate that Grimes should start other than the band around his arm, His quality is too often suspect and as an anchor / pivot in midfield I don’t see enough bite and vision. If I recall it was Grimes’ giveaway cross field pass that sprung Coventry forward for their goal. Poor quality and judgement cost us,
Smith is ok in patches but as @CroJack clearly showed in another thread is an ornament more often than not. Surely the gloss is falling off this new toy.
Fulton should start. I don’t see enough of anything to dictate that Grimes should start other than the band around his arm, His quality is too often suspect and as an anchor / pivot in midfield I don’t see enough bite and vision. If I recall it was Grimes’ giveaway cross field pass that sprung Coventry forward for their goal. Poor quality and judgement cost us,
Smith is ok in patches but as @CroJack clearly showed in another thread is an ornament more often than not. Surely the gloss is falling off this new toy.
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Yankee_Jack
Key Player
I would add that taking Vik off instead of Lowe at half time was a bad move. Vik as a #9 is showing that he can hold the ball up. Lowe can't do that and other than an odd burst of speed here and there, he's not showing much else. Lowe and Ayew don't seem to be forming much of a partnership.
CroJack
Key Player
I don't blame Grimes so much for that pass that led to the Coventry goal. It's more about other players not making themselves available to receive passes. One mistake is ok, but the whole structure of our play was wrong. And I'm sure Grimes wouldn't have made a mistake had Bidwell run into the empty space and made it easier for Grimes to complete his pass.
Up until Fulton was brought in, we had played without ATM, and the consequences were: a) our midfield was unprotected, and b) we lacked creativity up front. We created nothing against Coventry, or precisely, we created miserable 0,37 expected goals. We, actually, deserved to lose the game.
My point is (and the point of this thread) that we have to run more, we have to run into spaces, we have to move to recieve passes, and if we do, the players we have won't look as bad as they looked against Coventry. I repeat, it wasn't only Smith. Many players failed to make the right moves, but I agree Smith was our poorest player on the pitch.
Up until Fulton was brought in, we had played without ATM, and the consequences were: a) our midfield was unprotected, and b) we lacked creativity up front. We created nothing against Coventry, or precisely, we created miserable 0,37 expected goals. We, actually, deserved to lose the game.
My point is (and the point of this thread) that we have to run more, we have to run into spaces, we have to move to recieve passes, and if we do, the players we have won't look as bad as they looked against Coventry. I repeat, it wasn't only Smith. Many players failed to make the right moves, but I agree Smith was our poorest player on the pitch.
I've been railing about this from what seems like the beginning of time. Pass and MOVE! What's so difficult about that? It can't be being coached because we don't do it - at least not properly and consistently. Our players appear to have a mental block about one of the most basic requirements of the game. I can tell you that my choice for the final routine of my assessment for the FAW coaching course all those years ago, was based on pass and move.
It was basic stuff even back then and it still is today, so why we are so poor at it quite honestly baffles me. And it also baffles me why some players are so bad at finding space. When I played it was something I excelled at. Not having the ball controlling ability of players who could work in a tight space, I needed more space to work in and usually found it. There was also an element of self-preservation involved as well because I had no wish to receive the ball with a brick shithouse of a defender close enough to kick lumps out of me!
I also don't understand our general lack of appreciation of space. Time and again I see space open up in front of one of our players, yet we rarely drive forward into that space putting defenders on the back foot. All too often the ball is sprayed wide for no particular reason and what really annoys me is when we check then play the ball back!! It's ridiculous. Finding space is primo in football but when we do, we all too often waste it. Poor play yet we see it in almost every game. I wonder why?
It was basic stuff even back then and it still is today, so why we are so poor at it quite honestly baffles me. And it also baffles me why some players are so bad at finding space. When I played it was something I excelled at. Not having the ball controlling ability of players who could work in a tight space, I needed more space to work in and usually found it. There was also an element of self-preservation involved as well because I had no wish to receive the ball with a brick shithouse of a defender close enough to kick lumps out of me!
I also don't understand our general lack of appreciation of space. Time and again I see space open up in front of one of our players, yet we rarely drive forward into that space putting defenders on the back foot. All too often the ball is sprayed wide for no particular reason and what really annoys me is when we check then play the ball back!! It's ridiculous. Finding space is primo in football but when we do, we all too often waste it. Poor play yet we see it in almost every game. I wonder why?
CroJack
Key Player
It's coaching. It takes a couple of meetings with the players to explain everything and a bit of ruthlessness from the manager to bench (or even get rid of) the players who refuse to move and run into empty spaces. Passing the ball is easy if you have options.
Theory in the morning in the classroom and practice in the afternoon on the training ground.
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Yankee_Jack
Key Player
These guys are pros ... they shouldn't need this level of education.
CroJack
Key Player
Ayew is a pro, not sure about the rest.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
At this level and at this point in their careers they all better be pros or our recruitment is way off
Judging from the farce against Coventry, who are tipped to go down, our recruitment is way off.