Villa (a), Newcastle (h) and Tottenham (h)

[lem8sh]

Very much so. Can't wait for the next game to see more of the same, with hopefully a little less nervousness in front of goal, the only thing missing as of now for me.

Yep, badly need some pace either as striker or a wide man with that the improvement should arrive.

 

[Fully Fledged]

Of course scoring goals is the purpose, I don't have to state the bleeding obvious
Just because we didn't score against Newcastle doesn't mean our attacking PLAY hasn't improved, you're really not getting that and I can only assume you're not actually watching the games.

Was our attacking play yesterday as bad as our attacking play against Villa? No. Was our attacking play against Villa as bad as it was against Spurs? No. See an improvement.

Yes it does. The main purpose of the teams attackers is to put the ball in the back of the net. If a teams attack does not put the ball into the back of the net it has failed to do it's job end of. IF we had forced Krul to make a few world class saves then we could say we played well but were unlucky. If he only has to make one decent save all match then our attack has failed miserably.

Let's face it we weren't playing against the best defensive team in the league (never mind the world). Newcastle have a woeful defensive unit and we made them look world class.

 

[Fully Fledged]

Yep, badly need some pace either as striker or a wide man with that the improvement should arrive.

I think the best way to beat the parked bus is with tall powerful strikers who can cause trouble inside a packed area.

 

[Getsme]

Yes it does. The main purpose of the teams attackers is to put the ball in the back of the net. If a teams attack does not put the ball into the back of the net it has failed to do it's job end of. IF we had forced Krul to make a few world class saves then we could say we played well but were unlucky. If he only has to make one decent save all match then our attack has failed miserably.

Let's face it we weren't playing against the best defensive team in the league (never mind the world). Newcastle have a woeful defensive unit and we made them look world class.

It’s not ‘end of’ it’s a pathetic outlook on the game of football.
Again read the thread, or even better watch the game and you will see that he had more than one world class save to make. Truly am starting to believe that some posters in here don’t watch the games, or at the very best don’t understand even the basis of football.

 

[Verminator]

To beat the parked bus listen to John Barnes. Get round the back.
Or have someone shooting from distance who can hit the target consistently, then feed off the rebounds.
The hardest way to penetrate those tactics is head-on through the middle.

 

[Getsme]

To beat the parked bus listen to John Barnes. Get round the back.
Or have someone shooting from distance who can hit the target consistently, then feed off the rebounds.
The hardest way to penetrate those tactics is head-on through the middle.

John Barns, great football manager he was.

 

[JPRouve]

Not what I said also I see you don't mention of the chances you think we apparently did create which reinforces my point. Without attacking reinforcements we cannot win anything playing this way we just won't create enough.

• 3mn Rooney's goal disallowed.
• 15mn Mata's shot saved by Krul.
• 15mn Blind play a throught ball to Rooney, Krul catches his shot.
• 21mn Memphis takes on Mbemba, his shot is caught by Krul.
• 24mn Memphis bottles a chance created by Januzaj.
• 72mn Crosses to Mata, who misses the target.
• 74mn Mata Volley the ball into Memphis.
• 75mn One-two between Schneiderlin and Shaw, that leads to a shot caught by Krul
• 79mn Hernandez's opportunity
• 84mn Schneiderlin crosses to Rooney, who heads the ball to Valencia, his shot is blocked by Coloccini
• 90mn Smalling hits the post
• 93mn Carrick's shot from the edge of the box is deflected.

In the middle of all that, our attacking players messed up a lot in the last tier of the field.

 

[mufcwarm92]

We had one shot on target against Spurs and Guzan did not have a save to make. With regards to our final ball and finishing not being there, it hasn't been there with a long time and and reinforcements are clearly needed.

Exactly, hence the statement that we were improved in an attacking sense from those two games. I agree we need a top forward to supplement things up front but who is that player? Really can't see anyone available.

 

[Verminator]

John Barns, great football manager he was.

Yeah but what a rapper!

 

[Wumminator]

• 3mn Rooney's goal disallowed.
• 15mn Mata's shot saved by Krul.
• 15mn Blind play a throught ball to Rooney, Krul catches his shot.
• 21mn Memphis takes on Mbemba, his shot is caught by Krul.
• 24mn Memphis bottles a chance created by Januzaj.
• 72mn Crosses to Mata, who misses the target.
• 74mn Mata Volley the ball into Memphis.
• 75mn One-two between Schneiderlin and Shaw, that leads to a shot caught by Krul
• 79mn Hernandez's opportunity
• 84mn Schneiderlin crosses to Rooney, who heads the ball to Valencia, his shot is blocked by Coloccini
• 90mn Smalling hits the post
• 93mn Carrick's shot from the edge of the box is deflected.

In the middle of all that, our attacking players messed up a lot in the last tier of the field.

Perfect.

