Needing to improve in the final third

[BirkenheadBlue]

When we start getting it right more often in the final third, which we will, we will bury someone under a mountain of goals.

This. Hopefully.

There were plenty of times though in the last couple of seasons under Moyes when it felt like we were due to give someone an absolute tonking, and it never quite materialised. Hopefully it will soon.

 

[West]

Slowly but gradually I think we are getting there. need to practise a bit more one touch footy around the box. some of our best chances against arsenal came from barkley, peinaar and Osman doing little deft flicks and quick passes. but mind you arsenal have got ozil and carzola for this kind of unlocking would kill for a player of there ability

 

[Sozzled]

Always remember last season when Barkley gave the ball away against Chelsea in the closing minutes to our 2-1 defeat. Osman absolutely bollocked the lad! Far too harsh in my opinion. It was the last minute of the game and we where 2-1 down not like we were getting any points.

Anyway, after that game there where loads of people on here ****ging Boss off, saying he's not that good, should go out on loan next season etc. they need to be vaulted.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

Always remember last season when Barkley gave the ball away against Chelsea in the closing minutes to our 2-1 defeat. Osman absolutely bollocked the lad! Far too harsh in my opinion. It was the last minute of the game and we where 2-1 down not like we were getting any points.

Anyway, after that game there where loads of people on here ****ging Boss off, saying he's not that good, should go out on loan next season etc. they need to be vaulted.

Not really, he wasn't particularly good in his appearances last season, and he DID give the ball away a lot, and in some bad places. He's still doing it this year on occasion, but he's also showing the brilliantly positive things he can do - which is far outweighing the negative.

Of course, now it appears that a good deal of last season's somewhat lacklustre performances might have been down to nerves, and not feeling that he had the confidence of the manager. Martinez definitely seems to have set Ross free to express himself far more than Moyes ever did.

 

[ArtetaMagic]

Always remember last season when Barkley gave the ball away against Chelsea in the closing minutes to our 2-1 defeat. Osman absolutely bollocked the lad! Far too harsh in my opinion. It was the last minute of the game and we where 2-1 down not like we were getting any points.

Anyway, after that game there where loads of people on here ****ging Boss off, saying he's not that good, should go out on loan next season etc. they need to be vaulted.

Osman has a fu**ng cheek

 

[Sozzled]

Not really, he wasn't particularly good in his appearances last season, and he DID give the ball away a lot, and in some bad places. He's still doing it this year on occasion, but he's also showing the brilliantly positive things he can do - which is far outweighing the negative.

Of course, now it appears that a good deal of last season's somewhat lacklustre performances might have been down to nerves, and not feeling that he had the confidence of the manager. Martinez definitely seems to have set Ross free to express himself far more than Moyes ever did.

There was load of people who new just how good he was. Loads saying he wasn't good enough. I got vaulted Oviedo who before his last 3 performances didn't look like he'd make it.

 

[Eggs]

...the top third of the pitch and more specifically the creation of chances has been highlighted on these pages since the start of the season. This is particularly evident in games we have dominated but drawn, and this could be an issue over coming months. Interesting that Gary Neville was going on about the brilliant runs Lukaku was making against Arsenal but we clearly haven't got anybody tuning into that wavelength at the moment. Saying all of that, its important to remember we are still in transition and its good that there is room for improvement.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

There was load of people who new just how good he was. Loads saying he wasn't good enough. I got vaulted Oviedo who before his last 3 performances didn't look like he'd make it.

Lots of people THOUGHT they knew how good he was, and lots of people THOUGHT they knew he wasn't good enough.

Obviously it turns out one of those groups of people was right and the other wrong, but from his performances last season it could quite easily have gone the other way. It's amazing what confidence can do for a player.


Speaking of young prospects, just been reading John Paul Kissock's wikipedia page... unbelievable how far down the leagues he fell - he was playing for Newton and then Formby at one point!!

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

...the top third of the pitch and more specifically the creation of chances has been highlighted on these pages since the start of the season. This is particularly evident in games we have dominated but drawn, and this could be an issue over coming months. Interesting that Gary Neville was going on about the brilliant runs Lukaku was making against Arsenal but we clearly haven't got anybody tuning into that wavelength at the moment. Saying all of that, its important to remember we are still in transition and its good that there is room for improvement.

It's been a problem for a lot longer than this season to be fair. We drew something ridiculous I think like about 16 games last season, and a GOOD number of those were games we should have won comfortably on the balance of play.

But totally agree with the transition statement.

 

[Sozzled]

Lots of people THOUGHT they knew how good he was, and lots of people THOUGHT they knew he wasn't good enough.

Obviously it turns out one of those groups of people was right and the other wrong, but from his performances last season it could quite easily have gone the other way. It's amazing what confidence can do for a player.


Speaking of young prospects, just been reading John Paul Kissock's wikipedia page... unbelievable how far down the leagues he fell - he was playing for Newton and then Formby at one point!!

It was clearly evident that the lad was class! People were looking for faults in his game. He'd just turned 19.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

It was clearly evident that the lad was class! People were looking for faults in his game. He'd just turned 19.

It was a lot more evident on his performances BEFORE last season than it was from 2012/13 imho. Really struggled a lot of the time last season.

 

[Sozzled]

It was a lot more evident on his performances BEFORE last season than it was from 2012/13 imho. Really struggled a lot of the time last season.

Totally disagreeing mate. I was very hopeful the first time I saw him play. There was something about him. The way he showed for the ball all the time. Wanted to get on it and wasn't scared to have a pop. When you see proper talent you see it.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

Totally disagreeing mate. I was very hopeful the first time I saw him play. There was something about him. The way he showed for the ball all the time. Wanted to get on it and wasn't scared to have a pop. When you see proper talent you see it.

So last season was the first time you saw him play?

I was very hopefully when I first saw him. Last season dimmed that expectation (with the exception of the last couple of games). This season he's exploded.

 

[Sozzled]

So last season was the first time you saw him play?

I was very hopefully when I first saw him. Last season dimmed that expectation (with the exception of the last couple of games). This season he's exploded.

I seen him against Villareal and Blackburn. That was my first viewing on the lad and he was the best player on the pitch both games.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

I seen him against Villareal and Blackburn. That was my first viewing on the lad and he was the best player on the pitch both games.

That's my point. He looked quality when he first came into the team. Last season however was a big step back for him, performance-wise...

Thankfully as it turned out, it seems to have been a case of taking one step back to take about 15 forwards!