Post Match FAC Barnsley (A) 4-1 January 12th 19:45
- Thread starter dee
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Shame our starting xi could find each other in the attacking third.
Chiesa was meh, but there at least two times he was free for the ball in the box and completely ignored. Jones was one of the culprits. Can't remember the other. Ngumoha was more involved but little end product, really.
It's never easy playing in the top line against a defensive block of ten, though. It's no surprise both goals came from range. The attackers only started getting some space when their legs were tiring, which Ekitike and Wirtz were able to make the most of.
It's never easy playing in the top line against a defensive block of ten, though. It's no surprise both goals came from range. The attackers only started getting some space when their legs were tiring, which Ekitike and Wirtz were able to make the most of.
I know the exact moment you're talking about.
It was early in the second half, near the right side of the box.
I remember thinking, why the hell didn't you pass him the ball for a simple cross?
Instead he turns and gives the ball back to Barnsley with misplaced pass.
Chiesa is a pass and move player and we are quite static when we don't play with a proper 9 up front. Would like to see more of Chiesa Wirtz Etikite
Nailed it.
Yep. On and off the ball movement is shocking. Everything is to feet, which is fine if you've got a midfield or Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta. Even then, you need movement in front of them. Gakpo doesn't fucking move. Ekitike does, which is why we look a much more dangerous side when he plays because he will at least run in behind, drop deep, pull wide etc. But he's the only one.
Off the ball it's abysmal too. We don't press the opposition. And if we do, it's not as a coherent unit. One or two will make an effort, but it's not backed up in a chain or with any plan. Then it's one or two passes and the opposition have broken through the lines and are running at our exposed defence.
It's clearly the coaching too, as we've seen under a different manager that these players can do it.
The creativity is a real issue though. Frimpong looks like a breath of fresh air because he will try and beat a man for pace and get behind the defence. Everything else is played sideways in front of two banks of four, very rarely with any attempt to break the lines. Wirtz did it when he came on. Jones is capable. But it's really, really bad in the main.
Besides the great Szoboszlai and Frimpong moments of magic, did we look like we were ever going to break them down through a tactical plan or system in the first half? They got in behind us a few times, though, and looked a threat. 17th placed League One side, Barnsley. It's a real worry.
I think being in the lead with the more cobbled together side then just looking far more talented when the subs come on is a pretty fucking standard way for an fa cup game to go?
It wasn't that cobbled together. They're all internationals, except for Rio, and would all consider themselves first team players, by and large. That and the fact that Barnsley are struggling two leagues below should mean we'd expect to see a better showing. Their left winger was miles better than ours.
You're right, that forward line plays together all the time.
And we've been playing so well recently. I really thought we'd be playing scintillating football without our in form players in there.
It's a shame we are out I guess. I'll have to just imagine we scored some absolute bangers.
And we've been playing so well recently. I really thought we'd be playing scintillating football without our in form players in there.
It's a shame we are out I guess. I'll have to just imagine we scored some absolute bangers.
I thought he did a good job with frimpong, playing him nicely numerous times, and rarely getting that same service from others.
Was he anything more than a ~6? Nah.
Was he bound to get substituted? Yup.
Will he ever be the player he was before his injuries? No clue, unlikely.
Will we ever see him at least show us consistent glimpses of that talent? of course note - he doesn't get the opportunity (be it minutes or with a team that can work with his style of play).
Well that wasn’t a great performance at all apart from 3 world class goals.
But on a positive note.
From losing 9 in 12 we are unbeaten in 11 and that’s included some of the bests in England and Europe.
We scored 4 goals
Dom, Frim and Wirtz all will gain confidence from finding the net in the way they did.
Wirtz were 0 goals in 22 is now 3 in 5 and assists are flowing.
Hugo straight back in the groove.
We are still in the cup and it might yet be the competition that saves Slot.
But on a positive note.
From losing 9 in 12 we are unbeaten in 11 and that’s included some of the bests in England and Europe.
