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Post by Amber Aleman on Nov 4, 2019 15:41:42 GMT
There have been comments on various match threads about this subject, but I thought it merited its own thread. A perusal of the National League table soon tells you why Sutton are sitting second-bottom. Our defensive record is only slightly worse than average (eleven teams have conceded more goals than us), so that's not a major concern. The problem is at the other end. We've only scored eighteen goals in nineteeen league matches (and failed to score at all in six of the last seven). Only Chorley have scored fewer. It doesn't help that the goals have been unevenly distributed: half of those eighteen have come in just three of the nineteen games. Clearly something isn't working. I don't claim any coaching expertise, I'm just a supporter who's watched all of Sutton's games this season. Here are a few thoughts on what might need to change, grouped under the headings Personnel, Formation and Delivery. Personnel
The strikers we've relied on this season are Bugiel, Jarvis and Wright. Omar has shown promise as a centre forward, but has been in and out of the side due to injuries and an international call-up. He's managed one league goal (plus one in the FAC). Aaron has battled gamely, often as a lone forward, but is still young. Although he's quite tall, he's also lean of build, and understandably finds it difficult to win the ball when up against a pair of burly, six-foot centre backs. When he does win a header, there's rarely any team- mate near him to flick or nod on to. He's managed three goals, but two of those were in the 4-0 rout of a defensively fragile Chesterfield side. Tommy has clearly not regained the sharpness that he had before his ACL injury. He's scored two league goals (plus one in the FAC), but in several games he's just not got into goalscoring poitions, and often has to go deep to get the ball. Then there's club legend Dundo, who has occasionally been brought on as a very late sub, but is now in his late thirties. Perhaps he could be used more as an impact player. We do have Kearney out on loan, but there are question marks about his fitness, and he's still raw at this level. With Omar reportedly crocked again, there does seem to be a strong case for bringing in another striker, maybe on loan, even if budgetary constraints mean that it's at the expense of an existing member of the squad. FormationFor much of this season we've set up in a 4-5-1 (or 4-1-4-1) formation. This delivered early-season wins at Hartlepool and Boreham Wood, and a handful of draws, but hasn't been effective lately. Matt has used 4-4-2 more often recently, and that worked a treat against Chesterfield, but not since. Maybe it's time to consider 4-3-3, with two flanking strikers working the inside right and left channels to exploit space between centre backs and full backs, but also with licence to drift wider when space opens up there. David Ajiboye showed against Ebbsfleet that he can score when in a more central position, Tom Bolarinwa has done likewise, and Kyel Reid has shown a willingness to cut inside and shoot. Also, many of Tommy's goals in past seasons have arrived through him running the channels. We need to find a way of getting midfield players into shooting positions; Harry has scored six league goals this campaign (plus one in the FAC) but none of the other midfielders has scored more than once. DeliveryWe won thirty-five corners in the last three matches, but only scored from one of them. Too many are over-hit. Early in the season we had some joy from free kicks (Milsom against Chorley, Collins against Dover), but since then the quality has deteriorated. Too often they're wafted out of play or into the goalkeeper's arms. We don't have the tallest squad in the division, so maybe we shouldn't try so many high shots. I'd like to see some kicks played short to a team-mate who then drives the ball low and hard into the box. Then there are crosses. I don't want to be too hard on our wingers as I think generally they've been our brighter performers. And I don't under-estimate the difficulty of delivering an accurate cross under pressure. But maybe the players who get into crossing positions should try cutting the ball back more often. Too often an attempted ball across the face of the goal either goes out of play or is simply cleared by a defender stationed at the near post. When a decent cross is put in there's rarely a yellow-shirted player arriving quickly enough to get a touch. An accurate cut-back can find a team-mate arriving late in the box, and is more difficult for defenders facing their own goal.
I'm sure I haven't thought of everything. But somebody needs to think of something. Otherwise we're just waiting for our luck to change, and that may not happen. It's always better, if you can, to be in control of change.
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Post by ganderpoke on Nov 4, 2019 19:49:30 GMT
I think Tommy's difficulty at present is that we are not playing to his strengths. Butler's long punts to Omar mean that Tommy has to gamble where the flick on will go. Probably he will guess right one time in ten but the oppo know whats coming and he'll have to shake off a defender to shoot. As for crosses, he's got little chance up against some of the giant defenders in this league. He really wants a ball to run onto delivered on the floor from midfield but this rarely happens.
As for Dundo, either bring him on earlier or forget it. At his age it is even more difficult to get into the tempo of the game in the last 5 mins.
With Omar out, we definitely need a loanee up front as he is currently the only forward who looks like scoring. Lets hope that the SSC tie gives whoever plays the chance to remember what its like to score goals.
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Post by skillspaybills on Nov 4, 2019 20:00:56 GMT
Funnily enough I watched the highlights of Saturday and was going to post up some thoughts.
