45-60

[Maldini]

What's going on with us being s*** after half time in almost every game? Fitness or focus?

[Farmer's Tan]

What's going on with us being s*** after half time in almost every game? Fitness or focus?

 

opposition team makes tactical switch, we take a long time to respond.

[Spion kop]

Focus, lack of an aggresive captain to grab players and get them going when the other team start pushing.

[Epic Swindle]

Conceding sloppy goals has something to do with it, instant momentum change and we look ragged. Need a leader as well.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Masuka

[Billy Dane]

We don't have a dominating player ( a la Souness) on the pitch to fire up the team when they need it.

[épieur]

I think part of it is we're lacking players with experience playing for a top team. We haven't got the proper mentality of stepping up our game and playing for the 3 points over 90 minutes as a matter of course yet.

[Jim D]

opposition team makes tactical switch, we take a long time to respond.

 

Bingo, glad you mentioned it Kenny for some reason doesn't respond to the change until its too late.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Jim D

[Stevie H]

we switched off something awful there but you have to say chelsea were excellent after half time. credit where due. we were still making basic errors we didn't first half though, which is a bit concerning.

[KD07]

the answer would be in the half time tea.

[Zoob]

We don't have a dominating player ( a la Souness) on the pitch to fire up the team when they need it.

 

Think for all the stats based analysis that has been introduced into the game, and transfer strategies, you can't really quantify the effect having such a player has on a team. Lucas is a fantastic player, but he is rarely able to do the sort of things that Souness or Mascherano (or the likes of Keane, Viera for other clubs...) could do that could turn the tide psychologically as much as anything...

[Epic Swindle]

Think for all the stats based analysis that has been introduced into the game, and transfer strategies, you can't really quantify the effect having such a player has on a team. Lucas is a fantastic player, but he is rarely able to do the sort of things that Souness or Mascherano (or the likes of Keane, Viera for other clubs...) could do that could turn the tide psychologically as much as anything...

 

Lucas is a fantastic bits and pieces player but he can be very passive when teams are on top of us. I don't think Adam or Gerrard are aggressive enough either tbh. Needs someone to lead and get a grip of everyone.

[Earl Hafler]

We don't have a dominating player ( a la Souness) on the pitch to fire up the team when they need it.

 

They've just had possibly the biggest legend of them all talking to them seconds earlier.

 

But we do lack a strong leader on the pitch

Edited November 20, 2011 by Earl Hafler

[Zoob]

Lucas is a fantastic bits and pieces player but he can be very passive when teams are on top of us. I don't think Adam or Gerrard are aggressive enough either tbh. Needs someone to lead and get a grip of everyone.

 

 

 

Think he's one of the best players in the league in terms of making tackles, breaking up play and also keeping us ticking over- I wouldn't refer to that as bits or pieces... but agree that we don't really have anyone right now who can lead and get a grip of everyone when we're being overrun.

[New York Red]

Perhaps they need to smoke more fags at halftime.

[épieur]

They've just had possibly the biggest legend of them all talking to them seconds earlier.

 

But we do lack a strong leader on the pitch

 

I think Adam is actually the kind of player who is good at pushing up when we're falling deep as a team.

 

If he learns not to go all out of steam after 60 he can be that kind of player.

[muleskinner]

They aren't fit enough imo. I'm sure they are aware of it and working on it but its a worry. Darren Burgess is meant to be one of the best conditioning coaches in the business.

[Swan Red]

They aren't fit enough imo. I'm sure they are aware of it and working on it but its a worry. Darren Burgess is meant to be one of the best conditioning coaches in the business.

 

I can't think of any other reason but I can't understand how it's been allowed to happen.

[aka Dus]

Is Charlie really a top level 90 minute midfielder though? I dunno enough about him but from what I see he doesn't strike me as that natural type.

 

Henderson has all the makings of one IMO.

[Dan]

Is Charlie really a top level 90 minute midfielder though? I dunno enough about him but from what I see he doesn't strike me as that natural type.

 

Henderson has all the makings of one IMO.

 

Got a brilliant assist on 87 mins though didn't he?

[Billy Talbot]

Adam might improve over 90. If he does, we'll have one hell of a midfielder on our hands.

 

I agree we need a more vociferous leader though. Souness in this side would make us title favourites. But then the same could be said for last 20 years. We should have signed that c*** Keane.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Billy Talbot

[Epic Swindle]

Charlie would be better in a team that is squeezed up and dominating possession but at the moment we're dropping too deep in the second half of games and inviting teams on. Not sure whether it's fitness, tactics or instructions, but it's certainly a major issue. We can't keep defending backs to the wall when we go a goal up.

[Swan Red]

The difference between our first and second half performances can't all be about Adam, that said we wobbled second half and came back very well today.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Swan Red

[Epic Swindle]

The difference between our first and second half performances can't all be about Adam

 

Agreed. Think it's a bit psychological. We've got a soft side to us at the moment but this is how we learn and improve.

[Dan]

Think the Lucas yellow had more of an impact than Adam; that combined with a much improved performance from Chelsea.

[CarraLegend]

Think we've been fine away from home, its Chelsea away, they'd always have a go and certainly at 1-0 down. Stoke was a complete fluke and Spurs have a better central midfield than us plus we were down to 10 after 20mins.

 

Performances at home are a bit of a worry though.