Somebody asked me the question: why do you think big clubs freeze against weaker opposition? Liverpool do it, Arsenal did at the end of last season, Spurs used to do it. All teams that the quality within their ranks to dominate more than half the league teams, but they don’t. Obviously a lot of the time they come out on top, but too often for their fans’ liking top teams are found wanting. Is it tactics, complacency, nerves? Every club has their own weaknesses, some are shared and some are unique, but is there really any excuse for teams losing to opponents far worse than they are? It wouldn’t happen in Sunday league games so why should it happen at the top level?
Tactics
With the huge influx over foreign players, mangers and a more continental style of play as well as extra talent the top teams also procure players who are perhaps not used to dealing with the way the archetypal English teams play. By this I mean the intensity, physicality and aggression can sometimes be a bit overawing. Whilst certain managers can overuse this as an excuse it, like many stereotypes, it definitely holds sway as an argument. You only need to look at Arsenal to say the countless teams who have out-muscled them not just in terms of their players but also their tactics. Like it or not the English game focuses greatly on the presence of height particularly on set pieces and it is an issue that has plagued Arsenal and their fans for years now. People might put it down to other factors but the stats don’t lie. Last season Stoke scored 67% of their goals from set pieces, Arsenal scored less than 10% of their goals in that way. And, over the course of the season, many teams will take this approach leading Arsenal, and others, to be undone.
Complacency
This for many teams is undoubtedly an issue. I think Liverpool and Arsenal both suffer from this greatly. Arsenal, because of their early season humbling, seem to be over this at the moment but I wouldn’t bet against the feeling returning. I think Arsenal, because of their style of play, and Liverpool, perhaps because of their reputation, tend to believe their own hype a little too much sometimes thinking they need only turn up to beat teams. At the Emirates last year this was particularly evident. Arsenal’s home record was terrible and strewn with unnecessary defeats to teams like newly promoted Newcastle and West Brom. Liverpool’s game against Sunderland and Arsenal’s against Blackburn highlight this perfectly. Both teams were in control of their respective games, neither were being undone tactically but both fell apart needlessly.
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dont say big teams freeze against small teams.its only liverpool.the reasons are simple.kenny bought poorly in the window.the british only system isnt working.for starters the british nations themselves are not doing well in international soccer and so to want to buy materail in those markets is madness.why buy carol instaed of aguero/llorento for these wouldhave cost the same amount.why buy hendo instead of mvilla/gortzee/marin.why buy downing instead of mata/marin.the reason is simple. these are british but they are not better than the alterernatives mentioned here. fine carol was boughthurriedly with the tores money but we had the rest of the season to assess him.we saw that he was struggling to settle in.wat kenny should have done is to buy llorento so that we win games.right now the reason we are failing to win games is because we bought carola nd then stupidly built a team around him.this is because all the players who were being bought were to provide service to carol.wat happens when he fails to click? there si no plan B.some fans would say kenny should not be criticised,they feel he is immune because he is a legend.but tell me if thiswas roy hodgson who was doing this,wat would be your reaction.sometimes i think with the money kenny got,roy might have bought better players.at least he bought meireles who was tupidly sold by kenny.and kenny says he is close to getting a solution.LIAR.the solution is for him to wake upo in janusry and buy abroad.buy llorento,adam johnson/marin/gortzee.but vertoghen and we are okay.