Great goal AGAIN by torres but....

[Glen C]

Why was there ZERO support for him in the box. This has been our problem all season, we just don't commit enough men forward and regardless of who we bring in in the summer if we don't push enough men forward we won't challenge for the title next season. If that had been any of the teams above us they would have had at least 3 men in the box for support and to give them options....why are we so different?

[Pushmepullyou]

119 goals in all competitions suggests your full of it

[WaltonRed]

He is'nt though.

Its a big problem. You even look at the blueshite and they have loads of people lining up at the edge of the box when they are up in the final 3rd.

[ScouseAndy]

Originally Posted by Glen C

Why was there ZERO support for him in the box. This has been our problem all season, we just don't commit enough men forward and regardless of who we bring in in the summer if we don't push enough men forward we won't challenge for the title next season. If that had been any of the teams above us they would have had at least 3 men in the box for support and to give them options....why are we so different?

There lies the reason why we get owned by Man U.

If Torres has an off day or comes up against a quality pairing like Vidic and Ferdinand we are pretty much fucked unless Gerrard pulls something out the bag. They can concentrate their efforts on stopping Torres with little threat from elsewhere.

I noticed against Man City last week (I understand motivation may have been an issue) if Kuyt or Babel got it to the by line you would have Torres on his own in the box, Gerrard outside the box and most of the time Lucas an Masch on the halfway line.

We could definitely afford to be a little more positive and trust are defence to pull us out the shit if a counter attack was launched.

[plonky]

Originally Posted by WaltonRed

Its a big problem. You even look at the blueshite and they have loads of people lining up at the edge of the box when they are up in the final 3rd.

not exactly the best endorsement

[WaltonRed]

Originally Posted by plonky

not exactly the best endorsement

I know but sums the situation up, if they do it and we dont its a joke.

[laddo]

Originally Posted by Pushmepullyou

119 goals in all competitions suggests your full of it

119 goals sounds great (and is) but many came in games against shit teams (4 v Toulouse, 6 v Derby, 8 v Besiktas, 5 v Luton, 5 v Havant).... Not taking it away and weve had 4 against the likes of West Ham, Portsmouth Bolton and even Arsenal in CL but it's in the draws and especially away from home we dont commit ala United with Tevez, Rooney, Ronaldo, Scholes, Giggs, Nani etc etc.

[rebel23]

he makes a good point, when I watch the other top teams they consistantly have 3 sometimes four in the box when they're trying to score

[Unrighteous]

When Kuyt runs down to he byline, Babel should be joining Torres in the box and vice versa...

I want to see at least two of ours in there when we push forward. Gerrard should be hanging around the edge of the box in these instances.

Obviously, it can't always be like that but I feel getting people into the box is a big problem of ours.

You can count on three or four mancs in/around the box at all times when they've pushed the ball forward.



However, their defensive line sits much higher than ours(which is kinda crazy talk).

[Glen C]

I think our problem is that we play not to lose, rather than playing to win. In most games we don't need to play with two holding midfielders just sitting on the halfway line. We should be pushing a few men forward into the box giving more support to torres. Until we change our style of attack it doesn't matter if we have the best players in the world because none of them will be in the penalty box.

[stringvest]

Originally Posted by Glen C

Why was there ZERO support for him in the box. This has been our problem all season, we just don't commit enough men forward and regardless of who we bring in in the summer if we don't push enough men forward we won't challenge for the title next season. If that had been any of the teams above us they would have had at least 3 men in the box for support and to give them options....why are we so different?

I think you'll find the answer in the quality of our wide players.

[Glen C]

Originally Posted by stringvest

I think you'll find the answer in the quality of our wide players.

I don't agree with that at all. We have two wide players who want to play up front so you would think they of all people would be in the box a lot more. I genuinely think that's just how rafa wants them to play. I can't believe babel and kuyt would stay out wide on their own accord as they both like to be in the box as they are strikers.

[stringvest]

Originally Posted by Glen C

I don't agree with that at all. We have two wide players who want to play up front so you would think they of all people would be in the box a lot more. I genuinely think that's just how rafa wants them to play. I can't believe babel and kuyt would stay out wide on their own accord as they both like to be in the box as they are strikers.

I think the problem is that amazingly neither of them seem to have that instinct. Kuyt has shown it a few times, but he's often late into the box, or a bit slow to read what the provider might want him to do, and Babel just doesn't show much initiative at all when it comes to making the right runs.

[Unrighteous]

Originally Posted by stringvest

I think you'll find the answer in the quality of our wide players.

Disagree. I think they are worrying about their defensive duties first...

[stringvest]

Originally Posted by Unrighteous

Disagree. I think they are worrying about their defensive duties first...

Not sure about that. I don't think Babel has ever shown any defensive capability or appetite, neither has Benayoun. Kuyt does, but he's not that effective at it. So we wouldn't be missing much.

[philyburkhill]

I think its a problem on the wings especially, we never seem to support our wingers as much as we should - we just seem to expect them to go on a mazy run and get a cross in.

[Glen C]

But that's our whole problem. We focus so much on defending and not conceeding but not enough focus on attack. How many times this season(especially away from home) where torres has the ball and there's no one around. Thankfully torres is a genius and ends up making a goal out of nothing, but you can't get away with it all the time. If he had more support in attack that would give teams like the mancs more things to worry about and give torres more space to exploit.

[SpeedyG]

I think there are number of reasons for the lack of numbers. Firstly our full backs rarely overlap so that reduces the body count. The wingers do spend too much time in their own half doing defensive duties and none on the right is particularly fast so the chances of them making it to the box is minimal. Lastly, SG tends to hang deeper in the 4231.

[Glen C]

Originally Posted by SpeedyG

I think there are number of reasons for the lack of numbers. Firstly our full backs rarely overlap so that reduces the body count. The wingers do spend too much time in their own half doing defensive duties and none on the right is particularly fast so the chances of them making it to the box is minimal. Lastly, SG tends to hang deeper in the 4231.

I think our fullbacks don't attack as much because of rafa's instructions. When aurellio first came here he was getting more forward than our strikers, now he barely goes forward. Same with arbeloa, he used to bomb forward a lot more than he does now. I really do think it's RAfa's cautious approach which is holding them back.

I really do think our MAIN problem is RAfa's cautious approach to a game. Until that is changed i just don't think we'll challenge.

[ratcatcher]

Originally Posted by Glen C

Why was there ZERO support for him in the box. This has been our problem all season, we just don't commit enough men forward and regardless of who we bring in in the summer if we don't push enough men forward we won't challenge for the title next season. If that had been any of the teams above us they would have had at least 3 men in the box for support and to give them options....why are we so different?

Because the manager prefers to play that way, perhaps?