Just a friendly.

Lubos left peg

Lubos left peg

Well-known member
I know I'm going to get shit for this thread...being negative and all that but is anyone concerned that work doesn't seem to be being done with our defence.
Last season we were a joy to watch going forward....and already in these few friendlies you can see our pace and skill going forward is improving. Some of the passing and one touch football we have played has been fantastic. We are certainly going to see some high scoring matches next season.....but....the mistakes we made in defence last season don't seem to be going away.
I said on the match thread that there doesn't seem to be a plan...just don't punt it. When a team presses us high it always looks like we are going to lose it. The benefit of having pacey players and committing teams to a high press means that, on the odd occasion, we can go long and use that pace. But we don't.
I know these friendlies are about fitness but it's also a chance for our coaches to put plans into practise...and you can see that in our attacking play definitely. Just doesn't seem to be happening with how we play at the back.
 
Lubos left peg said:
I know I'm going to get shit for this thread...being negative and all that but is anyone concerned that work doesn't seem to be being done with our defence.
Last season we were a joy to watch going forward....and already in these few friendlies you can see our pace and skill going forward is improving. Some of the passing and one touch football we have played has been fantastic. We are certainly going to see some high scoring matches next season.....but....the mistakes we made in defence last season don't seem to be going away.
I said on the match thread that there doesn't seem to be a plan...just don't punt it. When a team presses us high it always looks like we are going to lose it. The benefit of having pacey players and committing teams to a high press means that, on the odd occasion, we can go long and use that pace. But we don't.
I know these friendlies are about fitness but it's also a chance for our coaches to put plans into practise...and you can see that in our attacking play definitely. Just doesn't seem to be happening with how we play at the back.
Click to expand...
Just a friendly aye on paper but tell that to they durty bassas Blackburn I was well chuffed with McCarthy for his crunching challenge that was long overdue imo but were still undefeated and our 1st half much better than their 2nd half .
Expect tougher in Warsaw HH
 
It is just a friendly but also surely with a view to seeing just exactly where we are before the action starts in earnest and like u Im still not totally convinced we are sturdy enough at the back, u cud argue that if its just a friendly and were leaking goals whats it gonna be like when its not friendly?
And this losing a goal real early on in games is something that haunted us a fee seasons back, its creeping back in.
 
Just don't see any progression at all in how we play from the back...regardless of which players we have the game plan should be in place. And nothing has changed from last season. Its very easy to press against. Push 3 players forward against or GK and 2 CBs. Our L and RB have already tucked in, our wide players have moved forward and our CMs are forward, anticipating that our CBs and GK beat the press and release us up the park....the problem is that if the opposition press is good we are fucked. Our CBs and GK get deeper and deeper then a mistake comes....every game it happens. We don't have a broony figure who comes back to help out. If we occasionally hit the long ball, using our pacey players then teams would think twice about pressing so high with so many players. And we may even get in behind and score from it. But opposition managers know we won't.
 
I think next weeks home game will be a better judge of things.....I expect less changes to be made and the teams focus to be much higher.....I really wish we had more of a physical presence though.....and I agree with those who would like to see us mix it up a bit and get the ball forward quicker at times.....it would make us less predictable and it would negate the high press.....disappointing second half today but a couple of more games to iron things out...
 
You said it yourself...just a friendly
At times we played good stuff then the changes come and play starts to fracture...this was a massive game for Blackburn and it showed with their commitment.... nothing to worry about imo but if I do have one issue then it's that we need to sign a centre half who can come in if either carter or starfish is injured
 
Lubos left peg said:
I know I'm going to get shit for this thread...being negative and all that but is anyone concerned that work doesn't seem to be being done with our defence.
Last season we were a joy to watch going forward....and already in these few friendlies you can see our pace and skill going forward is improving. Some of the passing and one touch football we have played has been fantastic. We are certainly going to see some high scoring matches next season.....but....the mistakes we made in defence last season don't seem to be going away.
I said on the match thread that there doesn't seem to be a plan...just don't punt it. When a team presses us high it always looks like we are going to lose it. The benefit of having pacey players and committing teams to a high press means that, on the odd occasion, we can go long and use that pace. But we don't.
I know these friendlies are about fitness but it's also a chance for our coaches to put plans into practise...and you can see that in our attacking play definitely. Just doesn't seem to be happening with how we play at the back.
Click to expand...
It's all starfelts fault......
 
After yet another soft early goal given away we eventually got into our stride after 6/7 mins. However its better to get these things ironed out in preseason rather than when we are playing for real. These games are all about the 1st half thats when its taken serious by Managers. The 2nd half is basically a bounce game to assess fitness and give players a run out.
We won today 2-1 that was the score at half time so I'm claiming it as a victory, 😉.
Jota MOTM.
 
Docco said:
You said it yourself...just a friendly
At times we played good stuff then the changes come and play starts to fracture...this was a massive game for Blackburn and it showed with their commitment.... nothing to worry about imo but if I do have one issue then it's that we need to sign a centre half who can come in if either carter or starfish is injured
Click to expand...

