Why do we need a jolt before we play with any tempo?

Adisa

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I'm sick of it to be honest. With the exception of Liverpool, all our big performances in recent weeks have come on the back of adversity. What's the cause?
 

Minimalist

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Well it's either player related or coming from the manager/coaching.

Either way, changes need to happen.
 

Jazz

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It's the way we prepare mentally, and the coaches need to find a way to cut that shite out. We can't do this again next season.
Kinda pissed it's the World Cup as I feel we need a bit of time for not just physical but mental preparation imho.
 

AshRK

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Our players are too laid back for my liking. All this showboating and one flick is irritating to say the least.
 

Brightonian

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Mourinho's 'philosophy' is that football matches are lost, not won. He's said it before, that it comes down to which team makes more mistakes. Ultimately that is always going to result in football that is reactive not proactive, and that's what we're seeing.
 

Jacko21

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Not being in a title race does nothing for the motivation of a team or indeed the atmosphere at OT. But Mourinho's pragmatism at home is killing the atmosphere, time and time again - and that feeds back into the players, who in turn feel the pressure - which is entirely counterproductive.
 

Canagel

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It's the million dollar question. We seem to play in short bursts. Something is lacking. Very rarely are we able to put teams under sustained pressure. Is it the physical nature of the squad that is causing the issue perhaps? I was very irritated with Smalling, Matic, Valencia in particular. Young has a lot of heart and tries but just lacks in quality. Major changes need to be made. It's much worse when we play at OT and are required to break down teams who sit deep. Maybe we are just not able to play an open, expensive game with some of these players. When you watch us and then you watch Man City it's like night and day. The sharpness, the intensity, the speed of thought, the ball circulation. Everything is being done at a higher level. For starters we need to play our best players and it's criminal that players like Martial are struggling to get games. Also the mentality of the team must improve and some players need to grow up. We are too lackadaisical and the decision making at some points is a joke.
 

bosnian_red

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It's frustrating as feck. We're blatantly capable of playing good football, showing urgency, showing attacking intent and playing with attacking rhythm. So why does it take the realization that the players are about to be part of an embarrassing result to suddenly click into gear and do something? Obviously you can't save yourself every time, as we saw against West Brom and Sevila. But far too often we are shite and so ridiculously casual and risk-averse before having a last ditch effort to save the game.
 

Stookie

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It’s the insistence of playing it through the middle into a congested area all the time that infuriates me.
 
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It all starts at the back for me, and that's why, imo we're a much better side with Bailly in the team.

A proper left footed full back & a proper ball playing centre half will do wonders for this side.
 

simplyared

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This has got to be a major issue for us which must be addressed asap. It's something that must be drilled into every single player that we go for the jugular whe we get ourselves in front and are controlling the game. So many times we go into sleep mode when we should be keeping the foot on the gas pedal. Hope I'm wrong but could be tactics backfiring on us. Could be Jose's desire to control the game and minimize errors stifling the players. Just a hunch!
 

Jojo <3 Mou

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I was dissapointed with the play today but I going to put it down to it being a relatively meaningless game. We were already basically qualified for the CL. Added to that Arsenal didnt want to lose sooooo .... they made it hard for us.

I really happy for the response to Arsenal's goal as we obviously wanted to win. It would be nice though to go 2/3-0 before we fall off.
 

Distracted Steward

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I think it’s that everyone is kinda waiting on everyone else in the attack. There’s not a real attacking philosophy or established methods or patterns. It’s not really obvious to the lads what they ought to do and what the others are going to do.

When a jolt comes along, the impetus to do something grips the team and papers over how little clue they have what to do together.

In the end, they just aren’t well drilled in the attack.
 

Liver_bird

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You guys are efficient. Curious if it continues next season. Although I wouldnt bank against it with De Gea in goal and the clinical players you have in attack.
 

TMDaines

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I'm sick of it to be honest. With the exception of Liverpool, all our big performances in recent weeks have come on the back of adversity. What's the cause?
No leaders driving from the back. DDG ain’t a captain and neither are our centre backs or full backs or our deepest midfielder.

Difficult to lead and set the tempo from the front like Sanchez and Lukaku want to.
 

RedDevilCanuck

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It happens so often that it has to be a tactic.

Keep the shape, don't take risks, long balls are Ok.

Conserve energy, let the other team run around. Keep a clean sheet and hopefully a moment of brilliance gets you a lead.
 

Random Task

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You guys are efficient. Curious if it continues next season. Although I wouldnt bank against it with De Gea in goal and the clinical players you have in attack.
That's a Jose team in a nutshell. With further squad investment to come in the summer, we will only become more efficient.
 

Lj82

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I'm sick of it to be honest. With the exception of Liverpool, all our big performances in recent weeks have come on the back of adversity. What's the cause?
Hmm. You know, the fact that we have been winning the big games recently is actually a massive credit to us?

Today's game we took the initiative to control the game and we went ahead first. Arsenal was quite toothless in the first half and they adjusted at the break. We had to make some changes of our own after that, and we did.

Football is a game played by two sides. It's not very realistic to expect us to dominate every game for the full ninety minutes.
 

