What are your biggest concerns regarding our current predicament?

[HantsSeagull]

losing Poyet

 

[Mackenzie]

Burning my cheese on toast.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

I am a little concerned by our inability to look up and see options. In the last few home games I've seen Noone in space, waving his arms desparate for the ball, but no one looks up and sees him.
Earlier this season calderon was constantly available to help play the ball out and was frequently ignored.
Noone has a habit of putting his head down and just running and running, trying to take on one more man, when there are options available.
Against west ham we seemed unable to switch sides in their half. If we were trying to attack on the left, we would, we'd get stifled, play it back to bridcutt who rarely even bothered to look right before playing it back to the left wing where we, just like moments before, were stifled.

If we're going to play the passing game, we need to be alert to all the options and use them all.

This.

The players only seem to spot the options by standing stock still in midfield, and by this time they've been closed down by two oppo players and had the ball taken off them.

You've got to try to spot the options whilst running with the ball ( prefererably into space where you've got time to make a decision ) but our back four and midfield just like to trap the ball and stand around for 5 minutes whilst deciding what to do with it.

 

[Goldstone-Ghost]

Didnt go last night then ? Last night we abandoned our style completely and were much much much much worse than at any point in the last 9 games.

You're right I didn't...

 

[1066familyman]

The lack of creativity in the final third option would get my tick.

However, after the Watford game, my biggest concern now would almost certainly be - Lack Of Confidence
The amount of mis-placed balls out of defence by Greer, the lack of knocking it around at the back and the fact that no one in the team, apart from CMS, seemed to want the ball. Bridcutt going off so early didn't help mind.

 

[Foolg]

Lack of creativity up top. In particular having a £2.5m striker, who clearly knows where the net is when given the ball in good positions, but NEVER ever managing to play to his strengths, or give him any form of service. I wouldn't be suprised if he's got pissed off already and had a word with Poyet, thus Paytner coming in. Feel for him, so much quality, but often the way we play he's made to just run around up top chasing lost causes, or long balls against 6'3 center halves.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Off the ball movement when we have the ball. It's not clever enough so teams like West Ham can mark us out the game and watch us pass the ball around in our own half.

It all ties in with the pace/moving the ball comments. Our players don't move the ball quick enough because alot of the time their only option is sideways or backwards.

 

[Nibble]

For me it has to be the price of pies.

 

[Don Tmatter]

IMO, sitting too deep & players taking too many touches.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Ashley Barnes like the new Adam Virgo wide right, wide left and recently centre mid.

Poor chap all he wants to do really is hang around the 18yard box snapping up tap ins like all good strikers do.

And CMS makes soooo many runs and NO ONE (not Noone) spots it time and time again.

So much for Poyet saying he will build a side round CMS. So there - my concern is poyet is starting to lose "the plot"

 

[WallyBanana]

I have no concerns. As I keep saying; we have another 31 games to play!

 

[Tory Boy]

No concerns at all.

Had them against Hereford, playing at gillingham and withdean.

Current concerns you having a laugh.

TB

 

[Danny-Boy]

My biggest concern is Gus's seemingly stubborn and obstinate streak. We don't need to abandon his possession football, passing style, just leave room for the unexpected to confuse and catch opposing teams out. 90% the Gus way and 10% something more unpredictable and direct. Wouldn't it actually be quite exciting if Harper punted the ball long downfield, one bounce to CMS who runs onto it and scores? Because that's what CMS is capable of...

Right now, it would appear that every team knows what to expect from us. They plan how to make things difficult for us. Let's surprise them now and again. It doesn't mean we have to abandon our preferred style (identity).

That's the point I've been trying to make. Albion are now too predictable. Of course Allardyce is going to praise your style of play, he's just beaten you at home, remember?

 

[Rugrat]

The seemingly non stop slide ... there may be 93 points available but that's true for everyone ... but on current form we'd get another 14 or so. That won't happen I'm sure ... I thought the Hull game was going to be the start of the turnaround .. it didn't produce the result we needed but I sure as hell hope Barnsley does

 

[Danny-Boy]

Yes Barnsley now looks like a 3-pointer, 5 out of 30 is a bit of a bad return. I think it may be that the beauty of the AMEX is actually a negative factor, all the other teams actually WANT to play there. On the other hand they hated the prospect of Withdean.

It was like that with So'ton, they moved from the pokey Dell to St. Mary's and their results suffered for a time. Opposing teams should worry about playing away, for the moment the AMEX is a novelty and the wide pitch makes it a South coast version of wembley.

 

[GT49er]

Wouldn't it actually be quite exciting if Harper punted the ball long downfield, one bounce..........

Like Ankergren did in the last minute against Leeds?

 

[tgretton87]

I love it all.

The Amex
The fans
The teams coming to play us.
Sky sports rocking up 3 times this year already
Gus quality football style (GIVE THIS 1 YEAR AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW GOOD WE COULD BE)

Barnsley is going to be great and I cannot wait to see the goal go in that gives us the confidence to bang in more and more.

COME ON YOU ALBION

 

[black shadow]

Predictable play

Major concern IMO is that we only seem to have one style of play, which means opposing teams now know exactly what to expect from us, we're too predictable. Maybe that's why, in the week, our guys weren't playing how Poyet wanted them to play...perhaps the players feel they need to try other ideas? Admittedly it didn't work, but certainly don't think Poyet's after match comments this week ie. he'll "go home" on Sunday if we don't pass etc, will have helped the team's morale in any way. If he thought we were going to stay top of the table for the whole season he was deluded. We were always likely to hit a rough patch like this and it comes with the territory of being a manager. Gus, there's a good old British saying...."if you can't stand the heat, get out of the fire" !!

 

[BensGrandad]

That we are not playing to CMS strengths for which we bought him and the fact that nobody wants to have a shot, everybody wants to walk the ball into the net.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

It's all pretty much been said:
- better movement off the ball
- greater creativity in the final third
- more intelligent use of dead ball situations
- a much higher proportion of shots per game

No need to panic, but a win on Sunday and a decent performance at St Mary's and we'll all be breathing easier.