 

[Raw]

• 3mn Rooney's goal disallowed.
• 15mn Mata's shot saved by Krul.
• 15mn Blind play a throught ball to Rooney, Krul catches his shot.
• 21mn Memphis takes on Mbemba, his shot is caught by Krul.
• 24mn Memphis bottles a chance created by Januzaj.
• 72mn Crosses to Mata, who misses the target.
• 74mn Mata Volley the ball into Memphis.
• 75mn One-two between Schneiderlin and Shaw, that leads to a shot caught by Krul
• 79mn Hernandez's opportunity
• 84mn Schneiderlin crosses to Rooney, who heads the ball to Valencia, his shot is blocked by Coloccini
• 90mn Smalling hits the post
• 93mn Carrick's shot from the edge of the box is deflected.

In the middle of all that, our attacking players messed up a lot in the last tier of the field.

The biggest issue for me is that 50 minute gap of complete nothingness in the middle.

 

[JPRouve]

The biggest issue for me is that 50 minute gap of complete nothingness in the middle.

Yeah, in that time we played in the same areas but Memphis and Rooney in particular were doing their best to look rubbish and the pressing was less intense.

 

[Fully Fledged]

Oh, sorry, I didn't realise we couldn't count chances created after 3 minutes, or chances created by free kicks. Is there anything else we have to discount so it suits your argument, you know, so we don't make a fool of ourselves.

Would Rooney have scored if the game had not already been stopped for offside?

 

[JPRouve]

Would Rooney have scored if the game had not already been stopped for offside?

I think he would have, because Coloccini stops playing only when he enters the box, which seems a bit late.

 

[Getsme]

Would Rooney have scored if the game had not already been stopped for offside?

Yes.

 

[NJM78]

it's still far to easy to set up shop against us and leave with a point.

I agree with the bolded but I'm hearing this far too often, the exact same excuses when we lost to chelsea, west brom, southampton and etc etc and overall they were just poor attacking performances, dominating possession isn't enough and moving into the final third doesn't make it a good attacking performance.

The first 20mins against newcastle were good, that is how we should be playing every game, that should be the standard not an achievement. We started off as an attacking team, we took the gas off and as newcastle crawled back into the game we returned to our usual slow build up, often recycled possession.

Hopefully it will get better but lets be clear drawing to newcastle at home is poor and it isn't a result in isolation it's a game that goes on a list of games where we dominate but look toothless upfront, krul once again had a fairly light afternoon . A good attacking spell of 20 mins doesn't validate that performance.

If lvg really believes the team doesn't need any additions up front then he is really rolling the dice this season or still underestimating the competitiveness of the prem.

Agree with all this. The record of us having best defense in league since November will account for very little if we can't score ourselves. 64 goals in 41 league games under LVG says it all.

 

[Fully Fledged]

It’s not ‘end of’ it’s a pathetic outlook on the game of football.
Again read the thread, or even better watch the game and you will see that he had more than one world class save to make. Truly am starting to believe that some posters in here don’t watch the games, or at the very best don’t understand even the basis of football.

What world class save did he make? He made a good save from Hernandez but not a worldie apart from that the game was easy for him. Yes I watched the game if you think he made multiple world class saves then I suggest that you watch the match again.

 

[pacifictheme]

he does make a fair point....not in the OP and lets face it - the win against Bruges did paper over the cracks a little

we had two wonder goals and a Fellaini header....I wouldn't have called it an excellent attacking performance by any stretch and we just about got the third

also consider the opposition - Bruges lost yesterday by the same margin to the mighty Zulte Waregem

But they had been run tagged by united on tuesday so you can take that result with a pinch of salt.

 

[Getsme]

What world class save did he make? He made a good save from Hernandez but not a worldie apart from that the game was easy for him. Yes I watched the game if you think he made multiple world class saves then I suggest that you watch the match again.

my bad, didn't mean world class saves meant multiple saves.

 

[Fully Fledged]

my bad, didn't mean world class saves meant multiple saves.

It’s not ‘end of’ it’s a pathetic outlook on the game of football.
Again read the thread, or even better watch the game and you will see that he had more than one world class save to make. Truly am starting to believe that some posters in here don’t watch the games, or at the very best don’t understand even the basis of football.

More than one=multiple.

 

[Fully Fledged]

my bad, didn't mean world class saves meant multiple saves.

Fair enough.

 

[Getsme]

More than one=multiple.

Yes. He had more than one save to make. They may not have been that difficult but when you compare it to the Spurs game the improvement in our attacking play is there for all to see.

 

[lem8sh]

• 3mn Rooney's goal disallowed.
• 15mn Mata's shot saved by Krul.
• 15mn Blind play a throught ball to Rooney, Krul catches his shot.
• 21mn Memphis takes on Mbemba, his shot is caught by Krul.
• 24mn Memphis bottles a chance created by Januzaj.
• 72mn Crosses to Mata, who misses the target.
• 74mn Mata Volley the ball into Memphis.
• 75mn One-two between Schneiderlin and Shaw, that leads to a shot caught by Krul
• 79mn Hernandez's opportunity
• 84mn Schneiderlin crosses to Rooney, who heads the ball to Valencia, his shot is blocked by Coloccini
• 90mn Smalling hits the post
• 93mn Carrick's shot from the edge of the box is deflected.

In the middle of all that, our attacking players messed up a lot in the last tier of the field.

