Sitting Back and Trying To Defend A Lead - A Tactic We Keep Using and are RUBBISH at

[Icy Gull]

Indeed. But it's probably a better tactic than conceding early goals and trying to pull them back.

I'd prefer it that way at least we'd finish the game on the front foot and get excited in the last few mins rather than depressed

 

[NMH]

Although I dont agree with this, I thank you for your much informative response. It gives a good detailed insight into the life of a matchday steward.

As I said I dont want to go all UB/S433 on it, as I dont have a massive problem with it, even though I dont agree with it.

Okay, but you have to realise that stewards aren't robotically focused on crowd behavior only, not every one of them has to perform the function of monitoring seated supporters - that some important and necessary duties are done and dusted before a match kicks off. You wouldn't be comfortable having every steward in the ground staring at you and your mates to police your every movement - from the front OR back of the stands.

It was meant to be ridiculous, like it is ridiculous that Hawkins plays whilst injured, and Virgo is a briiliant centre back, yet plays up front, right midfield, left wing, or even worse centre midfield

Yep, got that, and wasn't taking that post seriously.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

next month we get Lynch back from Forest and Hinshlewood back from injury

Imagine that SOLID team

Kuipers

Whing Hawkins Elphick Lynch

Hinshlewood El Adb Fraser LIvermore Richards

Virgo

Manna from heavan for ADAMS. Then he will have NO selection problems because he can play defenders EVERYWHERE. The northern TWAT.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

next month we get Lynch back from Forest and Hinshlewood back from injury

Imagine that SOLID team

Kuipers

Whing Hawkins Elphick Lynch

Hinshlewood El Adb Fraser LIvermore Richards

Virgo

What have you got against COOK and PEARSON?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Kuipers

Whing Hawkins Elphick Lynch

Hinshlewood El Adb Pearson Richards Cook

Virgo

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Kuipers

Whing Hawkins Elphick Lynch

Hinshlewood El Adb Pearson Richards Cook

Virgo

YOU have got the JOB! We can DISPENSE with the VELVET bag now.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

It's turning in to Hartlepool away all over again with Jeff Wood(?)

 

[Silent Bob]

Mayo

Whing Hawkins Elphick Lynch

Hinshlewood El Adb Pearson Richards Cook

Virgo

Fixed.

 

[Mellotron]

I reckon intelligence is slowly seeping into the side. Players like Elphick and El-Abd appear to benefit from having the likes of Anyinsah, Savage, Richards and Thornton around them. OK, they're only loans, but takes the pressure off them a bit.

And nice to see the dross either farmed out or jogging on along the touchline.

Shame when they've gone we've only got IDIOTS like Murray eh?

 

[Spiros]

I think we have now discovered we are not capable of doing it. It has taken 2 games, and 4 equalisers but will we finally go away from using this tactic.

We play so well going forward, and score goals, yet when we "think" we are comfortable, we just drop back, sit on the edge of our box, and let the opposition attack us.
.

While I can agree with a lot of what you posted at the start, we conceded the first goal last night from an ATTACKING position. We weren't shoving the ball in the corner, Anyinsah had just had an effort cleared off the line 30 seconds before they broke back down our end and scored with a well-taken header.

We used the tactic for about the last 5 minutes on Saturday - like most teams do when only one goal up with a few minutes to go. Up until then we were still trying to increase our lead. That's what made BOTH games good to watch.

If you're thinking about the 'one goal up, now go for the corner' tactics you must be casting your mind back to the Wilkins era.

 

[Mellotron]

While I can agree with a lot of what you posted at the start, we conceded the first goal last night from an ATTACKING position. We weren't shoving the ball in the corner, Anyinsah had just had an effort cleared off the line 30 seconds before they broke back down our end and scored with a well-taken header.

We used the tactic for about the last 5 minutes on Saturday - like most teams do when only one goal up with a few minutes to go. Up until then we were still trying to increase our lead. That's what made BOTH games good to watch.

If you're thinking about the 'one goal up, now go for the corner' tactics you must be casting your mind back to the Wilkins era.

Against Cheltenham in the 89th min (with 4 mins stoppage announced) why on earth did we waste a corner by doing a short pass and holding it there?

Thornton's crossing and Murray's heading meant we could've easily gone 4-2 there.

The point is we acted scared of them when we really shouldn't have. We got the tactics wrong and it cost us.

