Attacking problems threatening to damage Bluebirds campaign

Following on from this before the last international break (http://viewfromthestands9.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/the-season-so-far-a-tactical-and-statistical-analysis/), I've instead kept the next piece shorter and simply looked at how our attacking play is letting us down.

Someone mentioned how we've scored the same amount of goals as Spurs - the difference is we're struggling to create chances from open play.

Could Cornelius be the answer?

http://viewfromthestands9.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/attacking-problems-threatening-to-damage-bluebirds-campaign/

well done gloves. the first thing that struck me after reading that article is the need to pick up points from the teams around us and that is what we are not generally doing. therefore our predicament is i think worse than indicated by the league table

I'm not going around deliberately targetin you Dave, but again, I disagree.

A good tally against a team less than or equal to yourself is 4 points - A home win and an away draw. 6 is excellent but 4 is more than enough when you compare that they only get 1 point from a possible 6.

So far, from the teams that are 'around' us, in taking that as bottom quarter of the table, we have earned one away point from Hull, one away point from Norwich and all three at Fulham away. Perfectly on track, if not ahead,as long as we win at home.

when we played villa and newcastle they were both teams that were below us in the table and they are two teams that have consistently hovered around the lower half of the table

davewebber65 wrote:when we played villa and newcastle they were both teams that were below us in the table and they are two teams that have consistently hovered around the lower half of the table

They are both very solid midtable sides, is a very unforgiving man that would ask a premier league debutee to take 4 points from those two.

i am not saying that we should take four points from them, but i do suggest that a draw would come in handy

“Lacking ambition” or “devoid of attacking intent” are becoming stock phrases when watching City this season. I can accept and admire the backs to the wall defensive efforts against the likes of Man City or Spurs, but against lesser lights such as Villa (who were missing a few key players and hadn’t scored for several games) a more positive approach would be appreciated.

The starting XI increasingly has the look of a team looking to avoid defeat and grind out a draw. Only Bellamy and Odemwingie could be described as attack-minded players last Saturday. So that’s 2 out of 10 outfield players whose main focus is to score or create a goal, whereas I reckon at least 4 of 10 is more typical.

The lack of creativity is a major concern and there was no point bringing on the likes of Maynard and Campbell in an effort to grab a goal if there is no-one to provide the crosses/through-balls they need.

An awful lot is riding on Cornelius being the answer to our prayers.

G-ster wrote:“Lacking ambition” or “devoid of attacking intent” are becoming stock phrases when watching City this season. I can accept and admire the backs to the wall defensive efforts against the likes of Man City or Spurs, but against lesser lights such as Villa (who were missing a few key players and hadn’t scored for several games) a more positive approach would be appreciated.

The starting XI increasingly has the look of a team looking to avoid defeat and grind out a draw. Only Bellamy and Odemwingie could be described as attack-minded players last Saturday. So that’s 2 out of 10 outfield players whose main focus is to score or create a goal, whereas I reckon at least 4 of 10 is more typical.

The lack of creativity is a major concern and there was no point bringing on the likes of Maynard and Campbell in an effort to grab a goal if there is no-one to provide the crosses/through-balls they need.

An awful lot is riding on Cornelius being the answer to our prayers.

 

Very nicely summed up.................... 

G-ster wrote:“Lacking ambition” or “devoid of attacking intent” are becoming stock phrases when watching City this season. I can accept and admire the backs to the wall defensive efforts against the likes of Man City or Spurs, but against lesser lights such as Villa (who were missing a few key players and hadn’t scored for several games) a more positive approach would be appreciated.

The starting XI increasingly has the look of a team looking to avoid defeat and grind out a draw. Only Bellamy and Odemwingie could be described as attack-minded players last Saturday. So that’s 2 out of 10 outfield players whose main focus is to score or create a goal, whereas I reckon at least 4 of 10 is more typical.

The lack of creativity is a major concern and there was no point bringing on the likes of Maynard and Campbell in an effort to grab a goal if there is no-one to provide the crosses/through-balls they need.

An awful lot is riding on Cornelius being the answer to our prayers.

 

You are absolutely right....Malky needs to have a rethink - though probably have to wait out the next two games probably.

Add me to your praise list G- Ster.

I'll also highlight what I consider the key problem with our attacking play - it's not the strikers, it's a lack of supply. I don't blame Malky as he has worked wonders on our defence - but he needs to spend every penny Tan gives him in January to ensure the attack is corrrected. If he doesn't my defence of him will weaken, and with Tan possibly waiting for a moment to strike I'm the last of his problems.

Spot on Red. With Medel holding in front of the back four there is a definite need for more attack minded people in front of him to supply anyone playing up front.
The old adage, 'the best form of defence is attack', certainly seems worth a try as far as we are concerned. Relying on our defence to repel attacks for 90 mins in the hope that we can break out and force the occasional set piece from which to score, may work occasionally, but we seem to have become too reliant on that tactic. Opposing teams have become wise to that tactic and set out to bombard our defence and nullify any break, which these days seem to come from KTC on the right, with very little through the middle or down the left side. Changing tactics and selecting a more attack minded team now and again would at least serve to keep the opposition guessing. Whoever is selected up front needs a good, constant supply of the ball to show their worth and maybe, just ,maybe, score a few goals from open play. MM seems to wait until we concede before attempting any changes.