It did feel, watching the Northampton game and this one, that we have been sussed by opponents. Without a target man up top, centre backs are able to just outmuscle us on any long balls we send upfield. But when we try to play out from the back (as we obviously want to do as the norm) a high press, particularly targeting our wings to prevent us using our wingbacks effectively , just completely stifles us.
It’s incredibly frustrating seeing the players receive the ball in midfield, get pressed, pass it back, then look around with the hands outstretched to ask “why was I given no options”. I must have seen that outstretched hand motion about a dozen or more times yesterday.
To be honest though, not even sure it’s fully on Lindsey - there did seem to be a lack of energy and movement from the players, and an unwillingness to take risks. You could see it on every throw in, we just looked trapped.
Overall, we are still obviously a good team at this level, but we clearly need to tweak something or perhaps be a bit more adaptable to our opponents.
Hopefully Stones' return will make us more able to go direct as well as playing out from the back, making us less predictable and harder to defend against. A lot to ask of one player who hasn't played since April though.
Quite possible as well that Lindsey had spotted this issue (as in, opposition knowing how to stifle us) after Northampton and that is why he started Malcolm in the Newport game, and if he hadn’t received a red card he may have been planning to start him this game as well! Even having Malcolm able to come on late has given us a new route in the past, whereas currently we just have no options. With both Stones and Malcolm available to play, hopefully being able to rotate means it won’t be asking too much of one player and give us more than one route to the opposition box.
It did feel, watching the Northampton game and this one, that we have been sussed by opponents. Without a target man up top, centre backs are able to just outmuscle us on any long balls we send upfield. But when we try to play out from the back (as we obviously want to do as the norm) a high press, particularly targeting our wings to prevent us using our wingbacks effectively , just completely stifles us.
It’s incredibly frustrating seeing the players receive the ball in midfield, get pressed, pass it back, then look around with the hands outstretched to ask “why was I given no options”. I must have seen that outstretched hand motion about a dozen or more times yesterday.
To be honest though, not even sure it’s fully on Lindsey - there did seem to be a lack of energy and movement from the players, and an unwillingness to take risks. You could see it on every throw in, we just looked trapped.
Overall, we are still obviously a good team at this level, but we clearly need to tweak something or perhaps be a bit more adaptable to our opponents.
Hopefully Stones' return will make us more able to go direct as well as playing out from the back, making us less predictable and harder to defend against. A lot to ask of one player who hasn't played since April though.
Quite possible as well that Lindsey had spotted this issue (as in, opposition knowing how to stifle us) after Northampton and that is why he started Malcolm in the Newport game, and if he hadn’t received a red card he may have been planning to start him this game as well! Even having Malcolm able to come on late has given us a new route in the past, whereas currently we just have no options. With both Stones and Malcolm available to play, hopefully being able to rotate means it won’t be asking too much of one player and give us more than one route to the opposition box.