The curious case of dropping pts to lower half teams yet kopies/spurs win?

[BlondeArtist - karl.thornhill@gmail.com]

Current records of us/spurs/kopites vs lower half teams.

Everton p13 w5 d7 l1 pts - 22/39
Tottenham p13 w9 d2 l2 pts - 29/39
Kopites p12 w9 d2 l1 pts - 29/36

I think we can point the finger at the players of the opposing teams just not trying. Moment they concede the first goal they think its liverpool or spurs and just give up. Yet against us they play to 90minutes.

Moyes doesnt install any fear in the opposing players with his tactics and his constant moaning interviews saying how a point is a good result away from home. When its not.

Kopites have won 5pts against top half teams all season!!! Look at the contrast.

 

[Joey66]

You have to score goals, we do not at the moment!

 

[riddick]

they buckle under any sort of pressure or expectation and have no plan b other than 'lump it to felli'.

 

[Loz]

That might be true to an extent as we don't seem to be a side that frightens many opponents as, historically (i.e. over the last decade) we would line up with only one striker on the pitch. Opponents don't fear teams that don't come out to score goals.

However, the fact that we don't beat the bottom sides, whether they are trying or not, is down to the sad fact that we aren't good enough and are flattering to deceive against some of the top teams. Failing to beat QPR, Swansea, Southampton, Norwich, Stoke, Newcastle (at Goodison), Fulham etc are the games that will cost us. There's no point in being able to beat Man U and Man City in a season if you then lose or draw to half a dozen bottom sides.

 

[grandjoeblue]

I think we have an issue of having an attitude that draws are good results, we need to put more pressure on teams. That is why playing 2 upfront against the lower quality team in the divisions is a good idea.

 

[Dell Boy]

they buckle under any sort of pressure or expectation and have no plan b other than 'lump it to felli'.

This. But then the whole team seemed terrible last night apart from Howard, Neville (at RB) and Anichebe when he came on

 

[Timak]

Options.

We have kids on the bench - they have £10m+ players.

There is no great mystery to it. We have a good starting XI but nothing more. They have starting XI of similar ability but also equally good options on the bench.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Historically we've always been better when teams come on to us. When teams 'park the bus' we're not really very good at finding a way through them. For most of the last few seasons we've done ok against the big teams, but struggle when teams play us and sit back.

I don't have stats to hand, but I don't think we've gone ahead and been pegged back that many times against lower half sides, so don't think it's a case of the opposition giving up, merely that they see us as a top side and limit their ambition accordingly.

 

[riddick]

Options.

We have kids on the bench - they have £10m+ players.

There is no great mystery to it. We have a good starting XI but nothing more. They have starting XI of similar ability but also equally good options on the bench.

the Shiite have kids on the pitch playing in important games, instead of on the bench never to get a whiff.

 

[Allezfan]

the Shiite have kids on the pitch playing in important games, instead of on the bench never to get a whiff.

And they're four points behind us because they choke whenever they play anyone in the top half.

 

[Little Ralphy]

Moyes sets his side up to be solid, not get beat and hopefully produce a bit of quality to score. Against sides who are happy with a point against us, this style really struggles to break them down. He also has an awful record with attacking players.

The rs and Spurs go out trying to beat these teams, as perhaps they recognise that you get 3 points for a win and only 1 for a draw.

 

[Allezfan]

We've played some really good attacking football this season, though. Not so much of late but from august through november we did.

 

[Timak]

Moyes sets his side up to be solid, not get beat and hopefully produce a bit of quality to score. Against sides who are happy with a point against us, this style really struggles to break them down. He also has an awful record with attacking players.

The rs and Spurs go out trying to beat these teams, as perhaps they recognise that you get 3 points for a win and only 1 for a draw.

Ah how did I guess it would be due to our manager being ****e rather than the other two clubs spending roughly £50m a year more than us on our squads.

 

[Little Ralphy]

Ah how did I guess it would be due to our manager being ****e rather than the other two clubs spending roughly £50m a year more than us on our squads.

Football has more variables than just the P&L.

 

[AlexAustin]

I think we need to lose the conservative mentality when playing against teams we should expect 3 points from. Obviously Mirallas couldn't start last night, but we looked so much more promising with him on the pitch and two up front. Sure we can play 1 up front against the likes of united, but against the likes of the saints we needed more firepower from the start because the first half last night was diabolical.