No pace

[MOwl]

Once again, another window has come and gone and we've failed to address arguably our biggest downfall in our squad: a distinct lack of pace. 

 

The term 'pace' amongst Owlstalkers has become synonymous with players like Jeremy Helan and Jermaine Johnson - lightning quick but bumbling at best on the ball with no end product. 

 

The reality though is that pace actually is a requisite in modern day football. Huddersfield were quick, powerful and efficient last year. As were Brighton, and most notably so were Newcastle.

 

In fact, pretty much every side promoted to the Premier League over the past few years has had an abundance of pace in the squad to mix things up some might say. 

 

However, our boss Carlos values a classy footballer. His signings (maybe not his, but for this point) all revolve around being good footballers, and not ones blessed with pace. This can make us pretty on the eye at times, but often we can find ourselves one paced, predictable and ironically, boring to watch. Any time we play a counter attacking style, we struggle to attack effectively with large gaps appearing from defence to attack in transitional areas.

 

Many Sheffield Wednesday fans value our boss's strong philosophies, many football purists may argue that Carlos tries to play football the right way. But that isn't always the right way to get promoted from this league. 

 

There was talk as deadline day approached that we were targeting players like Isaac Success and Josh Sims - both pacey, fluid and dynamic wingers who love to take a man on. 

 

And sadly, something we still lack. So, to the Sheffield Wednesday hierarchy - please sign some pace. Somebody who can up and take a man on. It is what we desperately lack, and with Fernando temperamental at best, something we have next to nothing of. 

 

Steps have been taken by some of our current players - Adam Reach has gained some much needed confidence and seems keen to run with the ball, Jack Hunt is always willing to try and take a man on in advanced positions and Marco Matias is a bit of a gazelle when he can run - but we have perhaps two players who possess anything we may call 'pace' - and they are Fernando and Lucas Joao.

 

As time goes on, we become more and more reliant upon the little guy to step up and be our creative force. Many of our fans have taken a rather disconcertingly strong dislike to him, but he remains our best player and only true creative force. The key to negating our lack of pace rests with him, and we need him to be our dynamo this year until this issue is addressed. 

 

As for the other sprinter in the squad, Lucas Joao seems to have disappeared from the squad. Currently relegated to the U23s, Joao was a dynamic force in Carlos' first season and could provide us with something which we so desperately lack. With the window now closed, he has a real chance to provide us with some thrust up front - which would be rather grand. 

 

Obviously now though, time will go on, our squad is decided for the next 4 months and we must make the best of what is a fantastic squad on paper but one that is lacking in certain departments. 

 

One final note to the owners/person who buys players/manager/tea lady etc - please buy somebody who is quick next window or we face a season lacking cutting edge and an over reliance on certain individuals to create something out of nothing. 

[Plonk]

Wrong. The biggest problem with our squad was at centre back. We have addressed this.

 

hopefully the addition of a footballing cb will allow us to play a more attacking game like we did in CC s first season. We also now have a replacement for Lee. I think people underestimate his impact on how we play

[owls about that]

Moan moan moan, yawn yawn yawn

[Rogerwyldesmullet]

I am a clapper, but Carlos is so anti-pace that

 

Helan gave up on football and chose religion. 

McGeady wasn't played and with us crying out for that option at Wembley was sent home early to the Euros

McManaman wasn't played and went back to WBA 

Matias disappeared until a recent cameo when he helped changed the game against Bolton. 

Joao score a few goals, but having been fatally named in a song, disappeared after earning a dodgy penalty against Rotherham 

Hirst .... nuff said

 

The refusal to buy pace or power reminds me of our decline in the 90s when Pleat bought endless midfielders and didn't address the fact that Boy Wonder was long term crocked. 

 

If only we could find another Eric Potts or Terry Curran .... but then again we probably wouldn't play em. 

Edited September 1, 2017 by Rogerwyldesmullet

[Wato1819]

Just now, owls about that said:

Moan moan moan, yawn yawn yawn

Hard not to with the football we've had to sit through for god knows how long...

[Dutch McLovin]

Gotta agree with this post. However you have highlighted that if he uses Forestieri Joao and Matias correctly then we have albeit not lighting but an answer to our problem. However he does seem to prefer the 'footballer' or 'trier' which he needs to change if he wants to succeed and keep his job.

