So what's the way to deal with a parked bus?

[Norbs]

Carry the ball through and force a challenge, a free kick may be the best options to score

[Exiled_red]

I think alot of it comes to wearing them down or waiting for them to make a mistake either in the box or someone being pulled out of position up field. Good delivery from wide areas and a striker with a physical presence who can bully defenders and get on the end of balls into the box (an on form Andy Carroll)

[Fredo]

We cut through them the other day, we just didn't score.

[red g]

We cut through them the other day, we just didn't score.

we did everything right but score. We had more than enough chances to win the game we got through the parked bus pretty well to be honest and width isnt the answer on stokes ground as they dont have it. cheating inbred cunts.

[BillobShaisley]

The words intricacy, movement and quality are key.

The art of dangling the apparent possibility of a turnover of possession in front of a defender before releasing the ball to a team mate just as the defender (Midfielder) has over extended himself thereby starting a chain of covering events creating space for team mates. Having the quick thinking, quick feet and coordinated teamwork to then release someone in a bit of space to get a shot away.

Having the patience to sometimes back off a bit and dangle this carrot in the middle third rather than attacking third can make it a bit easier as the OP was suggesting. We see this a lot with Barcelona and good Brazil sides.

Dribblers are all very well, but we have seen that good team work and showing them up cul-de-sacs can effectively shut down even Messi/Ronaldo. When a defence has the agility and teamwork to enact this then just whip (see that Downing 'whip' not 'float') some balls to Carroll from near the byline.

[Roboklopp]

Still think in part at least it comes down to both the quality and quantity of "game-changing" players you have. You cannot legislate for individual genius- and the more players of that ilk you have makes it logistically more difficult/impossible to double-mark them.

We have Suarez- and intermittently Stevie. We need more.

[danperkins]

Width.

The other element is intricacy.

If the opposition has two banks of four which are extremely close together, the only way past them, is through them. So in essence, the movement from the players is key, but it ties in with your point about pulling them around the pitch. If you've got width you can pull them over, so it then comes back to intricate and decisive passing to switch it and get behind them.

I always remember being taught a basic 4-4-2 and how width, getting to the byeline and pulling it back is the easiest form of attacking football as you can't he offside and defenders can be caught off balance. To an extent, going back to basics sometimes works a treat.

But going back to my original point, that type of passing relies heavily on players controlling the ball with one touch and moving it on with the next and in parts this season, we've seen both bad first touches and heavy passing, but you can see a vast improvement and you can see it's developing and something we are working in I'm training.

Get balls out wide, spread the play and open teams up, we have players in Downing & Bellamy that can take have the pace to push full backs deeper and take them on, we have full backs who can get beyond, we have players that can deliver quality from wide areas also & we have players with great movement and positioning that can latch onto these types of balls. All the materials are there more than ever IMO, maybe not game changers as such, but several highly effective players that can work together as a unit to make things happen.

What i would say also IMO, is that "if" we get balls out wide and crosses coming in from the flanks, the likes of Adam needs to be getting up wee bit higher to support the front two, i know he's not the most athletic of guys, but the likelihood of the second ball coming out the edge of the penalty area from knock downs/clearances is much higher & with his left foot it IMO it makes sense to have him close to goal at times. Whether he has the engine to get up there is a different story, like to think he does.

[Suarez]

It all comes down to width, pace and a midfield genius.

There was one time towards the end of the game on the weekend when someone (can't recall now, might have been Suarez) ran down the right almost at the touchline and crossed the ball straight into the box and no ****er was there! It wasn't a quick run that caught people off guard, we simply had 2 or 3 players stood waiting at the edge of the ****ing box and none of them bothered to run in. Unbelievable.

We're so pedestrian in the middle as well. I commented in another post that after watching Utd a few times this season so far and it seems as though they have atheletes who play football very well and we have only footballers. They're knocking the ball about and running around like gazelles, really light on their feet. With a couple of exceptions we seem heavy and cumbersome.

