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Our Passing Game - What's The Problem?


David
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I've noticed over the past few games (especially the Killie game and todays match with Hearts) that the fans seem to be getting on the players cases for passing the ball in any direction that isn't forward.

 

What's the problem? We're 1-0 up, have the ball just inside our own half and the fans are giving the players grief for passing the ball from one end of the park to the other.

 

Would you rather we just leathered it forward, hoping that it goes to one of our players? More often than not it ends up in the possession of the opposition which puts us under pressure.

 

I can understand this tactic not being viewed favourably if we're 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go, but when we're winning the game surely it makes more sense to keep the ball from our opponents, and look for an actual pass forward rather than just fuck it forward and hope it breaks for us?

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I have no problem with it at all and would much rather we hold onto the ball rather than pump it up the park every time. Some fans were going mental today with the way we were passing the ball around, looking for an opening. I'd imagine the same fans would be raging if somebody just took a long range shot or lobbed the ball in only for it to get picked up by Hearts.

 

If you look at the best team in the world, Barcelona, that's exactly how they play. Keep a hold of the ball, look for an opening, move it backwards or sideways if necessary. While I'm in no way suggesting we're even near the same class as Barca, it's good to see we're taking a similar approach. It may be controversial, but Jim Gannon tried to do the same thing. The difference so far is that McCall seems to realise that there are times where you need to get rid of the ball or go route one and he allows the players to make the call.

 

I'd much rather see us hold onto the ball and dictate the game than give it away constantly and have our backs against the wall for 90 minutes. Okay, it may not get the blood pumping as much, but it's certainly better for the blood pressure!

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I've noticed over the past few games (especially the Killie game and todays match with Hearts) that the fans seem to be getting on the players cases for passing the ball in any direction that isn't forward.

 

What's the problem? We're 1-0 up, have the ball just inside our own half and the fans are giving the players grief for passing the ball from one end of the park to the other.

 

Would you rather we just leathered it forward, hoping that it goes to one of our players? More often than not it ends up in the possession of the opposition which puts us under pressure.

 

I can understand this tactic not being viewed favourably if we're 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go, but when we're winning the game surely it makes more sense to keep the ball from our opponents, and look for an actual pass forward rather than just fuck it forward and hope it breaks for us?

 

Well said, completely agree with that.

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I think we have to remember that we are a team with limited ability and there are times we need to take the safe option rather than passing our way out. However on the most part we got the balance right today but I felt that in the last ten minutes we got the decisions wrong and played ourselves into bother. Lasley's poor pass that led to him making the tackle that got him sent off being the prime example. However I would say until the last ten minutes 9 times out of ten we at least tried the right ball. The spell of the game for fifteen minutes when we were 1-0 up we played the game bang on. Keep the ball and when the opening came try and score the killer second. Apart from the failure to score a 2nd goal through our spell of domination we were good but we just seemed to run out of steam.

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Got to agree with most of above.

 

 

 

We are 1-0 up and they are down to 10 men so we keep possession and make them run about and wait for a decent opening.

 

 

But hey no there were a couple of punters behind me in the East Stand who kept shouting "Get the ba in the box" whenever Law , Hammell, Jennings or Hateley were playing the ball around .

 

 

 

My only worry is that we do the passing thing too deep with Saunders and Craigen always giving me the jitters.

 

If we are 1-0 up then play possession football but do it further up the park. We had a spell just after the goal when we did just that and we really looked the part.

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I hope that "punt the baw up the park" mentality dies a painful death.

 

It sums the last 20 years of football in this country up to a tee.

 

The kids coming through the ranks now need to learn how to pass a ball correctly. If they can see the teams they support starting to play this kind of football then it will benefit us, as motherwell and as scotland, in the long term.

 

Scotland, as a nation, has found itself behind joke nations such as Gabon and Iran because our players are pish poor. Needs to stop.

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The one such example that got to me was Lasley's decision to pass the ball back from just inside the 'Well half. It clearly spurred Hearts on to raise their game and the period of play that included Lasley's late challenge that got his second yellow.

 

That was just a plain bit of bad decision making. Lasley turned on the ball and went back inside and if anything tried a more forward pass than was needed or maybe just tried to switch it I can't mind exact direction of pass but it wasn't backwards I don't think. He had spurned a simpler option of knocking the ball out to Hately which brought about that spell of play.

