Tactics

[Blue Valkyrie]

Just watched the highlights, and we could have had 10.

Brentford offered very little threat to our goal all match. They were poor.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Try reading what i put instead of assuming things that clearly aren't true.
I merely stated that myself and a few others thought it was very odd tactics to shut up shop at half time.
You, along with a lot of others on here simply want to start pointless overinflated arguments with people, just because their opinion differs from yours.
I said in my initial posting myself or none of us are complaining or moaning just making an observation that we found a bit odd.
Why try and cause arguments.

I still don't even consider we did shut up shop. We played a very high scoring team that like to knock the ball about and restricted them to a single shot. We absorbed a lot of nowhere possession against us and scored on the break. It's a common practice in today's game and to that end I do not find it odd in the slightest that we played the entire game, it would appear, in a certain manner. I do not feel anything changed aside from relevant substitutions. We won the game convincingly and comfortably. That is enough for me.

 

[fly high]

I still don't even consider we did shut up shop. We played a very high scoring team that like to knock the ball about and restricted them to a single shot. We absorbed a lot of nowhere possession against us and scored on the break. It's a common practice in today's game and to that end I do not find it odd in the slightest that we played the entire game, it would appear, in a certain manner. I do not feel anything changed aside from relevant substitutions. We won the game convincingly and comfortably. That is enough for me.

This.

We can all be expert football managers but it's all hypothetical, we can't actually make the decisions so CH must be judged on results. He must have been studying Leicester's stats, sat perched at the top of the EPL, in a lot of their games this season they have only had 30% procession & still come out winners, is anyone saying they wouldn't love to be where they are.

 

[highflyer]

I still don't even consider we did shut up shop. We played a very high scoring team that like to knock the ball about and restricted them to a single shot. We absorbed a lot of nowhere possession against us and scored on the break. It's a common practice in today's game and to that end I do not find it odd in the slightest that we played the entire game, it would appear, in a certain manner. I do not feel anything changed aside from relevant substitutions. We won the game convincingly and comfortably. That is enough for me.

Agree that it wasn't 'shutting up shop', but I do think there was a switch in tactics signalled by the key substitution (Crofts for Hemed) and brilliantly so. I thought Hughton was looking for a different way to score more and not just to defend the 2-0. He sounded frustrated in his post match interview that we didn't score more in the second half and with some reason. Should have been 4 or 5 nil at least. The problem was poor finishing, not the switch in system. We had loads more good chances than Brentford after apparently 'shutting up shop'. As many, if not more, than when we were playing 442 in first half. And that's no conincidence, it's tactical thinking from a clever manager, with good players at his disposal.

Should say this is all in hindsight. At the time I was disappointed by the substitution like most others!

 

[Soulman]

How many times have we said that we batter teams at home with possession etc, only to be caught on the break and losing to a team that only has one shot on target.
Teams have been coming to the Amex and beating us on the break.......looks like we are holding off slightly and catching them on the break.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

You obviously watch the games with Blue and White glasses on and can not see anything the other team doers which forces us to play the way we do.

It's funny, but listening to the post match interview by the Brentford manager, even he disagrees with you - I guess he was watching with blue and white glasses on too

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Nobody is saying the tactics were wrong just a little hard on the heart in the mouth times.

Such as when...? (please describe examples of what happened to make you think that way)

I can't think of a single example when they threatened in this period

 

[nwgull]

Apparently you must have been watching with Blue and White glasses to miss the hundreds of gilt edged chances Brentford had.

I do watch with blue and white glasses on, which makes me think that the team playing Brighton are going to score with every attack!

Any neutrals watching on telly would've said game over after 65-70 mins. And they'd have been right.

 

[dazzer6666]

I can't remember watching a second half where I was so confident we were going to win. We let them dick around with the ball, as soon as they pressed forward we took it off them and looked to counter. Never felt like we were threatened and Stockdale never made a save after half time, against the top away scoring team in the division. I think CH pretty much got it spot on, and the third goal always looked likely as well. A poor first touch from Wilson stopped one, Murphy (I think) blazed over when he should have squared it to Tomer, Sidwell could have had one. The Sky pundits (even Wurzel) said we were far too good for Brentford. As for having my 'heart in my mouth with 10 mins to go', nope, was enjoying us comfortably seeing out a game in pretty much total contol. Brilliant.

 

[Perkino]

The conversation between the supporters next to me and myself on about 15 minutes were that Brentford were all closing space down very quickly and limiting our chances to dictate the tempo.

Then some lovely balls from Dunk route 1 threw doubt into their minds which seemed to lead to a little extra space. Which brought about the 1st goal. We concluded that we had grabbed all 3 points at this point because Brentfords passes lack any sort of creativity or purpose.

CH was right to shore up the centre of the midfield and we had expected the change at halftime to be Sidwell for Zamora and then on 60 minutes to see Wilson for Hemed.

Tactics were superb and led to a comfortable win

 

[perseus]

We got outplayed in midfield as expected which is what happens with 4-2-4.

