Blackburn Post-Match

[peekay]

Teams we are struggling to beat are consistently getting thrashed by other top sides. It is not just because the goalkeeper had the game of his life.

It is due to lack of finishing, composure inside the penalty box, shaggy going to the game, intelligence, guile, intensity or even desire.

Stevie hit a beautiful threaded ball to Downing inside the penalty box. All Downing needed to do was a simple sideways pass to Suarez. He passed it to the goalkeeper. That incident encapsulates our attacking play. There is a distinct lake of composure in the final third. Thats what separates good players from great players. We need more great players in attack.

As for our positives. We have been able to find that attack defense balance - not sacrificing defensive solidity while committing players forward. It is no mean feat. It took Rafa a lot of time to find that and GH was never able to find it.

[cream]

Teams we are struggling to beat are consistently getting thrashed by other top sides. It is not just because the goalkeeper had the game of his life.

It is due to lack of finishing, composure inside the penalty box, shaggy going to the game, intelligence, guile, intensity or even desire.

Stevie hit a beautiful threaded ball to Downing inside the penalty box. All Downing needed to do was a simple sideways pass to Suarez. He passed it to the goalkeeper. That incident encapsulates our attacking play. There is a distinct lake of composure in the final third. Thats what separates good players from great players. We need more great players in attack.

As for our positives. We have been able to find that attack defense balance - not sacrificing defensive solidity while committing players forward. It is no mean feat. It took Rafa a lot of time to find that and GH was never able to find it.

I think we are where we are because that that is what our squad dictates. We'll only improve if we buy better players.

[Exiled_red]

I'd like to know stats wisehow many clear cut chances we have in comparison to the other top 6.

I don't think we make enough clear cut chances, how many tap in opportunities do we see, or 1-to-1's with the keeper or a move that tears the opposition to bits that leaves someone with a clear shot on goal, not many imo.

This is a bit out of date as it was from the end of October, (maybe someone has a more up to date source??) but it suggested that up to that point only Man City and Man Utd were creating more clear cut chances than us, while only Stoke, QPR, Wigan and Sunderland had worse clear cut chance conversions.

When this was posted earlier there was an arguement about what a clear cut chance may be, but it should be sufficent to compare clubs (at the time the stats were reported)

[Exiled_red]

We aren't a poor side, we are a good squad

We need A world class Winger, Striker and Defensive midfielder, to make us into title challengers/CL qualifiers.

If we did that we would have squad that would be up there with pretty much everyone elses, bar Citeh of course. But we dont have the money to throw at players like them.

I think it's fine margins, if our players could finish better, I think we could go from what many currently perceive as an average side to a good side. I posted after the Wigan game that had we scored the penalties against Sunderland and Wigan we'd have been 4 points better off which (despite all the other poor results) would see us above Chelsea and Arsenal. If you even add a fraction of the extra points we probably should have had (from wasting chances in games) we could be comfortably in the top 3 now.

[Muddled]

Teams we are struggling to beat are consistently getting thrashed by other top sides. It is not just because the goalkeeper had the game of his life.

It is due to lack of finishing, composure inside the penalty box, shaggy going to the game, intelligence, guile, intensity or even desire.

Stevie hit a beautiful threaded ball to Downing inside the penalty box. All Downing needed to do was a simple sideways pass to Suarez. He passed it to the goalkeeper. That incident encapsulates our attacking play. There is a distinct lake of composure in the final third. Thats what separates good players from great players. We need more great players in attack.

As for our positives. We have been able to find that attack defense balance - not sacrificing defensive solidity while committing players forward. It is no mean feat. It took Rafa a lot of time to find that and GH was never able to find it.

I'd agree with the composure element, however you can't blame intelligence, guile, intensity or desire for it.

The Downing chance (from memory) was there to be hit. You could see what he was trying to do, he just didn't get the connection. We can't keep trying to walk the ball in the net and I'm not particularly sure the ball to Suarez was on, but I would have to see it again.

Carroll might have been better scuffing a few of his attempts in to the ground, instead of getting a decent connection and we would be talking of a win at Anfield and turning that famous corner.

With regards to your positives, you are absolutely right - we defend and attack as a unit which is a great balance.

[Daniel 7]

Defensively we have been great yes. Top positive, its a fine sight seeing Agger break forward. Enrique has been our best recent signing.

[Gibbo]

I think it's fine margins, if our players could finish better, I think we could go from what many currently perceive as an average side to a good side. I posted after the Wigan game that had we scored the penalties against Sunderland and Wigan we'd have been 4 points better off which (despite all the other poor results) would see us above Chelsea and Arsenal. If you even add a fraction of the extra points we probably should have had (from wasting chances in games) we could be comfortably in the top 3 now.

I see the point that you are making mate but it's all if's and buts isn't it.

Instead of if our players could finish better, we need a player that can finish better.

