10-03-2015, 18:59
What’s the difference between our team and our previous teams? Where has our fearless, attacking style of yesteryear has gone? The old videos show a get-up-and-go; pass and shoot-on-sight type of vibe that seemed to permeate the whole team. It was as if the team collectively shouted
“We’ve got the ball! Let’s score a goal!” and set about getting forward, fast and hard. No doubt we often got nailed by this approach by cooler headed opposition BUT as often as not we entertained and won a fair few games. What I see now is this:-
Goalkeeping. No real problem with Foster and Myhill way above the average.
Defence. Big. Very Big. Experienced and the bed-rock of the team. I don’t think many teams enjoy playing against them but they must improve their distribution to the midfielders and vary their play more. Lescott and Olly could be the perfect mentors to some quick young lad at the back if we could get one in. They feel important now because they are used at set pieces and are getting goals but that will be found out by other teams and age is not with them.
Midfield. When they are good they are very, very good but when they are not they are….? Yacob has to reign in that temper; Mulumbu must get re-booted back into his dominant role. All of them must get more forward mentality. Scholes made a comment about how if he did’nt take risks by going forward then Ferguson would drop him. There is too much looking around to complete a safe pass sideways.
Forwards. One is top class. One is a confidence player. They desperately need two experienced players competing with them week-in week-out for selection. There must be, out there somewhere, a young Alan Shearer type gasping for a chance?
If you look at better teams they seem to be able to be defending one moment and in the other teams penalty area within seconds. We just seem to lump it up to our forwards and hope for the best from them. If we havn’t got the pace then we should play further forward to compensate. You can survive by defending well but do we really want The Albion to throw away its heritage and become the best brick wall in the league?
“We’ve got the ball! Let’s score a goal!” and set about getting forward, fast and hard. No doubt we often got nailed by this approach by cooler headed opposition BUT as often as not we entertained and won a fair few games. What I see now is this:-
Goalkeeping. No real problem with Foster and Myhill way above the average.
Defence. Big. Very Big. Experienced and the bed-rock of the team. I don’t think many teams enjoy playing against them but they must improve their distribution to the midfielders and vary their play more. Lescott and Olly could be the perfect mentors to some quick young lad at the back if we could get one in. They feel important now because they are used at set pieces and are getting goals but that will be found out by other teams and age is not with them.
Midfield. When they are good they are very, very good but when they are not they are….? Yacob has to reign in that temper; Mulumbu must get re-booted back into his dominant role. All of them must get more forward mentality. Scholes made a comment about how if he did’nt take risks by going forward then Ferguson would drop him. There is too much looking around to complete a safe pass sideways.
Forwards. One is top class. One is a confidence player. They desperately need two experienced players competing with them week-in week-out for selection. There must be, out there somewhere, a young Alan Shearer type gasping for a chance?
If you look at better teams they seem to be able to be defending one moment and in the other teams penalty area within seconds. We just seem to lump it up to our forwards and hope for the best from them. If we havn’t got the pace then we should play further forward to compensate. You can survive by defending well but do we really want The Albion to throw away its heritage and become the best brick wall in the league?