If we had Rohan Ince I would have been tempted to bring him on to deal with Ginger Woods. I did not get bored. Got a bit cold later on.

Brentford made us look good (full backs were poor, and playing the possession game in the opponents half, the full backs have to be magicians) and both teams could have scored more. On top of the PL clinical finishing (i.e. like Leicester) it could have been 6-2. But I think we have used up most of our bad luck at home (very bad luck could have made it 2-2 at best if their quarter chances had gone in).

Ref was a bit fiinicky but he did not miss much. Better than most.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Man City absolutely dominating possession against Leicester! The foxes are letting Man City have possession!!! What is wrong with them - Raneri out! Leicester can't keep the ball - awful team!

 

[perseus]

Man City absolutely dominating possession against Leicester! The foxes are letting Man City have possession!!! What is wrong with them - Raneri out! Leicester can't keep the ball - awful team!

Man City have stopped Vardy from scoring!

 

[BensGrandad]

Such as when...? (please describe examples of what happened to make you think that way)

I can't think of a single example when they threatened in this period

When DS went down injured and the ref mysteriously gave a corner that could and should have been on target at least and then a chance came down by DS right hand post where a header went across the goal a yard from the line instead of at the goal this eventually went out for a thrown I think. Had Hemed missed those he would have got grief. Plus a good last ditch tackle and kick out by , I think it was Dunk in our 6 yd box so in all 3 good chances that could have brought goals but fortunately didnt. Yes we had chances and could have scored 6 or 7 but until Murphy scored they could have levelled it they had the chances

 

[Hugo Rune]

When DS went down injured and the ref mysteriously gave a corner that could and should have been on target at least and then a chance came down by DS right hand post where a header went across the goal a yard from the line instead of at the goal this eventually went out for a thrown I think. Had Hemed missed those he would have got grief. Plus a good last ditch tackle and kick out by , I think it was Dunk in our 6 yd box so in all 3 good chances that could have brought goals but fortunately didnt. Yes we had chances and could have scored 6 or 7 but until Murphy scored they could have levelled it they had the chances

Scaps BG, just scaps. I can't remember any defender out of position in this period and the Crofts/Kayal/Sidwell/Stephens midfield protection made sure there was not a serious shot despite Brentford having huge amounts of possession. Did Gus brainwash you in to believing this formula: Possession=success?

 

[Guy Fawkes]

When DS went down injured and the ref mysteriously gave a corner that could and should have been on target at least

The one where Stockdale collided with Dunk whilst trying to catch the ball and their guy kicked it into Wilson (who had completely blocked any view of the target meaning the striker had nothing to aim at) - nothing mysterious about the corner being given. It was about the only think of note that they did in the 2nd half and the only time our goal was slightly threatened

and then a chance came down by DS right hand post where a header went across the goal a yard from the line instead of at the goal this eventually went out for a thrown I think. Had Hemed missed those he would have got grief.

It was covered and wasn't even a real chance imo

Plus a good last ditch tackle and kick out by , I think it was Dunk in our 6 yd box so in all 3 good chances that could have brought goals but fortunately didnt. Yes we had chances and could have scored 6 or 7 but until Murphy scored they could have levelled it they had the chances

All teams will make tackles to stop the opponents shooting (like Dunk did in your example) it doesn't mean that they were 'clear cut chances' or 'certain goals' and, as you imply, we were lucky not to draw

Guess an away goal counts as 2 now new rule to me. You did realise we were 2 - 0 up and not 1-0 right?

Our keeper had to make 0 (Zero) saves in the second half, yet you sound like we were facing wave after wave of attacks, hanging on by our fingernails and constantly relying on world class saves by our keeper and last ditch blocks by our defenders to keep them out

How many shots did they have in the 2nd half?

 

[BensGrandad]

Ok I will amend that to the latter stages of the game rather than exactly the last 10 mins but they were all chances that they could have scored with. Nobody is saying they had many but 1 may have been enough to give them a lift and my point is had one of those chsnces gone in the whole situation may have been different but through resilience and good fortune they didnt score. That doesnt detract from the fact they could have.

 

[Soulman]

Ok I will amend that to the latter stages of the game rather than exactly the last 10 mins but they were all chances that they could have scored with. Nobody is saying they had many but 1 may have been enough to give them a lift and my point is had one of those chsnces gone in the whole situation may have been different but through resilience and good fortune they didnt score. That doesnt detract from the fact they could have.

Tomer missed a sitter in the first half, Anthony missed a decent chance in the first half, Bruno had one cleared off the line and onto the bar, ......If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas.

 

[BensGrandad]

Nobody is disputing we could have had 6 or 7 goals what is disputed is the fact that some people are saying that Brentford didnt get near enough to score. My heart was in my mouth a few times.

 

[Soulman]

Nobody is disputing we could have had 6 or 7 goals what is disputed is the fact that some people are saying that Brentford didnt get near enough to score. My heart was in my mouth a few times.

I don't think a game goes by for any supporter when their heart is in their mouth a few times. This time we won 3-0, just enjoy it.