Holding leads at home

[BG]

The five games we've drawn this season at home make very depressing reading. In four of them we were ahead.

 

If we'd healf those leads we'd be three points beheind Arsenal with a game in hand.

 

(Having said that I still think the inability to get the second goal - in all those games except Spurs - is what has really cost us.)

[Guest Anders Honoré]

It's disappointing. Being able to protect the lead at home is so very important and is an ability that simply cannot be allowed to slip. Almost elementary.

[Stevie H]

no killer instinct, either in the manager or on the pitch. we have the players to be rolling teams over before half-time yet we seem regularly to be wishing half-time upon us so the manager can sort things out. mentality and approach is just too negative.

[John am Rhein]

(Having said that I still think the inability to get the second goal - in all those games except Spurs - is what has really cost us.)

 

Inability to get the 2nd goal or inability to keep a clean sheet - essentially boils down to the same thing.

[Stevie H]

Inability to get the 2nd goal or inability to keep a clean sheet - essentially boils down to the same thing.

don't agree, i think there's a big difference psychologically.

[fred milne]

Being able to protect the lead at home is so very important and is an ability that simply cannot be allowed to slip.

Its something Mourinho's Chelsea often relied on.

[_00_deathscar]

Does anyone have the defensive line ups for these games? Agger play in any of them?

[Bailo]

Does anyone have the defensive line ups for these games? Agger play in any of them?

We shouldn't be holding out for one, young, player to save us. We did that a little with Alonso and he's not immediately gaining us points.

[John am Rhein]

don't agree, i think there's a big difference psychologically.

 

Maybe, but in terms of turing a 1-0 lead into 3 points, it does amount to the same thing. In fact a clean sheet is better because it guarantees the win whereas get the 2nd goal and you could still draw or even occasionally lose.

 

But your point about psychology is correct, though. A team needs a certain amount of collective mental strength to defend a lead without getting into the double-think pundits like to waffle about of 'surrendering the initiative' etc. I'm not convinced we have enough of that and it's one area where I think Jose Mourinho excelled.

[Puskas]

If you combined last season's home form (won 7 drawn 2 lost 1, roughly) with this season's away form we'd currently be third on 44 points, 5 points off the top with a game in hand. Signs that we're getting closer maybe, but we really do need everything to gel at the same time.

Edited January 3, 2008 by Puskas

[John am Rhein]

I don't think it's conicidence that our away form improves one season and our home form improves the next, with the away form reverting back in the process. Suggests, they are trying to get the balance right, but falling just short.

[Stevie H]

Maybe, but in terms of turing a 1-0 lead into 3 points, it does amount to the same thing. In fact a clean sheet is better because it guarantees the win whereas get the 2nd goal and you could still draw or even occasionally lose.

 

But your point about psychology is correct, though. A team needs a certain amount of collective mental strength to defend a lead without getting into the double-think pundits like to waffle about of 'surrendering the initiative' etc. I'm not convinced we have enough of that and it's one area where I think Jose Mourinho excelled.

that wasn't so much my point, the psychological aspect of it is that when the mancs or arsenal go one nil up against an opponent they generally know that even if they get one back, it's pretty certain that the mancs or arsenal will still then go on to outscore them. we don't have that fear factor. i think it's a more powerful hold to have over a side than the chelsea / one up / we're probably not going to score against these alternative.

[Bailo]

that wasn't so much my point, the psychological aspect of it is that when the mancs or arsenal go one nil up against an opponent they generally know that even if they get one back, it's pretty certain that the mancs or arsenal will still then go on to outscore them. we don't have that fear factor. i think it's a more powerful hold to have over a side than the chelsea / one up / we're probably not going to score against these alternative.

Totally agree. I'd also say that whilst not as big as a factor as in previous years with previous teams, Man U and Arsenal have an air of invincibility about them that beats some teams before they even step out onto the pitch. We had that briefly two seasons back, but it's gone again, leaving us as a team other teams know can be frustrated and something can be nicked from us.

[John am Rhein]

that wasn't so much my point, the psychological aspect of it is that when the mancs or arsenal go one nil up against an opponent they generally know that even if they get one back, it's pretty certain that the mancs or arsenal will still then go on to outscore them. we don't have that fear factor. i think it's a more powerful hold to have over a side than the chelsea / one up / we're probably not going to score against these alternative.

 

Why more powerful? Either way it's 3 points. And Chelsea won the League 2 years running.

[John am Rhein]

Totally agree. I'd also say that whilst not as big as a factor as in previous years with previous teams, Man U and Arsenal have an air of invincibility about them that beats some teams before they even step out onto the pitch. We had that briefly two seasons back, but it's gone again, leaving us as a team other teams know can be frustrated and something can be nicked from us.

 

We'll only be able to get that back by winning consistently. It's not something which can be a factor in moving towards winning consistently.

[_00_deathscar]

For some reason, I thought this was going to be about batsmen, Holding, bowler and Willie...

[Bailo]

Hopefully it'll be a while until we're holding Leeds at home too.

[Stevie H]

Why more powerful? Either way it's 3 points. And Chelsea won the League 2 years running.

just think it's a mentality thing. play chelsea, if you can keep them to nil for seventy minutes then you've got a chance of nabbing one yourself or worst case getting a point. against mancs and arsenal they will just go on relentlessly making chance after chance and more than likely will score more than one against you. they'll just outscore you whatever you do and however you play.