You can list all you want the simple fact of the matter is we didn't score. Krul had at the most 2 decent saves to make. I've seen clutching at straws before but that list takes the biscuit.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

The biggest issue for me is that 50 minute gap of complete nothingness in the middle.

That's not a big issue, it's how football works. If we created at the same rate throughout we would have had 40 shots on goal, which isn't normal. You always have periods when it's hard. There is another team competing after all. Usually when a team starts very well but doesn't capitalize you get a lull after as well.

 

[JPRouve]

You can list all you want the simple fact of the matter is we didn't score. Krul had at the most 2 decent saves to make. I've seen clutching at straws before but that list takes the biscuit.

You said chances created, now you want goals scored. We have been bad in term of finishing there is no hiding from it.

 

[lem8sh]

You said chances created, now you want goals scored. We have been bad in term of finishing there is no hiding from it.

The majority of what you listed are not even chances

 

[JPRouve]

The majority of what you listed are not even chances

fair enough.

 

[J-Stander]

The results are fine but the performances aren't. We are going to have the same problem many times this season due to our toothless attack. We'll be nowhere near the top 2 if we stay the same as we simply won't score enough goals.

 

[Fully Fledged]

Yes. He had more than one save to make. They may not have been that difficult but when you compare it to the Spurs game the improvement in our attacking play is there for all to see.

Don't get me wrong I love this team to bits but I believe that if we don't bring in some new talent up front we will struggle and be fighting to hold on to 4th place rather than challenging for the title. Now is not the week to say yes everything in the garden is rosy now is the time to look and say we need something more.

 

[Raw]

That's not a big issue, it's how football works. If we created at the same rate throughout we would have had 40 shots on goal, which isn't normal. You always have periods when it's hard. There is another team competing after all. Usually when a team starts very well but doesn't capitalize you get a lull after as well.

Yeah but not even one decent chance in 50 minutes at home to Newcastle? I agree we did enough to win and it was mainly our poor finishing that let us down, but a whole 50 minutes without a decent chance just doesn't sit right with me.

Though the stats could be wrong and there probably was a chance or two that may have been missed out.

 

[Getsme]

Don't get me wrong I love this team to bits but I believe that if we don't bring in some new talent up front we will struggle and be fighting to hold on to 4th place rather than challenging for the title. Now is not the week to say yes everything in the garden is rosy now is the time to look and say we need something more.

Definitely not saying everything is fine, I couldn't agree more than we could do with another attacking player but things on here aren't as bad as many make out.

 

[Moby]

I think the best way to beat the parked bus is with tall powerful strikers who can cause trouble inside a packed area.

Spoiler

 

[Fully Fledged]

Spoiler

I think he may have a part to play against a parked bus.

 

[Moby]

I think he may have a part to play against a parked bus.

I'd rather he doesn't. We are playing well as of now, resorting to hoofball from our current brand would be going a step back.

 

[sunama]

Stop watching games with an agenda and you might see something other than what you choose to see.

Dude, scoring goals (and preventing opponents from scoring) is the most important thing in football.
Everything else is...surplus.

Last year, I loved having high possession BUT, when we played Chelsea, after getting 72% possession and losing - I realised that this is not the right way to play.

The most important things are:
1. score goals
=1. dont concede goals
3. everything else.

You seem to be ignoring (1) and going straight to (3).

 

[Fully Fledged]

I'd rather he doesn't. We are playing well as of now, resorting to hoofball from our current brand would be going a step back.

I'm not on about playing hoof ball but playing quality crosses into the box from the wings for a tall powerful striker to get on the end off. A bit like his goal against Brugge.

 

[Getsme]

Dude, scoring goals (and preventing opponents from scoring) is the most important thing in football.
Everything else is...surplus.

Last year, I loved having high possession BUT, when we played Chelsea, after getting 72% possession and losing - I realised that this is not the right way to play.

The most important things are:
1. score goals
=1. dont concede goals
3. everything else.

You seem to be ignoring (1) and going straight to (3).

At the risk of repeating myself again and again I'm not saying scoring goals isn't important, no one should have to state the bleeding obvious. But to say our attacking play hasn't improved since Spurs is way wide of the mark.

 

[Moby]

I'm not on about playing hoof ball but playing quality crosses into the box from the wings for a tall powerful striker to get on the end off. A bit like his goal against Brugge.

That won't happen very often. PL defenses would stop those kind of crosses before it would reach the big man, and Fellaini doesn't have clever positioning inside the box to evade his markers. What would happen most with him on the pitch is balls being lumped from all over the place to him with men around him looking for scraps. I'm not looking forward to watching that, regardless of how effective it can be. His goal against Brugge was more akin to a Beckham -> RvN goal and we don't have quality of that sort neither on the wing nor up front.

 

[Smores]

At the risk of repeating myself again and again I'm not saying scoring goals isn't important, no one should have to state the bleeding obvious. But to say our attacking play hasn't improved since Spurs is way wide of the mark.

When the improvement your talking about is 0 goals against a shite Newcastle at home perhaps it's not really worth arguing for?

 

[Getsme]

When the improvement your talking about is 0 goals against a shite Newcastle at home perhaps it's not really worth arguing for?

Bunch of moaning divas in here.