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in this wonderfully unpredictable season which we are all enjoying I cannot help but wonder as a good a season as we are having why are Leicester who allegedly have a team of average run of the mill players with probably only marhez/vardy/schmiechell/ regarded as top players how are they doing so much better than us? if you watched there match yesterday you would see why..citeh away yet they dismantled a team of overrated mercenaries with ease...they came out of the traps fast had belief in there own game plan and abilities did not worry about citeh just concentrated on doing what they do and won the match deservedly....when you see us though keeping possession with square passes and backward passes playing slow nobody willing to take the game by scruff of the neck and push us on it is annoying...I do not have confidence in our chances on Tuesday unless we drop valencia and song go 442 and play on the front foot with some pace I cannot say I would be surprised if we loss....2 defeats in 12 games is a good record for us but we can do so much more but for some reason we don't have a belief....yesterday against 10men apart from reids header the closest we came to levelling the game was a defensive header that almost went wrong and a scuffed clearance that had the gk panicking for a few seconds....nothing that we produced that is for certain......what does that say about us? we are so much better than yesterday but it seems that we don't believe it.
I have to say all that sq and
I have to say all that sq and back passing pisses me off as well ,no wonder we've got zero penetration up front ,say what you will about Zarate at least he'd when he got the ball anything could happen ,yeah sure he had his faults ,who doesn't 3,at least he wasnt afraid to have a go ,looks to me like teams have done their homework on Payet,
At the start of the season we
At the start of the season we played fast football with quick crisp passing. It's not just pace that kills teams in this league it's quick movement of the ball. Leicester look like that's what they are doing and it works. Both against villa and soton we were so slow at moving the ball (and at times taking too many unecessary passes) it allowed teams to keep their shape easier, I don't think people have Sussed Payet it's just that our slow play and bad movement allows teams to get players on him in numbers. Personally I think this has become self inflicted by Us because we are playing a more European style football now. I'm not against the ball going backwards or sideways but ATM there seems to be a lack of decisiveness. The worse thing for me we seemed scared to try a shot near the end and went for an extra pass instead
Spot on. We need Lanzini back
Spot on. We need Lanzini back.
I'll second that.
Leicester are playing "The West Ham Way" at the moment. West Ham fans hate to see either the long ball game or the slow patient buildup to nothing game. Direct, fast, counterattacking seems the best way, with aggressive defending. How many times did I see Soton press with three players well into our half when we had the ball. But they were able to keep their shape and did not suffer from it. We do need Lanzini and a bit of fire as well. Coulda had a 7 pt cushion over Everton/Liverpool and be sat in 5th, but instead we sit 6th in a tight table. After February the fixture list doesn't look so kind for us.
We do seem to struggle when
We do seem to struggle when WE are forced to take the initiative, long term the hope is for us just to be so dominant against a lot of teams. If so we need to adopt a different way. Strangely this way of playing is suited to us being the underdog. I used to be all for looking after the ball and control the game but it's how we use it, there is no point in having the procession if most of it is played in areas that are Not dangerous. Decent mangers will allow teams a lot of the ball in two thirds of the pitch and Compact the final third with their players making it congested. That's why we need quick and decisive in the prem. in Europe it might be just the thing. Just get our early season attitude back and we will be fine. Don't want to jump on songs back but does anyone else get the idea song thinks he is better than he actually is? Perhaps I'm being unfair?
Bloody well right
Your comment Burkie is so damn right. I watched Leicester v City and didn't notice one back/side pass. It gets you nowhere just faffing about in your half of the pitch, then a huge long hopeful ball belted upfield. This is not how we play, or shouldn't be. I hope by watching Leicester the penny will drop. Another big annoyance is when a team charging through the middle, will suddenly stop and hoof a huge 40 yard pass over to the wing, what's that all about? Anyway, we are of course doing fine this season and Mark Noble just gets better and better. He has to get the England call-up, oh sorry I forgot, he doesn't play for Spurs.
TimmyD!!
Hows it going my fellow hammer supporting SPREAD??;)