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That was just a plain bit of bad decision making. Lasley turned on the ball and went back inside and if anything tried a more forward pass than was needed or maybe just tried to switch it I can't mind exact direction of pass but it wasn't backwards I don't think. He had spurned a simpler option of knocking the ball out to Hately which brought about that spell of play.

 

Right enough. It is, however, wee things like that which keep him (thankfully) a Motherwell player.

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never heard any negativity at the way we played today, I'd have beeling if I was a Hears fan though - they were fucking garbage, and seemed intent on giving Kello as many touches as possible.

 

i think it's down to where you sit. good vibes in our section, nae point slagging your own players when there are wanks like grainger and templeton about.

 

if anything las should have passed the ball back to randolph rather than trying to chip it out left, as tweed said he had a hand in his own downfall.

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As I've said before we have fans who will criticise no matter what, if the ball's passed about they'll shout "get the ball up the up the park," then if they do that and lose possession they'll shout "what wis the pointof that, keep the ball." It happens but as long as we keep trying to play fitba' the right way and get rewards like today I reckon most will be happy. If we lose some many will change their mind about the way we play and demand a plan B.

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I don't think Hearts had the ball for about 15 minutes after we scored!

 

My only concern/criticism would be that there seemed to be no desire to get the second goal and kill the game off. We needed to be more clinical in the final 3rd. We were so on top but only 1 goal up. It would've been crimminal if Hearts got anything out the game despite it being so one sided and yet we were still stressing at the death!!

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I've noticed over the past few games (especially the Killie game and todays match with Hearts) that the fans seem to be getting on the players cases for passing the ball in any direction that isn't forward.

 

What's the problem? We're 1-0 up, have the ball just inside our own half and the fans are giving the players grief for passing the ball from one end of the park to the other.

 

Would you rather we just leathered it forward, hoping that it goes to one of our players? More often than not it ends up in the possession of the opposition which puts us under pressure.

 

I can understand this tactic not being viewed favourably if we're 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go, but when we're winning the game surely it makes more sense to keep the ball from our opponents, and look for an actual pass forward rather than just fuck it forward and hope it breaks for us?

Brilliant post.
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Got to agree with most of above.

 

 

 

We are 1-0 up and they are down to 10 men so we keep possession and make them run about and wait for a decent opening.

 

 

But hey no there were a couple of punters behind me in the East Stand who kept shouting "Get the ba in the box" whenever Law , Hammell, Jennings or Hateley were playing the ball around .

 

 

 

My only worry is that we do the passing thing too deep with Saunders and Craigen always giving me the jitters.

 

If we are 1-0 up then play possession football but do it further up the park. We had a spell just after the goal when we did just that and we really looked the part.

 

 

Thats a good point you have Real Doseer, the passing game looks good on the eye, but when the right players use it, not the likes of Craggs and Saunders, defending is there forte, not expansive passing. Stick to the basics boys!

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it was a dangerous game to play at 1-0 up. we should've went for a 2nd goal.

I don't understand why it was a dangerous game to play. Isn't just lumping it forward for their central defenders to outnumber Higdon and take control of the ball more dangerous?

 

As someone said previously, if they don't have the ball they can't score a goal. Besides, it's hardly as if we were passing it around at the corner flag in our own half, we were passing it around in the midfield looking for an opening to try and get that second goal you're talking about.

 

I'm simply saying that I wish some of our fans would show more perseverance with an intelligent, patient build-up, which is what McCall is obviously looking for from his team.

 

We have the players to do that in Lasley & Law, so we should be taking advantage of it.

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Thats a good point you have Real Doseer, the passing game looks good on the eye, but when the right players use it, not the likes of Craggs and Saunders, defending is there forte, not expansive passing. Stick to the basics boys!

 

That strikes me as an odd thing to say.

 

That surely goes against the grain of everything we've produced since the start of the season when Craigan, and indeed the whole of the defence, have set the tone by spraying the ball about between themselves until an opening has presented itself.

 

It's surely impossible not to have them heavily involved if we want to play a patient, passing style of play.

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There were times in the second half when we were playing the exact way football should be played. Think we've got a bit of teeth about us as well which is needed at times, so it seems we have a very good balance of ideas, patience, ability, and toughness.

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Another point worth considering is the kind of football we play (coupled with results, of course) will dictate attendance among a certain section of the PATG fans.

 

If we're playing like Accies and losing more than we win I'm sure we'd see less punters at the matches.

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