PFKAKTF FOX
Well-Known Member
Please do not take this as a slagging Levein thread, I am a staunch Levein supporter and these comments IMO are constructive.
IMO we have a talented squad, capable of challenging the top 8 of this division, if we play to our strength's and select a settled team and game plan. In the early games we played on the whole some attractive, open and attacking football which was both pleasing on the eye and highly entertaining.
We opened up the season with a 4-1 reverse against Sheff Utd, who's strength in depth won them that game, they were able to bring on 3 quality substitutes, although we did at times more than match them and certainly gave a good account of ourselves. We then followed this up with a victory over Stoke and then very good performaces against Ipswich and Crewe which only resulted in draws. The problem at the time was that we were conceding soft goals and this in Craig's mind had to be changed.
We then started to see a more defensive approach taken, our flair players started to play with more restriction, we adopted a more direct pattern of play and we seemed to adopt tactics more designed with negating the opposition, hence this is why IMO we are not winning matches and therefore settling for draws at home to teams like Brighton, CL seems afraid to go out from the off and really get at teams, we seem to want the first half to be like a chess match, then maybe we will try and sneak a goal in the 2nd half if we can. To me these would be excellent tactics against the better sides say like Wolves, Sheff Utd etc or if we were in the top flight but not against most championship sides, who if we played anywhere near our potential we should beat.
I would like Craig to return to a more positive approach, lets go out to score goals and win matches, I am not saying lets adopt a gung -ho attitude but if we had adopted the tactics from earlier on in the season I am sure we would have won more games than we have. We have some very good footballers like Williams, Sylla, Hughes and Hume, who if given the opportunity to play with flair and a degree of freedom, have the ability to carve team's open.
I feel our current tactics are actually stifling these players and we are not getting our quality players on the ball enough. In the early games and in pre season Williams looked a very good player, but recently his form has dipped, and whilst he does need to work on his defensive play and tackling, I do believe that CL's tactics has nullified his effect and influence on a game.
I would like to see us go out and play football and try to win every match, if we get beaten by a better side then so be it, and like against Sheff Utd, I was happy because I felt the performance and commitment was very good. What I dont want to see is us drawing at home to the, with all due respect, the Brighton's of this world, because we are too afraid of having a "go".
So please Criag lets be positive and lets start chalking some wins on the board, we have the talent, now lets give the players the platform to go out and entertain and win matches.
IMO we have a talented squad, capable of challenging the top 8 of this division, if we play to our strength's and select a settled team and game plan. In the early games we played on the whole some attractive, open and attacking football which was both pleasing on the eye and highly entertaining.
We opened up the season with a 4-1 reverse against Sheff Utd, who's strength in depth won them that game, they were able to bring on 3 quality substitutes, although we did at times more than match them and certainly gave a good account of ourselves. We then followed this up with a victory over Stoke and then very good performaces against Ipswich and Crewe which only resulted in draws. The problem at the time was that we were conceding soft goals and this in Craig's mind had to be changed.
We then started to see a more defensive approach taken, our flair players started to play with more restriction, we adopted a more direct pattern of play and we seemed to adopt tactics more designed with negating the opposition, hence this is why IMO we are not winning matches and therefore settling for draws at home to teams like Brighton, CL seems afraid to go out from the off and really get at teams, we seem to want the first half to be like a chess match, then maybe we will try and sneak a goal in the 2nd half if we can. To me these would be excellent tactics against the better sides say like Wolves, Sheff Utd etc or if we were in the top flight but not against most championship sides, who if we played anywhere near our potential we should beat.
I would like Craig to return to a more positive approach, lets go out to score goals and win matches, I am not saying lets adopt a gung -ho attitude but if we had adopted the tactics from earlier on in the season I am sure we would have won more games than we have. We have some very good footballers like Williams, Sylla, Hughes and Hume, who if given the opportunity to play with flair and a degree of freedom, have the ability to carve team's open.
I feel our current tactics are actually stifling these players and we are not getting our quality players on the ball enough. In the early games and in pre season Williams looked a very good player, but recently his form has dipped, and whilst he does need to work on his defensive play and tackling, I do believe that CL's tactics has nullified his effect and influence on a game.
I would like to see us go out and play football and try to win every match, if we get beaten by a better side then so be it, and like against Sheff Utd, I was happy because I felt the performance and commitment was very good. What I dont want to see is us drawing at home to the, with all due respect, the Brighton's of this world, because we are too afraid of having a "go".
So please Criag lets be positive and lets start chalking some wins on the board, we have the talent, now lets give the players the platform to go out and entertain and win matches.
