wingers
Tue Feb 11, 2014 11:38 pm
hung on for a point which you never know may be worth it's weight in gold at the end of the season.
But we have a Right footed winger on the left and a Left footed winger playing on the right. Surely it's time to switch them?
When Noone first came to the club I believe we set a record for ten straight home wins and the boy was flying. He'd get the ball down, burn the right back and whip balls into the box regularly and we all thought why did Brighton sell him?!?!?
On the right he checks in field 100% of the time and that gives the full back time to regain his position (now in fairness Noone does put some lovely crosses in after he's checked but when he is flying down the left he's difficult to catch).
Zaha is not my cup of tea, I think he's an overrated show pony, however I'm sure he was voted Palace's player of the year and certainly made the Championship Team of The Year mostly playing on the right wing so he must have something.
Balance is everything. I don't think we've had any balance to the side certainly since Ole took over (as I don't think he knows his best 11 yet). Full back is a serious problem and I don't think our front two are that menacing.
But if we played a left winger on the left and a right winger on the right, it could be a start. Let's face it, we've nothing to lose and everything to gain between now and the end of the season.
On the plus side thought Turner was outstanding, as was Marshall (again), Eikrem looked tidy when he came on too. Missed Mutch when he went off - the boy is never fit!
But we need to fight on and keep believing. 2 wins in the next two Saturday's will have us in the quarter final of the FA Cup and (if results go our way) out of the bottom 3.
No one said it was going to be easy!!!
But we have a Right footed winger on the left and a Left footed winger playing on the right. Surely it's time to switch them?
When Noone first came to the club I believe we set a record for ten straight home wins and the boy was flying. He'd get the ball down, burn the right back and whip balls into the box regularly and we all thought why did Brighton sell him?!?!?
On the right he checks in field 100% of the time and that gives the full back time to regain his position (now in fairness Noone does put some lovely crosses in after he's checked but when he is flying down the left he's difficult to catch).
Zaha is not my cup of tea, I think he's an overrated show pony, however I'm sure he was voted Palace's player of the year and certainly made the Championship Team of The Year mostly playing on the right wing so he must have something.
Balance is everything. I don't think we've had any balance to the side certainly since Ole took over (as I don't think he knows his best 11 yet). Full back is a serious problem and I don't think our front two are that menacing.
But if we played a left winger on the left and a right winger on the right, it could be a start. Let's face it, we've nothing to lose and everything to gain between now and the end of the season.
On the plus side thought Turner was outstanding, as was Marshall (again), Eikrem looked tidy when he came on too. Missed Mutch when he went off - the boy is never fit!
But we need to fight on and keep believing. 2 wins in the next two Saturday's will have us in the quarter final of the FA Cup and (if results go our way) out of the bottom 3.
No one said it was going to be easy!!!
Re: wingers
Wed Feb 12, 2014 7:58 am
I thought they should have at least switched a few times.
Re: wingers
Wed Feb 12, 2014 9:52 am
BobBankLoyalist wrote:hung on for a point which you never know may be worth it's weight in gold at the end of the season.
But we have a Right footed winger on the left and a Left footed winger playing on the right. Surely it's time to switch them?
When Noone first came to the club I believe we set a record for ten straight home wins and the boy was flying. He'd get the ball down, burn the right back and whip balls into the box regularly and we all thought why did Brighton sell him?!?!?
On the right he checks in field 100% of the time and that gives the full back time to regain his position (now in fairness Noone does put some lovely crosses in after he's checked but when he is flying down the left he's difficult to catch).
Zaha is not my cup of tea, I think he's an overrated show pony, however I'm sure he was voted Palace's player of the year and certainly made the Championship Team of The Year mostly playing on the right wing so he must have something.
Balance is everything. I don't think we've had any balance to the side certainly since Ole took over (as I don't think he knows his best 11 yet). Full back is a serious problem and I don't think our front two are that menacing.
But if we played a left winger on the left and a right winger on the right, it could be a start. Let's face it, we've nothing to lose and everything to gain between now and the end of the season.
On the plus side thought Turner was outstanding, as was Marshall (again), Eikrem looked tidy when he came on too. Missed Mutch when he went off - the boy is never fit!
