Roberto Di Matteo

[TRO]

16 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

We're 6 games into the season. There are 40 still to play, so approx 87%. Which is a lot. I'm not even remotely worried yet. 

Dave that is fine and as far as the heart goes and to keep it healthy....I totally agree.

In terms of the attacking side of our game, I too have every confidence we will have a decent season.

The defensive side for me is an entirely different ball game ( pardon the pun)

my concerns are not just limited to the back 5......Its the whole team.its the mentality, attitude, approach, organisation, format, method.

When we are without the ball we look sloppy and timid.

I am not asking the team to become a second Wimbledon or rack up bookings to the detriment of the campaign, but a determined scrooge like approach to denying the opposition the oxygen to breathe, like closing down and working our ***** off to squeeze the opposition.

In my humble opinion we need to work much harder off the ball.

This is not asking for millions of pounds from owners, its asking managers to focus on this issue, which I think is costing us all the hard work being put in on the offensive side of the job.

[Eastie]

5 minutes ago, TRO said:

Dave that is fine and as far as the heart goes and to keep it healthy....I totally agree.

In terms of the attacking side of our game, I too have every confidence we will have a decent season.

The defensive side for me is an entirely different ball game ( pardon the pun)

my concerns are not just limited to the back 5......Its the whole team.its the mentality, attitude, approach, organisation, format, method.

When we are without the ball we look sloppy and timid.

I am not asking the team to become a second Wimbledon or rack up bookings to the detriment of the campaign, but a determined scrooge like approach to denying the opposition the oxygen to breathe, like closing down and working our ***** off to squeeze the opposition.

In my humble opinion we need to work much harder off the ball.

This is not asking for millions of pounds from owners, its asking managers to focus on this issue, which I think is costing us all the hard work being put in on the offensive side of the job.

Both Steve Clarke and Kevin bond were defenders so I'd expect them to tighten things up at the back in training - we only conceded 2 goals in or first 4 games and looked fairly solid but the last 2 games have been disappointing defensively 

[TRO]

34 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

We're 6 games into the season. There are 40 still to play, so approx 87%. Which is a lot. I'm not even remotely worried yet. 

I do not want to be a Drama queen, but we was saying this last season.

If nothing changes, it remains the same......and we get the same results.

We have made a decent effort in improving the attack and I was never expecting to get the whole thing fixed in one window.

.....but there are clearly issues that are impacting on our ability to see a game out. That was also a feature of previous seasons.

Edited September 12, 2016 by TRO

[NashVillan]

We're playing good football. I like our setup. Points will come. I can feel a blowout coming for us. Have patience gentlemen and women. We have a completely new team. 

[bobzy]

14 minutes ago, TRO said:

Dave that is fine and as far as the heart goes and to keep it healthy....I totally agree.

In terms of the attacking side of our game, I too have every confidence we will have a decent season.

The defensive side for me is an entirely different ball game ( pardon the pun)

my concerns are not just limited to the back 5......Its the whole team.its the mentality, attitude, approach, organisation, format, method.

When we are without the ball we look sloppy and timid.

I am not asking the team to become a second Wimbledon or rack up bookings to the detriment of the campaign, but a determined scrooge like approach to denying the opposition the oxygen to breathe, like closing down and working our ***** off to squeeze the opposition.

 

Personally, I thought we pressed Forest really well with our attacking players.  They very regularly passed backwards to their keeper who then played a long ball.

Despite the huge concerns over our central midfield, I can't remember any point during the entire game that Forest were all over us.

[StefanAVFC]

24 minutes ago, Villan4Life said:

 really good defensive minded midfielders

 

 

http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/spieler/vertragslosespieler/statistik/1/plus//galerie/0?ausrichtung=alle&spielerposition_id=6&land_id=alle&wettbewerb_id=alle&seit=alle&yt0=Show

Kevin Nolan

 

[TRO]

5 minutes ago, bobzy said:

Personally, I thought we pressed Forest really well with our attacking players.  They very regularly passed backwards to their keeper who then played a long ball.

Despite the huge concerns over our central midfield, I can't remember any point during the entire game that Forest were all over us.

