Pack your bags Roy

[Pablo]

As opposed to Rafa tactics where we'd set out to stifle the opposition in the hope of catching a break. Give over Arn, the first half was a great performance, and the players can be forgiven for sitting back on a lead in the second, yet still looking dangerous on the break. You won't give Roy any credit, which is a bit sad, and all because he's not Rafa.

He didn't even mention Rafa did he?

Arn's got this one wrong though IMO. Roy got his tactics perfect first half. Second half was a worry but as I've mentioned I think that's partly down to the tentativeness of the players as much as the tactics he employed.

[kris90210]

Was hoping for a bit more possession at home in a game we won 2-0 i must admit having seen the stats.

Why??

We had a 2-0 lead and sat back on it to play on the counter. Perfectly correct way to play.

We've dominated possession but lost plenty of games. Tell that to opposition fans and see if they give a ****.

Mate, we kept a clean sheet against a side that has scored 27 goals in 11 games! And we scored 2 against a defense that had only conceeded 3 in 10. If you want to look at statistics, look at those. Today is the time to reflect on a fantastic performance. Be happy

[kris90210]

I'd be surprised if we actually moved higher and pressed higher than we did yesterday

That was Roy's Fulham tactic at its best against a side that that comes on to you

How we will cope with a team that sits back and defends themselves is another story as we all saw how Houlliers teams (virtually the same tactic as Roy yesterday) and even Rafa's sides (who pressed higher and held a much higher line) faired in those sort of games- none too well really

Agreed. The next few games will be interesting.

[Vermilion]

I was just surprised the stats for possession were so good in the chavs favour is all, expected around 50-50..us with good first half possession and them second, but they seem to have had the ball a lot more, which sort of fits with what Arn was saying about our star players doing the business...but not so much joy in the team and tactics department...maybe tactics more than team.
just a thought.

It's hard to be down on a result like this, however i don't yet believe we've turned any corners...not just yet as far as Roy being manager, or Torres deciding to stay long term are concerned.

Maybe i'm overly cautious/pessimistic...but i've been here so many many times before.

[Lecter]

As opposed to Rafa tactics where we'd set out to stifle the opposition in the hope of catching a break. Give over Arn, the first half was a great performance, and the players can be forgiven for sitting back on a lead in the second, yet still looking dangerous on the break. You won't give Roy any credit, which is a bit sad, and all because he's not Rafa.

Rafa's tactics were to stifle the opposition high up the pitch and turn it quickly

Roy is more content to play deeper and is more akin then to counter attacking / hitting on the break ala Houllier

Credit to Roy hes got the results but I'm still none too convinced his tactics are the way forward

[Scratch]

He didn't even mention Rafa did he?

Arn's got this one wrong though IMO. Roy got his tactics perfect first half. Second half was a worry but as I've mentioned I think that's partly down to the tentativeness of the players as much as the tactics he employed.

It's Arn, you know every dig at Roy is based on his love for Rafa...only gotta go read the forum to know that.

Agreed tho, first half was superb and even the second half...right idea, but we were too deep, altho i think this was more down to player nerves than Roy telling the boys to sit on the 18yd line.

[Lecter]

Was hoping for a bit more possession at home in a game we won 2-0, but having seen the stats it's not so good as regards our all round play and ball retention.

Agreed that to me is the way forward

More possession you have the less you have to worry about the opposition

[Lecter]

Why??

We had a 2-0 lead and sat back on it to play on the counter. Perfectly correct way to play.

We've dominated possession but lost plenty of games. Tell that to opposition fans and see if they give a ****.

Mate, we kept a clean sheet against a side that has scored 27 goals in 11 games! And we scored 2 against a defense that had only conceeded 3 in 10. If you want to look at statistics, look at those. Today is the time to reflect on a fantastic performance. Be happy

We've dominated possession in plenty of games but lost??

Are you talking this season??

Because some of our lowest points this season have involved having far lower possession thn the opposition you know such powerhouses of passing football as Northampton, Blackpool & Everton

[The Birdman]

I still don't have any faith in the incontinant one as our manager and I can't even listen to his interviews anymore but while he keeps winning games no-one can really question him.
My belief like others is that in games where we are the underdog's we will do ok, when we need to expand and take the game to 75% of the PL teams I still think we'll struggle.

