[drewks]

Not sure whether it's worse when we concede early in these games and the plan goes out of the window, or when we nearly come away with the point and instead get done at the death.  For all that we've made improvements on last season, we still don't have quite enough about us to cause the big boys any significant problems after they've taken the lead.

Hope we can make at least one or two quality additions in the window just to give us a few different options when we're on the ball.

...but when we concede so late on it'd be difficult to cause any trouble no matter WHO we had in our ranks!
IMHO we've done pretty well against the biguns of late, even if it's "zero points" as a result.
Our confidence is obviously going to be higher now than if we'd lost these games heavily,  so no criticism of TP from me going into these games with a defensive mindset!

[Beefy 1965]

Any news on Evans injury ?

Glad Fozzie signed a new deal

Top Keeper

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Not sure whether it's worse when we concede early in these games and the plan goes out of the window, or when we nearly come away with the point and instead get done at the death.  For all that we've made improvements on last season, we still don't have quite enough about us to cause the big boys any significant problems after they've taken the lead.

Hope we can make at least one or two quality additions in the window just to give us a few different options when we're on the ball.

...but when we concede so late on it'd be difficult to cause any trouble no matter WHO we had in our ranks!

But it's generally the same story even when we concede early. We need one or two players who are just that bit more comfortable on the ball or have that extra pace/skill so that there's some kind of plan B, and the capacity to turn a game on its head if need be.

Obviously even that probably wouldn't have changed things today, but it's a general observation.

[HRK]

Not sure whether it's worse when we concede early in these games and the plan goes out of the window, or when we nearly come away with the point and instead get done at the death.  For all that we've made improvements on last season, we still don't have quite enough about us to cause the big boys any significant problems after they've taken the lead.

Hope we can make at least one or two quality additions in the window just to give us a few different options when we're on the ball.

...but when we concede so late on it'd be difficult to cause any trouble no matter WHO we had in our ranks!

But it's generally the same story even when we concede early.  We need one or two players who are just that bit more comfortable on the ball or have that extra pace/skill so that there's some kind of plan B, and the capacity to turn a game on its head if need be.

Obviously even that probably wouldn't have changed things today, but it's a general observation.

Whilst I can agree with this I think the fact we're lamenting that we've not got more from both yesterday's game and also Chelsea away recently, it's a sign of progress being made.

We were only minutes away from a really hard fought point and would have taken it apart from one moment of brilliant centre forward play from Giroud. It also took one moment of brilliance from Costa to decide the game last time we were in London, and this is the fine margin between us and the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea who have spent millions upon millions whereas we have closed the gap on them on a shoestring budget in comparison.

Far more concerning for me at the moment is the form of Dawson. Going into this window I'd be looking to sign a replacement LB to move Nyom to his preferred position at RB and give Dawson some competition as he is nowhere near achieving the performance levels needed at the moment. Far too many wayward passes and not offering enough going forward. Still a fan of Dawson though, just think he needs time out to refocus, isn't naturally a full back and has worked hard at making that position his own.

With the right signings I can still see this season being a great one for us.

[Baggievicar]

I have to say, after a slightly frenetic Christmas I went through yesterday like a zombie and completely forgot there was any football. Far the best way to follow it, though I was a bit disappointed when I eventually realised we'd been playing and nearly got a point. Hey ho.

[May68]

Whilst I can agree with this I think the fact we're lamenting that we've not got more from both yesterday's game and also Chelsea away recently, it's a sign of progress being made.
[/quote]

But HRK, in the past we've gone to these places and won, by doing such bold and unconventional things as passing to teammates and scoring goals. Admittedly we've also had a few spankings down the years as well, but you take the rough with the smooth.

I really don't think the types of performance we saw yesterday are anything to write home about. Playing a back 6 and defending on the edge of your area does not take any particular skill. Even if you succeed you only get a point, but we don't even seem to be that good at it anyway (look at the recent late goals we've conceded).

[talkSAFT]

I really don't think the types of performance we saw yesterday are anything to write home about. Playing a back 6 and defending on the edge of your area does not take any particular skill. Even if you succeed you only get a point, but we don't even seem to be that good at it anyway (look at the recent late goals we've conceded).

I agree with the last sentence, May. I'd chance our arm and gamble a bit more - or should I say a lot more. Give the Away following something to sing about or they just won't go and spend a fortune to watch them.
But I did think we kept good discipline against a very good team yesterday - inevitably we came away with nothing, though, despite all the hard work.

[Beefy 1965]

Whilst I can agree with this I think the fact we're lamenting that we've not got more from both yesterday's game and also Chelsea away recently, it's a sign of progress being made.

But HRK, in the past we've gone to these places and won, by doing such bold and unconventional things as passing to teammates and scoring goals. Admittedly we've also had a few spankings down the years as well, but you take the rough with the smooth.