We moved the ball very smoothly in a majority of clips, looked like we had some good speed in the transition with Reid carrying the ball forward and the likes of Harry getting forward to support.
The problem I noticed against Barrow and having watched us against Wrexham is the lack of organisation in our counter attack. We seem to be getting the ball into our forward players and then it's a case of players of supporting but not making penetrative runs to take away players. Then those with the ball are getting 25-18 yards out and attempting speculative efforts or going on their own like David A did vs Wrexham a few times.
We looked positive and imo there's positives there but I think Matt has to really develop partnerships in attack and combinations of passes and movement especially in transition. That will come from a consistency in selection and a lot of 5v4/4v3/3v2 exercises.
Reid likes to cut in as you mention so we need the full back to hold and then make the overlap. Bugiel to pin a centre half so Reid can bounce it off him and central midfielder to make third man runs beyond.
Whatever shape we play we have to get these principles right. No more about luck, niggles or what more can I do. Matt has to find the formula and tbh from what I saw he's got the tools to work with...
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Post by mca on Nov 4, 2019 20:40:04 GMT
We won thirty-five corners in the last three matches, but only scored from one of them. [/div]
[/quote] people who earn a living doing this sort of thing have analysed tens of thousands of them and deduced the scoring rate from corners is roughly 3%. So that's about what we're doing!
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Post by pinewalker on Nov 4, 2019 22:10:27 GMT
Thanks for a great post AA. I can understand how galling it must be to watch U's putting on a fractionally inadequate performance game after game, without an obvious effort by the management to improve it. The posts from Ganderpoke Skillspaybills and mca also add valid observations.
MG is wrong to attribute it to bad luck. Luck - good or bad - is something that happens rarely. What we are seeing is now normal. We concede goals to fluky defections, goalkeeper blunders, and from set pieces: though I have to add a positive note here that Goodliffe and Matsusaka started with a shaky partnership but are improving markedly. Up front our shooting is hurried, from too far out and inaccurate. The keeper and the back four don't appear to share the opinion that our midfield players are our best players - because they rarely pass on the ground to the midfield: preferring to loft the ball over midfield to the forwards.
So it is not bad luck - we are getting the same return from the same style of play nearly every game. Either we have to practise shooting from distance and get a lot better at it, or change our approach.
As for corners - they can be much more dangerous than 3%. I am old enough to have seen Derby County win the league under Brian Clough, and had a S/T at Villa Park when Staunton was delivering to Mellberg and Laursen. Those teams scored from a corner nearly every game. Routines come round again and the bus-queue routine Sutton use is played out, it also depends on a corner-taker who can pick out a colleague in front of goal. I am not sure ours know where the ball will land when they hit it. Better to try the Derby routine again and all stand around the 18 yard box widely spaced then run towards goal as the taker is about to deliver. No attacker then has wasted his time by standing inside the flight of the ball.
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Post by baboonfish on Nov 4, 2019 23:12:43 GMT
Pinewalker, were you watching in the Jimmy dack days here? He could deliver lethal far post left footers like a non league Staunton. Think he scored direct from a few!
6 blanks in 7 games CANNOT be bad luck!!! Jarvis has talent but I fear his shocking misses against Billericay will have destroyed his confidence and he categorically can't play upfront alone. Tommy's missed some absolute sitters and isn't quite back to fitness. I think we need a battering ram style forward to open up defences and provide a threat from crosses. Obviously Dundo is a bit like that but let's face it, he's not the answer either.
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Post by pajomo on Nov 5, 2019 7:40:18 GMT
As has already been said I believe that our lack of goals primarily stems from the lack of creativity in our midfield areas. We definitely need a player (Craig and Harry can do this imo) who is given a free central role to provide those killer passes and change the direction of play. We are clearly far too predictable in our game plans and we are getting punished week in week out by setting out our stall the same way.
This current awful run of games obviously reduces player confidence and adds significant pressure on them to start winning. There's no lack of effort, just poor tactics lacking new ideas.
We are also consistently conceding so many needless sloppy goals, particularly in the last minutes of a game, which causes confidence to plummet. We certainly need to tighten up our defensive line somewhat. A settled back line would help. Our current players are all okay but imo extremely inconsistent and, if we do get the ball away, it seems to be by pumping aimless balls forwards (particularly daft when we don't keep a striker up front at opposition corners).
I have resisted posting on the forum for several months but now I feel I need to ask few questions to our management team (if any ever read this)
1. Why do we allow Jamie Butler to drift forward sometimes as far as the half way line? Discipline might help. You don't see premiership keeper's doing this!
2. Why do we not use our subs until the dying moments of a game when they have absolutely no chance of making a difference?
