For last game at home against Jönköping Södra, which we lost 1-2, I did not write an article because I was pissed, I did a writing-strike in protest. This time I am still pissed, but I will write, and most of the remarks concerning this game are equally valid for the previous game.
For some reason the Mjällby attack has lost all its efficiency. We manage to bring up the ball, sometimes in a very nice way. Then we enter in the zone, and all attackers try to dribble here, dribble there, jump above someone, step on each other's toes, bla bla bla, and at the end the opponent gets the ball.
Stop thinking you're all Ronaldinho and can evade 12 defenders, and shoot for %#¤& sake!Ljunskile, and Jönköping Södra last time, have had 2 dangerous occasions, which is good news for our defense, but they put both in the net.
We've had 15 dangerous occasions, but they all ended in crap.
At one point in time, before vacation, MAIF had the 2nd best goal difference (behind aliens Norrköping), now we are barely positive.
Besides the attack, the defense has recovered somewhat. Last time Lindberg was often too far back and doing dangerous things, now the line was much better, and it did work: LSK's players were caught 6 times in off-side (the line-referees were not sleeping like last time).
Only once Ivanovski was not, and the LSK player got the ball, brought it up and above Fransson who could not do much in this situation. Congratulations LSK nr 7, it was a nice one.
Now about the middle. Why were we so efficient at the beginning of the season? Because we did not let go many balls to the opponent. We were playing a maybe more basic football, but it was efficient, it made the opponent run like hell, and we kept the ball. Today we saw a festival of... volley-ball. On the summary sheet for media we do not get the amount of time the ball spends in the air, it's pity because today it must have been up there like 45 minutes. And off course, very seldom a MAIF player at the reception, unless if flying to the front, in which case Eken has to cope with 2-3 defenders to get it, without much support from the others. This has been the same at least in the past 4 years, it's a so stereotyped system, off course all the other teams know it! They look at one MAIF game and they've seen them all!
Also Thomas must find a balance in the center middle: last time it was full attack, this time it's full defense. There has got to be one to recover balls, and one to distribute them upwards again. They are the key link between offense and defense, otherwise there is 2 half teams.
Also and for the n-th time, please do changes before the 85th minute. It's not a present you're giving the players by entering them so late, give them time to do things.
The referee was quite good today, if I was completely honest I should even add he was nice to us.
Best players were Cederberg, Danne and Tobbe, even and stable.