WCL 25/26 | Wolfsburg v United - 17:45 Wed 19 Nov

Another defensive fumble, a good shot from outside the box and Wolfsburg are 3-1 up as we head to HT
 
I think there’s a point in this game for us if we tighten up at the back in the second half
 
HT and Wolfsburg are leading 3-2.

Can't help but feel their goals are basically our fault but there we go. Scoreline tight enough for me to stay hopeful.
 
I’d consider bring on Park for Toone at half time. Apart from the defensive errors, we mostly been very good but more often than not we’re losing the ball as soon as it gets to Toone.
 
Maestro14 said:
I’d consider bring on Park for Toone at half time. Apart from the defensive errors, we mostly been very good but more often than not we’re losing the ball as soon as it gets to Toone.
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It's looking very crowded on our left attack at the moment. Rolfo, Malard, Zigiotti, Rolfo and Toone all operating in similar spaces. Toone scarcely saw the ball until she started to move further right. Might be the night for Park for that reason if no other.

Going forward, it's something we going to have to work on.

Our defending though. Ouch. Way too slow and clumsy getting our lines cleared and Wolfsburg have realised it's a weakness. They're attacking as a pack now.

Safia having a tough night, she needs more protection here and we shouldn't be backpassing to her under pressure. I hope her nerves are holding up.

Lyon are 3-0 down at Juventus - what are the odds eh? That's just wild.
 
Maestro14 said:
I’d consider bring on Park for Toone at half time. Apart from the defensive errors, we mostly been very good but more often than not we’re losing the ball as soon as it gets to Toone.
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I disagree: I think Toone's problem is that Wolfsburg aren't giving her any space, but her teammates keep passing the ball to her when she is being double- or tripled-teamed.
 
Sadly Middleton-Patel has played more like I was expecting against PSG. Balls into the box and half decent shots on target look like they'll find the back of the net against our inexperienced goalkeeper

Several problems playing out of the back and in buildup play in our own half. Middleton-Patel for the first goal and Zigiotti for the 3rd

Toone has been quiet and not looked sharp when involved

Awujo has mostly just added legs. Last season when she played she made loads of tackles, but so far this season she hasnt had that same sharpness and edge trying to win the ball. She had 1 nice dribble in the first half but not really convinced shes being effective till now

Malard and Rolfo great first goal and well done Malard for the 2nd

At this point in the season I'm also baffled by Zigiotti taking all our right footed set pieces. I've yet to see a good one. The technique always seems wrong and surely theres a better taker out of those on the pitch, let alone Bizet who is actually a good crosser although shes barely on the pitch this season.
 
Lobster11 said:
I disagree: I think Toone's problem is that Wolfsburg aren't giving her any space, but her teammates keep passing the ball to her when she is being double- or tripled-teamed.
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A #10 is always likely to have someone close to them. If you receive the ball in space as a #10 the opposition have made a big error
 
jojojo said:
Wolfsburg from way outside the box and Safia M-P scarcely moves.
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I think I might want to defend SMP on this one. There were so many bodies in the box that it seems like a miracle that the ball made it to the goal without being touched. It might have been the right decision (despite the outcome) for her to stay put in the middle of the goal in order to deal with a (likely) deflection rather than assuming it would get through.
 
Ekeke said:
A #10 is always likely to have someone close to them. If you receive the ball in space as a #10 the opposition have made a big error
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Yes, but Tooney's greatest skill is usually creating and/or finding space, and part of Wolfsburg's game plan is clearly to prevent this. And if she is being double- or triple-teamed, someone else must be open and that's where the ball should go.
 
Defence looking off the pace again.

We've looked a flaky a few times defensively this season, but it's really caught up with us since Phallon got injured. Mind you, that's also coincided with less impressive performances from Zigiotti so it's always about how the team is fitting together.
 
8 mins added time but Wolfsburg currently look more likely to score than we do.
 
Ouch and that's 5-2

Rivière to all practical purpose played a backpass that was more like a through ball for the Wolfsburg sub.
 
Lobster11 said:
Yes, but Tooney's greatest skill is usually creating and/or finding space, and part of Wolfsburg's game plan is clearly to prevent this. And if she is being double- or triple-teamed, someone else must be open and that's where the ball should go.
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Part of the plan I guess but I think it was their general tactics all over the pitch. Its just a congested area of the pitch in the middle of the pitch and you need to be sharp and make good decisions, have a good touch and then you can make space after doing those basics. Without them you're doomed. She was unable to be sharp, have good touches and make good decisions and so it was easy to disrupt her in the buildup.

However that was also a general problem with the team today. Our passing and buildup play was poor other than the first goal and 1 or 2 brief periods in the first half where we looked the better team. Toone also struggling with it made things harder because normally she's very active when we have the ball but nobody else was really at it in that way either.

Wolfsburg's general tactics all over the pitch seemed to be that they were happy to have physical duels with players often running with the ball trying to use their strength and speed to make or overpower our players and thats an area that Toone as with several other players are going to have a more difficult time with. Shes not the most athletic and more athletic players being sharp around her and leaning on her putting her off is going to be effective. It was also effective around the other areas of the pitch. Players were running down the right hand side against Sandberg with good success and through the middle.

Wolfsburg are a decent team thats why they're 2nd in their league but they arent on the level of Chelsea, Arsenal and City but what they did do was have the right gameplan and tactics in general against our lineup and even our full strength team. You can get at our team with physicality having success against Toone, Hinata, Zigiotti and Sandberg sometimes looks a bit tired if you keep working her too. And I think thats why Awujo was in the team, like Rolfo and Malard adding a bit more athleticism to the team to try and balance out some of the smaller and less athletic players. But I dont think it worked in general even if we put the goals to one side. In the first half we were in it and although we were poor after our first goal if we were 2nd best overall it wasnt by a lot. But in the 2nd half they were constantly winning battles all over the pitch and taking advantage of our poor buildup play and playing out from the back. They were constantly running our players and asking questions of them defensively and it worked for them. We werent up to it.

I think Rolfo and Malard are the only ones to come away from the game with much credit and I think its back to the drawing board and time to try a few new ideas in the coming weeks to come up with a proper plan B if teams play that way against us. Either we need to find a way for Toone and Hinata to be more effective when they receive the ball with the idea that we're going to be the better team and on top or we might need to take 1 out of the team for better success against teams who want to be physical and test our athleticism. Also dissappointed with Zigiotti as shes usually busy winning the ball and more athletic than Hinata but 1 tackle and 1 interception isnt much success for her. Unfortunately I dont think Naalsand and Awujo, who might be our most athletic pairing in the middle are good enough to start instead of her in that role so just going to have to hope she takes tonight's performance to heart and makes sure it doesnt happen again in the future.
 
DOTA said:
Last few days have been a bit brutal.
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Three defeats in the last four games is poor, no matter who we’ve faced during that run. Perhaps it’s a good thing there’s an international break coming up. We need some type of a reset.
 
Apart from the defensive horror show, a bit silly that we were wearing white
 
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