Cisse

[kingy10]

As much as he doesn't try and I believe is a poison influence in the dressing room, I have to say he is one of the most deadly finishers we have ever had.

The problem is he isn't putting in the effort, making the runs and getting in the right positions.

I think if Harry can get Cisse's head back in the right frame of mind then he could be the man to keep us up.

His finish against WBA was quality and there's not another player in our side would have scored that chance and made it look as easy as he did.

[zeberdee]

Think it is not his mentality just that lone striker is not his game - needs a target man to partner and better service from midfield which is not in the currently available squad. Maybe Nelsen fancies a game up top to partner him

[Del]

As much as he doesn't try and I believe is a poison influence in the dressing room, I have to say he is one of the most deadly finishers we have ever had.

The problem is he isn't putting in the effort, making the runs and getting in the right positions.

I think if Harry can get Cisse's head back in the right frame of mind then he could be the man to keep us up.

His finish against WBA was quality and there's not another player in our side would have scored that chance and made it look as easy as he did.

People need to get this myth out of their head that he doesn't make runs.... of course he makes runs. The problem is the likes of Taarabt and Mackie dont pass the bloody ball when he makes the runs. IF they do it's way too late and he's sometimes trhen caught offside, which people also slate him for, or the defence is back and we've lost the chance to use his pace to get in behind the defence.

[MattyRangers]

People need to get this myth out of their head that he doesn't make runs.... of course he makes runs. The problem is the likes of Taarabt and Mackie dont pass the bloody ball when he makes the runs. IF they do it's way too late and he's sometimes trhen caught offside, which people also slate him for, or the defence is back and we've lost the chance to use his pace to get in behind the defence.

Well said.

[qblockoompah]

Have to say I agree with Del, Cisse has no support from the midfield , Taarabt seems to prefer another drag back or to cut inside to playing a nice through ball in behind the defence for Cisse to latch onto

[Martinmalta]

I've said this since the begining of the season. Our built-up is to slow. We keep passing the ball around for ages without putting in that killer pass to someone like Cisse. It shows also how unsecure our players are. Looks like no one wants to loose the ball by a bad pass, but that adds to lack of confidence. When we attack, we have to be cynical and look for someone like Cisse, who turn a pass in a goal in a flash. But try playing the ball around without knowing what to do next and you get nothing out from Cisse.

[qblockoompah]

Good post Martin, our counter attacking is shambolic, we seem to take an age to turn defence into attack. Also doesn't help when we are lumping the ball up to SWP, I'm taller than him FFS and I'm a right short ####

[zeberdee]

I've said this since the begining of the season. Our built-up is to slow. We keep passing the ball around for ages without putting in that killer pass to someone like Cisse. It shows also how unsecure our players are. Looks like no one wants to loose the ball by a bad pass, but that adds to lack of confidence. When we attack, we have to be cynical and look for someone like Cisse, who turn a pass in a goal in a flash. But try playing the ball around without knowing what to do next and you get nothing out from Cisse.

Yes way too slow. The passes make the stats look better but too many are are aimless. So the rare chances often get snatched at rather than worked. Midfield is not nearly as strong as it should be with all the hundreds of players there.

[Del]

When teams have a stirker with lethal pace, they need to feed them early and as quick as possible to allow them to get ahead of and race away from the trailing defence. Utd do this when they play Hernandez, with the likes of Anderson looking for him ASAP, ala when they played us, or Chelsea in the cup...win the ball, look up, slot the pass. Look at Lierpool when they had Owen or Torres in his prime... Gerrard on the ball look up, play into the space.

All teams with pacy strikers should play to their strengths or the nullify the asset as we are currently with Cisse and Chelsea have done with Torres for 2 years... playing the ball too much across the field in midfield and allowing defending teams to drop deep and take shape. Pointless.

For all his talent, Taarabt is the biggest problem here. He thinks he's bigger then the team and doesn;t seem to care if he messes up. If Cisse or someone moans he seems to shrug his shoulders. For all his bad points, one good thing about Barton was he would also berate Taarabt or anyone in such a situation and if more people do it, he may listen. This seaosn half the players seem to accept it too easilly and just think he's lost the ball again... what a surprise, and get on with it.

[zeberdee]

TBH at present the options are very limited. Even Barton+Zamora who played last time would double the teams performance. It will be addressed in January I am sure but still two games to go before any help can be got from there. For Sunday might be that just playing it long, not high but long into the channels, for Mackie/SWP/Cisse to run on to would be a more productive approach than dawdling about midfield and defence waiting for someone to pass to the opposition. Not a long term plan but for the next two tough games I would fancy that to produce more goal chances than the alternatives. Like what was done to Villa for a whole in the first half.

[West Acton]

Interesting that the goal on Wednesday came from Mbia running at their centre with the ball which committed their centre backs and offered the opportunity to slip Cisse in. If we can start getting the midfield to attack and run at the oppsition defence and engage them we will create bags more chances for Cisse

We need to run at the back four more and thats why l would play Samba as he is good at carrying the ball and is quick over the ground

[BUSHRANGER1982]

Agree with those posters pointing out our woeful counter-attacking.
Have to be one of the slowest teams on the break, us.

[qblockoompah]

Interesting that the goal on Wednesday came from Mbia running at their centre with the ball which committed their centre backs and offered the opportunity to slip Cisse in. If we can start getting the midfield to attack and run at the oppsition defence and engage them we will create bags more chances for Cisse

We need to run at the back four more and thats why l would play Samba as he is good at carrying the ball and is quick over the ground

Totally agree Diakite is very good at this

[Shania]

Yes way too slow. The passes make the stats look better but too many are are aimless. So the rare chances often get snatched at rather than worked. Midfield is not nearly as strong as it should be with all the hundreds of players there.

Which is a shame. When we played our preperation games we looked like Barcelona, but when reality kicked in during May, the Premiership matches showed us that our midfield was nothing but a bleak version of Swansea´s. Have to say that all the injuries ruined it for us aswell.

[silvercue]

Most talented striker we have. As for "not trying" - people wheel this phrase our every time a footballer has a dip in form, I don't buy it.

Guy even gets slated when he scores with a beautiful finish. That's what he is on the pitch for, not chasing down defenders.