Were we just a big team who played long ball?

[theowlsman]

We're two points off the top of the table with only Huddersfield looking like serious rivals.

Bothered!

[Guest jimbob]

To be fair thats exactly what you are, long ball percentage football, big guys in the box, but hey it took cambridge took the upper levels of division one in the 90s.

Its embarrassing to try to defend the tactics though.

I accept that at times we play it long (even hoof it), and we exploit our strengths in the final third from set plays and long throws BUT that's not the limit of our tactics which is what encourages me. To be honest we did use it more on Sunday, but we were the away team and I had no issue with it. We still were using good wing play, clever passes through the middle and we certainly did not miss out midfield. Semedo had plenty of the ball, Lines had loads, Marshall was key, JJ....well, it's nice to see him back!

The point is, we are now adaptable, if we need to play rough and ready and dominate physically, we can, if we need to play around or through, we can. And it's only going to get better with confidence. But, my bitter blade, let's do away with the easy label of Hoofball, because we are not.

[brian joicey]

can't believe anyone can say this poo poo... we played good football yesterday. i thought we outpassed and outmanouvered yoonited yesterday. it was they who resorted to hoofball just to try and get out of their half,we had total domination of central midfield .

[Prendo's boots]

....I think im right in saying we all knew what GM's blueprint for the club at this time would be ... very similar to that of sides like Stoke playing today which in turn was the old Wilko way of yesteryear ....break quickly with power and pace!!...not just filling the side with 'big lads' either or humping it up at every oppertunity...youve got to have 'foot on the ball' guys in the middle to see the passes and play accordingly and also theyve got to be tough enough to get a decent challenge in....we've certainly got that now with Semedo and Prutton who I expect to be back in there Saturday and decent options out wide... Personally ive had enough of the attempts in the last maybe 5-6 seasons to be a pure footballing team, we were never going to be able to get the right calibre of player in to do that....now however we can mix it up and have actually grown a pair of 'testicles' too .... look forward to some fine tweaking next season in the Championship to develop it even further....

[Beholder]

I don't give a **** what any fan of any other club thinks.

I know how we play and I know we don't play hoofball.

We mix it up and use the most effective means in any given moment. I that means pass it short, so be it. If it means get it in the box, so be it.

We can mix it up and we are not idealogically stuck on one way of playing. Well done Megson.

Edited October 17, 2011 by Beholder

[townend_owl]

We're direct, not hoof ball merchants. Direct is very often confused with long ball (or an easy excuse for pigs to call it that). We might take less passes to get it into the attacking third, but we don't just lump it up top in every attack. We exploit the wings and we get the ball down as well, we just don't faff around passing it round defence.

[gurujuan]

I'm happy with the way the managers got us playing, and not just because we are winning. Certainly I'm not one of those who'd tolerate us playing hoofball even if we were winning every week. I can't deny it was a concern of mine before the manager was appointed and after his first few games, but I needn't have worried. Now he has his own players here, he has turned us into an effective unit, more than capable of playing good football when the time is right We are still the unfinished article, we need another experienced playmaker to control the tempo of the game, but after January we should be a major force.