[Bouncing Owl]

If Carlos doesn't like pace, then we need to change our system from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 and play a fluid and passing brand of football. 

[Guest We Shall Overcome]

8 minutes ago, MOwl said:

Once again, another window has come and gone and we've failed to address arguably our biggest downfall in our squad: a distinct lack of pace. 

 

The term 'pace' amongst Owlstalkers has become synonymous with players like Jeremy Helan and Jermaine Johnson - lightning quick but bumbling at best on the ball with no end product. 

 

The reality though is that pace actually is a requisite in modern day football. Huddersfield were quick, powerful and efficient last year. As were Brighton, and most notably so were Newcastle.

 

In fact, pretty much every side promoted to the Premier League over the past few years has had an abundance of pace in the squad to mix things up some might say. 

 

However, our boss Carlos values a classy footballer. His signings (maybe not his, but for this point) all revolve around being good footballers, and not ones blessed with pace. This can make us pretty on the eye at times, but often we can find ourselves one paced, predictable and ironically, boring to watch. Any time we play a counter attacking style, we struggle to attack effectively with large gaps appearing from defence to attack in transitional areas.

 

Many Sheffield Wednesday fans value our boss's strong philosophies, many football purists may argue that Carlos tries to play football the right way. But that isn't always the right way to get promoted from this league. 

 

There was talk as deadline day approached that we were targeting players like Isaac Success and Josh Sims - both pacey, fluid and dynamic wingers who love to take a man on. 

 

And sadly, something we still lack. So, to the Sheffield Wednesday hierarchy - please sign some pace. Somebody who can up and take a man on. It is what we desperately lack, and with Fernando temperamental at best, something we have next to nothing of. 

 

Steps have been taken by some of our current players - Adam Reach has gained some much needed confidence and seems keen to run with the ball, Jack Hunt is always willing to try and take a man on in advanced positions and Marco Matias is a bit of a gazelle when he can run - but we have perhaps two players who possess anything we may call 'pace' - and they are Fernando and Lucas Joao.

 

As time goes on, we become more and more reliant upon the little guy to step up and be our creative force. Many of our fans have taken a rather disconcertingly strong dislike to him, but he remains our best player and only true creative force. The key to negating our lack of pace rests with him, and we need him to be our dynamo this year until this issue is addressed. 

 

As for the other sprinter in the squad, Lucas Joao seems to have disappeared from the squad. Currently relegated to the U23s, Joao was a dynamic force in Carlos' first season and could provide us with something which we so desperately lack. With the window now closed, he has a real chance to provide us with some thrust up front - which would be rather grand. 

 

Obviously now though, time will go on, our squad is decided for the next 4 months and we must make the best of what is a fantastic squad on paper but one that is lacking in certain departments. 

 

One final note to the owners/person who buys players/manager/tea lady etc - please buy somebody who is quick next window or we face a season lacking cutting edge and an over reliance on certain individuals to create something out of nothing. 

You cannot have been watching us over the last 12months to think Carvalhal plays the right way,has for the New Lads their will be dropped, as soon as Carvalhal's favourites are back, nothing will change.

[waynecoyne14]

5 minutes ago, Rogerwyldesmullet said:

I am a clapper, but Carlos is so anti-pace that

 

Helan gave up on football and chose religion. 

McGeady wasn't played and with us crying out for that option at Wembley was sent home early to the Euros

McManaman wasn't played and went back to WBA 

Matias disappeared until a recent cameo when he helped changed the game against Bolton. 

Joao score a few goals, but having been fatally named in a song, disappeared after earning a dodgy penalty against Rotherham 

Hirst .... nuff said

 

The refusal to buy pace or power reminds me of our decline in the 90s when Pleat bought endless midfielders and didn't address the fact that Boy Wonder was long term crocked. 

 

If only we could find another Eric Potts or Terry Curran .... but then again we probably wouldn't play em. 

eric potts wasnt quick 

he used to beat a man then have to beat him again

[Guest We Shall Overcome]

3 minutes ago, Rogerwyldesmullet said:

I am a clapper, but Carlos is so anti-pace that

 

Helan gave up on football and chose religion. 

