The Will To Win

[edgy]

Couldn't think of a better title that covers the topic.

Some really disappointing stats to take in:

Total Distance Ran per Match:



Tackles per Match:




I used to say this to the kids I coached. I can except being beaten by better teams with better players, but I won't accept being out fought or an apparent lack of a will to win. I've seen so many 50/50s and second balls lost through just a lack of "wanting it". Jumping over tackles, when they are there to be competed for. They look petrified to make a slide tackle.

 

[Nick]

They look petrified to make a slide tackle.

I think it was Tuna when he came on, made a decent slide tackle and won it.
Gboho battled at one point to get through about 4 players.
Simms then got absolutely flattened by one of their players.

Like you say, literally no aggression. Only Torp seemed arsed and bothered last night.

 

[edgy]

The ability to make life difficult for "better" players goes a hell of a long way to making games competitive. We are seemingly happy to allow teams the freedom of the pitch to stroll around untouched.

Both the Brighton and Villa home games, we have allowed both teams to settle into the game in the first 10-15 minutes without laying a glove on them. The crowd then replicates this and any atmosphere dies. To stand any chance of survival, we have to make playing at the CBS a lot more difficult.

 

[Nick]

The ability to make life difficult for "better" players goes a hell of a long way to making games competitive. We are seemingly happy to allow teams the freedom of the pitch to stroll around untouched.

Both the Brighton and Villa home games, we have allowed both teams to settle into the game in the first 10-15 minutes without laying a glove on them. The crowd then replicates this and any atmosphere dies. To stand any chance of survival, we have to make playing at the CBS a lot more difficult.

There's only Yirenki who really puts it about like that. He came on against Man City and bullied Haaland and ragged him about.

It's almost as if other players are star struck and showing too much respect. It's the same as I said about the Brighton game with nobody getting at refs either. Almost like the players are just happy to be having a day out.

 

[Saddlebrains]

See these kind of numbers and the way weve been so far this season say to me this is on Lampard. And i fucking hate to say it because hes given us the greatest moments of my life the last year

 

[Ccfc_Addy]

There is a general sense that our players are in awe of the opposition, who rightly smell blood in the water and show no mercy. Bizarrely, this didn't seem to be the case against Man City, where we played with uncharacteristic confidence.

 

[Sky Blue Goblin]

See these kind of numbers and the way weve been so far this season say to me this is on Lampard. And i fucking hate to say it because hes given us the greatest moments of my life the last year

We’ve always been a bit passive under Lampard with our tackling, even last year we were one of the lowest for tackles made (Tackles per match - Championship 2025/2026 stats).

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

It's just showing us what we already know I think.

If we want to try and stay up, or even win a game, we are probably going to have to perfom consistently better than the sum of our parts. That means essentially working a lot harder than other teams. At present it is the opposite. Damning stats.

 

[robin.starling]

See these kind of numbers and the way weve been so far this season say to me this is on Lampard. And i fucking hate to say it because hes given us the greatest moments of my life the last year

Maybe go on more holidays?

 

[Nick]

See these kind of numbers and the way weve been so far this season say to me this is on Lampard. And i fucking hate to say it because hes given us the greatest moments of my life the last year

I can't remember without checking but weren't we up there for fitness at the start of last season? I know the Premier League is different.

We just look shit scared.

 

[Saddlebrains]

Maybe go on more holidays?

What does that even mean?

 

[Warwickhunt]

Watch Brightons first goal and then watch Villa's first goal!! WTF are our coaching team doing? Teams have watched that and replicated the move against us and we have done nothing about it.

 

[DawlishSkyBlue]

What does that even mean?

Think he means if your football team winning promotion is the greatest moment of your life then you don't have much of a life

 

[Saddlebrains]

Think he means if your football team winning promotion is the greatest moment of your life then you don't have much of a life

Id usually agree, but after what weve seen in the last 25 years its up there

 

[stupot07]

You see these numbers, and the team didn't deserve a standing ovation after being thrashed 5-0. The bare minimum you can expect is to work hard and make it difficult for 90 mins.

 

[edgy]

Yellow Cards:

Us - 4 (19th)
Hull - 13 (1st)

 

[CCFColi]

The defending has been piss poor, how ever we set up. No excuses, we are so poor off the ball. Half hearted when we press and if we can be bothered to put a challenge in. The same mistakes each week. It’s almost a carbon copy of Robins last few weeks at the club.

 

[Saddlebrains]

The more i look at this the more pissed off i am

Its the fucking basics

 

[shmmeee]

Weird cos you got the feeling at least those already here would run through brick walls for Lampard so is it just how we’re being set up more than motivation?

 

[claire69]

See these kind of numbers and the way weve been so far this season say to me this is on Lampard. And i fucking hate to say it because hes given us the greatest moments of my life the last year

we should make the players watch Argentina matches. People hate them but we need that nastiness in us. Or get some video tape of Wimbkedon from the 80s. Or Stoke in the 00s. At least get teams fearimg us because we are nasty bunch of thuggish c*nts.

 

[Razzle Dazzle Dean Gordon]

You see these numbers, and the team didn't deserve a standing ovation after being thrashed 5-0. The bare minimum you can expect is to work hard and make it difficult for 90 mins.

They didn't get one. I totally agree on the workrate though, teams that come up with a fraction of the budget of established sides need to be difficult to beat first and foremost, we are anything but at present.

 

[SBAndy]

Weird cos you got the feeling at least those already here would run through brick walls for Lampard so is it just how we’re being set up more than motivation?

I mean, I don’t really see that we’ve ever been a high intensity team under Lampard. Just had a cursory look and picked out some stats from last season:

Average Possession - 55.2% (4th)
Interceptions per Match - 7.2 (24th)
Tackles per Match - 13.8 (20th)
Clearances per Match - 24.1 (23rd)
Possession Won in Final Third per Match - 3.3 (13th)
Fouls per Match - 9.6 (22nd)
Yellow Cards - 71 (23rd)

Now, stands to reason that higher average possession reduces some of the other metrics naturally as if you’re on the ball you ain’t tackling, but I don’t think 55.2% is sufficiently ball dominant to lead us to be virtually bottom of the defensive metrics. We’re really just not enough of a pain in the arse as a team.

 

[edgy]

Was going to say, we weren't that team last season either. But we didnt need to be.