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That Spark

That Spark

StringbeanFan

StringbeanFan

"Huntington, you're a stringbean!" Angry man, 2014
Joined
Mar 23, 2018
Messages
377
Despite the more attacking and free flowing philosophy that RL is looking to implement at North End, we still don't seem to be able to get away from these frustrating bore draws and matches where it seems as though we could play another hour or two and still not score. This is most evident when we come up against poorer sides or those lower down the table. Over the years, when we play "better" sides we tend to pull out better results, I'm thinking of West Brom and Bournemouth this season, and Villa, Brighton etc in years gone by. Is this because in those games we are able to out-work the opposition? We have a team built on really physical hard working players but we just don't seem to have that "spark" required to really make a difference when the opposition decides to sit back and defend and play on the counter.

In our side, who are the players who are able to come up with a moment of magic and beat opposition players to unsteady defensive oppositions? Johnson comes to mind, maybe Browne on his day plus the odd thunderbastard from the right foot of Riis but does this happen enough?

With all the talk of requirements for the next transfer window, I know we keep talking about the need for some Wing Backs but who can we realistically recruit in these positions who are going to bring more of a spark and less of a workhorse mentality in the form of another Potts/Cunningham/Barkhuizen etc.? Jay Dasilva seemed to bring a bit of this to Bristol at the weekend, have any of the recruits mentioned previously fitted this mould because it seems as something that we are really missing at the moment.
 
We have plenty of spark. Unfortunately he’s currently in Jamaica

Archer offers us some too, but we sacrificed this season when we stuck with Cunningham and Potts, who don’t have any dynamism to play that wing back role that is so vital in this system

They do a job, that’s it
 
Win your home games, draw your away games. We've had some good away form but it's not that disappointing to go somewhere like Millwall and pick up a point. Sometimes sides cancel each other out, but on the balance of it we should be happier than them to pick up a point on the road.
 
Ginnelly and Brandon Barker?

Jeez!

They'd be reasonable acquisitions if we were plodding along in League's 1 or 2.
 
Who are the players in the current squad who can provide that 'spark' - Johnson and to an extent Browne certainly but also when charging forward from deep van den Berg. Archer also looks like he might be able to. I still think that used in the right way Sinclair could do. Just possibly this fellow Diaby charging down the right might. Evans can do when up and around the opposition penalty area but not when he is scrapping way back in midfield which is what he was doing most of the time last night.

But much of the team - Riis in particular - simply looked tired last night. They probably need a rest and no more than a couple of light training sessions and then to be sent out on Saturday with a brief to get the ball forward a quickly as possible.
 
I'm just writing this season off for numerous reasons and looking forward to a good summer clear out and quality over quantity incomings.
 
Think you have to look at the opposition as well.

Bournemouth and West Brom are going for promotion, they have to attack, they have to score goals their mentality is on winning the game and that means they come out of their shape, they take risks and they push men forward, it opens up the game and opens them up for exploitation.

Millwall on the other hand were there just to sit in and make it difficult with limited creativity most often trying to beat us in transition/when the ball is turned over because that is when we are vulnerable due to the style of football Lowe wants to play, the Afobe chance as an example.

Wingbacks with pace and attacking qualities will vastly improve us.

1. It will allow them to push further up the pitch as their speed/pace will cover the recover, Potts and Cunningham don't have the physical attributes to do this, look at Da Silva for BC, he knew he had Cunningham for pace last Saturday so pushed on as much as possible and penned us in.

2. When isolated 1v1 they will look to take the man on, Potts and Cunningham both don't have the skills or pace to do this, Barky on the other hand could be a different option.
 
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