We scored 4 goals
Dom, Frim and Wirtz all will gain confidence from finding the net in the way they did.
Wirtz were 0 goals in 22 is now 3 in 5 and assists are flowing.
Hugo straight back in the groove.
We are still in the cup and it might yet be the competition that saves Slot.
🙄 why is it some on here feel the need to go hyperbolic on the opposition's chances whilst minimising ours. Sigh.
A cross to nobody, no matter how good the cross - isn't a chance. A winger making great runs down the wing - isn't a chance. A breakaway that ends up being snuffed out from Virgil - isn't a chance. An easy save for Mama - isn't a chance. A penalty appeal that is rightly declined (Szobo got the ball and no ref. gives a pen for that light a tug) - isn't a chance. The header against the post - was a chance and that likely is the majority of their 1.04 xG.
Footy Stats give the xG as : 2.60 to 1.04
Think the majority of their XG came from the goal which would have been around .8
Sorry but this doesn't suit the rhetoric. You need to withdraw your post !
N.B. Everyone seems to be in agreement that we don't have a bunch of good U21s yet the manager gets lambasted for not playing them 😀 I would have liked to see Ramsey but agree you can't put him on, until the match is won, if there are doubts/issues and Ramsey does seem to have them.
I'd be with you if the match didn't follow the same pattern as most of our other games this season regardless of who plays. The forward line isn't used to playing together, no. But the rest of the team was used to playing with each other, and still the rest of the team was incoherent as per.
Granted they're not in form in terms of performance, but for our extra class on the pitch, I was expecting better against a side struggling in League One. That was a real competitive match.
What was the xG of Dom's goal? Frimpong? Wirtz? It's a useful barometer... But it doesn't show the pattern of play. Barnsley got in behind us a fair few times, and with more quality, would have done more damage. That was a competitive match and we don't look right in creating chances and we look vulnerable at the back.
Like it was a cup final for Exeter?
I'm just expecting the Premier League champions to be able to move off the ball and look coherent tactically while also looking assured at the back every now and then. We've barely seen it all season. It was just another indication that the coaching isn't right.
Btw, City won 10-1 with 10 shots on target and an xG of 2,34. Exeter had 7 shots (2 less than Barnsley).
Performance wise its quite similar bar a really shit goalkeeper. Exeter with 3 big chances missed as well.
Yet on here it seems like we could have lost but City played their opponent of the park.
Performance wise its quite similar bar a really shit goalkeeper. Exeter with 3 big chances missed as well.
Yet on here it seems like we could have lost but City played their opponent of the park.
A good win, but we didn't create much. I thought Chiesa and Frimpong linked and worked very well, until the clever Solt did the unnecessary changes early in the second half. It is clearly the idiot Slot doesn't rate world-class players like Chiesa!! All players have failed miserably to read Chiesa's movements like their clever manager?? Rio should also be given more minutes in future games, and the same applies to Ramsey!
Oh yes quite right. I'd forgotten that !
Can we stop using xG like it's gospel? It's a useful indicator, but it's not the be all and end all. I don't need xG to tell me that we're creatively bereft, can't press, tactically subpar and the defending is all over the place at times. We didn't play well for the majority of the game, and haven't for the majority of the season.
I think you have been listening to too much Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist.
75% possession. 10 - 11 men behind the ball for most of the match and the single reason it remained competitive was because of Szobo's brain fart.
Yes we were a 6/10, but it wasn't competitive and the result never in doubt - unless you were one of the above mentioned commentators.
It was far from cobbled together, the only player in there out the ordinary was the kid.
They nearly scored in the first 30 seconds and then were kept out by the keeper later in the first half, their right winger ran seasoned internationals inside out for much of the game. It was competitive alright. I agree that Szobo's brainfart kept them in the game, but Szobo's moment of magic also gave us a goal our play didn't really deserve.
Ekitike and Wirtz showed their class when they came on, but for much of the game we were flat and we made them look better than they are. Same as many games this season against inferior opposition.