I think what the friendlies have shown is that our attacking play is going to be a joy to watch this season. I'd like to see that work has been done with our defensive passing. Friendlies are the perfect place to put that practise into match conditions....so far, it appears that nothing is being done. The way we played last season in that department has carried on to this seasons matches. I hope it doesn't carry on into the season ahead. European teams will destroy us!! Bodo exposed our play and took us apart. Can you imagine what Bayern/Madrid/Liverpool will do to us when we fanny about at the back. We will outscore any team in Scotland. That won't happen in europe. Thats my concern.
 
Starfelts out ,,,,,:LOL:oh feck how everyone misses him now .. if this was the first game of the season i would be concerned but it was a kick about players tend to just put in enough to see them through the 45mins and there off

Berniebhoys bedding has nobody to comunicate with and big jessie is doing an Ntcham ,i expect him to be offloaded this week with players brought in

the playing out from the back is the new side to side shit made worse when your goalies nearly on the half way line
 
Taken From the Scotsman


The Scottish champions played their fourth friendly of pre-season, drawing 2-2 with Blackburn Rovers at Celtic Park.
Postecoglou was without the injured Carl Starfelt, while Reo Hatate and Giorgio Giakoumakis were also missing.


The Australian admitted the squad is "looking really good” but is keen to add more players. However, he was coy when asked if a centre-back was on the transfer wishlist due to the injury to Starfelt.

"We’re definitely going to add a couple of players,” he said. “We’re working on that but would expect to do that in the next seven days. We had to be patient and that was much more important than rushing.
"I’m confident we’re close to the end point in bringing in a couple which will help.
“The squad is looking really good but on days like today we want to make sure we don’t lose our effectiveness when a couple are missing.
"We had a pretty hectic schedule last year. The reality is we’ll play close to 60 games.
 
Imatim said:
I think next weeks home game will be a better judge of things.....I expect less changes to be made and the teams focus to be much higher.....I really wish we had more of a physical presence though.....and I agree with those who would like to see us mix it up a bit and get the ball forward quicker at times.....it would make us less predictable and it would negate the high press.....disappointing second half today but a couple of more games to iron things out...
Click to expand...
As much as ange wants to control the ball I don't think it's an instruction to never go long I think there's times players are too busy trying to play the triangles and they have actually knocked back the chance to put balls thru which is fuckin annoying uve got to do both and hopefully we do going into new season its just aimlessly putting it forward the gaffer disnae like all pure assumation of course 🤷‍♂️😁
 
We probably play an unnecessary and potentially unwelcome so called friendly game in Poland on Wednesday
I suspect it will be nothing like friendly as we are more than disliked by Legia and their supporters.
Hope this game doesn't come back and bite us.
Would send out a fringe team and protect our first picks in this one.
 
Only saw some of the game today, and the goals from previous three games. I think Ange sets them up in pre season to try things that he can't in competitive games. Test them to see if they can go full Pep's Barca. They can't because they're not good enough but he pushes it to see how far he can go. He will modify how they play once the season begins for real. Last season we tried the inverted full backs, keeper playing like a 3rd central defender, central defender trying to play pass the ball about under pressure like Pirlo etc and got pumped at home to West Ham and lost to a poor Preston team. Once he had the players he trusted in place it was a more pragmatic style that suited the players we had when in possession at the back.
Starfelt and CCV were a superb partnership last season. The only domestic game we lost with them together was the cup semi final, and that was in extra time once we'd lost both full backs.
22 league goals against in 38 league games last season, we have not bad defenders, we just need some more cover/competition at centre half.
 
Cairnsybhoy79 said:
No not yet mate I'm sure ange is looking for a good cb to help settle us at the back and he will be wanting julienne out the door aswell maybe thr wage bills on the limit fuck knows but I'm confident he will get someone hiw good remains to be seen
Click to expand...
Ajetti and jules are 2 of our highest earning players if we get £6 million for the two and Anges choice replacements would make some difference
 
