Biggest Problem This Season

[Keanoldinho]

We've been playing some really great football this season which is rather obvious by our position, but we've created so many chances in alot of games and had most of the possesion then the final whistle goes and we've only scored 1 or 2 goals. We NEED to be alot more clinical in front of goal, we've carved out chance after chance and failed to make the opposition pay in more games than I can count. You can't blame 1 player, because most of the team have been guilty of this at one time or another this season. I guess it could stem from the fact that alot of these players are playing together for the first time this season and as time goes on will be able to anticipate each others next move better and play will be more fluid and natural. I just hope we get something from the scum game on the 22nd, because we deserve to be in the CL and I'll be gutted if we miss out after being in 4th for so long. COYS

[shoot_ffs]

i think yesterday was probably our best performance. I thought we bossed it largely. A couple of marking errors for the first goal and a stupid second, shouldn't take away from the fact that they created so little against us. This was a Man UTD team chasing the title. Not too sure why giggs got man of the match, as i don't remember him or o'shea making a contribution. Thought park was man of the match personally. Would have liked to see lennon switched to the left to have a go at neville. Also bit worried about murphy as he always looks like a scared little boy when he comes on. I know it took him a while to settle at liverpool but he should have the experience to manage ok.
I also think we'll be bouyed by that performance and will give it everything next week.

[Houdini logic]

Apparently, we are number 2 at converting our chances, behind Man Utd...
Couldn't see it myself!

[fluke]

the ingenius tactic of choosing not to compete in anything other than the premiership has almost paid off as we have been fortunate for most of the season with few injury problems. we have also been fortunate with the ploy of having 14 midfielders in our squad. unfortunatly at the crucial time when the finishing post is in sight we find ourselves short on defensive cover. we are now missing that 4th striker. (rasiak destined to knock england out of the world cup a la postiga no doubt). in robinson we have the best releaser of the ball since schmichal. this ability is wasted when there is no one tall or strong enough to capitalize on his vision. once top defences get a handle on our midget front line our only other option are set pieces which leave us prone to counter attack as witnessed on Monday.

[Spur]

This set-piece problem is because both CB's go up, Carrick takes the kick so it leaves short-arse Davids (or Lennon for yesterdays) marking the link up man out of the box, with Lee and Stalteri both unsure of what to do on the half-way line against the strikers.

Couple that with no-one tracking back or doing so very slowly, also it seems no-one bar Davids is willing to make a tactical foul and take one for the team.

[fluke]

This set-piece problem is because both CB's go up, Carrick takes the kick so it leaves short-arse Davids (or Lennon for yesterdays) marking the link up man out of the box, with Lee and Stalteri both unsure of what to do on the half-way line against the strikers.

Couple that with no-one tracking back or doing so very slowly, also it seems no-one bar Davids is willing to make a tactical foul and take one for the team.

Right on Spur. when Mido is up front we don't have to commit so heavily on set pieces.

[Keanoldinho]

Apparently, we are number 2 at converting our chances, behind Man Utd...
Couldn't see it myself!

We might of scored a shat load of goals, but we've finished a shat load of games this season without scoring as many as we should've. Our last 2 games being perfect examples of this frustrating fact.

[fluke]

We might of scored a shat load of goals, but we've finished a shat load of games this season without scoring as many as we should've. Our last 2 games being perfect examples of this frustrating fact.

i agree, statistics don't mean very much when you actually have watched the games and seen blown opportunities.

what by the way, do you guys attribute our inability to finish games off. inexperience, nerves
or fitness?

[Keanoldinho]

i agree, statistics don't mean very much when you actually have watched the games and seen blown opportunities.

what by the way, do you guys attribute our inability to finish games off. inexperience, nerves
or fitness?

I think it has alot to do with this being the 1st season alot of these players have played together, and over time they will improve. Nerves also is playing a major part to me thinks, because this is our best season in donkeys and the CL is in our hands for the first time ever.

[highlander]

i think the team and club has come so far this season that if we didnt get CL fotball it would be a dissapointment and would slow down our progress if we didnt. yes we have played some good stuff and yes there have been errors but there only human, everyone's made a few howlers in there time, even me.

[TomMcLaren]

I think it has alot to do with this being the 1st season alot of these players have played together, and over time they will improve. Nerves also is playing a major part to me thinks, because this is our best season in donkeys and the CL is in our hands for the first time ever.

Don't forget as well that a lot of our players are young - I mean under 25, without the experience that 8-10 years in the Prem will give you in finishing off teams and with the weight of expectation on their shoulders. Next season I expect things to be different, and us to be a lot more clinical. Also, don't forget that for every two points dropped, we have picked up another two we didn't deserve (e.g. Blackburn)...

[JuicE]

Yeah Tom your right, We need to get things in perpective for the season!

[Allwhite]

I also think its to do with silly individual errors at the back. We cant sit down and defend a lead. (especially with stalteri and lee who I think we need to replace) as this normally results in the obligatory last minute goal.

[JuicE]

I also think its to do with silly individual errors at the back. We cant sit down and defend a lead. (especially with stalteri and lee who I think we need to replace) as this normally results in the obligatory last minute goal.

A few seasons back we were lucky to have a lead to defend! Perpective is the point i was trying to make. were getting somewhere but lets not get caried away too quickly. ;)

[jg_yido]

Its true this is a problem which is strange as we have Mido, defoe and keane. I think the problem is a lack of goals from midfield. Apart from Jenas who has 6 goals, players like carrick, tainio and davids need more goals.

[TomMcLaren]

The problem seems to be that no midfielder hits it from outside the box with any regularity - remember Roy Keane in second phase play around the edge of the area? How many goals did he get with a late run? Or Paul Scholes for that matter!

[JuicE]

The problem seems to be that no midfielder hits it from outside the box with any regularity - remember Roy Keane in second phase play around the edge of the area? How many goals did he get with a late run? Or Paul Scholes for that matter!
Shearer did it regularly! we do need someone to have a crack from 20 yards sometimes coz keano and defoe like to get close and even that aint close enough sometimes.:eek:

[TomMcLaren]

Thats what I mean! :D

[Keanoldinho]

More of the same SH!TE today yeah we played great created alot of chances blah blah blah 1 feckn 1. We had them c*nts and let them of the feckn hook aaaaarrrrgghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BBBBBBAAAAAAAASSS SSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTAAAAAAARRRRRRRDDDDSSSSSSSS

[AndyHarker]

More of the same SH!TE today yeah we played great created alot of chances blah blah blah 1 feckn 1. We had them c*nts and let them of the feckn hook aaaaarrrrgghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BBBBBBAAAAAAAASSS SSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTAAAAAAARRRRRRRDDDDSSSSSSSS

I second that!!!! From the minute we went 1 up, i knew the game would end in a draw! That's the one down side of having so many English players! They end up playing like England! Play like gods, score then sit in there own box for 20mins. aaaaarrrrgghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! indeed