20-08-2023, 05:28 PM
Now I appreciate that what I'm going to suggest will cause great offence to all football purists, however, after yesterdays turgid display against "the mighty" Cheltenham, here's an idea......
After a first half when we played nearly the whole 45 minutes passing along our back line, either in our own half or on the half way line....it was blindingly obvious that we had neither a player with the ability to run at / dribble pass their defence, neither did we have a player capable of making an incisive forward pass. Consequently we never offered any real goal threat.
Second half we're "attacking" the Fratton End which normally gives opposition defenders the jitters. So, given that we had just spent 45 minutes passing the ball along our back line without making any forward progress....why not just lump the bloomin ball into the box?!
Bishop and Saydee are big articles and so would have at least caused a bit of disruption. Their defenders were nothing special (just your average 3rd Division players). By going direct it would have pushed Cheltenham deep allowing our mid field players to pick up any scraps on the edge of the box.....and with mayhem ensuing it would have got the Fratton End on their feet!
Yep it wouldn't have been pretty.....but we're a third division Team and if we haven't got the ability to play pure football, then maybe it's time to go long?
(cue the critics.....although before you give me dogs abuse, after yesterday, what would you prefer.....more pass pass pass pass along the back line getting nowhere, or 45 minutes of old fashioned up & unders and an onslaught of the oppositions box??)
After a first half when we played nearly the whole 45 minutes passing along our back line, either in our own half or on the half way line....it was blindingly obvious that we had neither a player with the ability to run at / dribble pass their defence, neither did we have a player capable of making an incisive forward pass. Consequently we never offered any real goal threat.
Second half we're "attacking" the Fratton End which normally gives opposition defenders the jitters. So, given that we had just spent 45 minutes passing the ball along our back line without making any forward progress....why not just lump the bloomin ball into the box?!
Bishop and Saydee are big articles and so would have at least caused a bit of disruption. Their defenders were nothing special (just your average 3rd Division players). By going direct it would have pushed Cheltenham deep allowing our mid field players to pick up any scraps on the edge of the box.....and with mayhem ensuing it would have got the Fratton End on their feet!
Yep it wouldn't have been pretty.....but we're a third division Team and if we haven't got the ability to play pure football, then maybe it's time to go long?
(cue the critics.....although before you give me dogs abuse, after yesterday, what would you prefer.....more pass pass pass pass along the back line getting nowhere, or 45 minutes of old fashioned up & unders and an onslaught of the oppositions box??)