Must admit at times I get amazed by the amount of criticism our defensive set up still gets in all honesty.
I don't get how much praise we place upon Ange with his attacking physiology yet remain so critical when the whole set up involves such a high risk strategy involved.
We are still nowhere up to speed still in the defensive department still and that includes CCV and josip especially at present.
Still operating with 2 back up CB with 1 not interested and 1 still nowhere near ready for us still, and not even convinced that CB is the most suitable position for young lawel still.
Oh let's not forget we also have a new LB trying to settle into the new surroundings and system of play still.
Still thought it was great to see young Welsh starting to play with far more confidence with the ball at his feet and the timing of the tackle has improved no end, so very encouraging signs within him going forward imo.
When we give away cheap ball then the counter attack is very much on against us with the high position our full backs are encouraged to take, so little to no chance of getting a back 4 into a set position, and this was a constant feature of our play throughout the 2nd half today, but most of that can be placed upon using players who are struggling so badly with the system of play still.
These friendlies are more about planning for the season ahead imo, and we already know that there seems like the formation and system of play is here to stay and trying to be played at an even faster tempo than last season still.
In general I believe there has been more far more encouraging signs than negative overall and this with possibly Ange still liking to get in maybe as many as 6 players still to gain a 27 man squad to feel really comfortable with.
Of course I wouldn't expect that amount of new arrivals to come in still, but still fairly obvious where the strength in depth could be improved still.
We still remain just over 1 year into this huge rebuild that had to be undertaken and the results are still amazing in that time and still with us not even completed yet.
Even 2 of the best attacking footballing team's in world football in man city and Liverpool are still more than capable of handing up soft goals against them, so how are we meant to be any different?
Especially in the money market we have to operate in still?
Overall I'm still very pleased with how everything stands at the moment and confident that the improvement will also come along, but how about becoming just as critical on the missed chances still happening as much as the chances been handed up, as it should still be a two way street we play football imo, not just the one way street with the defence standing alone in
 
John nó said:
Must admit at times I get amazed by the amount of criticism our defensive set up still gets in all honesty.
I don't get how much praise we place upon Ange with his attacking physiology yet remain so critical when the whole set up involves such a high risk strategy involved.
We are still nowhere up to speed still in the defensive department still and that includes CCV and josip especially at present.
Still operating with 2 back up CB with 1 not interested and 1 still nowhere near ready for us still, and not even convinced that CB is the most suitable position for young lawel still.
Oh let's not forget we also have a new LB trying to settle into the new surroundings and system of play still.
Still thought it was great to see young Welsh starting to play with far more confidence with the ball at his feet and the timing of the tackle has improved no end, so very encouraging signs within him going forward imo.
When we give away cheap ball then the counter attack is very much on against us with the high position our full backs are encouraged to take, so little to no chance of getting a back 4 into a set position, and this was a constant feature of our play throughout the 2nd half today, but most of that can be placed upon using players who are struggling so badly with the system of play still.
These friendlies are more about planning for the season ahead imo, and we already know that there seems like the formation and system of play is here to stay and trying to be played at an even faster tempo than last season still.
In general I believe there has been more far more encouraging signs than negative overall and this with possibly Ange still liking to get in maybe as many as 6 players still to gain a 27 man squad to feel really comfortable with.
Of course I wouldn't expect that amount of new arrivals to come in still, but still fairly obvious where the strength in depth could be improved still.
We still remain just over 1 year into this huge rebuild that had to be undertaken and the results are still amazing in that time and still with us not even completed yet.
Even 2 of the best attacking footballing team's in world football in man city and Liverpool are still more than capable of handing up soft goals against them, so how are we meant to be any different?
Especially in the money market we have to operate in still?
Overall I'm still very pleased with how everything stands at the moment and confident that the improvement will also come along, but how about becoming just as critical on the missed chances still happening as much as the chances been handed up, as it should still be a two way street we play football imo, not just the one way street with the defence standing alone in
Click to expand...

I think the difference is that no matter how many shocking crosses our attackers make, or sitters they miss, they will always come back for more. Our forwards can score against anyone.
Defence is completely different.
Can I point out, I'm not slating our defence. They were the best in the league last year. They are fantastic defenders. They win tackles. They fight for every ball.
My point is they need help to get out from the back.
Under a high press they struggle. No one can deny that surely. How many times was our hearts in our mouths last season watching the passing across the mouth of our goal.
There is no out ball. No DCM dropping back to help. It's literally 2 CBs and the GK passing side to side, dropping deeper and deeper.
Today, we beat Blackburn High press....just...it won't be so easy on europe.
 
Lubos left peg said:
I think the difference is that no matter how many shocking crosses our attackers make, or sitters they miss, they will always come back for more. Our forwards can score against anyone.
Defence is completely different.
Can I point out, I'm not slating our defence. They were the best in the league last year. They are fantastic defenders. They win tackles. They fight for every ball.
My point is they need help to get out from the back.
Under a high press they struggle. No one can deny that surely. How many times was our hearts in our mouths last season watching the passing across the mouth of our goal.
There is no out ball. No DCM dropping back to help. It's literally 2 CBs and the GK passing side to side, dropping deeper and deeper.
Today, we beat Blackburn High press....just...it won't be so easy on europe.
Click to expand...
The high press has become a major tactical asset within today's game and one we are fairly useful at employing ourselves.
Liked seeing the keeper getting the ball far quicker today and get it moving quicker and not allowing Blackburn no time to get set up and had to end up backing off against us in the 1st half as we were cutting through them at will for most of that half.
The big difference with the lack in quality within to many of the subs allowed for Blackburn to enforce there own high press with far more success.
Away from home the ball won't be given back as quickly so will be even more heart stopping at times.
The outball from the CBs still remains fairly obvious still and hope we can add a few more arrows to our bow in that regards still, especially against the CL quality team who are going to read it far to easily still imo lubos
 
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