Glorious Failure in Lisbon
Where was the glorious failure? I must have missed that in the midst of all those humps up the park (supposed defensive clearances) and benfica pressure...
Part of it is the players arent good enough - but its far more than that. Its a mentality, its believing that we can do something, its not having 4 or 5 midfielders sitting ontop of your defence cos they cant handle the pressure, its not bringing pressure on yourself, its taking pressure off, its making them defend, making them work, its keeping possession, 'it' in essence, is being Aiden McGeady.
We need to break out off the shackles of predisposed opinions on our players. We should hire a foreign manager in as a consultant for a week.
Kennedy once fitter could start at the back, cant last 90 minutes at this level at the moment - no use to us really. McManus is what he is - only useful at this level if playing along side a type of centre back we dont have on our books (an intelligent experienced classy one). Caldwell is a centre half with poor distribution and very prone to error, not a great resume for a right back. He was woeful last night, one of the main individuals who seemed intent on us not holding possession. I actually thought Naylor was far better last night that we have seen him at points this year, he took responsibility in possession, and particularly in the second half moved forward with the ball - but again, he could be part of a back four, but only with a capable other 3 helping him out. Relying on him isn’t fair (as he isn’t good enough for that) and is only ever going to bring more pressure.
Then looking at our midfield, or as they played last night, the player playing just in front of our back 4. No I don’t mean Paul Hartley, I mean all 5 of them. Whatever the reasoning for sitting so deep without possession is total suicide. To keep afloat in the champions league, you need not only to stand your ground defensively, but to ask questions of the opposition through your use of the ball. Yes this takes, confidence, ability, self belief, but is that too much to expect? I certainly don’t think so. Without doing so, what is the best we can expect? - I’ll tell you what - last night, exactly that. To play 90 mins without the ball, is to prolong the time till the goal(s). We need to play further up the park and play to them, an not only might we ease the pressure, but infact might create a few chances ourself. Hartley did okay, didnt use the ball particularly well, but then, who was available to take it from him, his jib was stopping them, and covering his defence, in that he sis a good job. Donati has to hold the ball, sometimes using the ball, isnt always passing it, using it can be holding it and control the tempo a bit. It wasnt motivation or workrate that Donati didnt show, it was positional discipline. Whether or not they were told to sit deep I dont know - but he attempted to play Hartleys role also.
Jarosik on the left? No thanks, the big man can play - but pushing him wide so he can support the strikers doesnt work. Aye Shaun and Aiden were at there most attacking in that role, but their games are based on dribbling, Jarosik's game is about winning the ball and controlling it then finding a pass and moving. He should have played centrally. He and Donati infront of Hartley should give enough protection and support to defence and midfield against a team of Benfica's ability. McGeady couldnt have done more but when he beat his man, majority of the time Killen wasn’t even in the box cause he had to work so hard just to be involved that in the later stages he was "running on treacle" to quote Provan. He put a decent shift in, and did fine for what he could. We left Brown to fill the canyon between midfield and forward. 60 yards for periods this was. How on earth can we build play with this glaring imperfection? We need to help ourselves as in the Champions League we'll just get punished.
Brown didn’t play badly as such - just in the wrong areas, there were so many Benfica players in the Gulf between Killen and the Midfield that hitting him with a pass from centre wasn’t much of an option, so he tried to use his energy and enthusiasm dribbling by players. I genuinely feel for us that would have been best served out wide given how deep or midfield was. McGeady on the left, Brown on the right would have served us better.
However I don’t think we have the players, know how, or system to play with one upfront against a team like Benfica, who lets face it, are hardly the cream of Europe. If you let most of the Champions League group teams onto you, they will do the same.
Above and beyond the shape and system-
Balde and O'Dea sitting on the bench - and we wonder why we cant defend.
Our best midfielder on the bench - we wonder why we cant pass or create chances
Our top scorer for the season was on the bench - we wonder why we don’t score
Hardly rocket science....
May I add (sadly) - That actually last night was an improvement in actual performance cos we sat deep 'well' for the majority of the game - Just don’t think we should (or have to) be even playing like that and don’t think it will serve is well to continue to do so in Europe.
Champions league is the pinnacle of club football - expect every team to "have to win", and yes we have to expect that teams like benfica will throw the kitchen sink at us. But does anybody honestly think the answer is sit back and watch them smash the enamel off Gary, John, Stephen, and Lee until the whole kitchen unit was forced over the goal line.
By no means do I think we should have been playing an overly attacking formation/team. But it’s the mentality that’s all wrong. That what its all about, personally I wouldn’t have gone with the 9-0-1 formation that we did, but even so, to play that way whilst being brave, strong, self believing, and with ability (see our number 46 last night) would certainly give you more of a chance of even getting the draw than booting the ball to Benfica's possession then sitting in and seeing how long it takes them to break us down, and see if we can manage to get lucky. We shouldn’t be looking to just get lucky, we should be looking to get good. If we get a bit of luck doing so, then that’s even better. In any way we lined up, we had to be prepared to play, to take responsibility for the game not being played 18 yards from Artur Boruc.
Yes Nakamura isn’t in great form, and I can even understand him being on the bench. I don’t understand not bringing him on, particularly when it was clear we were not passing the ball at all well. I certainly wouldn’t leave Naka out as we need him fit and in good form to bring to the 3 remaining CL games. I don’t think Naka "picks and chooses when he plays for us", personally I don’t think he has quite recovered his form since being injured. Perhaps a wee spell recuperating will bring him back in full fitness and full form.
