[bigredmachine]

I watched the NE vs. Seattle game last night and I couldn't help but appreciate how Seattle plays. Lots and lots of one touch passes, moving the ball up the field in a series of beautiful, flowing passes, complimented by continuous movement, running into open space, etc. The only thing they didn't do was score. Then again, they had Nate Jaqua at the end of many of those sequences. This style seems to me the complete opposite of what the Fire do this year. Seems as if the Fire stand around alot, send long looping passes forward in what John Harkes' describes accurately as prayer balls. No development, no flow, no combination play leading to an attack. We just defend and send the long balls up there hoping Nyarko can get one. Besides being a bad game style, it is boring to watch. I've never been a Sigi Schmid fan, but Seattle's style is very appealing. It made me remember our days of Bob Bradley. Is the problem or players, our coach, or a combination?

[milicz]

Originally Posted by bigredmachine

Is the problem or players, our coach, or a combination?

Dude, you're asking this seriously? SERIOUSLY?

[On the Road Again]

Sigi did the same thing in Columbus and Warzyka (sp?) has followed up (like a smart successor would do when you inherit a championship team) with keeping the same system in place. Columbus was a fun team to watch and I am definitely not a Crew supporter but I like their style of play. That is why, IMO, Schelotto has added so much more to that team than Blanco has to ours--principally due to the style of game they try to play. I think Arena is trying to accomplish the same thing with LA and Kinnear has always seemed to coach his teams to play that way. When you see teams that don't play that style, typically it is because they do not have the vision to be able to see how the game should flow on the field. They have the tactical book knowledge but not the extra ability to see how it is supposed to look on the field. It's much the same when you watch a good football team move the ball up and down the field. It's unfortunate that we don't play that way because we definitely have the calibre of players to be able to do that. I guess you can draw your own conclusions from that .

[bunge]

The not-so beautiful game:

http://www.section8chicago.com/jm3/i...ews&Itemid=157

[Chris M.]

I don't think it is necessarily fair to say that we don't play that way. Of course we don't all the time and that is a problem. We have had several games this year where we have played very attractive soccer. Quick examples that come to mind are the Seattle and KC games at TP, the KC game on the road. Against Columbus both games.

Some of those games are remembered more for the leads we squandered but it should not be forgotten that we moved the ball beautifully in those games for long periods of time.

Addressing the original posters question, I think it is disingenuous to say it is all the coach. We have all taken part in the "why does Bakary slam the ball up field so much" discussion. We have other center backs who do not, so I don't think you can say they are coached to do this. Second, we have a goalkeeper who likes to get the ball down field a lot. that is not a criticism. Some of the best US keepers are the same.

I also think that to some extent, having McBride on the team influenced the way we played until recently. Knocking long balls down is his game.

I know there are some people who go to the practices regularly, so perhaps they can shed some light. Denis has spent his whole career under the Arena/Bradley coaching philosophy for training, no? Meaning small sided quick one-touch passing with lots of triangles. I've never been to a practice, so perhaps this is not accurate.

The problems we have had recently are perplexing. Some probably has to do with different people in the line up. Austin worked hard, but it was clear he wasn't on the same page with the midfield as he would try to get forward at times when he should have stayed up and vice versa. Some reliable possession players have been giving balls away at really bad moments. Then, in other games, we frankly look very solid.

I know most want to think that we will be AC Milan if we just had Piotr Nowak as coach. Perhaps we would be more consistent with another coach. Maybe not. We HAVE done a better job of grinding out some results when we are short handed than we did under Sarachan imo, even when some of those results are not pretty.

Sunday is a big day. We need to get something going at home and get back to the style we were playing with in May. If CJ is healthy enough to play with Conde, I think that will help settle us in the back and give us the confidence to move forward with possession. Of course, some of it depends on the other team and Colorado has been known to pack the midfield so who knows.

Wednesday's game simply removed some of our small margin for error. Everyone drops points when not expected -- see Seattle last night.

[CHthirteen]

I blame logan pause.

I wish during particularly awful stretches of home play the supporters would start chanting "one logan pause.. there's only one logan paauuse!" ironically.

[UICSoccerFan]

You cannot play posession soccer without having the right midfield, and the Fire only have two midfielders who have given any indication that they are willing or able to play posession soccer: Logan Pause and Baggio Husidic. Lowry may be able to, but is unproven.

The rest of the midfielders are either run down the field and hope for a long pass guys, or, in the case of Blanco and Thorington, forget about playing ANY position and do what ever pops into your mind guys. Some teams have midfielders. The Fire has cowboys.

If you've been paying attention, you've undoubtedly noticed that the Fire defenders are often the only ones who can hang on to the ball at all, putting the responsibility of moving the ball up the field on their shoulders - with predictable results. Its a stupid way to play, but seeing as how we have an abundance of none-too-swifts, with equally challenged individuals coaching them, it is to be expected. I suppose.

Which brings us to the head coach, who from all appearances is the truest of true believers in the Cult of the Big Play.

Getting playing time with the Fire is easy: make a Big Play. It does not matter what else you do as long as you make one. You can foul constantly, get caught out of position, be a mile offside ten times a game, turn over the ball as if you were taking bribes from the opposing team, it does not matter, provided you make at least one highlight-reel play every three games. Soumare was a perfect example: he could get caught out of position and thoroughly smoked by a striker, provided he made a sensational, highlight-reel caliber slide tackle to make up for the mistake he should never have made in the first place.

There are, of course exceptions. But you can count the players who are exempt from the three game rule on one hand. Everyone else earns their playing time by ignoring fundamentals and playing like each and every game is their personal ticket to glory.

This is the reality of the Fire under coach Denis, and he has brought every last bit of this silliness on himself by rewarding hot-dogging and selfish play. The Fire will never play tight, fundamentally sound, team soccer as long as he is in charge, because no matter what he SAYS, that is not what he REWARDS.

[UICSoccerFan]

Originally Posted by Chris M.

Addressing the original posters question, I think it is disingenuous to say it is all the coach. We have all taken part in the "why does Bakary slam the ball up field so much" discussion. We have other center backs who do not, so I don't think you can say they are coached to do this. Second, we have a goalkeeper who likes to get the ball down field a lot. that is not a criticism. Some of the best US keepers are the same.

Both Bakary and Bush's long balls are votes of no-confidence in the midfield, and I don't blame them one bit for doing it.

If you know your midfielders are going to turn over the ball before it crosses the midfield line, what are you supposed to do? your only options are to take it downfield yourself or kick it long.

The inept, ineffective play of our midfield that results in a disproportionate number of long balls is ABSOLUTELY the fault of the head coach.

[oldguyfc]

The way a team plays in a match is directly related to the way a team trains; sorry to be the master of the obvious, but this team must practice the possession game in training for about five minutes. (And there are plenty of drills excluding scrimmaging to serve this end.)
It's crap soccer, period, and at the end of the day, the responsibility lies at the feet of the coaching staff.
The game against LA looked as if this team had never played with each other before.......... how, exactly, is that possible?

[krolpolski]

Originally Posted by Chris M.

I know most want to think that we will be AC Milan if we just had Piotr Nowak as coach.

PLEASE! I tend to dream that we'd be more like Manchester United under Pan Nowak.