BFTG - Blackpool (A)

[URZZZZ]

Amended that for you.

It isn’t just set pieces to be fair. Feels like this team is forever conceding goals from crosses in general. We just never seem to engage the opposition higher up the pitch and they find pockets of space all around the pitch so easily

Regardless we’ve blamed Rafael this season, blamed Moore, blamed Southwood, blamed Holmes, Morrison is now “past it” and needs dropping, convinced McIntyre will get the same same treatment after a run of games. Think people need to look at the wider problem. If you allow crosses in time and time again, you’re going to concede goals and that’s a whole team problem, not solved by simply swapping out CB’s for each other

there was a sky graphic the other week showing we have conceded more from crosses than any other side in the div - by a distance after the last 2 games I suspect

Pauno hinted that we concede a lot more corners than other teams as well. Not sure on the truth of this or how to find out, but it wouldnt surprise me

Obvs linked to the above - crosses often deflect out for corners.

I thought we did a bit better against Brum with Hoilett and Ince dropping further back. Certainly in Pauno's 4-2-3-1 there was a huge gap in front of our FBs which allowed wingers to constantly pick up the ball in space and run at them or cross. Thought that was a major and obvious failing that Pauno never came close to resolving

Just going back through the games, aside from Peterborough (where we really should have conceded from a couple of set plays) I believe we’ve conceded at least one cross/corner every game dating back to Hull, early December

Just isn’t close to being good enough. And whilst the defenders and GK do need to take a look at themselves, I think your right that the space between the defence and midfield is too big. And it’s strange because it isn’t like we’re a pressing side at all. It’s hard to pinpoint at times what our midfielders actually do

[URZZZZ]

Amended that for you.

It isn’t just set pieces to be fair. Feels like this team is forever conceding goals from crosses in general. We just never seem to engage the opposition higher up the pitch and they find pockets of space all around the pitch so easily

Regardless we’ve blamed Rafael this season, blamed Moore, blamed Southwood, blamed Holmes, Morrison is now “past it” and needs dropping, convinced McIntyre will get the same same treatment after a run of games. Think people need to look at the wider problem. If you allow crosses in time and time again, you’re going to concede goals and that’s a whole team problem, not solved by simply swapping out CB’s for each other

Yes, I was going to add that we are pretty poor at crosses in general, I do think that not having both Rino and Laurent in the midfield for most of the season hasn't really helped us. I genuinely think our best team could be a 3-4-3, set up similar to this:

Southwood
Holmes Dann McIntyre
Yiadom Rino Laurent Rahman
Meite Joao Swift

I think that would help us with our wide issue, having 3 CB's capable of defending the box whilst both Holmes and McIntyre have played full back before so they can cover for both Yiadom and Rahman should they get caught high in transitions, but just having 3 defenders in the box without the ball would help us. Swift can come in from the left and operate in those central zones whilst Rahman overlaps and Meite can come inside from the right, allowing Yiadom to overlap but Meite would join Joao at a pair with the ball whilst Swift operates between the lines just behind them.

Again, I think it just comes back to having a completely imbalanced squad though. I'm not sure Swift's best position is there, but he could be effective and we've got a lot of wide attacking players who would miss out as well. I believe it would sort a few of our issues out defensively and even going forward I'd still think we'd be strong as well. But our squad is too imbalanced. I'm not sure what Drinkwater gives us really without the ball, technically he is good and obviously a good player on his day, but he would need to play alongside both Rino and Laurent which wouldn't work for me, as where does Swift then fit in etc. TDB similar, good energy and technically quite good but I'm not sure where his best position is either.

Conversely I don’t think we’ve missed Laurent that much at all. Midfield with him and Rinomhota have been just as poor as the others. Don’t mind the look of your team although would always find room for Hoilett so would probably shift Swift back in place of Laurent

Think part of the problem on Saturday was just too many position changes as a result of one enforced outfield change. Yiadom shifted, McIntyre shifted, Rinomhota shifted, Dele Bashiru came in - too many partnerships were altered. Drinkwater and Rinomhota seemed to be playing fairly well together whereas whilst DD and TDB were both OK on an individual basis, they offered little protection. Obviously we were stuck for options but in hindsight, may have just been easier to stick one of the U23’s in to replace Holmes, even if they are struggling themselves

[YorkshireRoyal99]

It isn’t just set pieces to be fair. Feels like this team is forever conceding goals from crosses in general. We just never seem to engage the opposition higher up the pitch and they find pockets of space all around the pitch so easily

Regardless we’ve blamed Rafael this season, blamed Moore, blamed Southwood, blamed Holmes, Morrison is now “past it” and needs dropping, convinced McIntyre will get the same same treatment after a run of games. Think people need to look at the wider problem. If you allow crosses in time and time again, you’re going to concede goals and that’s a whole team problem, not solved by simply swapping out CB’s for each other

Yes, I was going to add that we are pretty poor at crosses in general, I do think that not having both Rino and Laurent in the midfield for most of the season hasn't really helped us. I genuinely think our best team could be a 3-4-3, set up similar to this:

Southwood
Holmes Dann McIntyre
Yiadom Rino Laurent Rahman
Meite Joao Swift

I think that would help us with our wide issue, having 3 CB's capable of defending the box whilst both Holmes and McIntyre have played full back before so they can cover for both Yiadom and Rahman should they get caught high in transitions, but just having 3 defenders in the box without the ball would help us. Swift can come in from the left and operate in those central zones whilst Rahman overlaps and Meite can come inside from the right, allowing Yiadom to overlap but Meite would join Joao at a pair with the ball whilst Swift operates between the lines just behind them.

Again, I think it just comes back to having a completely imbalanced squad though. I'm not sure Swift's best position is there, but he could be effective and we've got a lot of wide attacking players who would miss out as well. I believe it would sort a few of our issues out defensively and even going forward I'd still think we'd be strong as well. But our squad is too imbalanced. I'm not sure what Drinkwater gives us really without the ball, technically he is good and obviously a good player on his day, but he would need to play alongside both Rino and Laurent which wouldn't work for me, as where does Swift then fit in etc. TDB similar, good energy and technically quite good but I'm not sure where his best position is either.

Conversely I don’t think we’ve missed Laurent that much at all. Midfield with him and Rinomhota have been just as poor as the others. Don’t mind the look of your team although would always find room for Hoilett so would probably shift Swift back in place of Laurent

Think part of the problem on Saturday was just too many position changes as a result of one enforced outfield change. Yiadom shifted, McIntyre shifted, Rinomhota shifted, Dele Bashiru came in - too many partnerships were altered. Drinkwater and Rinomhota seemed to be playing fairly well together whereas whilst DD and TDB were both OK on an individual basis, they offered little protection. Obviously we were stuck for options but in hindsight, may have just been easier to stick one of the U23’s in to replace Holmes, even if they are struggling themselves

Agree with the point on Laurent but I think it says more about how important Rino is that himself and Laurent performed extremely well last season and Drinkwater has arguably looked at his best alongside Rino. I do think Laurent's playstyle is different to that of Rino's, but we know that we can form that partnership together. The only issue I'd have against Swift in that role is that it leaves Rino having to cover a heck of a lot of ground as Swift isn't as disciplined defensively as Laurent which I feel we would need, but I agree that you'd want to get Hoilett in the team somewhere, so it would provide good competition in that area and maybe could be something we look to do next season.