Bournemouth (H) 24/4: Build-Up & Match Thread

[jd1981]

Sounds like an horrible half of football, I despise teams that clock once they’re safe

 

[Jinky]

Right up there with one of, if not THE, poorest half of the season.

Shocking across the pitch & wrong starting 11/shape/tactics.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Disagree, we leave the center of the pitch horrifically vacated even in a 5. It's been a problem more than a handful of times this season and it's a major issue we haven't seemed to take steps to solve.

So many of our players instantly look more comfortable in a 5, Semedo, RAN, Kilman, Bueno, Toti, Doyle, Lemina....we are just better.

As i say we don't just need a couple of CBs to make it work, we'd need about 7 players and a vast change in the way we play, and for what? So we are better at home against the lower sides? But get cut through relentlessly by the sides higher up?

 

[EdgeOfTheAlps]

I really want to stay positive about GO, and this is categorically not the same as the infamous Lage season we finished 7th, but we're seeing some tactical red flags that could pretty well punt our survival chances next season to Row Z.

If you cannot get a grip through the spine of the team at this level, you will pay a heavy fucking price for it eventually.

He's done really well this season but he overthinks things and tinkers when he shouldn't, and not for the first time.

 

[YoungWolf]

Just embarrassingly poor performance. They have been very slick in how they build their attacks but we have been like headless chickens. Proper gulf in class and I don’t think player for player on paper they are much better than us.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

It is strange, i thought we'd lost the 5 games because of Doherty, so i'm struggling to understand tonight.

 

[Tredman]

Whole season is done, atmosphere is shite. Tons of empty seats. GON is clueless in defence. It’s comical.

 

[YoungWolf]

It is strange, i thought we'd lost the 5 games because of Doherty, so i'm struggling to understand tonight.

You’ve been very weird lately I have to say

 

[EnglishBob]

We have an unfortunate knack of making poor teams look good. That half of football (?) was just embarrassing.

 

[Alan]

Maybe, but often in a 5 we have Toti filling those midfield gaps so it's not as severe.

Somewhat, yeah. I think the bigger problem is that GO wants us to turn the ball over in wide areas and he clearly likes for that pressure to come from a CM; problem is that the rotations to fill in the gaps that such a tactic leaves are all over the goddamn place. We leave dangerous areas devoid of markers and nobody slides to remedy that, so once our press is broken our defenders go under immediate pressure and unless JWP is carrying the ball, our CMs tend to end up so far forward that they then can't get back in time (sometimes they do, it's not 100% good or bad, obviously).

We have 3 CBs who I would rate, in a vacuum, as Prem level. However, none of them are especially good in 1v1 situations and this is precisely the sort of thing they are being asked to defend time after time after time.

Again, I want Gary to do well. I think I've been relatively positive about him. But those are bad problems to have and won't be solved through personnel changes alone.

 

[Tredman]

It is strange, i thought we'd lost the 5 games because of Doherty, so i'm struggling to understand tonight.

Yawn. It’s rather tragic not being able to separate individual poor performances vs tonight.

 

[Derby Wolf]

£35,000,000

https://twitter.com/x/status/1783215156735902154

 

[Del Woppio]

Two half decent moves but 90% embarrassing. We've got no idea how to pass through a press from a goal kick, we've barely managed to control possession from there all season - despite there being some technically good footballers there, the patterns are all wrong, and it always ends up with a a wing back sprinting back towards his own area with a man up his arse and blindly playing one round the corner. What the fuck do they do in training?

Defensively we're a shambles and we have been all season regardless of shape, and despite two defensive midfielders. Top to bottom they've all been shit, possible exception of RAN if I'm being generous.

 

[Loki]

Well that was bleak. Rocket up the arse required. Sa has kept this from being over and out. Still in it at 0-1 I suppose.

 

[YoungWolf]

£35,000,000

https://twitter.com/x/status/1783215156735902154

A shame because he’s actually been our only good player so far. And yes there are others at fault but that is so poor

 

[Jinky]

It is strange, i thought we'd lost the 5 games because of Doherty, so i'm struggling to understand tonight.

You don’t really need to lower yourself to this sort of stuff, mate

 

[Dire Wolf]

I've been busy so not watched. Sounds like I should go back to being busy.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Yawn. It’s rather tragic not being able to separate individual poor performances vs tonight.

Or just trying to suggest the whole Doherty thing is/was ridiculous.

 

[YoungWolf]

I've been busy so not watched. Sounds like I should go back to being busy.

I would advise it!

 

[Tony Towner]

So many of our players instantly look more comfortable in a 5, Semedo, RAN, Kilman, Bueno, Toti, Doyle, Lemina....we are just better.

As i say we don't just need a couple of CBs to make it work, we'd need about 7 players and a vast change in the way we play, and for what? So we are better at home against the lower sides? But get cut through relentlessly by the sides higher up?

2 centre halves, that's it. Semedo isn't having a bad game because of the formation, particularly as Lemina is often dropping in to make it a 5 anyway