We also miss Lucas massively, which is why I believe that we need a defensive midfielder.

We've needed a decent pair of wingers since Ged left IMO, Dirk has done a good job out there but he isn't a winger.

It's not all about goals, its about our midfield being overrun by mid-table teams too.

[Muddled]

I think it's fine margins, if our players could finish better, I think we could go from what many currently perceive as an average side to a good side. I posted after the Wigan game that had we scored the penalties against Sunderland and Wigan we'd have been 4 points better off which (despite all the other poor results) would see us above Chelsea and Arsenal. If you even add a fraction of the extra points we probably should have had (from wasting chances in games) we could be comfortably in the top 3 now.

This needs to be posted in every post match thread.

There is a fine line between glory and failure, three points and zero points etc.

At the moment, the chances are being created, we either lack the composure or the quality (dependent on which side of the argument you are on) to take them.

[Exiled_red]

Someone mentioned about Carroll dropping too deep - confidence thing? I wonder if its him hiding. If he drops deep he's not up top messing things up. He's not as visible.

I've mentioned that I think he needs a run of games.

I know people will think I'm crazy for saying this but I think he's a player that given a run of games will get goals, he's getting chances (today he could have had a hat-trick). Most of the chances he's had this season have been saved by the keeper or haven't missed by much, with a run of games, some match sharpness and the chances we create I think he can get goals. People critisise him for offering little in build up, etc but I thought he did better today. There is enough going on around him that just having him in the box he could be a threat, if we just let him focus on that.

[Exiled_red]

I don't believe they can either.

[Rafa Justice]

The question is can you trust Kenny with the money? If Suarez was already sealed before Kenny then his record in the transfer market is nothing but ****.

I wouldnt trust him with my gas bill. His signings have been ****ing woeful. So much for Comolli and his input. And it's not just his signings, he keeps starting players who aren't performing and leaving others who deserve a chance on the bench or not even in the squad at all.

[Attilladahun]

Just got back from match and firstly I believe Adam should be getting "pelters"
He was awful after 15i mins at Wigan and just as bad today apart from a couple of low raking passes.
Johnson is also so inconsistent. He hardly featured in the last third and I felt Downing was better today the way he went forward with purpose BUT sadly his decision making at the last moment ruined the effort he puts in.
Carroll worked hard but I genuinely do not think he understands what a good Centre Forward is all about.
He is too static and does not make runs in front of defenders and gets too under the ball!
He should attack the ball more!!
Admittedly crosses need to be at pace and lower in flight and the only persons capable of that is Bellamy and Gerrard who should either play behind Carroll or whip in balls from the right. I would start with Kelly at full back and Johnson should be up on the right if Stevie G is behind Carroll. Downing can be an impact player after 1 hour if Bellers isn't working out. Downing should be back on the left hand side and I would use him more away from home and Bellamy more at home.

[Muddled]

I wouldnt trust him with my gas bill. His signings have been ****ing woeful. So much for Comolli and his input. And it's not just his signings, he keeps starting players who aren't performing and leaving others who deserve a chance on the bench or not even in the squad at all.

A touch over the top.

Which players deserve to start and who deserves to be dropped?

As for Comoli, his success rate has pretty much *always* been 60/40.

[Muddled]

Just got back from match and firstly I believe Adam should be getting "pelters"
He was awful after 15i mins at Wigan and just as bad today apart from a couple of low raking passes.
Johnson is also so inconsistent. He hardly featured in the last third and I felt Downing was better today the way he went forward with purpose BUT sadly his decision making at the last moment ruined the effort he puts in.
Carroll worked hard but I genuinely do not think he understands what a good Centre Forward is all about.
He is too static and does not make runs in front of defenders and gets too under the ball!
He should attack the ball more!!
Admittedly crosses need to be at pace and lower in flight and the only persons capable of that is Bellamy and Gerrard who should either play behind Carroll or whip in balls from the right.

I'd agree with that, good summary.

[Exiled_red]

I see the point that you are making mate but it's all if's and buts isn't it.

Instead of if our players could finish better, we need a player that can finish better.

We also miss Lucas massively, which is why I believe that we need a defensive midfielder.

We've needed a decent pair of wingers since Ged left IMO, Dirk has done a good job out there but he isn't a winger.

It's not all about goals, its about our midfield being overrun by mid-table teams too.

True, it is ifs and buts. The thing is though we aren't playing badly, people come in the match and post match threads moaning out of frustration at the result. The Spurs game aside we've probably done enough to win every other game this season, now granted you don't always get what you deserve in football but in truth we're not even getting close to what we deserve, the point I'm making is that the line between success and failure in our case is very fine, people are taking about us having a team full of average players, but that same team could easily be sat comfortably in the top 3 had things been a little different, and things would be looking alot brighter. I don't think we need 3 or 4 more players (although it would be nice).