[danperkins]

It all comes down to width, pace and a midfield genius.

There was one time towards the end of the game on the weekend when someone (can't recall now, might have been Suarez) ran down the right almost at the touchline and crossed the ball straight into the box and no ****er was there! It wasn't a quick run that caught people off guard, we simply had 2 or 3 players stood waiting at the edge of the ****ing box and none of them bothered to run in. Unbelievable.

This is the thing, Suarez comes wide alot to receive the ball, the problem being as you said if he gets the ball into the box, who is there to receive it?

There are too many players that are waiting and are relying on someone else to make things happen, the likes of Adam needs to ball getting up from midfield at least to the edge of the area to support the forwards (unless he's under instruction from Kenny not too??)

I'd think Downing has been unlucky not to get on the score sheet or to have some assists, be nice to see some production from him, same with Hendo apart from goal has looked fairly poor, Kuyt too. Carroll looks like he is waiting on the perfect delivery too, his movement and desire to get onto crosses needs to improve IMO.

We don't have many game changers or match winners, but IMO we have an effective enough squad and first 11 to trouble anybody. Lets not just rely on Suarez to to make things happen though, don't want to burn the guy out.

[billy_mac]

Patience is the key to all of this. Yes pace, passing and width are also important, but you pass it across the back and around midfield for ages until players get hungry for the ball and they come to close you down and then you attack.

Only the super disciplined defensive teams will stay in positions and not get drawn to the ball after a couple of minutes.

Only patient teams can matintain possession without hitting it long in hope after a while.

[danperkins]

Patience is the key to all of this. Yes pace, passing and width are also important, but you pass it across the back and around midfield for ages until players get hungry for the ball and they come to close you down and then you attack.

Only the super disciplined defensive teams will stay in positions and not get drawn to the ball after a couple of minutes.

Only patient teams can matintain possession without hitting it long in hope after a while.

I agree to a certain extent, Barca can happily do this but have the end product & 6 or 7 game changers to back it up, IMO they are a different animal to everyone else.

IMO we are much better when we take the game to teams and play at a higher tempo. Slow lethargic passing IMO gives teams likes Stoke the perfect time to get the formation sorted and solid, with men behind the ball and little space available , we don't have enough game changers to break teams like this down. I thought played well enough against them and when we went at them we did open them up several times but just didn't take our chances.

I'd like to see a higher tempo, a more aggressive approach. More balls down the flanks and bit more diversity in our play & of course players taking more responsibility to make things happens, and not leaving it to the usual suspects to win games.

[Tee]

Movement. Pass and move. Its the easiest way!!

[billy_mac]

I agree to a certain extent, Barca can happily do this but have the end product & 6 or 7 game changers to back it up, IMO they are a different animal to everyone else.

IMO we are much better when we take the game to teams and play at a higher tempo. Slow lethargic passing IMO gives teams likes Stoke the perfect time to get the formation sorted and solid, with men behind the ball and little space available , we don't have enough game changers to break teams like this down. I thought played well enough against them and when we went at them we did open them up several times but just didn't take our chances.

I'd like to see a higher tempo, a more aggressive approach. More balls down the flanks and bit more diversity in our play & of course players taking more responsibility to make things happens, and not leaving it to the usual suspects to win games.

Sometimes it just comes down to least mistakes and a bit of luck and that is what happened with Stoke.

[danperkins]

Sometimes it just comes down to least mistakes and a bit of luck and that is what happened with Stoke.

true enough mate

[BillobShaisley]

Not sure width is quite the wonder cure being painted. The great Milan team used to give opposing wingers space to cross and back Baresi and Costacurta to get the header first. It's a question of using your strengths against their weaknesses. Having the intelligence and quality to identify and then put into practice what is suited to the game you are in along with the selection of qualities in the 1st 11 and bench to exploit any weakness.