HisDudeness

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Something to do with conserving energy or something. It's up to the manager to decide tempo.
 

VeevaVee

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Myself and a few others have mentioned that it looks like we go out with no real approach/tempo and hope the other team will settle into that, then nick a goal or two because we have some decent players. It does seem like that is basically the tactic. There's been times where conceding hasn't even changed it, just more of the same. It can work well against very good teams, to nullify them, but it's pointless and imo actually more risky against most teams.
 

Sterling Archer

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Leadership on the field.

How many of this squad have won the Premier League let alone defended it? It was that mentality and leadership from players like Rio, Vidic and Evra that we lost.
 

RedStarUnited

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Hmm. You know, the fact that we have been winning the big games recently is actually a massive credit to us?

Today's game we took the initiative to control the game and we went ahead first. Arsenal was quite toothless in the first half and they adjusted at the break. We had to make some changes of our own after that, and we did.

Football is a game played by two sides. It's not very realistic to expect us to dominate every game for the full ninety minutes.
No one said its not a credit, and your posts insinuates that it was only yesterday that we had this issue.. This has been our problem nearly all season. We have started very few matches on the front foot.

We normally look like we are already 2/3 goals up. No wonder the crowd is silent, what are they going to shout about? seeing Valencia cut back for the 10th time in the game.
 

Denis79

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I'm not complaining. When we were down 1-0 with LVG, you just knew the game was over. We have the quality now, we just need someone to lead and inspire on the pitch.
 

Ødegaard

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That perticular issue has been present since Sir Alex's time. So I doubt it's down to any one manager but more the players or dynamic between them.
 

ash_86

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Weird time to start this thread. Yesterday we took the initiative and got in front for a change.
 

Mainoldo

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Our players are too laid back for my liking. All this showboating and one flick is irritating to say the least.
Sounds cliche.. That is not the problem. I didn't see any Ronaldinho's out there, just players that couldn't move the ball quick enough and lack of movement as always. A flip flap doesn't warrant that.
 

peridigm

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From the outside it appears we have a lot of individuals. It's as if some players are treating this like a job. Clock in, clock out. What we can't see for the most part is what life is like inside the dressing room etc... We see players celebrate when they score a goal and it never looks awkward which would suggest everything is fine. As others have said, there is no real leader(s) in the squad. No one to have a go at other players when they're half assing it. That one player on the pitch who works his ass off regardless of how the rest of the team is playing. The managers attitude also plays a part and negatively affects the players attitude. I don't know. I'm rambling.
 

Baxter

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West Brom and Sevilla are the perfect illustration of the point.

Coast through the game and it becomes very difficult to suddenly play with urgency.

Obviously you can sometimes get back into the game, but it’s asking for trouble.
 

Bolal7700

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Seemed to be true today and a reoccurring theme. Can only imagine if they had scored in the first half that we would have had a much better chance. Mentality issue maybe? Jose definitely not telling them to play like that.
 

Bobski

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Because the whole gameplan is based on reacting to what the opposition does rather than imposing our own style of play. A good thing really because we don't have a style of play to impose, and appear to have no desire to find one.
 
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Hephaestus

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Seemed to be true today and a reoccurring theme. Can only imagine if they had scored in the first half that we would have had a much better chance. Mentality issue maybe? Jose definitely not telling them to play like that.
Dunno, not like we really stepped up the tempo after conceding. The only difference seemed to be that Brighton sat deeper, we weren't more threatening or more aggressive after the goal.
 

Red_Aaron

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The sheer volume of backwards and sideways passes we play must be a deliberate attempt to draw teams on to them. It must be, the only other explanation is a complete lack of confidence or bravery which I don't buy - I do think we've got some strong characters. It has to be managerial instructions.

The problem we have with this approach though is our defense doesn't have the skill to beat the press consistently and even when it does the players we look to initiate the breaks in midfield are unbelievably ponderous - it's no coincidence we look a lot more dangerous with hereras urgency in there.
 

Say Goodbye

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Did anyone else notice in the final 8 minutes or so, with Brighton defending on the edge of their area, we started hitting our passes with venom? I thought that was satisfying compared with some of the previous slow build up.
 

VeevaVee

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Did anyone else notice in the final 8 minutes or so, with Brighton defending on the edge of their area, we started hitting our passes with venom? I thought that was satisfying compared with some of the previous slow build up.
Less satisfying and more infuriating. They should be doing it from the start.
 

Garethw

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It’s tactical. If it wasn’t it wouldn’t have happened in over 20 games this season!
 

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It’s tactical. If it wasn’t it wouldn’t have happened in over 20 games this season!
What kind of tactics are those? Let's play utter garbage and chill until they score, then move our arses?
 

Sylar

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What kind of tactics are those? Let's play utter garbage and chill until they score, then move our arses?
When we losing its basically abandon defensive shape and push higher up with urgency. More chance of mistakes

Before we concede we try play a less risky game to restrict opposition
Imo with the players we got we should be going for the first approach cos we seem to concede doing the other way anyway
 

SteveW

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It's how the manager wants us to play. Risk averse football