The football under McCarthy

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: The football under McCarthy

I would be interested to see if there are any stats regarding players giving away possession. Murphy seems particularly profligate in that department.

In terms of being dispossessed, unsuccessful touches and inaccurate short passes, Murphy's stats are better than most of our attacking players, in that he loses or gives away the ball less often than most of our attackers.

[Rjk]

Re: The football under McCarthy

Xg stats wise I think we've been slightly worse under McCarthy than we were under Harris - but I think that could be down to the fact that we let in sloppy early goals under Harris so often and then had to chase the game - and sides chasing the game often have better stats. We seem to have improved in that area.

I like the switch to 3-4-3 (or variants thereof) More so if we commit to an attacking version of it, playing the ball out from the back and getting the wingbacks into attacking positions.
I like the fact that we are bringing through youth players (in fairness Bagan and Harris were played under the other Harris).

I'm slightly concerned about recruitment - we seemed to be moving towards a good place, buying Ng, Watters and the player from Bournemouth we were linked with under Harris.
Now under McCarthy we've signed Williams (who I don't mind) and linked with a bunch of old warhorses.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: The football under McCarthy

I've grown heartily sick of us playing underdog, cowardly football whereby we let the opposition have the ball and then hope to capitalise on any mistake they make.

I thought the McCarthy philosophy was perfectly summed up by the man himself yesterday when he told the press: "We set up to frustrate them."

It's an early-season home game in the Championship, not an FA Cup tie against top-class Premier League opposition, but already McCarthy is setting up his side to frustrate the opposition as opposed to having a go at them. It's not football, it's anti-football. Little old Cardiff hoping to keep big, bad Bournemouth at bay. Ridiculous.

[Tuerto]

Re: The football under McCarthy

I thought the McCarthy philosophy was perfectly summed up by the man himself yesterday when he told the press: "We set up to frustrate them."

It's an early-season home game in the Championship, not an FA Cup tie against top-class Premier League opposition, but already McCarthy is setting up his side to frustrate the opposition as opposed to having a go at them. It's not football, it's anti-football. Little old Cardiff hoping to keep big, bad Bournemouth at bay. Ridiculous.

The excuse seems that people say that we haven't got the players who have the ability to play in any other way. Mick is just utilising the tools that he has at his disposal. Like it would be any different if this was a complete McCarthy squad. The point is that the club has decided to go down the route of direct and physical, to play in hope rather than control, to react rather than implement a style that can break sides down with intelligence, Movement, vision and an element of risk taking. Nobody on hear is asking for free flowing football, not even close to that. I think what most fans want is some creativity and intelligence on the ball and off it, or maybe they don't, who knows.

[surge]

Re: The football under McCarthy

Mick's style of football is a better fit for the position Warnock left us in than what Harris was trying to force through, before then giving up on it when in danger of being sacked very early into last season.

Each of Warnock, Harris and Mick have had spells where balance between physicality and skill has been good but these spells have been brief and much more time spent on head tennis. We're not going to end up being a pretty side but have opportunity (and I think the desire) to flip that ratio.

It is positive that the first CM we've signed since Vaulks and Pack has been heavily involved in a side beating Fulham and Warnock's Boro this past month. CM and CB is really the engine room that dictates style of play and players (both incoming and outgoing) give us clues about where we're going.

Harris was vocal about wanting to win in a better style when he came in and Mick was vocal about still heading in that direction but easing up on how far we'd go in trade off for greater number of Championship wins. Isn't that what we're seeing play out so far?

[blue lewj]

Re: The football under McCarthy

Football style wise we have had three managers that have served up some absolute bore fests over the years.

Our last three managers are not too concerned about having the ball more than opposition or playing any entertaining football when we have it.

Our only hope now is that the brains trust at City strike it lucky with their next appointment because they don't seem to put much thought into their managerial appointments.

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

Re: The football under McCarthy

I would agree that the style isn't important for most as long as the team's winning, but how much of that we'll do this season I'm not sure.
Teams seem to have worked it out. Stop the crosses coming in (we're not great at crossing anyway) and move the ball quickly and you'll beat us.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: The football under McCarthy

Teams seem to have worked it out.

You might be right, but I also think a number of players are out of form at the moment. When that happens, the football goes from mostly dire to utterly abysmal.

[billy.ronson]

Re: The football under McCarthy

8th game of the season and we are setting up at home to try and grind out a draw or if lucky score from a set piece!! It was hard enough to watch it in Premier but we are in the Championship now !!

[Cleve van Leef]

Re: The football under McCarthy

I thought the McCarthy philosophy was perfectly summed up by the man himself yesterday when he told the press: "We set up to frustrate them."

It's an early-season home game in the Championship, not an FA Cup tie against top-class Premier League opposition, but already McCarthy is setting up his side to frustrate the opposition as opposed to having a go at them. It's not football, it's anti-football. Little old Cardiff hoping to keep big, bad Bournemouth at bay. Ridiculous.

We don’t always see eye to eye, but I believe you have summed things up pretty wel there.

[dembethewarrior]

Re: The football under McCarthy

I would agree that the style isn't important for most as long as the team's winning, but how much of that we'll do this season I'm not sure.
Teams seem to have worked it out. Stop the crosses coming in (we're not great at crossing anyway) and move the ball quickly and you'll beat us.

I can't understand this argument. As long as we win the football we play doesn't matter, it isn't important. Do we really win thay many games and have such success with it then?
Why not enjoy something easier on the eye? We're never gonna be world beaters however we play so why accept shit football just because we win a game every now and again playing it? Wouldn't you rather be entertained on your visits to the club?

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

Re: The football under McCarthy

I can't understand this argument. As long as we win the football we play doesn't matter, it isn't important. Do we really win thay many games and have such success with it then?
Why not enjoy something easier on the eye? We're never gonna be world beaters however we play so why accept shit football just because we win a game every now and again playing it? Wouldn't you rather be entertained on your visits to the club?

That's exactly my point. I don't think we are going to win a lot playing shit football because opponents know how to counter it.
So, fans who accept our dire style when we have some success with it will no longer accept it.
We need to do something different - hopefully something more attractive.

[NYCBlue]

Re: The football under McCarthy

I thought the McCarthy philosophy was perfectly summed up by the man himself yesterday when he told the press: "We set up to frustrate them."

It's an early-season home game in the Championship, not an FA Cup tie against top-class Premier League opposition, but already McCarthy is setting up his side to frustrate the opposition as opposed to having a go at them. It's not football, it's anti-football. Little old Cardiff hoping to keep big, bad Bournemouth at bay. Ridiculous.

Sounds like Warnock when we were in the EPL. As you say, ridiculous. And embarrassing.

[az city]

Re: The football under McCarthy

Sounds like Warnock when we were in the EPL. As you say, ridiculous. And embarrassing.

Yep. Have to agree with this 100%.

Mick - we wanted to be entertained and enjoy going, not bored to death watching journeymen try to frustrate the opposition.

I thought Guardiola saying he felt ashamed Man City didn't put on a show puts McCarthy's attitude in stark relief. (Note I am comparing their attitudes not their managerial abilities, beliefs, resources etc.)

[Trigger]

Re: The football under McCarthy

Undoubtedly a better team than us but we set out to frustrate Bournemouth at home this is supposed to be the championship where all can be beaten.

You could see that from the team and shape and the fact we had next to nothing going forward until the last 10 where for some reason Bournemouth started to panic when really there was no need.