Part of it is the players arent good enough - but its far more than that. Its a mentality, its believing that we can do something, its not having 4 or 5 midfielders sitting ontop of your defence cos they cant handle the pressure, its not bringing pressure on yourself, its taking pressure off, its making them defend, making them work, its keeping possession, 'it' in essence, is being Aiden McGeady.
We need to break out off the shackles of predisposed opinions on our players. We should hire a foreign manager in as a consultant for a week.
Kennedy once fitter could start at the back, cant last 90 minutes at this level at the moment - no use to us really. McManus is what he is - only useful at this level if playing along side a type of centre back we dont have on our books (an intelligent experienced classy one). Caldwell is a centre half with poor distribution and very prone to error, not a great resume for a right back. He was woeful last night, one of the main individuals who seemed intent on us not holding possession. I actually thought Naylor was far better last night that we have seen him at points this year, he took responsibility in possession, and particularly in the second half moved forward with the ball - but again, he could be part of a back four, but only with a capable other 3 helping him out. Relying on him isn’t fair (as he isn’t good enough for that) and is only ever going to bring more pressure.
Then looking at our midfield, or as they played last night, the player playing just in front of our back 4. No I don’t mean Paul Hartley, I mean all 5 of them. Whatever the reasoning for sitting so deep without possession is total suicide. To keep afloat in the champions league, you need not only to stand your ground defensively, but to ask questions of the opposition through your use of the ball. Yes this takes, confidence, ability, self belief, but is that too much to expect? I certainly don’t think so. Without doing so, what is the best we can expect? - I’ll tell you what - last night, exactly that. To play 90 mins without the ball, is to prolong the time till the goal(s). We need to play further up the park and play to them, an not only might we ease the pressure, but infact might create a few chances ourself. Hartley did okay, didnt use the ball particularly well, but then, who was available to take it from him, his jib was stopping them, and covering his defence, in that he sis a good job. Donati has to hold the ball, sometimes using the ball, isnt always passing it, using it can be holding it and control the tempo a bit. It wasnt motivation or workrate that Donati didnt show, it was positional discipline. Whether or not they were told to sit deep I dont know - but he attempted to play Hartleys role also.
Jarosik on the left? No thanks, the big man can play - but pushing him wide so he can support the strikers doesnt work. Aye Shaun and Aiden were at there most attacking in that role, but their games are based on dribbling, Jarosik's game is about winning the ball and controlling it then finding a pass and moving. He should have played centrally. He and Donati infront of Hartley should give enough protection and support to defence and midfield against a team of Benfica's ability. McGeady couldnt have done more but when he beat his man, majority of the time Killen wasn’t even in the box cause he had to work so hard just to be involved that in the later stages he was "running on treacle" to quote Provan. He put a decent shift in, and did fine for what he could. We left Brown to fill the canyon between midfield and forward. 60 yards for periods this was. How on earth can we build play with this glaring imperfection? We need to help ourselves as in the Champions League we'll just get punished.
Brown didn’t play badly as such - just in the wrong areas, there were so many Benfica players in the Gulf between Killen and the Midfield that hitting him with a pass from centre wasn’t much of an option, so he tried to use his energy and enthusiasm dribbling by players. I genuinely feel for us that would have been best served out wide given how deep or midfield was. McGeady on the left, Brown on the right would have served us better.
However I don’t think we have the players, know how, or system to play with one upfront against a team like Benfica, who lets face it, are hardly the cream of Europe. If you let most of the Champions League group teams onto you, they will do the same.
Above and beyond the shape and system-
Balde and O'Dea sitting on the bench - and we wonder why we cant defend.
Our best midfielder on the bench - we wonder why we cant pass or create chances
Our top scorer for the season was on the bench - we wonder why we don’t score
Hardly rocket science....
May I add (sadly) - That actually last night was an improvement in actual performance cos we sat deep 'well' for the majority of the game - Just don’t think we should (or have to) be even playing like that and don’t think it will serve is well to continue to do so in Europe.
Champions league is the pinnacle of club football - expect every team to "have to win", and yes we have to expect that teams like benfica will throw the kitchen sink at us. But does anybody honestly think the answer is sit back and watch them smash the enamel off Gary, John, Stephen, and Lee until the whole kitchen unit was forced over the goal line.
By no means do I think we should have been playing an overly attacking formation/team. But it’s the mentality that’s all wrong. That what its all about, personally I wouldn’t have gone with the 9-0-1 formation that we did, but even so, to play that way whilst being brave, strong, self believing, and with ability (see our number 46 last night) would certainly give you more of a chance of even getting the draw than booting the ball to Benfica's possession then sitting in and seeing how long it takes them to break us down, and see if we can manage to get lucky. We shouldn’t be looking to just get lucky, we should be looking to get good. If we get a bit of luck doing so, then that’s even better. In any way we lined up, we had to be prepared to play, to take responsibility for the game not being played 18 yards from Artur Boruc.
Yes Nakamura isn’t in great form, and I can even understand him being on the bench. I don’t understand not bringing him on, particularly when it was clear we were not passing the ball at all well. I certainly wouldn’t leave Naka out as we need him fit and in good form to bring to the 3 remaining CL games. I don’t think Naka "picks and chooses when he plays for us", personally I don’t think he has quite recovered his form since being injured. Perhaps a wee spell recuperating will bring him back in full fitness and full form.
posted by Michael__67 at 8:05 AM
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