Possession

Why sit back thou?

Are we not good enough to go at teams?

Is Adams tactically not confident enough?

Are the players low on confidence?

Are we just set up to be hard to beat?

Whatever it is, it’s boring and likely to the reason we go back down to L2.

Possession stats don't of course tell the full picture.

You could have 70% possession but if its in your own half it ain't going to threaten the opponents much.

Given our home form though, clearly, there are questions that should be asked of the manager. Not sure the local media are likely to be that challenging though.

Your right about possession.

However, it's what you do with it and quite frankly we don't have an end product. Yet again yesterday the visiting keeper didn't have many shots on his goal. You got to hit the target to score. We don't hit the target enough accurately in terms of ratio per games.

Bradford and Wimbledon are talked about in terms of the way we play but don't mention any of the homes games we failed in because we either gave the ball away cheaply or sat back/or both.


I really find it interesting people think we will be ok based on how we have performed for this season and last, at home under Adams. Even when we won at home you left thinking only poor finishing from numerous chances meant we came away with 3pts. And yet people think in a higher league and playing better teams we will be fine considering the 9 home games we have witnessed at HP so far.

I understand you have to have some kind of hope but from a manager who seems to refuse to change his philosophy how on earth can we turn this around given we play sides like Oxford, who were low on confidence in that first half, and still get spanked.

For me possession is a big issue but so is our lack of pressing, making teams have the ball in comfortable possession and feel their way into games. Home Park is at its best when watching a team playing with a good tempo, pressing teams and forcing errors, Carlisle at home a couple of years ago springs to mind when we won 4-1. Unfortunately our home performances are breeding apathy and our results are so bad, why not attack more and if we are to lose, at least lose having a go?

For the first 15 minutes yesterday I thought we pressed further up the field and for once didn't drop to deep.
The sending off changed the course of the game and being 0-1 down and only 10 men the onus was on us. We actually competed fairly well for the first half but without really threatening the goal apart from the Carey free kick. Oxford looked happy and comfortable to let us have the ball

2nd Half Jervis had the chance to equalise but sadly he has had such a lack of opportunities this season when 1 came along he missed it ( which is hardly surprising )
From there on in Oxford were in cruise mode and the 2nd goal completely killed us off and you could see heads drop.
Oxford were now ripping us apart at their will and we simply could not get possession let alone keep it

Shame about the sending off ( which was correct ) as it had the look of a good game up until then

With no hold up striker upfront possession is aleways going to be an issue for us as neither Blissett or Jervis can hold the ball up which makes DA decision to persist with 1 up front even more baffling.

In the end yesterday we didn't even have 1 up front and went 4 - 5 - 0 presumably to keep the goal tally down as Oxford looked capable of scoring 7 against a dejected team with no shape or game plan and all at sea like the good ship mayflower.

Its going to be a long old horrible season and I just don't think we have enough in the locker under DA to avoid an immediate return to league 2 when I was convinced we could conservatively come 16th.
Disappointing and made worse by the drab style of football if you can even call it that

Maybe Derek cut his managerial teeth at under 9s football (my apologies to any other under 9s managers out there) and is employing the tactic that whenever the ball gets too close to our penalty area our defenders boot the ball as hard up the pitch as possible, then settle down to do it again in 30-40 seconds.

Ade the green":209kxen7 said:

Maybe Derek cut his managerial teeth at under 9s football (my apologies to any other under 9s managers out there) and is employing the tactic that whenever the ball gets too close to our penalty area our defenders boot the ball as hard up the pitch as possible, then settle down to do it again in 30-40 seconds.

Click to expand...

I’ve Just had an email from Derek asking if i’m free to do a bit of coaching this week coming as he needs to check out the labour exchange.

Tugboat":1ehb2iwv said:

Why sit back thou?

Are we not good enough to go at teams?

Is Adams tactically not confident enough?

Are the players low on confidence?

Are we just set up to be hard to beat?

Whatever it is, it’s boring and likely to the reason we go back down to L2.

Click to expand...

No!

Ade the green":290g6i7y said:

Tugboat":290g6i7y said:

Why sit back thou?

Are we not good enough to go at teams?

Is Adams tactically not confident enough?

Are the players low on confidence?

Are we just set up to be hard to beat?

Whatever it is, it’s boring and likely to the reason we go back down to L2.

Click to expand...

No!

Click to expand...

Go on...

It certainly looks like it for a lot of games. Sit back and defend deep for large spells trying to kick and head away wave after wave of attack.

Desperate desperate football. The type played by non league teams in the FA cup against good opposition. We are content to let the opposition play with the ball until they get well into our half. We then start to press in the hope of nicking the ball and hitting them in the break. It might be a good tactic once in an FA cup game against a side much better than us but to play these tactics week in week out will send us down and send our support away. We are not even playing the tactic very well. So often we sit back so deep that the opposition are almost on the edge of the penalty area before we press. How often do the opposition wingers or wing backs get a free cross in? Many times! It's like we are saying ' go on then swing one in and we'll deal with it'.
Going forward we just are not getting enough men in the box, and although I think Miller and TS should be replaced, I have sympathy for them as even when they do attack there is never anyone in the middle to pick out. This makes them look worse because they are forced into playing it backwards or booting aimlessly.
I'm honestly not a natural moaner about Argyle but I'm so sick of it now.
As has been said, we don't have the personnel to play one up front and we have to abandon it now. If we are to persist with the system then we need Threlkeld and one other attack minded full back and a proper hold up forward.( I hope Taylor is that man but I'm not convinced - especially as, even when fit, he'll take 6 weeks to find his touch by which time the relegation game is up. The midfield need to be given freedom to get forward more and quicker.

"So often we sit back so deep that the opposition are almost on the edge of the penalty area before we press. How often do the opposition wingers or wing backs get a free cross in? Many times! It's like we are saying ' go on then swing one in and we'll deal with it'."

This for me has been the big issue--we should be defending 10 to 15 yards further up the pitch and pressing much earlier. Why we keep retreating to the edge of the penalty area is beyond me---surely any player or Manager must realise that this is a high risk strategy? Some of the matches I've watched Argyle supporters have been literally shouting 'get higher up the pitch'. If we can see it--why can't they? I confess I am utterly bewildered.