McGeady wasn't played and with us crying out for that option at Wembley was sent home early to the Euros

McManaman wasn't played and went back to WBA 

Matias disappeared until a recent cameo when he helped changed the game against Bolton. 

Joao score a few goals, but having been fatally named in a song, disappeared after earning a dodgy penalty against Rotherham 

Hirst .... nuff said

 

The refusal to buy pace or power reminds me of our decline in the 90s when Pleat bought endless midfielders and didn't address the fact that Boy Wonder was long term crocked. 

 

If only we could find another Eric Potts or Terry Curran .... but then again we probably wouldn't play em. 

Has a Carvalhal Clapper,you deserve to be frustrated, and watch with envy, other clubs with less resources leave us in their wake!!! 

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

8 minutes ago, Rogerwyldesmullet said:

I am a clapper, but Carlos is so anti-pace that

 

Helan gave up on football and chose religion. 

 

He deserves to be on the next honours list, then.

 

[Buxtongent]

Pace is something that doesn't appear on most of the players' agendas. How often do we find a player making a run, only to receive a pass DIRECTLY to him, for which he must STOP his run. One fault with most of our players is that they play the ball to the player's feet and not to the position he''s running into. This slows our pace tremendously.

[Bing Cosby]

Pace in football isn't just about running quickly in a straight line; otherwise Helan would be would have been a worldbeater.

 

While I agree that our squad is lacking in pacey individuals, this concerns me far less than the pace that has been missing from our game in the last 6 months or so.

 

In Carlos' first season, we pressed high, won the ball and moved it quickly. Other than the aforementioned Helan, who was only really used as an outlet late in games and Sougou, who was barely used at all, we didn't have any more real pace than we do now. But we played at a high tempo, stretched teams on the break and looked like a team with, well, pace.

 

Carlos has assembled a squad which is distinctly lacking in lightning quick individuals. However it doesn't mean we can't be a team which plays at pace. The responsibility to increase the tempo in our game lies squarely with The Head Coach, as far as I can see it's a decision that's been made to make us look like a team of plodders, a decision I feel it is essential that we reverse.

[Rogerwyldesmullet]

7 minutes ago, Buxtongent said:

Pace is something that doesn't appear on most of the players' agendas. How often do we find a player making a run, only to receive a pass DIRECTLY to him, for which he must STOP his run. One fault with most of our players is that they play the ball to the player's feet and not to the position he''s running into. This slows our pace tremendously.

 

This is an excellent point. It could be that if he settles on his wing partnerships they will trust/ know each other's abilities a bit better. Passing football at its best means no one has to beat a man. (Spain 2008-12, Burnley 2015!)

 

[Big Jack]

Blimey a thesis War and Pace.

[Dagmeister]

13 minutes ago, Buxtongent said:

Pace is something that doesn't appear on most of the players' agendas. How often do we find a player making a run, only to receive a pass DIRECTLY to him, for which he must STOP his run. One fault with most of our players is that they play the ball to the player's feet and not to the position he''s running into. This slows our pace tremendously.

As said already; good point.  Our biggest problem IMO comes from the head coach and his staff. The hesitant, almost ponderous, way that we move the ball from player to player allied to your point is what chiefly slows us down. Addressing this approach would IMO have far greater and more consistent positive impact than recruiting a speed merchant or two.

[WalthamOwl]

A lack of pace will cost us in certain games imo. Against some of the better teams in the league that are putting pressure on us in our  half it wouldn't be really valuable to have someone that can break quickly and set up a counter attack. 

[woodys]

42 minutes ago, Rogerwyldesmullet said:

I am a clapper, but Carlos is so anti-pace that

 

Helan gave up on football and chose religion. 

 

 

 beauty 

[modboy]

we broke well with pace against Burton for our goal.

FF is pretty pacey if we use him correctly and Joao/Hirst should be assets

[woodys]

4 minutes ago, modboy said:

we broke well with pace against Burton for our goal.

FF is pretty pacey if we use him correctly and Joao/Hirst should be assets

true we did to be fair and the one that boyd scored that was ruled offside