 

[Mendoza]

We used the tactic for about the last 5 minutes on Saturday - like most teams do when only one goal up with a few minutes to go. Up until then we were still trying to increase our lead. That's what made BOTH games good to watch.

we did it for AT LEAST the last half an hour on Saturday, and from about 20 minutes in yesterday.

the games were probably good to watch, but not as an Albion fan. As a Neutral, yes, as you got to see both the team attack. Just we let the opposition attack us non stop in the last 2 games and paid the price.

My theory is that Elphick and Hawkins with his injury are both so slow they both sit back to compensate their lack of pace, which makes the midfield drop deep, and because Adams has put defenders in midfield we end up with 7 players sitting on the edge of our box for a lot of the game

 

[Keeping The Dream Alive.]

We struggle to dominate even the worst sides at home.
There are three fairly capable loan signings out there, yet the likes of Walsall Cheltenham and orient can run us!

I noticed that whenever the attack swings back to defence, everyone gets back asap but don't actually pick up their men - leaving the midfield completely empty while they planned and built an attack from exactly there.

It's all very well Rob Savage waving our players forward, but all he wants is one forward runner who can run into a hole and collect a pass going towards their goal.

Now, we do attack teams at Withdean - but the most comfortable and capable we have ever looked in my opinion, is when we played Man City. Why? It's because we expected to have to defend, and made forward forays with more enterprise....and space to run into.

The solution I reckon, is to actually work on keeping the ball around in the midfield more, and not compacting the front line of play by 'surging' forward, because that tide just 'surges' right back at us just as surely. We thereby offer our opposition as many attacks and chances as we get - and it's generally ending in drawn results, albeit with goals going in.

Consolidate a steadier midfield, and give Elphick less area to roam - because he's proving confused and vulnerable when things are coming at him with pace or conviction.

Not much wrong there, NMH.

 

[Spiros]

Against Cheltenham in the 89th min (with 4 mins stoppage announced) why on earth did we waste a corner by doing a short pass and holding it there?

Thornton's crossing and Murray's heading meant we could've easily gone 4-2 there.

The point is we acted scared of them when we really shouldn't have. We got the tactics wrong and it cost us.

I don't disagree. But virtually all teams would have taken the same approach we did in that situation - Adams isn't doing anything unusual in not committing any players forward when one up with only a minute plus added time on the clock.

My point is that last night we didn't concede our first goal while just protecting our lead as 30 seconds earlier only a goal-line clearance stopped us from going 3 up and we were caught on the counter.

 

[Spiros]

we did it for AT LEAST the last half an hour on Saturday, and from about 20 minutes in yesterday.

the games were probably good to watch, but not as an Albion fan. As a Neutral, yes, as you got to see both the team attack. Just we let the opposition attack us non stop in the last 2 games and paid the price.

My theory is that Elphick and Hawkins with his injury are both so slow they both sit back to compensate their lack of pace, which makes the midfield drop deep, and because Adams has put defenders in midfield we end up with 7 players sitting on the edge of our box for a lot of the game

We can agree to disagree regarding the timing of things but you are bang on about Elphick and Hawkins. The lack of pace in our central defence is why we gradually move from the front to the back foot during a game. I don't think we are mentally saying 'lets just defend the lead' - I don't actually think we are capable of pushing on past a certain point.

Admittedly I missed the first home game this season, but from what I've seen of Hawkins he doesn't give us anything we didn't already have - except worse. Although he is committed and generally good in the air, he gives off an air of panic at times, is slow and his decision-making is frankly puzzling. Elphick is also a committed but limited player, but he wins more than Hawkins and his distribution is less bad. We looked so much more solid with Virgo partnering Elphick against Man City.

 

[Mellotron]

I don't disagree. But virtually all teams would have taken the same approach we did in that situation - Adams isn't doing anything unusual in not committing any players forward when one up with only a minute plus added time on the clock.

My point is that last night we didn't concede our first goal while just protecting our lead as 30 seconds earlier only a goal-line clearance stopped us from going 3 up and we were caught on the counter.

I think with 5 minutes to go (this was knowledge as the board had come up) wasting a corner is not common tactics against inferior opposition who we were ruling in the air yet NEEDED a 2 goal cushion against.

Didn't go last night so cannot comment.

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

The oipposition are there to exploit our weaknesses. They know we are slow at the back and poor on the ground hence teams are running at us rather than lumping the ball forward where big centrebacks can head it straight back again.