But we need to fight on and keep believing. 2 wins in the next two Saturday's will have us in the quarter final of the FA Cup and (if results go our way) out of the bottom 3.
No one said it was going to be easy!!!
Excellent post. 100% agree. Much easier for the front two to make their runs and attack the ball if they know it is coming as soon as the wing is outside the fullback, plus it's more difficult for the defence to double up as the player chasing back has more work to do if the attacker is running at pace and not slowing down to check inside.
I really believe that this will speed up our attack, especially with some of the balls Eikrem put over the top in to space, the wings can attack and cross early.
Re: wingers
Wed Feb 12, 2014 9:58 am
The need to mix it up more. But you can see the difference having two out and out wingers makes, yes we lose the ball a lot because they are always trying to make something happen but their pace frightens defenders at this level.
Zaha looks a bit off the pace at the minute but that sharpness will come with more game time.
Noone is unplayable at times.
Zaha looks a bit off the pace at the minute but that sharpness will come with more game time.
Noone is unplayable at times.
Re: wingers
Wed Feb 12, 2014 11:15 am
You're right, Noone is unplayable at times. I jokingly said if he continues to play out of his skin and plays a big hand in keeping us up that he may have to dig his passport out as he could be on a plane to Rio (England always seem to pick someone in the 23 right out of left field! I.e. Walcott when he was aged 8 or whatever he was!!!)
Anyway it was said firmly tongue in cheek, but he's not even getting the chance to see what he really can do when he has to stop and check back on the right all the time.
I never thought we had the players in the middle strong enough to play a 4-4-2 (and I still don't, especially when we come up against 5 man midfield's) but last night Villa played with 2 in the middle and for the most part we were their equal and obviously that allowed the wingers to influence the match going forward and not having to defend as much.
I also think that Ole is trying to play a brand of football that a) the players are not used to & b) I don't think they are capable of currently. Under Mackay it was very much 10 men behind the ball, defend resolutely and try nick a goal on the counter or from a set piece. Drab.....boring....uncomfortable viewing at times, but reasonably successful.
Now Ole wants us to be far more expansive, play out from the back, pass and move and go for the jugular - but that's the problem, some players in that side are not comfortable with the ball at their feet, thus they panic when closed down, lose confidence in themselves, the opposition get wind of this & push higher up.
We are (and have been) in a dog fight since game 1 - it wasn't ever going to be rocket science. So you battle, and battle hard. Become difficult to beat - which in fairness I think we were under Mackay (and I'm not pro Mackay but I do think his ideas were correct to keep us in the division).
If we stay up, and there's still no reason why we can't, although can't see us scoring many, then I expect to see big changes in the summer on personnel. You've already seen with the players Ole's brought in (Dalehi, Eikrem especially) they are players who want the ball. I expect to see more arriving like that.
Anyway it was said firmly tongue in cheek, but he's not even getting the chance to see what he really can do when he has to stop and check back on the right all the time.
I never thought we had the players in the middle strong enough to play a 4-4-2 (and I still don't, especially when we come up against 5 man midfield's) but last night Villa played with 2 in the middle and for the most part we were their equal and obviously that allowed the wingers to influence the match going forward and not having to defend as much.
I also think that Ole is trying to play a brand of football that a) the players are not used to & b) I don't think they are capable of currently. Under Mackay it was very much 10 men behind the ball, defend resolutely and try nick a goal on the counter or from a set piece. Drab.....boring....uncomfortable viewing at times, but reasonably successful.
Now Ole wants us to be far more expansive, play out from the back, pass and move and go for the jugular - but that's the problem, some players in that side are not comfortable with the ball at their feet, thus they panic when closed down, lose confidence in themselves, the opposition get wind of this & push higher up.
We are (and have been) in a dog fight since game 1 - it wasn't ever going to be rocket science. So you battle, and battle hard. Become difficult to beat - which in fairness I think we were under Mackay (and I'm not pro Mackay but I do think his ideas were correct to keep us in the division).
If we stay up, and there's still no reason why we can't, although can't see us scoring many, then I expect to see big changes in the summer on personnel. You've already seen with the players Ole's brought in (Dalehi, Eikrem especially) they are players who want the ball. I expect to see more arriving like that.