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Long Ball Team?


withes_shin

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I think we started off with the right intention but the lack of quality from our 'creative' players has meant that Lambert's had to be more pragmatic, hence Benteke starting instead of Bent. Long term I'm sure he wants to play the right way, unlike McLeish.

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It's certainly possible but I couldn't care less about style of play given our current predicament. Benteke wins absolutely everything in the air. Get Weimann up alongside him for the flick ons and knock downs. We tried to pass it through the midfield against Spurs and couldn't get out of our half. The midfield gets eaten alive partly due to their lack of quality but also how poorly Lambert sets them up.

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When Vlaar was fit and in the side he definitely tried playing out from the back. The first half against West Brom we passed and moved quite well but Benteke had a mare that day meaning it came to nothing but a desperate 1-1. Gradually as the results and crap defending have taken their toll players have completely lost their confidence to do anything remotely creative.

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Yes at the moment. It's down to a woefully week midfield and an inexperienced and panicky defence.

This.

I think the intention is to play "better" football.

But with the lack of any decent attacking midfielders in the centre of the park, inexperience at the back and an easy target up top in Benteke, the tendency is to go long.

But I don't think the intention is to play like that.

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Take the Southampton game for example. In the first half it was a typical long ball game as we were panicking at every opportunity, but as the game progressed we started playing ball to feet with some rather pacey attacking play, it was like we were a different team in the second half. What we played in the final 30 minutes was what Lambert wants every game and with a decent midfield that may just happen.

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Under Mcleish we were very defensive though, under Lambert we are a very attacking team be it long balls or passing, we mix it up but we are just rubbish at it. In some of our away games we've had 12-15 shots on goal, unthinkable under Mcleish.

As our resident Norwich fan said, Lambert doesn't really do defense.

We did ask for attacking football remember?

Edited by supernova26
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No. We're not.

We're panicking about not being able to get the ball away, and Benteke is a natural target for getting the ball away from the danger zone. We've always started games with the intention to pass, but our weak midfield and nervousness at the back means we slip into long ball as the game progresses.

Under McLeish that was our tactic from the kick off.

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No. We're not.

We're panicking about not being able to get the ball away, and Benteke is a natural target for getting the ball away from the danger zone. We've always started games with the intention to pass, but our weak midfield and nervousness at the back means we slip into long ball as the game progresses.

Under McLeish that was our tactic from the kick off.

spot on

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I suppose if the ball's down the other end it's less likely to go in the Villa net!

It's what you do with it when it's down there that counts and at the moment we're suffering by not taking chances, including some gilt edged buggers.

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I think Hoofing would be more of an accurate way to describe villas style of play at times, the McLeish tactics are still indented in a few players heads imo. Long ball passing makes me think more in the lines of Barcelona...

Edited by Daniel1Avfc
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We are definately a long ball team at the moment, but that comes from trying to get the ball Benteke quickly instead of building from the back properly.When/if we get enough points to be sure of safety I am sure our style will change.Put it this way, it better change cause I can't see a long ball team lasting too long in the Premier League.

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