Lets not forget Chelsea were without Lampard, Essien and Drogba, arguably their 3 most influential players.

Btw did anyone else think Roy was trying to make a point by bringing on Shelvey and Spearing in the last few minutes??
This is the same manager who didn't trust Kelly enough to play him at home to Blackburn yet seemed determined to finish the game with 3 English lads under 22 on the pitch.

A little message to Comolli about the 'strength' of our youth perhaps, because while I'm no fan of Poulson and Jovanovich has been ok Roy's history suggests he choses experience over youth 99 times out of 100 and most would accept 2 experienced internationals coming on to see out the game.

[dww]

There were two major changes

One as you rightly said we held a higher line (first half anyway) not as high as you or I would like but still high

Secondly we actually pressed the opposition when they brought the ball into our half rather than only doing this when they get near our penlaty box in previous games

This is an improvement on Hodgson Tactic Mark I but to me its more akin to Houlliers tactics than anything else we have had. I must admit I'm none too convinced that is the way forward

Also as a further point the quality players in the side have started to perform, I said a couple of weeks ago when some people were saying the squad Roy was left with was poor that the squad was capable of more than Roy was getting out of them and that if we went on the front foot we'd get more rewards

We've seen part of that and I'm further convinced that an even more attacking approach would be to our benefit

I agree with that analysis but I actually think it will work (with qualifications, see later) because the league has become weaker, less tactically disciplined and defences this year are pretty abysmal throughout the PL.

When I say work I mean get us a position between 4th and 6th and do well in the Europa. I think that is more or less the limit of the tactic as we will draw too many games like the Bolton one using this approach.

[kris90210]

We've dominated possession in plenty of games but lost??

Are you talking this season??

Because some of our lowest points this season have involved having far lower possession thn the opposition you know such powerhouses of passing football as Northampton, Blackpool & Everton

No, I'm talking about over the past few years against the likes of Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea.

I'm not debating that we've not been **** in those games you listed. Not for a second. What I'm saying is that possession stats can be pretty meaningless when all's said and done.

The overall possession stats don't take into account the areas of the pitch where the game was played. As I said earlier, towards the beginning of the match, Chelsea were playing keep-ball in their own half, but the possession stat still showed them at 40-60. If we were 0-2 down, I'm sure the possession stats would have been far closer.

[Lecter]

I agree with that analysis but I actually think it will work (with qualifications, see later) because the league has become weaker, less tactically disciplined and defences this year are pretty abysmal throughout the PL.

When I say work I mean get us a position between 4th and 6th and do well in the Europa. I think that is more or less the limit of the tactic as we will draw too many games like the Bolton one using this approach.

I'd agree with the last paragraph thats why I said imo it isnt the way forward

[dww]

I'd agree with the last paragraph thats why I said imo it isnt the way forward

I agree long term but I think we might well have to accept that we will have a season of stabalising and reorganisation behind the scenes and painful as it is accept this as a price we have to pay. I think Roy will be here until the summer.

My main hope is that we don't allow him too much say in transfers and continue to revamp the youth development program more or less independently of him.

[Cormack74]

Just a note on possision...BBC has it at 56-44 in our favour, over the whole game...pretty good going, considering we were under the cosh for periods of the second half.

I posted that yesterday from the BBC internet site.

However for some reason they use the Press Association for their stats whereas on MOTD2 possession was given 60:40 in favour of the Chavs.

[Mattshark]

As opposed to Rafa tactics where we'd set out to stifle the opposition in the hope of catching a break. Give over Arn, the first half was a great performance, and the players can be forgiven for sitting back on a lead in the second, yet still looking dangerous on the break. You won't give Roy any credit, which is a bit sad, and all because he's not Rafa.

But they weren't so don't spout such ****. Rafa's tactics were about control, keeping possession, not about catching a break and when the opposition had the ball to press them high up the pitch.

Roy set us up well for the first half, the second half less so. Sitting so deep and narrow is dangerous and it nearly cost us early in the 2nd half.