by Donkey Toon » Sun Oct 07, 2018 3:44 pm
Sir Bobby wrote: ↑Sun Oct 07, 2018 3:33 pm
Donkey Toon wrote: ↑Sun Oct 07, 2018 3:21 pm
The whole "set up to play uber-defensively to protect the goal difference strategy" really gets me down. Not only is it logically flawed it is also obviously not working. We've already used it five times this season and lost every game by one goal. On the other hand had we picked up one point from playing more offensively we'd be better off, even if we got stuffed in the other four games. 3pts and -27gd is better than 2pts and -7gd ... this is not even open to debate. And the even more annoying thing is, both last season and this, when the team has played more offensively we have played better and achieved better results. Rafa's stubborn insistence on continuing with this failing strategy is non-sensical and almost certainly going to see us relegated.
Added to which i've also never been so bored watching nufc play. Even during the dark years from the mid-70's until the first Keegan era it was more enjoyable. I've started thinking of Rafa as the leading proponent of anti-football, he should be banned by the Geneva Convention.
You’re assuming that we’d have more points if we played attacking, rather than the same points AND a worse goal difference. I’m not arguing the case either way, just pointing out that goal difference can make a genuine difference
We only have to pick up one point all season from playing more offensively to make goal difference irrelevant, if as Colly has pointed out, playing to minimilise goal deficit is the alternative strategy.
I'd also point out that in our five games against top 6 sides where we used the uber-defensive strategy we conceded at least two goals in every game, so it quite obviously does not work from a defensive point of view anyway. It fails on every level in a game where scoring more goals than the opposition and thereby picking up points should be the objective.
It also goes against the philosophy of professional sport as a form of entertainment. Call me strange if you want, but i'd rather watch us lose 4-3 in a thrilling game than fight out a 0-0 draw where we have spent the whole game defending and hoping to snatch a goal on the break or from a set-piece. I have better things to do with my life than watch that s***.
[quote="Sir Bobby" post_id=849173 time=1538926391 user_id=170]
[quote="Donkey Toon" post_id=849171 time=1538925712 user_id=69]
The whole "set up to play uber-defensively to protect the goal difference strategy" really gets me down. Not only is it logically flawed it is also obviously not working. We've already used it five times this season and lost every game by one goal. On the other hand had we picked up one point from playing more offensively we'd be better off, even if we got stuffed in the other four games. 3pts and -27gd is better than 2pts and -7gd ... this is not even open to debate. And the even more annoying thing is, both last season and this, when the team has played more offensively we have played better and achieved better results. Rafa's stubborn insistence on continuing with this failing strategy is non-sensical and almost certainly going to see us relegated.
Added to which i've also never been so bored watching nufc play. Even during the dark years from the mid-70's until the first Keegan era it was more enjoyable. I've started thinking of Rafa as the leading proponent of anti-football, he should be banned by the Geneva Convention.
[/quote]
You’re assuming that we’d have more points if we played attacking, rather than the same points AND a worse goal difference. I’m not arguing the case either way, just pointing out that goal difference can make a genuine difference
[/quote]
We only have to pick up one point all season from playing more offensively to make goal difference irrelevant, if as Colly has pointed out, playing to minimilise goal deficit is the alternative strategy.
I'd also point out that in our five games against top 6 sides where we used the uber-defensive strategy we conceded at least two goals in every game, so it quite obviously does not work from a defensive point of view anyway. It fails on every level in a game where scoring more goals than the opposition and thereby picking up points should be the objective.
It also goes against the philosophy of professional sport as a form of entertainment. Call me strange if you want, but i'd rather watch us lose 4-3 in a thrilling game than fight out a 0-0 draw where we have spent the whole game defending and hoping to snatch a goal on the break or from a set-piece. I have better things to do with my life than watch that s***.
