Season 23/24 | The Official Match Thread | Swansea City v Coventry City | The EFL Championship

[sainthelens]

Why are we playing for a draw/not to lose with 30 mins left. ?
Quicker Joey comes in for Jay the better, and I'm struggling with 5 at the back. We don't have flying full backs by any means. That said, our 3 central defenders have had a rocket up their arse and seemed to work....let's hope that lasts.
Is it just me... that thers nothing Yates does that Cullen cant do?
Still early doors, but at times we look lost on what the instructions actually are.

 

[Nice to Michu]

The problem is 3 at the back not Fulton. It’s 3 then when grimes drops in its a 4 without the wing backs . Play Allen instead of a centre back and push everyone up more

 

[jasper_T]

Why are we playing for a draw/not to lose with 30 mins left. ?
Quicker Joey comes in for Jay the better, and I'm struggling with 5 at the back. We don't have flying full backs by any means. That said, our 3 central defenders have had a rocket up their arse and seemed to work....let's hope that lasts.
Is it just me... that thers nothing Yates does that Cullen cant do?
Still early doors, but at times we look lost on what the instructions actually are.

Didn't want to say it because he did score again, but so far I would agree that Yates is just a more physical Cullen with less craft. "Tries hard" and occasionally puts the ball in the net. Early days.

Joe Allen doesn't solve the big gap between midfield and attack. Too many sitting midfielders, no one who wants to lurk between the lines and drive forward into spaces. Patino isn't that player, Grimes will never be that player (despite some fans insistence that he can be, against 5 years of evidence), Fulton tries a bit and has some tricks and flicks but zero pace. Allen has scored only 30 goals in his 33 years for a reason. An unsupported front two is very easy for canny Championship sides to handle.

 

[LeonWasTheDog's]

Alan Curtis sounds as if he definitely prefers us this season.

I’d like to know what he sees that he likes.

I can’t work out what Duff wants from the team. He came saying he’d play an energetic game on the front foot, but we don’t press often and when we do we go in ones or twos, so Coventry played through it no problem. We’ve nobody from central midfield joining the partial press (and a big hole in front of Piroe and Yates generally).

We don’t play the short game; the defence/mid look like they’ve forgotten how to play out from the back. Wood was tearing his hair out half the game with what was going on around him. We don’t have width high enough up the pitch to use it as a quick breakout option; we don’t have forward mid options either. And our forwards don’t work together.

For the first time in many years and managers, I’ve no idea what we’re trying to do. It’s more scraps and second balls than anything.

That not to say I think we’re really bad. We just seem identity-less. Where we struggled today was with the final ball - it was shocking. We got into a few good positions, but the quality wasn’t there to make the most of them.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

LeonWasTheDogs said:

That not to say I think we’re really bad. We just seem identity-less.

Sounds familiar doesn't it.

Reminds me of someone whose surname rhymes with 'pooper-scooper'....

 

[LeonWasTheDog's]

The problem is 3 at the back not Fulton. It’s 3 then when grimes drops in its a 4 without the wing backs . Play Allen instead of a centre back and push everyone up more

Wing backs is being generous as well. They sit quite deep. I do think that’s a waste of a space, as we shouldn’t need 3 CBs playing like that. And we don’t need Darling pushing on as the spare CB. He’s not good enough for that - I’d rather have another mid or forward.

We’ve actually got wingers now, so I’d like to see us try a 433 or 4231. The trouble is, that means only 1 of Piroe or Yates starting.

 

[LeonWasTheDog's]

LeonWasTheDogs said:



Sounds familiar doesn't it.

Reminds me of someone whose surname rhymes with 'pooper-scooper'....

Yes, we’ve got a bit of that feel about us but with less individual quality.

 

[Vetchonian]

LeonWasTheDogs said:



Sounds familiar doesn't it.

Reminds me of someone whose surname rhymes with 'pooper-scooper'....

id rather results over identity.......What identity did we have for the oast 2 seasons......oh yes we had high possession playing in our own half...

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

id rather results over identity.......What identity did we have for the oast 2 seasons......oh yes we had high possession playing in our own half...

So you'd rather spend a season failing ugly, than failing pretty? Fair enough fella.

 

[Longlostjack]

id rather results over identity.......What identity did we have for the oast 2 seasons......oh yes we had high possession playing in our own half...

Exactly. Set pieces are better and defending set pieces better. Agree with Curt. Pointkess passing for the sake of it is a complete waste of time. We still lack creativity in final third. Play Patino further up as a classic 10 maybe.

 

[Nocountryforoldjack]

So you'd rather spend a season failing ugly, than failing pretty? Fair enough fella.

That's not what he said though is it, he said he'd rather results, would you rather win ugly to promotion or fail pretty? I know which one I'd rather.

 

[Vetchonian]

So you'd rather spend a season failing ugly, than failing pretty? Fair enough fella.

opinions
i thiught the last two seasons were dull and uninspiring football...
watching sideways and backwards passing in our half is not football bit i do understand some fans believe this is best....at least this.manager appears results focused unlike his predecessor and at the end of the day football is a results business.
Duff is only 3 games in ...im obviously not seeing what many see as i dont see us a Pullis or Warnock style yes we mix it a little more but we do play on the deck...we dont have high pass numbers as we no longer play chuckle brothers football amongst the defence virtually standing still just in frontnofnour box.....
Lets see where we are when Tjoe slots in on the left Key switches to the right and Patino settles in

 

[monmouth]

“We don’t play the short game; the defence/mid look like they’ve forgotten how to play out from the back. Wood was tearing his hair out half the game with what was going on around him. We don’t have width high enough up the pitch to use it as a quick breakout option; we don’t have forward mid options either. And our forwards don’t work together. “

That made me laugh. Apart from that?

I didn’t see the game, so have no idea if there was more promise, but we will need a win plus some purpose soon, or the pressure will ramp up and we don’t need that to reach a peak at the Piggery. I have a feeling we will still be calling for a back 4 at Christmas, so if he wont do it, he needs to start making it look like the current approach might work.

 

[Vetchonian]

i too would prefer 4 at the back allowing extra legs in midfield but Duff seems fixed on this and he needs time , lets see how things look once Tjoe is up to speed Key on the right maybe this Chelsea youngster in for Wood and Wood replacing Darling.
It is still early days Martin had a less than auspicious start only 2 wins in 9 games the first win away from home after which he called out players for being pragmatic and not playing to the process it took another 5 games before the next win which was at home.

Yes the pressure will come but lets give Duff a chance.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

That's not what he said though is it, he said he'd rather results, would you rather win ugly to promotion or fail pretty? I know which one I'd rather.

No, he was replying in the context of me comparing Duff to Steve Cooper, who failed at his brief just as Martin failed, only in a much, much uglier way.