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the exile 5:20 Mon Sep 14
Our awful tactics

Only just got the chance to post this following the debacle against Newcastle. This is something that I personally find just as frustrating as the situation with transfers or the owners. The most successful teams are those where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but we seem to be the opposite. We have some very decent players but the way we play rarely brings the best out of them.

However, hats off to Newcastle. Just like Burnley towards the end of last season, they worked incredibly hard defensively, getting everybody behind the ball and denying us space in a very organized way. But we need to be able to play against teams like this - there aren't many that give you any space these days. We looked most dangerous when we broke at pace, but that only happened 2 or 3 times. The problem is when we're playing out from the back and the opposition have got everybody behind the ball. It seemed to me we only had two tactics the other night - both of them incredibly unproductive:

1 - hoof it up to Antonio, even if he's got 4 defenders closer to him than the nearest team-mate. Basically handing the ball back to the opposition on a plate.

2 - the CBs play it out to one of the FBs, the problem being that almost every time, two opposition players immediately close them down, so their only option is to play it back to the CB. And so it goes endlessly back across to the other side to see if the other FB can get anywhere. What makes this even more frustrating is that Noble comes deep and starts doing the CB's job, but that means we're one man down in midfield, so all he can do is likewise, pass it out to one of the FBs, and then it comes back, and so it goes on, and on, and on.

We did break through and threaten down the flanks a few times, but nowhere near enough - Fredericks had a half decent game and got a few dangerous crosses in. Cresswell produced next to nothing. But we also need to be able to play through the middle. Surely the top priority has to be improving our movement off the ball. Our midfield and attacking players aren't doing enough to move and create space for themselves, whether it's on the halfway line or in the final third. We need more of a pack mentality, everyone making themselves available for a pass, wide players being prepared to move inside in support of the player in possession instead of religiously hugging the touchline.

Personally I think we need to move Antonio back out to the left, where he would be much more of a threat than Fornals, who simply is nothing like a winger. That means persisting with Haller up front, but he badly needs a No.10 behind him and we've simply got to get more bodies in threatening positions - Soucek getting forward more often - if we're going down the left, Bowen should be inside to support Haller, and likewise Antonio if we're coming down the right.

We saw the other night that an isolated Antonio isn't much better than an isolated Haller. It's all about the way they play together and support each other. So who should play in the No.10 role? I suppose Fornals could be quite effective in there, but so could Anderson or Lanzini if they could remember that they're supposed to be decent footballers.

goose 5:27 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

That’s what happens when you hire an awful manager.
His ideas are about 5 years out of date.

There’s only one direction Moyes will take a team........ backwards.

Come On You Irons 5:30 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

This is what happens when we have an uninspiring, nodding dockey, lapdop, dinosaur, dour, jock CUNT managing us.

Lee Trundle 5:30 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

I'll probably get crucified by the many Zola lovers on here, but our tactics yesterday reminded me so much of the time he was managing us.

Pointless passing around in our own half and giving the ball away when we try to enter the opposition half.

ChillTheKeel 5:32 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

There wasn't even a gameplan, other than 'try not to lose' followed by the usual panic subs after going behind.
The notion of changing things earlier in the game when it was evident we were struggling across the park, goes way beyond the capacity of the Moysiah's footballing genius.

Lee Trundle 5:36 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

I'm glad you reminded me of the substitutions.

What was the fucking point in waiting until the 89th minute to make your final one, when it was blatantly obvious we were shit the whole game?

Rusta 5:36 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

I actually think the tactics used for this game are scarier than all our other problems at this very moment in time

goose 5:45 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

There was a two or three minute period on Saturday, it was 0-0 and we had the ball on or around halfway. For those few minutes the ball travelled a ten yard square between noble, Cresswell and both centre backs. It ended when Ogbonna lumped it forward.

Fucking pointless.

dreaming of 86 5:47 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

Possibly the most unispiring manager you could have employed .He is a worse version of Allardyce sets the team out not to lose (even at home) I get trying to be hard to beat in some away games but Newcastle at home ffs a new low .He was deemed not good enough the first time round what the fuck has changed ,know the press say the players love him but juast imagine him sitting down trying to sell West Ham to a prospective new signing .Dull as fucking dishwater

defjam 6:08 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

We have tactics?

Mr Kenzo 6:10 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

TicTacs

gph 6:12 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

goose: on a stream you often can't tell who's to blame - no decent movement in front of the players, and it's not their fault.

It's a long standing problem - I remember Carrick hoofing it aimlessly forward in a match away at West Brom, in despair at no movement up front.

gph 6:14 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

Of course we have tactics - we attempt lure the opposition into a false sense of security before turning it on.

Unfortunately, we use the WHO clock to decide when to turn it on.

defjam 6:18 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

gph 6:14 - AG!


Mr Kenzo 6:10 - Shitacs!

charleyfarley 6:20 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

Yes spot on exile, how many times have we seen in the past Noble or other players with the ball no movement from other players, the ball gets played square and then back towards the goalkeeper. then the whole process gets repeated, it happened again on Saturday

Rusta 6:40 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

Don’t wanna be accused of fat shaming or anything but Nolan & Moyes look like a couple of fat alcoholics on the touch line managing a pub team

, 6:43 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

They both looked positively sylph like compared to Bruce.

Rusta 6:44 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

Fair point Bruce looks like he is about to burst at any time....

, 6:48 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

Btw, too early to put Newcastle on a pedestal, we made them look better than they are as exampled by Carroll totally dominating our centre backs.

E3 7:13 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

All we're slightly good at is sideways and backward passing everything else is a joke.

Burnhammeronsea 7:14 Mon Sep 14
Re: Our awful tactics

Spot on analysis ,Exile. Frustrating to watch ,too.

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