Pirate55
The Last Man Standing 17/18
While I think all of us are delighted with third place and a guaranteed place in next seasons Champions League, there is undoubtedly still significant room for improvement if we are to continue our upward trend. Here are some areas I believe we need to address (in no particular order):
1. Last 10 minutes of games. If only we had had a better end to games we would now be Champions. Indeed, if games had ended after 80 minutes, I calculate we would now be Champions. Points we lost in the last 10 minutes include Leicester (h) -1, Leicester (a) -2, Arsenal (h) -2, Arsenal (a) -2, WBA (h) -2, Chelsea (a) -2, Stoke (h) -2. Those games alone cost us 13 points. Only (iirc) Watford (a) and Emirates Marketing Project (a) did we turn draws into wins in that period (so +4) Overall -9 points. However it also gave Leicester an extra 3 points. So we are the "80 minute" Champions. We need to close off games better next season and also score winning goals more often in that crucial period.
2. Conversion of chances into goals. I believe we created the highest number of chances of any team in the EPL. However, we lost out to Emirates Marketing Project on the highest goals scored. The number of shots we had which were inaccurate was huge. I recall so many going well over the bar or well wide. We really need to improve our shooting accuracy next season.
3. Free Kicks Eriksen was poor with his free kicks this season. I think he only scored two all year and that was in the same game (against Swansea away). He didn't look particularly confident when taking them and I certainly had no real feeling that he was going to convert any. Most were pretty poor efforts in reality. This is a surprise from a guy who has a reputation for being one of Europe's best free kick takers. He really needs to improve on this next season
4. Corners. Our poor corners have been a bugbear of mine for some time. The number of times we hit the first man is totally unacceptable. Why we don't position someone in front of their first man so that he can flick it on if it goes short is totally beyond my comprehension as it such an easy remedy. We have strong aerial power in Toby, Jan, Harry and Erik and we really need to make more of corners next season. Similarly, we need to concentrate more on defensive corners as we conceded some key goals from these this season (Chelsea first goal), WBA (equaliser) and Leicester (winner) immediately spring to mind. These need to be cut out next season.
5.Substitutions. I think Poch's substitutions have been poor this year. His reading of the game in play doesnt seem terribly cute to me and he often makes the wrong subs at the wrong time. I know this is a subjective view and everyone can have different opinions on this, but generally Poch leaves his first sub until after 60 minutes no matter how the game is going and often gives other subs far too little time to have any meaningful impact. Admittedly options from the bench have been a limiting factor (and one that might have been addressed in January) but I also think he needs to try and improve his reading of a game while it is going on.
6. Players Attitudes. Can players please do less of "talking the talk" and more of "walking the walk". Posting pictures of lions and (Verts and others) saying how much the players know how important derbies are to fans and how important it is to win derbies for bragging rights. Unfortunately, they let us down badly in key games, notably Arsenal (home and away), Chelsea (away) West Ham (away) - to say nothing of that last game debacle against Saudi Sportswashing Machine. Shameful and they turned pride into shame far too easily - this must improve next season.
7. Supporters. While our away support has been magnificent (as usual) or home support has left a lot to be desired on occasions. Lets have some new and better songs and chants next season and leave out the gratuitous goading of other fans (at least until after we have won the game!). It is unnecessary and unneeded and often gets opponents to raise their games. We could take a leaf out of Leicester's home support. Lets all try and improve on that next season and get behind the team at all times.
8. Transfers. As well as we have done this season, we need some quality players in key areas to ensure that there is both adequate competition for places and there is no drop off in quality when we need to bring in squad players. Some must go to make room, but in my opinion, we need another quality CF, AM, and DM at the very least if we are to make a fist of competing on all fronts again next season with all the challenges of the CL not allowing any room for experiments.
9. Results against our key rivals. Our results against those around us this season has not been good enough. Leicester (d and l), Arsenal (d and d), Emirates Marketing Project (w and w), Chelsea (d and d), Man Utd (l and w). Only Emirates Marketing Project where we were exceptional, did the results properly reflect the way the games went. We really need to improve on this next season. Thank GHod, Saudi Sportswashing Machine are no longer a problem!!!!
10. Winning mentality. Last, but certainly not least, is the need for us to develop a winning mentality. Going back to point 1, we need to play right up to the final whistle and make sure next season we turn draws into wins in the final 10 minutes next season. I don't know if this is a fitness or mentality thing, but it certainly needs to be addressed if we are to be successful. My one concern on this issue is whether Poch is inspiring or experienced enough. He hasn't won anything as a manager and it is not yet proven whether he has that final missing ingredient? Is he a winning manager? As Napoleon said, give me lucky generals every time. We seem to have continued to be sexy under Poch even though so many other aspects of our game have improved. Every time we could have gone top (even for a few hours) we blew it. Every time we could have put pressure on Leicester, we blew it. We needed a win at Chelsea and even at 2 goals up, we blew it. We only needed a draw to finish second and above Arsenal against an already relegated Saudi Sportswashing Machine, who only had ten men for most to the second half, and we blew it. Next season we really need not to blow it!!!!
