The Ryan Lowe Thread!

[Scannyuk]

Our goalkeeper plays more long balls than 22 other goalkeepers in the division. If you have any evidence to refute that - please let me know.

I didn't say we were like the Wimbledon of old. I said we are by definition a long ball team due to all the passing stats available - short, medium and long.

How many times a game does Woodman boot it 50 yards to the touchline for a Potts or Brady type to try to win a header? More than most teams I'd wager.

As a team we don't seek to dictate possession through slow build up from the back. No statistics would support an opinion that suggests otherwise.

Our centrebacks don't have the necessary ability on the ball. So our penchant for long balls is partly a needs must scenario.

I’d say that’s spot on in defining what we are and probably a great example of the system and styles limitations.

Woodman for being a great shot stopper has appalling distribution. Long ball passes from Freddie has us a clear second with 971, Rotherham are streets ahead on 1397 with Birmingham a distant third on 822.

He launches it 61% of the time.. why?, because we lack the ball playing ability to play out, and he’s not good at spotting the open man to start the quick counter while the defence is not set.

Just look at how often we retain possession from a throw in.. we don’t have the movement to cut teams open (aside from Coventry) with intricate passes.

I guess it’s the market we shop in these days. Our back three are decent defenders but aren’t ball players and teams easily stop us by letting Liam and Jordan have the ball and sit back, cutting off the pass to the right and left wing backs. We then just pass aimlessly sideways waiting for the long ball to come.

 

[milkyken]

We've attempted 18,214 passes this season. (19th lowest in the division). 12,762 were completed passes. (22nd lowest in the division)

We are in the bottom four teams for completed short, medium and long passes. This isn't because our forwards lack control.

It's because our tactical approach doesn't seek to maintain possession. We don't pass out from the back. We've had the 22nd lowest amount of touches in the defensive third of the pitch.

It's all about getting the ball forward. Woodman has hit the 2nd most long balls of any goalkeeper (only behind Rotherham's goalie)

As a team we've attempted the 2nd most long balls in the division and are by definition a long ball team.

Why can’t a Ryan Lowe team play like Manchester City, Liverpool or Barcelona?”

Ryan Lowe 2021

 

[Joanpne]

I'm getting totally pissed off with the anti Lowe agenda.
He's shit when we lose
Lucky when we win
Players aren't playing for him
He's lost the dressing room
He's a Narcissistic scouser
Blah blah blah
With four games left to play and to be still in with a shout of the Play Offs, I don't care if he's the Devil incarnate.
Get a fuckin grip people and enjoy the ride.

Sorry but the ride on Tuesday night never even left the starting point and thats not the only time either.

I’m not anti Lowe at all, but I am anti football and anti sport and some of the games he has presided over have been both.

 

[Joanpne]

It’s like people want him to lose just so they can find an excuse to have a go at him. Then again they do that when we win.

In that 23 game run we were shit really shit. I wanted him sacked. But now we are playing much better. The fans who accuse him of never admitting he is wrong can’t admit when he gets it right. Maybe they have more in common with him then they thought.

Your first sentence is so ridiculous and says more about the malice in you than anyone else.

 

[outreacher]

Why can’t a Ryan Lowe team play like Manchester City, Liverpool or Barcelona?”

Ryan Lowe 2021

I reckon RL's CV is sitting in the in-tray of applications at Anfield to replace Klopp, his ego will convince himself that he is ready for the job.

 

[Rodney Bewes]

No idea if your stats and numbers are correct but... we do pass out from the back a bloody lot.

Freddie rolls / throws it out to one of the back 3 and we start from there working our way to the halfway line.

I appreciate that you don't attend Deepdale due to location but trust me, we do try and build out from the back.

Freddie rarely hoofs it forward.

That's just modern football to be honest. I'd imagine every club does it. We just send it long more than everyone else does

 

[Rodney Bewes]

It's quite clear we're one of the more direct sides in the league but TBH I'm not even bothered if we play long ball or not. I'm more bothered we're rubbish at it.

If we aspire to play it long into the wings, it would help if we played Wingers. Alan Irvine's side was quite direct but you could guarantee Ross Wallace could get the ball and whip in an inch perfect cross to Jon Parkin.

If we aspire to play it long down the middle of the park, we need our strikers to be much more capable in the air and trapping the ball. We also need to find a way to get the midfield up and ready to join them.

If we aspire to be a long ball side, we need to be much more defensively solid than we are now, especially when we won't have the ball for most of the game. We regularly ship 3+ goals a game and aren't great at keeping clean sheets.

If we don't want to be a long ball side, we need to get more out of our defenders as ball players and Freddie needs to improve his distribution.

I have to admit, I'd enjoy it if we were an effective direct footballing side just because it would wind other fans and other managers up. There are too many Guardiola copycats these days. Football is enriched by teams playing a variety of styles.

People always say direct football is boring but it's all about getting the ball forward quickly and getting shots away. Holding on to possession as much as possible isn't any more interesting.

