First 15mins of matches

[bahay18]

IN the first 15 of the last 3 matches ,QPR should have buried us , derby should have scored and swansea should have buried us. Why does parker persist with this keep ball in front of our penalty area early in the match?

I remember an article from Tony Gale saying that as defender the last thing he wanted in the opening exchanges was to be put under pressure or turned round facing his own goal . So why is the tactic to let probably our 4 least accomplished ball players try and keep the ball while being hunted down by 3 or 4 eager attackers and put ourselves under a pressure that even a very accomplished defender like Gale wouldn't have wanted . Why don't we let their defenders deal with our attackers early and get the ball forward quickly in the opening exchanges and give Ream and Co. a break ?

Fantastic effort from the guys on friday but that early tactic is an accident waiting to happen.

[fcfulham55]

Great point, I've wondered too if it's worth using our keep ball approach after the half hour mark or so.   As from there on, teams will not be so intensely hunting us down.

Then the later stages of the second half, the mental + physical drain to defend against our passing game should give us an advantage over most teams?

[filham]

Not so long ago we were failing toward the end of matches now the pressure is in the first fifteen minutes.
Agree Parker need to change something.

[Statto]

In those opening exchanges we probably have something like 80% of the possession and, where we don't concede, it completely takes the sting out of the opposition.

Yes, it feels like an "accident waiting to happen" at times but the alternative is what, letting them have 60% of possession and just come at us with the ball? Sorry but I'm sure we'd be at least, of not more, likely to concede in that situation.

[Matt10]

In those opening exchanges we probably have something like 80% of the possession and, where we don't concede, it completely takes the sting out of the opposition.

Yes, it feels like an "accident waiting to happen" at times but the alternative is what, letting them have 60% of possession and just come at us with the ball? Sorry but I'm sure we'd be at least, of not more, likely to concede in that situation.

Exactly where I'm at.

If you watch the first 15 minutes of the Swansea match, the chances we concede have nothing to do with playing around the back. If anything, and may he not smite me with fire, Mitro loses the ball twice in advanced positions to set up Swansea's counter-attack.

I feel, again, that we're stuck in the QPR opening 25 minutes. When will we let that go? It was uncharacteristic of us, and we deserved to concede. We made schoolboy errors and were completely out of sync. Parker adjusted, and we moved on - so...let's move on.

I will also say that Johansen's composure in linking with our defenders has been sublime. If Johansen is covered, Cairney manages a way as well.

[WindyCity]

IN the first 15 of the last 3 matches ,QPR should have buried us , derby should have scored and swansea should have buried us. Why does parker persist with this keep ball in front of our penalty area early in the match?
Fantastic effort from the guys on friday but that early tactic is an accident waiting to happen.

True that, and we have already conceded some early goals this season.  Good point.  Team strategy early needs adjustment.  Could have been buried in those games you mentioned, fortunate to have escaped.  Rodak has been outstanding. 

[SP]

Perhaps start taking the ball to the corner flags at the beginning of matches rather than at the end?

:wine: