KVetch
Key Player
We have to have the players who are not afraid of taking on a defender. Ayew shows it, Lowe had a few moments tonight wresting the ball away near the box. A little more possession would help our defending.
Play-Off Semi-Finals First Leg
- Thread starter CroJack
- Start date
KVetch
Key Player
He has to be in for his free kicking. A side like Barnsley down a goal is going to get a few whistles. That's the only defense I have for Cooper. He did play a nice ball to Ayew around the 70 minute mark that should have been a goal. I hope Smith starts Saturday too.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
Exactly how many good dead ball kicks did he take today? And of that one or perhaps two, could they not have been taken by any other player. We’re taking about seasoned pros here not a Sunday shit kickers team.
KVetch
Key Player
That's what I've been thinking. There has to be someone else able to take them. Roberts or Bidwell. Only 1 sub used this match, he should have taken him off in the 2nd half. One goal lead but if we concede 1 it's going to get dicey.
Roberts should get a start next match. Manning would be a good start too.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
At home we go with 3+2 - not a defensive move but a move to make the field as big as possible when in possession, a move to get our best players on the field, a move to get our most dangerous assist players on the field, and a move to put another BMF in our box to counter their bigger forwards.
Drop Invisible, keep the same forward 3 and ask Ayew to play as a #10 ... he damn near does anyway.
With this we can win going away. BUT, we cannot play with just 10 men and hope that the luck goes with us. There are only so many big games where Grimes and Fulton can manage to also do the work of another.
Drop Invisible, keep the same forward 3 and ask Ayew to play as a #10 ... he damn near does anyway.
With this we can win going away. BUT, we cannot play with just 10 men and hope that the luck goes with us. There are only so many big games where Grimes and Fulton can manage to also do the work of another.
I think Mr Invisible purposely makes himself invisible thinking he's only on the park for dead ball kicking, how the hell did we ever manage without him.
Possibly having an invisible manager could have something to do with it.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
@Jackflash ... just pay attention to the way Invisible runs (or doesn’t), his body posture, his positioning, his reflexive resistance to any form of body contact. I’m not sure if it’s willful or a natural aversion and limitation. Then there’s his work to get the ball and desire to be involved - the word shy could apply. There’s no way this guy is a premier league player. I would select Smith, Dhanda, Cooper and Byers ahead of him and get superior results. I would start Roberts out of position ahead of Invisible and get superior results.
what does Andy Pandy see and get out of Invisible that I’m not recognizing?
what does Andy Pandy see and get out of Invisible that I’m not recognizing?
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
Bias ... got stuffed yesterday. Ref bias. Punter bias .... bookies made a killing. Commentator bias ... was shut up by Ayew’s goal. Media bias ... today’s headline “Ayew gives Swansea NARROW lead over Barnsley” ... unwilling to acknowledge the reality. We came, we saw, we conquered. We did what was necessary with 10 players to prevail and move one step closer to the target. Barnsley were the best version of themselves and failed at home, with homes supporters in the stands, and all of the home field advantage that manifested.
CroJack
Key Player
Let's not fool ourselves. We played Barnsley's game yesterday and we allowed them to play their best hoofing football. They created better chances and should've won the game.
We could've and should've done much better.
We had a chance to rip them appart and punish their kamikaze football. But we didn't because Cooper hadn't done his job properly and coached our players how to exploit Barnsley's extreme tactical naivety.
Instead of passing the ball into the huge empty spaces which Barnsley didn't cover at all, we kept hoofing the ball at every opportunity.
What to say about the fact that in the game against a tactically naive side our coach hails our defensive resilience? What to say about the fact that the three best rated players in our squad were our goalkeeper and two centre-backs?
Our players have proved they can pass the ball. They have proved they can play excellent attacking football. They have proved they have enough technical ability. So why on earth our coaching staff have not prepared them properly for the Barnsley game?
We could've and should've done much better.
We had a chance to rip them appart and punish their kamikaze football. But we didn't because Cooper hadn't done his job properly and coached our players how to exploit Barnsley's extreme tactical naivety.
Instead of passing the ball into the huge empty spaces which Barnsley didn't cover at all, we kept hoofing the ball at every opportunity.
What to say about the fact that in the game against a tactically naive side our coach hails our defensive resilience? What to say about the fact that the three best rated players in our squad were our goalkeeper and two centre-backs?
Our players have proved they can pass the ball. They have proved they can play excellent attacking football. They have proved they have enough technical ability. So why on earth our coaching staff have not prepared them properly for the Barnsley game?
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
But ... could we really do more with only 2 players in midfield and 10 effective players on the field.
CroJack
Key Player
Yes. The way Barnsley played against us was nothing new.
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Yankee_Jack
Key Player
But to play our best style of football we need all players wanting to receive the ball and working to make themselves available ... timidity with the ball is not an option ... especially in midfield and especially when the other team are robust and eager with the press. We don't have all players in that mode; one in particular.
CroJack
Key Player
I am talking about our tactics and training drills, not about Hurihane. Hourihane played 80 minutes against Bristol, when we tottally outplayed them in the first half, and played our best pass & move football under Cooper. I agree that Hourihane is not the best option in the midfield, but Cooper is the bigger problem than Hourihane.
It's something else. Our tactics against Barnsley was hoofing football. The players had been told to hoof the ball at every opportunity. But it wasn't necessary to do it all the time. Our only goal came after the first meaningful passing sequence and a clever pass from Naughton to Ayew, not from a headless kick'n'rush football.
If we use the same tactics at the Liberty they'll beat us. They are better than us at exploiting chaos on the pitch.
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CroJack
Key Player
I'll have a look at it. In my opinion Hourihane's biggest problem is softness when it comes to duels and his reluctance to make forward passes. His first instict is a backward pass. He plays safe. Which slows us down. Grimes and Fulton always try to play forward passes first. Smith and Dhanda as well.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
I tried to follow Invisible during the match, which I found difficult because he literally blended in and disappeared doing nothing remarkable. And, those things that he did where he stood out (e.g. corner kicks etc) were by and large of poor quality. I commented in an earlier post on his running, body posture, unwillingness to physically compete, etc. -- all of these things were off in comparison to peers like Fulton and Grimes. At one point when jumping to head a ball right on top of him, with nobody near to challenge, he missed timed it so badly that he missed the ball completely - so not just a physical but also a mental thing.
If I was seeing him for the first time and didn't know anything else, my first impression would be of a player nursing an injury or playing with a severe illness. I'm not sure he's well. He sure as hell is not a premier league player on current form.
Interesting to note that bookies odds now make Brentford and Bournemouth joint favourites at 2/1. But we are hot on their heels at 5/2. So they still must think that, even if we get to the final, whoever we play will beat us given that Bees and Muff have to play each other and one of them will be out. Barnsley are at 6/1 but I think we're in for a hell of a game on Saturday as they will throw the kitchen sink at us. I just hope they don't score first as that will make for a really traumatic afternoon.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
The bookies' odds reflect the punters' bias. Looks like they're getting it wrong again with respect to the two Bs. Let's face it ... nobody wants a Welsh club in the Prem ... we make them look bad.
CroJack
Key Player
It seems to me we are going to meet Bournemouth at Wembley. Good.
My preference as well
. IF we get there.
Behindthegoal
Key Player
What’s the safest way to travel to Wembley Covidly speaking?