 

[SF]

The only reason we're top 10 is because our strikers have been surprisingly clinical. Whether that's down to coaching or good form, I don't know.

Our defence is crap and we're low in the table for chances created. So it's impossible to say we're up there because of the system or tactics.

We're there because of individuals at the top end of the pitch surpassing their expected goals. It suggests a big slice of luck.

 

[JJ_PNE]

Again another example of Lowe making it worse for himself, “excellent in 2nd half”, where he should say:

“2nd half was better as we didn’t concede a goal but not still at the levels we should be at, Southampton also let the foot off the gas, but we have had a few injuries”

Say this and you don’t get as many fans on his back. It’s these kind of interviews added with bizarre subs/lineups that make him look out of his depth. Don’t say any of this and fans can get on board with the pro-Lowe supporters.

 

[Henry Weston]

I have to admit, I'd enjoy it if we were an effective direct footballing side just because it would wind other fans and other managers up. There are too many Guardiola copycats these days. Football is enriched by teams playing a variety of styles.

People always say direct football is boring but it's all about getting the ball forward quickly and getting shots away. Holding on to possession as much as possible isn't any more interesting.

That was basically the way Leicester played when they won the Premier League. It can be very effective and great to watch.

 

[No Danger]

Again another example of Lowe making it worse for himself, “excellent in 2nd half”, where he should say:

“2nd half was better as we didn’t concede a goal but not still at the levels we should be at, Southampton also let the foot off the gas, but we have had a few injuries”

Say this and you don’t get as many fans on his back. It’s these kind of interviews added with bizarre subs/lineups that make him look out of his depth. Don’t say any of this and fans can get on board with the pro-Lowe supporters.

I have long dispensed with listening to his post match interviews but I am staggered that he believes and finds it appropriate to say that the second half was excellent because it was nothing of the kind. Particularly galling for those who made the journey to hear that I imagine

 

[Rodney Bewes]

That was basically the way Leicester played when they won the Premier League. It can be very effective and great to watch.

Very much agree!

 

[sports rehab]

All League 2 promotions.

nope and not all with Lowe,...

 

[sports rehab]

No idea if your stats and numbers are correct but... we do pass out from the back a bloody lot.

Freddie rolls / throws it out to one of the back 3 and we start from there working our way to the halfway line.

I appreciate that you don't attend Deepdale due to location but trust me, we do try and build out from the back.

Freddie rarely hoofs it forward.

We tend to go long to a 'wide wingback' (or Storey) to attempt to win headers in their half and play from there.... often back to the CB's and across the back line.
to me that is 'not' a long ball team in the Steve Evans style..... in the same way Alexander Arnold isnt a long ball fullback even though he plays loads of long balls.

last season we played in our own half a lot more and the fans didnt like it, this season we try to start over the half way line and then pass it around.

whatever the stats says and they are good stats (other than not covering direction of the kicks) anyone who thinks our forwards CAN control a ball doesnt attend the same games I do.... and thats a lot of games. We often have to play the ball behind the back line of the opposition to let the grass slow it down.

 

[Doc Brown]

but trust me, we do try and build out from the back.

Freddie rarely hoofs it forward.

You must be joking JD?

 

[HunterLionheart]

I pointed out near the start of the season that our main distribution tactic was to ping it long for Potts and supporting cast on the right. No coincidence it's become even less effective since losing Potts.

 

[jgriff2296]

The problems with RL are his ineptitude, his arrogant and stupid comments and the utterly boring football he has subjected us to far too often.
I came across this quote from the late, great, Danny Blanchflower. RL take note please.
"The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom."

 

[baysidepne]

All I'm saying is that Freddie doesn't launch it 80 yards.

We pass sideways up to the halfway line as I posted.

Last season that was probably right, but not this season.

I'd actually say we rarely play out with the CBs now this season, we've made some slight tweaks in style vs last year and this is one of them.

The average length of his goal kicks this season has gone from 49.9m to 61.9m as an example and now launches (kicks long) 89.7% of his goal kicks vs 66.1% last season.

Glad the stats back up the naked eye on this one.

 

[Preston Lad]

No idea if your stats and numbers are correct but... we do pass out from the back a bloody lot.

Freddie rolls / throws it out to one of the back 3 and we start from there working our way to the halfway line.

I appreciate that you don't attend Deepdale due to location but trust me, we do try and build out from the back.

Freddie rarely hoofs it forward.

 

[JK]

Last season that was probably right, but not this season.

I'd actually say we rarely play out with the CBs now this season, we've made some slight tweaks in style vs last year and this is one of them.

The average length of his goal kicks this season has gone from 49.9m to 61.9m as an example and now launches (kicks long) 89.7% of his goal kicks vs 66.1% last season.

Glad the stats back up the naked eye on this one.

The issue is how long it bloody takes Freddie to play it out.

I noticed at Watford he was really upset at the grumblings towards the end when he again held on the ball.

I often see Ryan jumping up and down when he doesn't play it out quicker but I do have my suspicions he is playing to orders.