That doesn't work. How come Leeds are top of the league, head and shoulders above most teams I've seen this year, when they play it?
Because we seem to have managed to sign players who can't play that way which is strange because the recruitment teams one job was to sign players to play that way
There was an incident earlier in the half when Chaplin sprinted to close down and nobody followed him. It’s a complete waste of energy if not executed properly. To be fair though, we have won the ball in dangerous positions, but it has been subsequently squandered. Leeds front three don’t press with any great pace, but the forwards do close down in a more organised fashion.
I don’t disagree. It clearly does work. But we’ve signed some very poor footballers who clearly cannot play this style, must be very frustrating for those few in the side that have bought into it.
The simple problem is that we're trying to play the same game as Leeds/West Brom etc with worse players. There's only one result unfortunately.
The system is very good with good experience or mixture of experience and young energy . Our players just seem to go through the motions of it rather than with belief probably because they’re not backed up . Imo you can’t play this system with inexperience against a side that had this in abundance . The players seem to sense it’s hopeless with their reaction when we go behind heads drop and although there’s plenty of running there’s no direction . Imo it’s lie trying to play like Barcelona without having the players to do it .
But the recruitment teams number one priority was to sign players to play in the system so if they've failed to do that and I agree it looks like they have failed to do that they shouldn't be the recruitment team anymore.
Anyone can press. The trouble occurs with us when: a) They break the press - our defenders are not smart enough b) When we get the ball off the opposition, our forwards are err... not smart enough. Those stats on TV about our conversion rate shows how weak our attack is at finishing. But your eyes tell you the same. I would not be scared about Woodrow/Chaplin/Brown leaving. We could benefit with replacements for all 3 anyway.
Thing is we aren't playing badly.. Even the Leeds Sky team think the same. We had stinking luck with their goal. Apart from that, a bit more quality finishing and we would be winning this.. But yeah, its all doom and gloom I forgot.
We didnt look like winning it first half, Leeds are controlling the pace and the ball, but we're not out of it. We need to stay patient but we do need to press forward a but quicker.
But surely that's the point with a bit more thought last summer we would have been ok. Sadly the boards only thought was profit