Should be 3 points now but comms say it was against the run of play as much as they relished the goal.
Huddersfield
- Thread starter ivoralljack
- Start date
KVetch
Key Player
I don't want to think what we're like without Ayew. Garrick and Cullen better be ready by then. There is something consistent about the way we concede after getting a goal. You can time your watch by it. I can't remember when we had a 2 goal advantage going into the final minutes. Almost didn't there, Garrick saved the day. Rodon had a good block before they scored. Rodon is a big part of the defense. I'd hate to sell him or VdH.
The Blobster
Prediction Champ
I do not understand why after playing well in the first half with a high line of defence we came out second half to defend deep and allow a poor team to run at us and peg us back. I don't know what Blooperman tells them at half time but my suggestion is that if we are doing well first half we should lock Blooperman out of the dressing room for the half time break !
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
I just got to see small bits of the game here and there. How did Rodon and Cabango do
The Blobster
Prediction Champ
Apart from one poor pass early on from Rodon they were solid. Rodon highly effective both in defence and starting forward movement.
Cabango was strong and played well.
It's just a shame that it's highly likely that Rodon will be sold in the summer to finance the purchase of lesser players for what will be a decimated squad for next season.
Cabango was strong and played well.
It's just a shame that it's highly likely that Rodon will be sold in the summer to finance the purchase of lesser players for what will be a decimated squad for next season.
CroJack
Key Player
They were good. Especially Rodon. The trouble is that we stopped passing the ball in the second half and started hoofing it. 37,7 % possession at home turf against a poor Huddersfield side is criminal. 68% pass accuracy is also far below our standards.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
I posted on the squad challenge in another thread. It’s a dangerous situation.
CroJack
Key Player
Grimes --> Brewster --> Gallagher --> Garrick --> Goal !
As you may all guess, I am saying that one reason for this is that we are not fit enough. Sure, Cooper very often gets out-thought in the dressing room at half time but when players stop running, stop pressing and stop their movement, it's usually because they are running out of gas in their lungs and strength in their legs. I know because I've seen it first hand many hundreds of times and it holds true at whatever level the game is played at. As I've commented before, I packed up the game when it became increasingly obvious that my legs and lungs couldn't deliver what my head was telling them to do because I had no time to train properly. It got to the stage when I got so disgusted with my performances, I literally started to hate playing because I was letting myself and my team mates down with some pretty awful stuff. It was time to go and I went.
I quote again what a Welsh rugby coach once said when asked about his team's tough training regime. He replied that towards the end of a game the training meant that his team were asking themselves where the next score was coming from and not where the next breath was coming from. I can't begin to tell you how true this is!
Of course, fitness isn't the B all and end all of the game but it is a vital factor because it enables a player to better perform other aspects of the game and, allied to a sound tactical strategy and some decent players, you have a pretty potent combination.
Behindthegoal
Key Player
A good result! It took the equaliser to shake us out of our lethargy.
I was really impressed with Kalulu. Maybe at last we have our Dyer 1.2.
I was really impressed with Kalulu. Maybe at last we have our Dyer 1.2.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
CroJack
Key Player
Yes, the numbers are correct. Especially the second half was dire in terms of possession and passing accuracy.
First half:
Possession 45% - 55%
Passing accuracy 75% - 77%
Second half:
Possession 30 % - 70%
Passing accuracy 58% - 84%
We made poor Huddersfield side look like Manchester City in the second half. This is embarassing for Swansea, once a top passing side. But to be fair to Swans, Huddersfield passed the ball mostly in their own half and in the middle of the pitch. We were good at quick transitions and used the pace of Brewster, Kalulu, Gallagher and Garrick well to hit them by counter-attacking. But hoofing the ball should never be our style. Between 60th and 80th minute we were too defensive and failed to pressed them high. We invited the pressure and they scored. Immediatelly after they had scored we woke up and started pressing and attacking them again.
With other words, we look good as long as we press and run, and when we stop pressing and running, we concede.
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And you need to be FIT to do that for 90 minutes!
Behindthegoal
Key Player
I'm just a simple chap and you're confusing me with stats again.
For instance, these long balls to the wing (hoof ball?).
The swansea way would be a patient, possession based build up, maybe 8 passes, ending up with the wide midfielder just in the final third with chances to create a goal scoring opportunity. As we know too well, if we're too patient the oppo will have ten men between him and the goal.
The Cooper way is a long punt from Woodman towards Brewster, spectacularly unsuccessful , or diagonals from the centre backs (and Grimes) which were generally productive. They either found our man, bypassing their midfield, or forced their wide defender to nudge into touch. Is this not where we would be after 8 patient passes?
For instance, these long balls to the wing (hoof ball?).
The swansea way would be a patient, possession based build up, maybe 8 passes, ending up with the wide midfielder just in the final third with chances to create a goal scoring opportunity. As we know too well, if we're too patient the oppo will have ten men between him and the goal.
The Cooper way is a long punt from Woodman towards Brewster, spectacularly unsuccessful , or diagonals from the centre backs (and Grimes) which were generally productive. They either found our man, bypassing their midfield, or forced their wide defender to nudge into touch. Is this not where we would be after 8 patient passes?
CroJack
Key Player
I make a difference between long passes and hoofing. Long passes, both forward and diagonal, are great (Liverpool style), but, unfortunatelly, for about 20 minutes in the second half, we sat so deep that we hoofed it in panic. Long passes is result of a plan, hoofing is a result of panic.
I don't mind playing well organised defensive football with quick transitions, counter-attacking and long passes bypassing opposition defence. That's how Leicester won the Premier League title. But, again, it has to be a game plan.
Liverpool use long balls to either quickly switch the sides and attack from the flanks or to bypass opposition defence. Both are the part of their attacking plan - how to break down stubborn sides who park the bus against them. Against teams who want to play football Liverpool use gegen-pressing and quick transition. But Liverpool have high % of possession and passing accuracy as well.
I never wanted us to play slow, impotent passing football. I want quick movements and tempo whilst keeping the majority of possession. It's not a coincidence that the best passing teams in the Championship are those in the top four places: Leeds, Fulham, Brentford and West Brom.
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