NYSpur
Andy Gray
A three match winning run that ends in defeat is not normally the time for expressing real concerns about the future of a team, but I have a bad feeling about where we are heading now. I don't think that I am alone in viewing our recent run as fortuitous and there appears to be numerous areas where we are vulnerable with issues both on and off the pitch. Whatever one thinks of Daniel Levy, I really wonder where you begin now to try to address them:
1. Our "system" or "philosophy" doesn't work
I have lost count of the number of times that we defensively collapse after we lose the ball in the opposing teams half. The pushing up of the full backs continually leaves us vulnerable to the counter often with dire consequences. Today is a microcosm of what we see in pretty much every game. Second goal has Rose pushing up , by-passing Moses who then can break. I am not seeing the benefit from playing full backs as auxillary wingers when compared to the issues it creates at the defensive end. It seems like MoPo is praying that we suddenly morph into the Soton pressing team that he had last year but there is no sign of that happening. Instead, we end up repeatedly having our lumbering centre backs being isolated against attackers. We see it against weaker teams such as Asteras but we keep playing the same way until we are behind and then we start thrashing around with different approaches with more forwards. Only against Arsenal did our philosophy change and it almost paid dividends. I fear that if we do not change more heartache is bound to follow. The number of red cards this season bespeaks of a defense and system that is just not working.
2. Our player recruitment has been risible for the last two years
There has been an alarming decline in quality in the squad that shows no sign of abating. The player turnover has been enormous and I see very little that is for the better. I have picture of the group that was around when Under Armour took over. Of them, the ones left are Lennon, Rose, Walker and Friedel. Gone are the likes of Bale, Modric, Van Der Vaart. We know that some sales are unavoidable, but the overall approach taken has gutted the squad, replacing experienced Premier League players with foreign ""buy 6 of these because they are available" approach which has led to an unbalanced squad. Again. The problem with buying only players of potential is that you lose a bedrock of those that have shown they can play well consistently in the league. If this is Baldini's doing then he should be gone. We have spent the money just not on the right combination of players. Again. But it isn't just technical ability that has been lost:
3. Lack of a winning mentality
We have looked like a demoralized group for the last year and a half and it seems to be getting worse. We have lost seasoned pros who know what is needed in the EPL and have not replaced them. MoPo must have looked at the group when he was searching for a captain and despaired. Even so, his selection of Kaboul remains mystfying given his performances. He is trying, but how often is he charging up the field to no good effect these days. In addition, I really feel that the players have lost faith in the system that we are playing and that this is feeding into a loss of fight. Why fight when the system ultimately dooms you?
What to do? I would be having crisis talks now. There are no easy games in the EPL and the longer we persist in playing in a way that has failed, the worse it will be. QPR changed the way they played, why can't we? I would be changing the way we play and abandoning any pretense of the (non-existent) high press and high line approach. If we ever have a group of players for whom it could work, use it again, but its doesn't work with the players we have. Find a way to use the width by abandoning the inverted wingers. It is no use complaining about the size of the pitch when you don't use the width that is available. Buy a couple of experienced heads in January to try to steady the ship.
It is not all bad news. Kane and Mason have been positive influences in difficult circumstances. However, given how tight the league is, imho action is needed now to avoid a steady drift downward.
1. Our "system" or "philosophy" doesn't work
I have lost count of the number of times that we defensively collapse after we lose the ball in the opposing teams half. The pushing up of the full backs continually leaves us vulnerable to the counter often with dire consequences. Today is a microcosm of what we see in pretty much every game. Second goal has Rose pushing up , by-passing Moses who then can break. I am not seeing the benefit from playing full backs as auxillary wingers when compared to the issues it creates at the defensive end. It seems like MoPo is praying that we suddenly morph into the Soton pressing team that he had last year but there is no sign of that happening. Instead, we end up repeatedly having our lumbering centre backs being isolated against attackers. We see it against weaker teams such as Asteras but we keep playing the same way until we are behind and then we start thrashing around with different approaches with more forwards. Only against Arsenal did our philosophy change and it almost paid dividends. I fear that if we do not change more heartache is bound to follow. The number of red cards this season bespeaks of a defense and system that is just not working.
2. Our player recruitment has been risible for the last two years
There has been an alarming decline in quality in the squad that shows no sign of abating. The player turnover has been enormous and I see very little that is for the better. I have picture of the group that was around when Under Armour took over. Of them, the ones left are Lennon, Rose, Walker and Friedel. Gone are the likes of Bale, Modric, Van Der Vaart. We know that some sales are unavoidable, but the overall approach taken has gutted the squad, replacing experienced Premier League players with foreign ""buy 6 of these because they are available" approach which has led to an unbalanced squad. Again. The problem with buying only players of potential is that you lose a bedrock of those that have shown they can play well consistently in the league. If this is Baldini's doing then he should be gone. We have spent the money just not on the right combination of players. Again. But it isn't just technical ability that has been lost:
3. Lack of a winning mentality
We have looked like a demoralized group for the last year and a half and it seems to be getting worse. We have lost seasoned pros who know what is needed in the EPL and have not replaced them. MoPo must have looked at the group when he was searching for a captain and despaired. Even so, his selection of Kaboul remains mystfying given his performances. He is trying, but how often is he charging up the field to no good effect these days. In addition, I really feel that the players have lost faith in the system that we are playing and that this is feeding into a loss of fight. Why fight when the system ultimately dooms you?
What to do? I would be having crisis talks now. There are no easy games in the EPL and the longer we persist in playing in a way that has failed, the worse it will be. QPR changed the way they played, why can't we? I would be changing the way we play and abandoning any pretense of the (non-existent) high press and high line approach. If we ever have a group of players for whom it could work, use it again, but its doesn't work with the players we have. Find a way to use the width by abandoning the inverted wingers. It is no use complaining about the size of the pitch when you don't use the width that is available. Buy a couple of experienced heads in January to try to steady the ship.
It is not all bad news. Kane and Mason have been positive influences in difficult circumstances. However, given how tight the league is, imho action is needed now to avoid a steady drift downward.
