I wonder if I’m alone in finding the performances this season stale, particularly at home, with moments of excitement few and far between.
The Bournemouth 3-3 was exciting, and the Liverpool last minute win too, but otherwise I’d have to rack my brain to think of memorable games.
There’s been a few boring 0-0s amongst them.
This is not meant to be another moaning piece calling out Glasner and/or the players,but more a reflection or observation of the games that I’ve witnessed.
I would differentiate this from where we are in historical terms since as a long term supporter I know we are doing just fine as a mid table Premier League club in the semi final of a European competition, which would have been unthinkable when the club was in the old third division plying it’s trade in front of a few thousand spectators.
I’ve tried to analyse why the games this season are less enjoyable, at least for me.
We are employing the same tactics and system as the rest of Glasner’s time with the club.
We pass the ball in similar patterns between the back three and try and progress up the field in a methodical way largely through the wing backs.
The difficulty seems to me when we get around 70 yards up the field and the players in the wider areas turn backwards and pass the ball back with no thought of progressing forward. It doesn’t seem to matter who it is - Munoz, Mitchell, Pino, Guessand , Johnson - the ball ends up being passed backwards.
Only Wharton and ,on occasions Kamada and Pino, seem prepared to make a penetrating forward pass.
Only Sarr seems prepared to make a forward run with real purpose.
The conclusion I’ve reached is that by his high standards Munoz has had a far less effective role this season than in the rest of his time at the club.
The 40 yards up sprints have largely been absent this season which has almost totally negated our thrust down the right.
On the other side we had Eze who first and foremost thinks in attacking terms and wants to bring the ball forward to make a dribble, a pass or shot. The players we’ve tried as an alternative to Eze this season have not been able to deliver in the same way which has made us less effective in attacking terms.
Accordingly we’ve carried little threat down the sides in attacking terms down the sides where we look pretty clueless.
The evidence is that the tactics will get you into reasonable attacking positions in advanced areas, but you need the special players at the top of their game to convert those promising positions into moments to get you off your seat.
The Bournemouth 3-3 was exciting, and the Liverpool last minute win too, but otherwise I’d have to rack my brain to think of memorable games.
There’s been a few boring 0-0s amongst them.
This is not meant to be another moaning piece calling out Glasner and/or the players,but more a reflection or observation of the games that I’ve witnessed.
I would differentiate this from where we are in historical terms since as a long term supporter I know we are doing just fine as a mid table Premier League club in the semi final of a European competition, which would have been unthinkable when the club was in the old third division plying it’s trade in front of a few thousand spectators.
I’ve tried to analyse why the games this season are less enjoyable, at least for me.
We are employing the same tactics and system as the rest of Glasner’s time with the club.
We pass the ball in similar patterns between the back three and try and progress up the field in a methodical way largely through the wing backs.
The difficulty seems to me when we get around 70 yards up the field and the players in the wider areas turn backwards and pass the ball back with no thought of progressing forward. It doesn’t seem to matter who it is - Munoz, Mitchell, Pino, Guessand , Johnson - the ball ends up being passed backwards.
Only Wharton and ,on occasions Kamada and Pino, seem prepared to make a penetrating forward pass.
Only Sarr seems prepared to make a forward run with real purpose.
The conclusion I’ve reached is that by his high standards Munoz has had a far less effective role this season than in the rest of his time at the club.
The 40 yards up sprints have largely been absent this season which has almost totally negated our thrust down the right.
On the other side we had Eze who first and foremost thinks in attacking terms and wants to bring the ball forward to make a dribble, a pass or shot. The players we’ve tried as an alternative to Eze this season have not been able to deliver in the same way which has made us less effective in attacking terms.
Accordingly we’ve carried little threat down the sides in attacking terms down the sides where we look pretty clueless.
The evidence is that the tactics will get you into reasonable attacking positions in advanced areas, but you need the special players at the top of their game to convert those promising positions into moments to get you off your seat.