Forest were not even in the game.....so ask yourself the question, why is a team, not even in it able to score 2 goals and deny us a valuable win.

.....Allowed to......and that is my issue.

and its not for the first time either.

ps I have little issue with the attack.

Edited September 12, 2016 by TRO

[Guest av1]

35 minutes ago, Villan4Life said:

Some really good defensive minded midfielders on this list currently free agents:

 

 

http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/spieler/vertragslosespieler/statistik/1/plus//galerie/0?ausrichtung=alle&spielerposition_id=6&land_id=alle&wettbewerb_id=alle&seit=alle&yt0=Show

 

 

Its never to late 

[Villan4Life]

Just now, av1 said:

Its never to late 

retiring isn't it? Chris Herd is also on that list  not done too well since leaving us! Chesterfield and Perth Glory have both released him since he left us.

Edited September 12, 2016 by Villan4Life

[Guest av1]

1 minute ago, Villan4Life said:

retiring isn't it? Chris Herd is also on that list  not done too well since leaving us! Chesterfield and Perth Glory have both released him since he left us.

There are certainly some interesting names on that list. 

[bobzy]

41 minutes ago, TRO said:

Forest were not even in the game.....so ask yourself the question, why is a team, not even in it able to score 2 goals and deny us a valuable win.

.....Allowed to......and that is my issue.

and its not for the first time either.

ps I have little issue with the attack.

Because sometimes life is a little bitch like that.

[Tommo_b]

One was a long range shot which on another occasion goes over the bar, the second the guy got lucky twice with the ball bobbling up and it somehow luckily bounced to their player, sure it could've been prevented, but it was also pretty unfortunate! 

Edited September 12, 2016 by Tommo_b

[tonyh29]

3 minutes ago, Tommo_b said:

One was a long range shot which on another occasion goes over the bar,

playing with a Keeper may also have helped  

[Zatman]

52 minutes ago, Tommo_b said:

One was a long range shot which on another occasion goes over the bar, the second the guy got lucky twice with the ball bobbling up and it somehow luckily bounced to their player, sure it could've been prevented, but it was also pretty unfortunate! 

then you can say on another day Gestede goal could have been disallowed for a high foot

[Tommo_b]

14 minutes ago, Zatman said:

then you can say on another day Gestede goal could have been disallowed for a high foot

Absolutely, it will all even out come end of the season and we'll be fine

[bannedfromHandV]

7 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Is he a free agent? If so, and we can take him at any time on a deal to the end of the season I wouldn't be averse to it to be honest. He is a much improved player and will add to the options which we sorely lack.

Is he!? It's as much a genuine question as it is a statement of surprise. Hasn't he been bumming around in the States for the last five years or something? 

[terrytini]

4 hours ago, TRO said:

Forest were not even in the game.....so ask yourself the question, why is a team, not even in it able to score 2 goals and deny us a valuable win.

.....Allowed to......and that is my issue.

and its not for the first time either.

ps I have little issue with the attack.

Isn't that partly due to the effective nature of the defensive / pressing side of our game (which I think we did well) ?

And anyone can score twice from two chances.  I remember watching Spain v Switzerland a few years back and Spain had something like 75 % possession, Switzerland had one chance all game and won.  It happens.

I don't get it.  Teams will score against us, against everyone.  Defenders/Mf's etc will make mistakes   - (as you said Jose was berating his own (much better ) defender for it at the weekend).

My question is - if you just viewed this years games as this year, and forgot about last year, would you still think there was some worryingly fundamental issue ?  We have conceded  7 goals, only 9 Teams have let in fewer and they don't all have brand new defences. Are we really as bad - this season - as you think ?

[terrytini]

FWIW, as an aside,  I don't think I have seen a player - either in this League or the Premier League - work as hard tracking back defensively as Jack has,( this season).

[Vive_La_Villa]

 

5 minutes ago, terrytini said:

FWIW, as an aside,  I don't think I have seen a player - either in this League or the Premier League - work as hard tracking back defensively as Jack has,( this season).

I think they have all worked hard just lacked quality in certain areas. One area in particular which happens to be where we have existing players currently playing.  Its no coincidence. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

Its a shame we couldn't keep hold of Gana. Exactly would we needed.