Holmes_and_Watson

We worked hard to the final whistle and were on top for that closing spell, by some margin. Today's subs made a difference when they came on. Edozie still hit and miss with what he does, Mara taking up lots of good positions and working hard and Fraser with a good finish. There are going to be games where results are late, scrappy against the run of play. That goes both ways. But keeping going to the end, trying to make the difference shows commitment, professionalism and can pay off. Like it did today. We did well increasing the pressure after the subs, making use of the spaces and having much more of a forward presence forcing them back. But it wasn't always like that today. As someone focused on his process, Martin still has an awful lot to improve in a number of areas, we've commited ourselves to. 3 wins and a draw out of four looks great, that it's working and we are on the right path. But as Martin and SR will be more concerend with the underlying performance, they'll have seen many of the deficiences that resulted in better, more clinical sides hammering us. It sounds harsh. But that's the realistic expecation you'd expect to have for a side with our resources coming down to this division (As Leicester, and now Leeds are showing). Great for the club to reach out to show tactics and approach this week. However, I think they misjudge what they think is lack of understanding through their complexity. I think a lot of fans know exactly how it works but are weighing that against the realistic expecations for the season, the clear areas for improvement, and the effectiveness of the play that should be getting us there. Martin has been the first to point out there's a lot to be done for it to click. Which we're seeing. Looking forward to the points to be going along with that, now we're back to winning ways.

FInally a nice bread and butter cross... into the centre where we've actually got someone who can finish in there... first time shot and it's in. If only there were tactics in the world where more of that could be generated... 🙂

Yeeeees!!!!!!!!

Baz with a nice, quick direct and middle distance pass, getting us moving...

Adams... gah.... given away...

Manning... blocked. Decent move though (nice to find something positive to type)

Martin will look at Smallbone's effort as one from his tactic. But it actually took a direct run from someone to create it. As usual, with plenty of their players back. In a previous game, I thought Smallbone did well to get a good effort in. Today, in a better posisiton, it ws the same technique and had it fallen to a more natural finisher that might have been a better outcome. Smallbone is asked to cover a lot of roles.

10 minutes ago I received a telegraph that read Hull player will pass to number 7. Stop. I wondered what it was. When it actually happened our whole defence managed to get them sucked into the wrong posistion and miss that pass. I guess they didn;t get that message.. or the smoke signals.. or the carrier pigeons... meanwhile, any Hull attack can take advantage of huge gaps in the same position our tactic always leaves. No attacking advantage of numbers tucked in, when we can;t construct any incisive passing moves form them, and knacker ourselves running back to cover any remotely direct opponents.

We are moving the ball into the box. Now, you'd think haveing removed all the direct, physical players form the squad and trained them to pass, pass and pass... that was the way that would go. But nope. Today, we've implemented the hitting-it-to-people-who-will-never-win-an-aerial-challenge tactic. Wasted. We are getting more up, byt the looks of it. Which could mean anything can happen really. Disapointed to see them paly it sharply out from the back. I'm sure they don;t have our levels of training or such a capable goalkeeper for that. Next time, they won;t be so lucky, surely. 🙂

I heard they were investigating to see if his hair gives him an unfair advantage in winning those.

A playing legend. Thoughts are with family, friends and his generations of fans.

Another blasting shot from outside the box. The same spot as at least two previous efforts. If that's the optimal shooting spot for Martin's passing/ possession game, then it's broken.

I thought that should have been a yellow against Manning there. Mind you, the ref probably saw Manning about to make a direct run and Martin's finger on the explosive implant to stop it, and thought the Hull player was doing Manning a favour.

We got the ball wide a couple of mins back. Most teams would have people get into the box as it was crying out for a cross. We have Arma in there, the least likely to win a header. I can only hope Stweart offers us something, anything from that sort of position. We offer no physical threat.

Corner... Alcaraz working hard.

Nearly another for Hull. Again. Meanwhile ...after another Hull attack. Baz looks up...doesn;t see anything...waits...waits... our 4 defenders move up...and then he lumps it long anyway. It was accurate, but allowed them to get back into positions so any chance we ahd form it came to nothing.

It was nearly... little handshake between Alcaraz and their keeper.

Smallbone with two attemtps to pass it forward. Immediately chose the safe backward option. FIne, if that's all that was on. But he was in a lot of space, didn;t think about moving into the space to draw anyone out. Just safe and back.

Arma with a shot form exactly the same spot as Stu a minute or two back. If our passing allows them to set up their defence, and then we don;t bother trying to pass through it, but just shoot then it's not working. Hull getting all the space in the world behind where fullbacks normally are. 30 secs later...exactly the same... cut back across this time gfor a corner. same old, same old. frustrating.

Stu's touch just a bit heavy runnign onto that in the middle... Hull sort of on the break. We have improved in that respsect. We now have as many back as they have forward, which is an improvement of 1 person running back to cover every attacker. But Hull's direct running into space looks for likely than our hitting form outside the box against a set defence. That's somethign that hasn;t changed, sadly.

Stu trying to take on 3 there... he should know better... always have that moment when there's a chance of a break agianst us... but I'm sure Russ has it sorted >gulp<

"Southampton look to try and break..." sideways pass...backwards pass... go us!

Very much on the back foot here.

Jail

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