Why do we struggle to break down teams?

[topperharley]

We all see that we usually play better against teams that play more open football.

While Derby maybe the exception Blackburn and Portsmouth i would say is the rule?

As Abs said in match thread, the 'perennial problem of playing at the level of our opposition'.

Why is it like this? It's been the way over several managers and squads. Too lightweight is what some would say, not enough attacking ideas others, but what is it and how do we solve it now?

I feel what we are missing is a powerful midfield. I don't mean big and aggressive. Sure they need to break down play, Field is good at that, i think we struggle to dictate the pace when it doesn't suit us. Colback, Field, Varane are all quite similar in their duties? We could do with someone Carrick-esque that can open up teams. I wonder do we already have that but our forward players don't give the options? Does our current midfield have to spend too much time covering the defence and if so why? Could well be the case for flanks.

Complicated problem if i'm right but overall my point and question is dictate play, how?

[72bus]

Our midfield has been slow and weak for years .
We have our moments but never seem to boss games.
We miss a ball player that's forward thinking , chair frustrating , most of the time he plays it safe and backwards . Often dropping to deep to be effective.
Dembele , saito, Yang will give us moments of dribbling and taking it to the opposition but got most of the game they are not involved.
We need to 2/3 dogged midfielders that fight , scrap and bite .
I was at the game yesterday and the Pompey fans really get behind them , that has to help.

[Dono77]

We still get bullied too easily. People think Field is our enforcer. Hes not. Hes yet to go through a player and cut some one in half. I know the game has gone soft but he's doesn't put the wind up people.

He gets booked for shirt pulls or soft little petty stuff. It's never cos he has put one on his opponent. We don't like it or don't know how to react to teams who are willing to run through brick walls or make things messy. We lack the mentality that means we should be matching them. We just look for the dressing room.

We are still missing a ball winner and a real presence in the middle of the pitch. If we let Cook go in the summer we are letting a real leader go and I can't see who replaces him. We will miss someone who is a bit old school in that regard.

Teams will always need a Alan Mcdonald, clint hill, Richard dunne, shaun derry type player.

[topperharley]

We still get bullied too easily. People think Field is our enforcer. Hes not. Hes yet to go through a player and cut some one in half. I know the game has gone soft but he's doesn't put the wind up people.

He gets booked for shirt pulls or soft little petty stuff. It's never cos he has put one on his opponent. We don't like it or don't know how to react to teams who are willing to run through brick walls or make things messy. We lack the mentality that means we should be matching them. We just look for the dressing room.

We are still missing a ball winner and a real presence in the middle of the pitch. If we let Cook go in the summer we are letting a real leader go and I can't see who replaces him. We will miss someone who is a bit old school in that regard.

Teams will always need a Alan Mcdonald, clint hill, Richard dunne, shaun derry type player.

Point taken, i think you're right in Cook, Jimmy Dunne also has a 'presence'.

Sam breaks up play well but yeah he's not what you'd call a midfield commander.

I just wonder if we have the players to do it but they are too hung up on helping the defence, or struggling find ways forward, or can they just not dominate their space well enough. It can' tbe argued that when we have open games we often play much much better, so it seems we do really need that nasty touch in the centre of park, a younger Colback.

Would someone in a Carrick-esque ball playing role just get swamped?

[Shania]

Alex Mowatt ie. was the type of player that we needed, but he chose to go to West Brom instead.

[SheepRanger]

It should be the easiest position to fill. Someone who's a real athlete who can scrap for the ball and then pass it to someone with more skill. Ffs, the likes of Vinny Jones and David Batty make good careers from being very average footballers. You'd think L1 would have plenty of average footballers who are complete grafters.

But hey, we bought Madsen who will never adapt to the demands of the championship. Crazy signing.

Leeds were mocked for signing Vinny Jones and Wilkinson said he's actually the type we need to get out of the championship!! We did it with grafters like Hill & Derry with Tarabbt doing the fancy stuff.

[Dono77]

Alex Mowatt ie. was the type of player that we needed, but he chose to go to West Brom instead.

He would have been ideal. Gets stuck in, decent left foot which is handy on free kicks etc..can get a goal but mostly he's a leader. Just gets stuck in. Nothing fancy. Just does the basics very well but more than capable of putting himself about when it's needed.

[topperharley]

Digging up this one again, didn't see the match yesterday but looks like the same story against 10 men, why?

Obviously starting without a striker when we have one on the bench is an obvious, and odd place to start...

[72bus]

Digging up this one again, didn't see the match yesterday but looks like the same story against 10 men, why?

Obviously starting without a striker when we have one on the bench is an obvious, and odd place to start...

Did u see lloyd.play , he was awful

[Dono77]

Maybe it was the manager trying to make a point to the owners that he rates Lloyd so badly that he still won't pick him even when there is no one else to pick.

It's embarrassing for the player too. MC could end up walking away this summer if the club continue buying players for he clearly doesn't want. No way did he want celar and people like Santos and Madsen who are out of their depth in the Championship.

Surely the owner would have looked at our bench ystrdy and thought why is Lloyd not starting?

[Abseits]

Any manager that plays a substandard player purely "to make a point to owners" is a childish narcissist and would quickly need replacing.

Prior to yesterday I'd say Lloyd looked a bit raw and naive but he had aspects to his game that showed promise. Yesterday he looked way out of his depth which is obviously concerning but a bit early to write him off, and to suggest there was some subtext to his second half introduction seems highly unlikely... we were chasing the game but not testing their keeper so bringing on our only striker was obvious and inevitable.

[Jeffqpr]

Listening to Marti’s post match interview he was saying Lloyd had a slight injury & not fully fit for whole match & that might explain his performance

[Dono77]

Well then call up a couple of young lads from our so called development squad. That's what development is isn't it. They can't be much worse than Lloyd and celar. I love Lloyd but he's never going to be the answer to our striker probs.

Look at gallen. 18 years old when he made his debut. With no other options just stick our young lads on the bench. Can't be any worse than madsen can they????

[SheepRanger]

Whatever the failures of the current squad we are outperforming our league position by budget.

https://www.planetfootball.com/stats-tables/championship-wage-bill-ranking-2024-25-leeds-burnley-sheffield-united

[topperharley]

I don't know if playing without a stiker has ever really worked even in the best of teams. Smyth is a decent option up top if left with no others but starting Alfie, even if with a knock has to be have been a better shout.

We're just really ineffective at creating clear cut chances when the other team gets behind the ball. The strikers don't enough clear cut opportunites to themselves. It's just too consistent across 4 different players, the lack of goals. I do reckon Kolli is the best of our current crop for making something happen out of nothing from what little we've seen. He needs to start when fit.

Ilias has a big weight on him to create and score and he just doesn't carry that pressure well, to be fair to him since Austin faded we have not had anyone we'd consider consistent up top.

We really, really think a midfielder that can break up play and pick a pass, someone to dominate a midfield, this gives the front line something to feed off, we're too silent in the middle of the park.