I really don't think the types of performance we saw yesterday are anything to write home about. Playing a back 6 and defending on the edge of your area does not take any particular skill. Even if you succeed you only get a point, but we don't even seem to be that good at it anyway (look at the recent late goals we've conceded, But HRK, in the past we've gone to these places and won, by doing such bold and unconventional things as passing to teammates and scoring goals. Admittedly we've also had a few spankings down the years as well, but you take the rough with the smooth


TBF we do not go to these places and win very often,
We have also gone to these places and lost by 4, 5 or 6 ,

To use a one off 3-2 victory at the Emirates in 2010 is exactly that a one off.

It could happen again but more often than not until we have more quality we will lose !

[St Charles Owl]

Whilst I can agree with this I think the fact we're lamenting that we've not got more from both yesterday's game and also Chelsea away recently, it's a sign of progress being made.

But HRK, in the past we've gone to these places and won, by doing such bold and unconventional things as passing to teammates and scoring goals. Admittedly we've also had a few spankings down the years as well, but you take the rough with the smooth.

I really don't think the types of performance we saw yesterday are anything to write home about. Playing a back 6 and defending on the edge of your area does not take any particular skill. Even if you succeed you only get a point, but we don't even seem to be that good at it anyway (look at the recent late goals we've conceded).
[/quote]

If I may jump in as a neutral. I watched your game this weekend and thought you set out with a solid plan that Arsenal seemed to have no answer for until Giroud popped up and put a superb header into the net. You should have got the point, but it wasn't to be.

But I have to take task with the statement that you have previously gone to these places and won!!! You must have a memory like an elephant!!!

Arsenal away - 1 win in 32 years!
Chelsea away - Last league win - 1978!
Man Utd away - 2 wins in last 3 visits, prior to that you have to go back to 1978 again.
Man City away - 1 win in last 21 league games

This is not a dig at your team, but it is a measure of what Pulis has done that you have come close to getting points at both Chelsea and Arsenal in recent games, and with a bit of luck you would have got draws in both games. I am all for attacking, flowing football, but teams get hammered most of the time at these grounds if they play like that and even though you lost both games, the fact that your GD took a minimal hit could easily be worth one extra point at the end of the season!!

[HRK]

Whilst I can agree with this I think the fact we're lamenting that we've not got more from both yesterday's game and also Chelsea away recently, it's a sign of progress being made.

But HRK, in the past we've gone to these places and won, by doing such bold and unconventional things as passing to teammates and scoring goals. Admittedly we've also had a few spankings down the years as well, but you take the rough with the smooth.

I really don't think the types of performance we saw yesterday are anything to write home about. Playing a back 6 and defending on the edge of your area does not take any particular skill. Even if you succeed you only get a point, but we don't even seem to be that good at it anyway (look at the recent late goals we've conceded).

[/quote]
If I may jump in as a neutral.  I watched your game this weekend and thought you set out with a solid plan that Arsenal seemed to have no answer for until Giroud popped up and put a superb header into the net.  You should have got the point, but it wasn't to be.

But I have to take task with the statement that you have previously gone to these places and won!!!  You must have a memory like an elephant!!!  

Arsenal away - 1 win in 32 years!
Chelsea away - Last league win - 1978!
Man Utd away - 2 wins in last 3 visits, prior to that you have to go back to 1978 again.
Man City away - 1 win in last 21 league games

This is not a dig at your team, but it is a measure of what Pulis has done that you have come close to getting points at both Chelsea and Arsenal in recent games, and with a bit of luck you would have got draws in both games.  I am all for attacking, flowing football, but teams get hammered most of the time at these grounds if they play like that and even though you lost both games, the fact that your GD took a minimal hit could easily be worth one extra point at the end of the season!!
[/quote]

St Charles I'm glad someone else gets the gist of what I'm talking about. 

Moaning about not beating Arsenal away is utter nonsense, whether we set up to defend or tried to play more expansively - that's besides the point. Taking the game in isolation Arsenal dominated the play without having any cutting edge and Arsenal only won due to Giroud taking his chance extremely well. Likewise the same at Chelsea, we were minutes away from an important point in both games. It could even be said McAuley was fouled in that passage of play that led to the goal, but the ref didn't see it that way.

Also if Yacob had been composed and tapped in at the far post when Cech flapped at a corner, who knows what could have happened from then on?

I went to both games and can't fault the team at all - it was two huge efforts that should have yielded at least a point but it wasn't to be. If asked before the game we'd all have said a point would have been a fantastic return. That's the nature of this league, our wins against the top sides are outliers, whereas we're getting the results off the teams in and around us hence why we're 9th.

If I see the same approach of defense first at Southampton on Sunday, that will be a different matter. This is a game where we should be going for the 3 points from the off as Saints whilst a good side aren't better than us imo. 

That will be the real test - but let's not forget that we've only won twice on the road this season and Southampton have only lost once so far at home. It'll be a close game but definitely not as one sided as yesterday.