Momentum

[noisy1]

Thought I'd start a new thread as after what I thought was a great win I did not want to drag down the positivity on other the other threads.

However there was one thing that concerned me yesterday and I have seen it many times earlier in the season.
Yesterday once more the team put in a real shift, grafting for each other and battling hard to get the result, right up until they went one nil up.
Then it was as if someone flicked the off switch and I got the impression that we reverted to type and allowed pools to come at us whilst we relied on our very decent defence.
At one nil up there was only one team in it and it wasn't us and my concern is that having worked hard to take the lead, by sitting back and inviting pressure it just handed the momentum to the opposition and had the second goal gone Hartlepool's way, then I believe we would have lost that match as once you lose momentum, it is very difficult to get it back.
Thankfully Quigley was able to finish off a counter attacking move and kill the game off for us but we have conceded late equalisers a couple of times whilst hanging on and that has cost us points.

If you are playing well and having a fair degree of success in the game, why change the way you play when you take the lead? Fair enough if you are three or four up (though I thought we should have gone for more against Torquay) but not at one nil or even two nil (this is why they say two nil up is a very dangerous scoreline for the team that is ahead).

Like I said it was a great result but why risk throwing it away?

[redtalk]

Originally Posted by noisy1

Thought I'd start a new thread as after what I thought was a great win I did not want to drag down the positivity on other the other threads.

However there was one thing that concerned me yesterday and I have seen it many times earlier in the season.
Yesterday once more the team put in a real shift, grafting for each other and battling hard to get the result, right up until they went one nil up.
Then it was as if someone flicked the off switch and I got the impression that we reverted to type and allowed pools to come at us whilst we relied on our very decent defence.
At one nil up there was only one team in it and it wasn't us and my concern is that having worked hard to take the lead, by sitting back and inviting pressure it just handed the momentum to the opposition and had the second goal gone Hartlepool's way, then I believe we would have lost that match as once you lose momentum, it is very difficult to get it back.
Thankfully Quigley was able to finish off a counter attacking move and kill the game off for us but we have conceded late equalisers a couple of times whilst hanging on and that has cost us points.

If you are playing well and having a fair degree of success in the game, why change the way you play when you take the lead? Fair enough if you are three or four up (though I thought we should have gone for more against Torquay) but not at one nil or even two nil (this is why they say two nil up is a very dangerous scoreline for the team that is ahead).

Like I said it was a great result but why risk throwing it away?

I cannot disagree with anything you say, but the counter argument would be, we sit in a very decent position as things stand with the current approach.

[Colonel D]

If you have some pace up front and can counter attack effectively then allowing teams to come at us creates more space for us to attack.
The problem has been we have not been able to do that very often up to now , but with Quigley and any other new signings it could turn draws into more wins.

[EnglishRed]

I think youve got a valid point. But All teams at our level, particularly when playing away, have periods where they can't keep up their intensity etc. What I like about this team, and why I am confident we will do well this season, is our game.management is generally very good. We might drop off sometimes but we haven't been punished for it as much as teams in the past. We are still a team that is grpwing togwther and we can only get stronger.

[LWR]

Its the ebb and flow of a game.

The opposition is always going to get a spell during the game when they''re on top.

Its unrealistic to think a team can be on top for 90 minutes every week.

[noisy1]

Originally Posted by EnglishRed

I think youve got a valid point. But All teams at our level, particularly when playing away, have periods where they can't keep up their intensity etc. What I like about this team, and why I am confident we will do well this season, is our game.management is generally very good. We might drop off sometimes but we haven't been punished for it as much as teams in the past. We are still a team that is grpwing togwther and we can only get stronger.

I guess that this is where my worries stem from and you are correct in saying that defensively we are far better than many teams in the past.

It's still unbearable to watch as much now as it was back then.

[Red Light]

All season there are a number of consistent traits.

At times we sit so, so deep it's as if we invite the opposition onto us - perhaps a high expectation that the proven strength of our defence will be good enough - most times it is.

But whilst the opposition are pouring forward in significant numbers it could be argued that we are at our most dangerous - more chance of getting a goal on the counter.

As regards yesterday - playing away from home and taking a second half lead then shutting up shop and becoming more defensive isn't a bad tactic but it can and has previously backfired where the opposition is handed momentum and it builds out of control momentum.

[redrex]

Originally Posted by noisy1

I guess that this is where my worries stem from and you are correct in saying that defensively we are far better than many teams in the past.

It's still unbearable to watch as much now as it was back then.

Could you imagine using the same tactic if we got to the play-off final! Go 1 up and then defend for the rest of the match!! That would be a heart attack waiting to happen!

[Robin Coch]

Originally Posted by redrex

Could you imagine using the same tactic if we got to the play-off final!

You're deluded if you think we'll make it to the play off final...................we're going up as champs