May 24, 201115 yr Have we played attractive football? Yes. Has it been the norm? No. Coyle has shown a desire to play football, but look at the 11. Good football starts from the back. We don't have ball-playing fullbacks, nor do we have that Campo-type player who will drop off and give the central defenders an option. Our midfield is limited, in terms of footballing ability. And Davies is still seen as "the weapon". None of these things will help in the quest for decent football.
May 24, 201115 yr before i read the article, id say we have at times but very, very rarely. and certainly not in the latter stages of the season. and its nothing new, the more attacking players you play (petrov, mavies, holden) then you obviously going to play a little more "attractivley". megson wanted to win 1-0, so played more defensive players, which were incapable of attractive football. especially when the chips were down, so to speak.
May 24, 201115 yr average long balls per game. blackpool are above us, but their version of a long ball, is very different to ours!
May 24, 201115 yr I think Coyle is basing our team on a counter attacking style of football hence the low possesion rate also because after a sustained attack the team loses any shape so the likes of Elmander are caught covering full back areas. Davies can be a focus for the team a get out ball in times of threat but it would help if during corners we had a guy on the half way line as the get out ball and also to impose some threat that will keep at least a couple of defenders from trundling into our box. I'm sorry I think I started talking sense then ,I stop drinking at the end of the season but rest assured normal service will resume
May 24, 201115 yr Have we played attractive football? Yes. Has it been the norm? No. Why should we try to play attractive football away from home when we always get thumped? Give me 0-0 at Atletico or 2-2 at Bayern or a 1-0 at Boro any day of the week. I'd love to see Coyle be a real success, but he doesn't have to play frilly knickers football to get me excited.
May 24, 201115 yr This perception is just more lazy journalism. A few years back we were labelled long-ball and didn?t get the credit we deserved. This season the opposite has happened. I think people have again come to conclusions from brief highlights on the telly and believe we?re attractive to watch. It is interesting that we?re so close to the top or the bottom of those tables. But the most important thing for me ? and this is something they can?t measure ? is how much more enjoyable and entertaining going to the match has been this season compared with last. Home matches anyway!
May 24, 201115 yr Being honest, apart from the month of November and odd glimpses here and there I would not say we have been playing attractive football under Coyle. Our passing is often very poor and we have many players who just do not look comfortable on the ball.
May 24, 201115 yr Have we played some football this year unlike any football we've seen played for many a year? Yes we have. Have we scored some goals pof the like of which we haven;t seen scored in many a year? Yes we have. Is it a myth that we now no longer play long ball and that we don't actually always play the beautiful football some people would have you believe? Yes it is. At the risk of sounding hugely Coyle-like, we are very much a work-in-progress. Some of the football and goals we've seen this season have been outstanding, however, we all know there is still the tendency to go too long too often. Until we replace Kevin Davies as our main striker and until we recruit more players in the Stuart Holden/Mark Davies mould rather than the Fabrce Muamba/Tamir Cohen mould then we'll continue to pump it long too often.
May 24, 201115 yr Davies was still the dirtiest player in 2010/11 though. well, he committed most fouls
May 24, 201115 yr well, he committed most fouls Ergo the stats will say he's the dirtiest player, but if the media want to say we're pretty pretty then they'll forget that stat.
May 24, 201115 yr Isn't he consistently the most fouled player too? some seasons not the one just finished
May 24, 201115 yr Who's got that accolade this season then? Just curious. I'm sure Campo used to hold that title every season he was here. Don't ya just miss the way he used to hit the deck and grab hold of the ball. I do.
May 24, 201115 yr Who's got that accolade this season then? Just curious. I'm sure Campo used to hold that title every season he was here. Don't ya just miss the way he used to hit the deck and grab hold of the ball. I do. The Diver; Ashley Young Most fouls committed in PL history?
May 24, 201115 yr The Diver; Ashley Young Most fouls committed in PL history? After seeing the snivelling little twat hitting the turf at every opportnity at the Reebok I should've guessed that. Wouldn't be suprised if Davies holds the all-time title... ?
May 24, 201115 yr After seeing the snivelling little twat hitting the turf at every opportnity at the Reebok I should've guessed that. Wouldn't be suprised if Davies holds the all-time title... ? correct, of course most booked in prem ever?
May 24, 201115 yr correct, of course most booked in prem ever? ... erm, Davies again? Or is it someone like Robbie Savage?
May 24, 201115 yr Surely it can't be a DMB, considering they get away with murder... especially that little ginger scamp who "can't tackle"?
May 25, 201115 yr ... erm, Davies again? Or is it someone like Robbie Savage? Someone told me that Savage has only been red carded once. Not sure if correct and too ealy to search ha ha
May 25, 201115 yr Along with Tiote; lee bowyer, paul ince, mark Hughes and olivier dacourt have all got 14 yellows in a season. The top 3 in prem history are savage with 89, skd with 97 and lee bowyer with 101.