Where/how do you feel we need to improve?

[DaSpurs]

Curious to hear your thoughts on where and/or how we still need to improve.

Let's keep it civil please folks, let people express their ideas without being outed for anything original. Likewise, let's please keep emotional negativity to a minimum. This isn't a thread to vent, but rather to express and exchange ideas.

So have at it then, I wish to pick your brains.

 

[riggi]

Not letting goals in and scoring more goals.

 

[skiba]

Stop conceding soft stupid goals.

 

[DaSpurs]

Stop conceding soft stupid goals.

Cool. Any idea as to how? You think having Fazio and Verts in there is going to do the trick?

 

[Sweech]

Cleaning up the errors. I've been pleased with how we've been playing offensively and if we keep improving in that area the goals will come.

The same frustrating mental errors on defense still remain though and those absolutely need to get cleaned up if we're to get anywhere.

 

[jezz]

Personally, time and patience.
MS said it took 6 months to get the team playing Pochs way.
We have the core player's across the pitch.
They just need a decent run of playing together and getting to grips with Pochs philosophy.

 

[DaSpurs]

Personally, time and patience.
MS said it took 6 months to get the team playing Pochs way.
We have the core player's across the pitch.
They just need a decent run of playing together and getting to grips with Pochs philosophy.

I hope you're right.

 

[panoma]

We always have so much posession yet concede so many goals. Need to sort that out fast.

 

[hughy]

I'm not expecting too much from the league this season if I'm honest, but our players - the defence especially - have to have it drilled in to their heads to keep their concentration. The loss of 2 points today could have been so easily avoided.

A settled XI, more concentration, better shape, better set-pieces, and I think things will start to look up.

 

[chrissivad]

Cool. Any idea as to how? You think having Fazio and Verts in there is going to do the trick?

Think the defense is going to take time. Going to take time getting an understanding going and working with each other.

too much space at the moment where players are getting dragged out of position, or just have a wonder around the pitch. Tracking runners is still a problem, but looks like it is getting better.

 

[beats1]

Not letting goals in and scoring more goals.

 

[Japhet]

First area is set pieces (offensive and defensive). We've been piss poor at them for years now.

 

[Mr Pink]

Some sections of our support.

Accept its going to take some time, get behind the manager and the team.

 

[dontcallme]

I was mostly happy at today's performance so not too concerned.

I've always been against the idea that time alone will fix things. But at the moment I think time is a very big factor.

We have the players to play Poch's style and if we can get some of our new signings and last year's signings playing together I believe they'll improve.

The big area is up front. Ade was struggling today. Not sure why but we need to get him or Soldado playing to their potential and games like today will be finished off and we'll come out a lot more positive as many only judge us on results rather than watching the game.

 

[shelfboy68]

We still need time to develop but Our achillies heel is and always will be the fact We cant defend No matter who We buy or how We play its the same porous defence and weak mentality.
Certainly cant blame sections of support they have stuck through with this through thin and thinner that is lazy lame excuse.
Still think owner expectation doesnt help as they want harrods football but buy at lidls.

 

[mil1lion]

Set pieces need to be improved both defensively and offensively. We need to mark a lot tighter defensively, the fullbacks need to pick up the man at the far post and we needs to challenge for the ball. In attack we need much better delivery and to stop hitting the front post with the ball in all the time. It worked for Dier against QPR but rarely ever comes off. I do wonder if the fact we're so poor attacking set pieces makes it difficult to practice defending them in training.

We also need to stop standing off players when they attack us. We need to close the distance better. Dier was guilty of that for the first goal today. Vertonghen is another one that continues to do it. Don't give players space to cut inside and get a shot in. Close the distance and force them wide.

In attack we need to be more decisive when we get the ball into the box. Get our shots off quicker and follow up. Both goals scored today showed great willing to attack the ball so that's promising. Adebayor needs to be more clinical though. We also need to stock going over too easily wanting a foul. Stay on your feet and try and get a goal. Lamela does it and so does Adebayor, even Rose when he gets forward.

 

[Larryjanta]

Leadership and concentration appear some of our biggest weaknesses at the moment. I'm not sure if it's a team thing or a personnel thing. Hoping Fazio and Stambouli can add some of this to us as, when we went 2-1, none of our players seemed to react to their pressure and galvanise the team to concentrate. Most of our goals this season have come from these lapses/individual errors and we need more of the two qualities mentioned above to try and get a grip on them.

Other than that, the team needs time. We have now played two teams this season who parked the bus and we have scored 6 goals and created many, many more. That is a massive upturn and excites me the the future. The team clearly need time though as we're still not on the same wavelength all the time.

 

[DaSpurs]

We have the players to play Poch's style and if we can get some of our new signings and last year's signings playing together I believe they'll improve.

We've had a few snippets of ITK towards the end of the transfer window that Poch still feels we need to improve in our forward passing from deep, and I very much agree with him. I like the look of Stambouli quite a bit after today, I think he'll provide some elements lacking in our game such as energy and intensity in central midfield, but I don't believe he addresses the aforementioned problem despite his talents. This problem has existed for two years now, so it's not anything new and not anything we've addressed since the problem arose after selling Modric.

So with time it's possible Poch can fully have the players fitting his style, but I still think we're lacking in a couple areas unfortunately. Still don't have a quickly forward, transitioning passer centrally and I'm not sure if our current striker corps will provide the "trigger man" for the full press as Schneiderlin described in his interview in regard to Lambert. I think the second issue is easier to address with time and same personnel than the first one though.

 

[CowInAComa]

Goalscorer.

Hopefully Soldado will step up to the plate.

 

[CainHoy]

Better half-time entertainment.