COYS.
1. Last 10 minutes of games. If only we had had a better end to games we would now be Champions. Indeed, if games had ended after 80 minutes, I calculate we would now be Champions. Points we lost in the last 10 minutes include Leicester (h) -1, Leicester (a) -2, Arsenal (h) -2, Arsenal (a) -2, WBA (h) -2, Chelsea (a) -2, Stoke (h) -2. Those games alone cost us 13 points. Only (iirc) Watford (a) and Emirates Marketing Project (a) did we turn draws into wins in that period (so +4) Overall -9 points. However it also gave Leicester an extra 3 points. So we are the "80 minute" Champions. We need to close off games better next season and also score winning goals more often in that crucial period.
2. Conversion of chances into goals. I believe we created the highest number of chances of any team in the EPL. However, we lost out to Emirates Marketing Project on the highest goals scored. The number of shots we had which were inaccurate was huge. I recall so many going well over the bar or well wide. We really need to improve our shooting accuracy next season.
3. Free Kicks Eriksen was poor with his free kicks this season. I think he only scored two all year and that was in the same game (against Swansea away). He didn't look particularly confident when taking them and I certainly had no real feeling that he was going to convert any. Most were pretty poor efforts in reality. This is a surprise from a guy who has a reputation for being one of Europe's best free kick takers. He really needs to improve on this next season
4. Corners. Our poor corners have been a bugbear of mine for some time. The number of times we hit the first man is totally unacceptable. Why we don't position someone in front of their first man so that he can flick it on if it goes short is totally beyond my comprehension as it such an easy remedy. We have strong aerial power in Toby, Jan, Harry and Erik and we really need to make more of corners next season. Similarly, we need to concentrate more on defensive corners as we conceded some key goals from these this season (Chelsea first goal), WBA (equaliser) and Leicester (winner) immediately spring to mind. These need to be cut out next season.
5.Substitutions. I think Poch's substitutions have been poor this year. His reading of the game in play doesnt seem terribly cute to me and he often makes the wrong subs at the wrong time. I know this is a subjective view and everyone can have different opinions on this, but generally Poch leaves his first sub until after 60 minutes no matter how the game is going and often gives other subs far too little time to have any meaningful impact. Admittedly options from the bench have been a limiting factor (and one that might have been addressed in January) but I also think he needs to try and improve his reading of a game while it is going on.
6. Players Attitudes. Can players please do less of "talking the talk" and more of "walking the walk". Posting pictures of lions and (Verts and others) saying how much the players know how important derbies are to fans and how important it is to win derbies for bragging rights. Unfortunately, they let us down badly in key games, notably Arsenal (home and away), Chelsea (away) West Ham (away) - to say nothing of that last game debacle against Saudi Sportswashing Machine. Shameful and they turned pride into shame far too easily - this must improve next season.
7. Supporters. While our away support has been magnificent (as usual) or home support has left a lot to be desired on occasions. Lets have some new and better songs and chants next season and leave out the gratuitous goading of other fans (at least until after we have won the game!). It is unnecessary and unneeded and often gets opponents to raise their games. We could take a leaf out of Leicester's home support. Lets all try and improve on that next season and get behind the team at all times.
8. Transfers. As well as we have done this season, we need some quality players in key areas to ensure that there is both adequate competition for places and there is no drop off in quality when we need to bring in squad players. Some must go to make room, but in my opinion, we need another quality CF, AM, and DM at the very least if we are to make a fist of competing on all fronts again next season with all the challenges of the CL not allowing any room for experiments.
9. Results against our key rivals. Our results against those around us this season has not been good enough. Leicester (d and l), Arsenal (d and d), Emirates Marketing Project (w and w), Chelsea (d and d), Man Utd (l and w). Only Emirates Marketing Project where we were exceptional, did the results properly reflect the way the games went. We really need to improve on this next season. Thank GHod, Saudi Sportswashing Machine are no longer a problem!!!!
10. Winning mentality. Last, but certainly not least, is the need for us to develop a winning mentality. Going back to point 1, we need to play right up to the final whistle and make sure next season we turn draws into wins in the final 10 minutes next season. I don't know if this is a fitness or mentality thing, but it certainly needs to be addressed if we are to be successful. My one concern on this issue is whether Poch is inspiring or experienced enough. He hasn't won anything as a manager and it is not yet proven whether he has that final missing ingredient? Is he a winning manager? As Napoleon said, give me lucky generals every time. We seem to have continued to be sexy under Poch even though so many other aspects of our game have improved. Every time we could have gone top (even for a few hours) we blew it. Every time we could have put pressure on Leicester, we blew it. We needed a win at Chelsea and even at 2 goals up, we blew it. We only needed a draw to finish second and above Arsenal against an already relegated Saudi Sportswashing Machine, who only had ten men for most to the second half, and we blew it. Next season we really need not to blow it!!!!
COYS.
