Long ball football

[Speedy]

HAS TO STOP.

When we play well, we really do play well (The second against West Ham), but i am fed up of shambolic long ball football. Does rafa tell the players that if we dont score in the first 50 minutes or so, we have to start launching it up top (to Bellamy & Crouch FFS!)? Patience is the key to good teams. We had it in the 70's/80's, seemingly Chelsea & United have it now. They don't panic if they don't score early, we need to learn this. Long ball football is not only ineffective, it is quite frankly embarrassing.

Against the bitters it was a joke. For the last 30 minutes we were just pumping the ball up top, hoping for...you tell me...?

Here's hoping for more against Newcastle.

[ronan]

i dont think we played that well against west ham
yes goals were great but that aside we were nothing special

[Speedy]

i dont think we played that well against west ham
yes goals were great but that aside we were nothing special

That's not my point. We won, we played some good football. The football against the bitters was shambolic and embarrassing. Someone needs to sort it out.

[Fowler_God]

Is it me or this season have we struggled to score in the 1st half? Cant remember many games were we got the 1st goal in the 1st half

[Shaggy]

Is it me or this season have we struggled to score in the 1st half? Cant remember many games were we got the 1st goal in the 1st half

We're definitely a better 2nd half side. I don't have actual stats to hand, but the number of times it's been 0-0 at HT and blitzed 'em in the 2nd half has been amazing.

Agreed that the desperation long ball stuff needs to stop - or rather used more sparingly. It was disconcerting and depressing to see how quickly we resorted to it against the Bitters. There's no need for us to do it, and besides, Crouch is better receiving the ball into his feet than he is trying to deal with long balls aimed in his general direction.

[Fowler_God]

The point about the 0-0 at half time is that it leads us to start getting desperate and playing the long ball. More focus needs to be put on getting the early goal or at least a 1st half goal to settle us down.

[ronan]

i dont think we played that well against west ham
yes goals were great but that aside we were nothing special

That's not my point. We won, we played some good football. The football against the bitters was shambolic and embarrassing. Someone needs to sort it out.

sorry i dont follow you.

[Shaggy]

The point about the 0-0 at half time is that it leads us to start getting desperate and playing the long ball. More focus needs to be put on getting the early goal or at least a 1st half goal to settle us down.

Off the top of my head, games against Bolton (3-0), Spurs (3-0) and Fulham (4-0) were all goalless at half-time - which would surely suggest we DON'T get desperate too often. Everton is still fresh in the memory, unfortunately, but for the vast majority of the time we remain patient and the goals come.

[ronan]

The point about the 0-0 at half time is that it leads us to start getting desperate and playing the long ball. More focus needs to be put on getting the early goal or at least a 1st half goal to settle us down.

it totally depends on the game.
if were playing well and creating chances then you carry on as you were.its just a matter of putting the chances away


on the other hand, you could have been under the cosh for the entire half and be delighted with 0-0

i could go on forever but i go back to my origonal point
its game dependant

[Fowler_God]

Off the top of my head, games against Bolton (3-0), Spurs (3-0) and Fulham (4-0) were all goalless at half-time - which would surely suggest we DON'T get desperate too often. Everton is still fresh in the memory, unfortunately, but for the vast majority of the time we remain patient and the goals come.

Aye what that man is saying is true.
I'll leave this discussion with a team talk ive been saving until i become LFC manager.
"listen boys, **** happens"

[bazza76]

HAS TO STOP.

When we play well, we really do play well (The second against West Ham), but i am fed up of shambolic long ball football. Does rafa tell the players that if we dont score in the first 50 minutes or so, we have to start launching it up top (to Bellamy & Crouch FFS!)? Patience is the key to good teams. We had it in the 70's/80's, seemingly Chelsea & United have it now. They don't panic if they don't score early, we need to learn this. Long ball football is not only ineffective, it is quite frankly embarrassing.

Against the bitters it was a joke. For the last 30 minutes we were just pumping the ball up top, hoping for...you tell me...?

Here's hoping for more against Newcastle.

Worst post I have read on here, FACT.
If you knew anything about Rafa, you would know that long ball is just one of the avenues we explore, Rafa will not tactically limit himself to one approach, he will use many, including long ball when he needs.
Long ball, short passing, wing play, dribbling, long shooting all part of Rafa's phylosophy, ask him not to play one of those, you are asking him to go against what he believes.
Educate yourslef a bit more before you start attacking Rafa or our approach to games.

[dww]

It's a fair point we have used the tactic too much, but with Momo out meaning Stevie has to play centrally and Garcia injured we have lacked real creative quality behind the strikers. Against teams with packed defences this will inevitably lead to us using the long ball more as it gives more opportunities to catch opposition players out. At times we have had almost too much possession without creating chances.

In this situation it is less of a gamble to throw the ball long as most chances happen when possession changes hands rapidly. If the opposition have few people up then logically we stand most chance of benefiting.

Hopefully when Momo comes back, or Mascherano comes into the team we will at least have the option of giving Gerrard more freedom.

[Eth]

Worst post I have read on here, FACT.If you knew anything about Rafa, you would know that long ball is just one of the avenues we explore, Rafa will not tactically limit himself to one approach, he will use many, including long ball when he needs.
Long ball, short passing, wing play, dribbling, long shooting all part of Rafa's phylosophy, ask him not to play one of those, you are asking him to go against what he believes.
Educate yourslef a bit more before you start attacking Rafa or our approach to games.

Are you surprised? The only time I need to read that ball bags post is when someone quotes them

I love the ignore function

[paulcooper4]

HAS TO STOP.

When we play well, we really do play well (The second against West Ham), but i am fed up of shambolic long ball football. Does rafa tell the players that if we dont score in the first 50 minutes or so, we have to start launching it up top (to Bellamy & Crouch FFS!)? Patience is the key to good teams. We had it in the 70's/80's, seemingly Chelsea & United have it now. They don't panic if they don't score early, we need to learn this. Long ball football is not only ineffective, it is quite frankly embarrassing.

Against the bitters it was a joke. For the last 30 minutes we were just pumping the ball up top, hoping for...you tell me...?

Here's hoping for more against Newcastle.

to be fair my man, evertons formation was 9-0-1. We tried and tried to play through it, but on the night our passing was off. Our 2 best passers of a football (agger and alonso) couldnt keep the ball on the pitch so what chance did the rest have?

If our passing had of been right we would have knicked that first goal and then gone on to give them the ****ting they deserved.

Once we realised the passing game wasnt working, we tried route one. Of course we did, its part of football. Even when paisley and shankly were in charge.

[lfc4ever]

Are you surprised? The only time I need to read that ball bags post is when someone quotes them

I love the ignore function

hehe, class!