3. Assuming they are fit why can we not pull back some of our loan players like Kearney and Pearce? (Is it money?)
4. When we win a corner why do we not have a player beyond the rear post who can pick up overhit or cleared corners? Basic stuff imo.
5. We know that we have players with the ability to play to feet with quick passing. Why then resort to long balls or high passes so often. We have, in comparison to many other NL teams, a squad of short players. We are getting outjumped so often that we are failing to win headers. Let's keep the ball down and play to our strengths!
6. If a previous post on the forum is to be believed the club is suffering financially. I know in recent years we have got used to having our club punching above our weight in this league but I can't help feeling that the fans concerns are falling on deaf ears
I have many other observations but I've said enough. I really hope that Matt and the rest of the team can turn our fortunes around. Maybe our team just ain't good enough this season but I live in hope....
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Post by localboy86 on Nov 5, 2019 8:02:01 GMT
3. Assuming they are fit why can we not pull back some of our loan players like Kearney and Pearce? (Is it money?) Christ - why does this question keep cropping up again and again, it’s getting boring now. As good a talents that these two players are - neither are at the desired level of fitness to be in the first team currently - Kearney was apparently on a post season training programme where he actually came back heavier! Pearce has struggled to regain fitness since injuring his metatarsal at the back end of last season though does seem to be getting game time at Walton Casuals.
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billy
1st team skipper
Posts: 2,626
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Post by billy on Nov 5, 2019 11:56:01 GMT
pinewalker said.........As for corners - they can be much more dangerous than 3%. I am old enough to have seen Derby County win the league under Brian Clough, and had a S/T at Villa Park when Staunton was delivering to Mellberg and Laursen. Those teams scored from a corner nearly every game. Routines come round again and the bus-queue routine Sutton use is played out, it also depends on a corner-taker who can pick out a colleague in front of goal. I am not sure ours know where the ball will land when they hit it. Better to try the Derby routine again and all stand around the 18 yard box widely spaced then run towards goal as the taker is about to deliver. No attacker then has wasted his time by standing inside the flight of the ball.[/quote]
Are you sure that Staunton and Laursen actually played in the same team at Aston Villa ? Just asking...........
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Post by swedishchapter on Nov 5, 2019 16:30:59 GMT
pinewalker said.........As for corners - they can be much more dangerous than 3%. I am old enough to have seen Derby County win the league under Brian Clough, and had a S/T at Villa Park when Staunton was delivering to Mellberg and Laursen. Those teams scored from a corner nearly every game. Routines come round again and the bus-queue routine Sutton use is played out, it also depends on a corner-taker who can pick out a colleague in front of goal. I am not sure ours know where the ball will land when they hit it. Better to try the Derby routine again and all stand around the 18 yard box widely spaced then run towards goal as the taker is about to deliver. No attacker then has wasted his time by standing inside the flight of the ball. Are you sure that Staunton and Laursen actually played in the same team at Aston Villa ? Just asking...........[/quote] You are right Billy, it would have been Alpay or Ronny Johnsen rather than Laursen i think...
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billy
1st team skipper
Posts: 2,626
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Post by billy on Nov 5, 2019 17:29:55 GMT
Are you sure that Staunton and Laursen actually played in the same team at Aston Villa ? Just asking...........[/quote]
You are right Billy, it would have been Alpay or Ronny Johnsen rather than Laursen i think...[/quote]
Thanks! It didn't seem right to me not that i know much about Aston Villa.Looking through the relevant yearbooks today i found that Staunton left Villa (after a second spell there) in August 2003 and Laursen arrived in May 2004.
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dof
1st team skipper
Posts: 2,099
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Post by dof on Nov 5, 2019 18:09:59 GMT
Re goal scorers from lower leagues, we have two in the squad at the moment. Aaron Jarvis and David Ajiboye plus one on loan Dylan Kearney. It's a very big step up for these youngsters and takes time to adapt. The only one to come through the barrier is Tommy Wright.
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Post by pinewalker on Nov 5, 2019 19:58:51 GMT
Are you sure that Staunton and Laursen actually played in the same team at Aston Villa ? Just asking........... You are right Billy, it would have been Alpay or Ronny Johnsen rather than Laursen i think...[/quote] Thanks! It didn't seem right to me not that i know much about Aston Villa.Looking through the relevant yearbooks today i found that Staunton left Villa (after a second spell there) in August 2003 and Laursen arrived in May 2004. [/quote] No they didn't Billy, in fact nearly a decade apart. The trauma of Lerner's managerial selections post O'Neill has compressed my memory of the better days that preceded it. As for the Alpay and Johnsen characters suggested - they might have been with Staunton at Anfield, never at Villa.
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Post by Del on Nov 5, 2019 20:58:57 GMT
Come on you Villaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
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Post by swedishchapter on Nov 5, 2019 21:10:04 GMT
Boško Balaban !!!! :-)
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