Some of the OTT reaction to last night

[Derek Hardballs]

The next two seasons are pivotal, but as I've said elsewhere, the magnificent work done to turn around the shambles and malaise from 12 months ago is often ignored when we'd be nowhere near this without it.

The three at the back didn't help defensively but we scored freely. Since we switched to a four we've been as good as most in a league where there are loads of goals and the actual stats are that we have four clean sheets in our last nine league games. If we continue that to the end of the season that's decent in this league.

I agree on Jones because he promotes taking risks, but it allows us to switch play better than in previous years and get the ball into wide areas high up the pitch. This has led to a number of goals.

Sadly and this has been my argument preseason and all the way through although what DM has done is commendable but it’s a job with a time bomb attached so sentiment / understanding isn’t that useful to diffuse things. For all the nice things fans said at the beginning of his tenure the knee jerk, angry booing type will forget all that if results fall away. 

Personally I think teams should get the defence right first then build from there. At the moment I think we are much better than we were but it’s so frustrating that with the qualities (no nonsense, quality defenders for this level) that our central defence have that we don’t play to their strengths. It has got better but we are never too far from over playing and putting ourselves under pressure particularly at home. Any sensible coach knows that if they sit back when out of possession and allow two or three to press us high we struggle to break them down and then we give it away.

I think we are doing above average given the circumstances but rarely does a manager have a perfect platform to succeed and DM won’t have anymore patience than any other manager.

[Malcolm Tucker]

But, the complaint shouldn't be about playing out from the back. It should be about ALWAYS playing out from the back. When Dawson got closed down last night he should have simply put his foot through the ball. Job done. The tactic actually does regularly help us play through sides but when it goes wrong, it goes badly wrong.  By being so stubborn at this we put ourselves on the back foot and invite pressure and the rest of the team are turned facing the ball unable to make a run.  I wish we would just mix it up a bit and not be so predictable.

Agree with that. 

If sides know you’ll punt one over the top to a pacey forward every now and again, they’ll give you a bit more space to play in too.

[tiptontown]

But, the complaint shouldn't be about playing out from the back. It should be about ALWAYS playing out from the back. When Dawson got closed down last night he should have simply put his foot through the ball. Job done. The tactic actually does regularly help us play through sides but when it goes wrong, it goes badly wrong.  By being so stubborn at this we put ourselves on the back foot and invite pressure and the rest of the team are turned facing the ball unable to make a run.  I wish we would just mix it up a bit and not be so predictable.

Agree with that. 

If sides know you’ll punt one over the top to a pacey forward every now and again, they’ll give you a bit more space to play in too.

I think Karanka nailed it when he said that it's not so much about playing out from the back, but the players making poor decisions at times. Yes there is an emphasis of playing a bit of passing football, but the players need to think for themselves sometimes. Don't pass to a team mate when he has two opposing players on him. 

[HeathAyIt]

Correct

[Squid]

But, the complaint shouldn't be about playing out from the back. It should be about ALWAYS playing out from the back. When Dawson got closed down last night he should have simply put his foot through the ball. Job done. The tactic actually does regularly help us play through sides but when it goes wrong, it goes badly wrong.  By being so stubborn at this we put ourselves on the back foot and invite pressure and the rest of the team are turned facing the ball unable to make a run.  I wish we would just mix it up a bit and not be so predictable.

Agree with that. 

If sides know you’ll punt one over the top to a pacey forward every now and again, they’ll give you a bit more space to play in too.

I think Karanka nailed it when he said that it's not so much about playing out from the back, but the players making poor decisions at times. Yes there is an emphasis of playing a bit of passing football, but the players need to think for themselves sometimes. Don't pass to a team mate when he has two opposing players on him. 

This is spot on.

It also adds to the anger as to how our board could have chosen Pardarse over Karanka, just because "fweends".

[Derek Hardballs]

They make bad decisions when passing / pissing about with it because they aren’t comfortable / able to do it that well when under pressure. So yes it is the tactic that is the problem as you play to players strengths not weaknesses.

[coxy134]

What puzzled me on Tuesday which led to the goal was why the ball was played out from SJ to Tosh, who then passed the ball back across the box to Dawson who then because he was sat so far back gave the ball away?

Tosh could have simply passed the ball left to Gibbs (though he was quite a way up the pitch).
This happened a number of times it was as if they simply didn't want to give Gibbs the ball.

Other observations from Tuesday:

We looked very one sided on the right with Murphy and Holgate who didnt link up well at all.
Gibbs looked isolated with no one playing in front of him, so why not swop Murphy to the left? He used to cut inside from the left at Newcastle.

[Derek Hardballs]

What puzzled me on Tuesday which led to the goal was why the ball was played out from SJ to Tosh, who then passed the ball back across the box to Dawson who then because he was sat so far back gave the ball away?

Tosh could have simply passed the ball left to Gibbs (though he was quite a way up the pitch).
This happened a number of times it was as if they simply didn't want to give Gibbs the ball.

Other observations from Tuesday:

We looked very one sided on the right with Murphy and Holgate who didnt link up well at all.
Gibbs looked isolated with no one playing in front of him, so why not swop Murphy to the left? He used to cut inside from the left at Newcastle.

He did swap I. The second half.

[HeathAyIt]

Bump.

Calm down pantwetters. The juggernaut has found it's gear.

[Sliced]

Good thread