23-10-2016, 00:13
(This post was last modified: 23-10-2016, 00:15 by Slick_Footwork.)
In my opinion that was the world performance of the Pulis era.
Now the thing about Pulis is, like or lump his style, I can usually explain it. The plan away is usually to keep it tight, sit back and snatch a goal from a break or set play. When we do go behind, then we usually have a crack at pressing them and taking a few more risks.
Sure, there's been some bad performances but there was always a game plan. Today, I just couldn't explain what I was watching.
It's not the lack of quality that disappointed me, because we're used to that. We're used to 3 on 3 breakaway situations that amount to nothing because we don't have players that can pass incisively enough or make the right decision. We saw that a few times today, where Rondon could've put Chadli through but passed the ball behind him and when Phillips made the wrong decision and tried to find Rondon when he should've gone alone. But hell, we see that garbage every week and we know Pulis favours players who 'put a shift in' and 'get into defensive shape' over those that can play; that's his prerogative.
But what I couldn't understand today was that even when we were behind, we didn't seem to have any intention of trying to get back into it. Our defenders go long every time, which is the norm. Yet our midfielders 'choose' to pass back to centre back even when there's a ball in the box on. Now I know that we lack quality, forward options and so on - but I noticed at least 5 times today when we had bodies in the box and Fletcher, Yacob, Mozza etc could've delivered but instead went backwards tamely. There was one occasion in the first half where Yacob was in a decent crossing situation and turned round, was dispossessed and they nearly scored on the break. Hell, there was one where we could've delivered in the box and instead passed it back to Nyom's left foot which is clearly just for standing on! Suffice to say, his first time hoof went straight into touch.
Again, I can understand us playing 'coy' and not committing too many men forwards because our philosophy is defence first. But what I can't understand is why not put the ball in the box when there are bodies there? After all, passing back is just going to lead to the inevitable hike forward from a worse position anyway. If we we're a team that build the play from the back, I could understand passing backwards to start again; but we're not.
Then what really annoyed me was that when we did get it to 2-1, which was almost a miracle given our fear of getting forward; we still didn't try to go at them. There was so many occasions where I was screaming at the TV set when someone should've been running forward and for whatever reason... didn't.
There was at least 2 obvious overlaps where Nyom was completely free yet he was just standing on the half way line like a statue and even one case where Mozza decided not to join the attack despite the fact that he's one of the freshest on the pitch, an attack minded player and we're in the 85th minute 2-1 behind.
I saw one moment of urgency where a defender actually picked up the ball and drove forward and that was from Jonas Olsson! And you guessed it, when he passed it into the midfield and continued his run, rather than get it back the midfielder passed it back to Foster.
I have no idea if it was Pulis, the players inferiority complex or what... But when you're given a lifeline and it's gone 80 minute, you'd expect the players would have the balls to at least push on, get some bodies and balls into the box. After all, for all the talent of this Liverpool team with Coutinho, Lallana and Mane; the keeper and centre halves are still prone to errors, one full back is a midfielder and the other has never been particularly strong defensively.
We're short of quality but considering our heart, fight and hustle and bustle; I thought today was a joke. We've lost plenty of times under Pulis but at least the game plan was there to see. Obviously we conceded earlier than we wanted to and that changed things, but that still doesn't explain the last 10 minutes. It doesn't explain why we're a goal behind with 5 minutes to go and players are too shook to commit forward.
Yes 2-1 away to that Liverpool side isn't anything to be embarrassed about, but to choose to pass backwards rather than attempt to put the ball into a dangerous area with 5 minutes left is criminal.
The only positive was Foster continuing his good form and Brunt coming back, who was probably our best midfielder when he came on. Not that it was a tough contest, there was only really him and Chadli in the midfield who turned up.
Now the thing about Pulis is, like or lump his style, I can usually explain it. The plan away is usually to keep it tight, sit back and snatch a goal from a break or set play. When we do go behind, then we usually have a crack at pressing them and taking a few more risks.
Sure, there's been some bad performances but there was always a game plan. Today, I just couldn't explain what I was watching.
It's not the lack of quality that disappointed me, because we're used to that. We're used to 3 on 3 breakaway situations that amount to nothing because we don't have players that can pass incisively enough or make the right decision. We saw that a few times today, where Rondon could've put Chadli through but passed the ball behind him and when Phillips made the wrong decision and tried to find Rondon when he should've gone alone. But hell, we see that garbage every week and we know Pulis favours players who 'put a shift in' and 'get into defensive shape' over those that can play; that's his prerogative.
But what I couldn't understand today was that even when we were behind, we didn't seem to have any intention of trying to get back into it. Our defenders go long every time, which is the norm. Yet our midfielders 'choose' to pass back to centre back even when there's a ball in the box on. Now I know that we lack quality, forward options and so on - but I noticed at least 5 times today when we had bodies in the box and Fletcher, Yacob, Mozza etc could've delivered but instead went backwards tamely. There was one occasion in the first half where Yacob was in a decent crossing situation and turned round, was dispossessed and they nearly scored on the break. Hell, there was one where we could've delivered in the box and instead passed it back to Nyom's left foot which is clearly just for standing on! Suffice to say, his first time hoof went straight into touch.
Again, I can understand us playing 'coy' and not committing too many men forwards because our philosophy is defence first. But what I can't understand is why not put the ball in the box when there are bodies there? After all, passing back is just going to lead to the inevitable hike forward from a worse position anyway. If we we're a team that build the play from the back, I could understand passing backwards to start again; but we're not.
Then what really annoyed me was that when we did get it to 2-1, which was almost a miracle given our fear of getting forward; we still didn't try to go at them. There was so many occasions where I was screaming at the TV set when someone should've been running forward and for whatever reason... didn't.
There was at least 2 obvious overlaps where Nyom was completely free yet he was just standing on the half way line like a statue and even one case where Mozza decided not to join the attack despite the fact that he's one of the freshest on the pitch, an attack minded player and we're in the 85th minute 2-1 behind.
I saw one moment of urgency where a defender actually picked up the ball and drove forward and that was from Jonas Olsson! And you guessed it, when he passed it into the midfield and continued his run, rather than get it back the midfielder passed it back to Foster.
I have no idea if it was Pulis, the players inferiority complex or what... But when you're given a lifeline and it's gone 80 minute, you'd expect the players would have the balls to at least push on, get some bodies and balls into the box. After all, for all the talent of this Liverpool team with Coutinho, Lallana and Mane; the keeper and centre halves are still prone to errors, one full back is a midfielder and the other has never been particularly strong defensively.
We're short of quality but considering our heart, fight and hustle and bustle; I thought today was a joke. We've lost plenty of times under Pulis but at least the game plan was there to see. Obviously we conceded earlier than we wanted to and that changed things, but that still doesn't explain the last 10 minutes. It doesn't explain why we're a goal behind with 5 minutes to go and players are too shook to commit forward.
Yes 2-1 away to that Liverpool side isn't anything to be embarrassed about, but to choose to pass backwards rather than attempt to put the ball into a dangerous area with 5 minutes left is criminal.
The only positive was Foster continuing his good form and Brunt coming back, who was probably our best midfielder when he came on. Not that it was a tough contest, there was only really him and Chadli in the midfield who turned up.