NamelessJedMaxwell Bit late but a Stoke supporting colleague who went to the game said we were a shit long ball team and will get relegated this season. Hard to reason with someone like that but I made the point that I think we mix it up pretty well and there's a difference between a long pass and a long ball, and that for all their talented midfielders they didn't create a huge amount and only scored from a set piece.
I also pointed out that if we're shit they must be absolutely dire because they couldn't break us down and we saw the game out pretty comfortably in the end.
If only they had a keeper who could play the long ball as effectively as our’s !
Exactly.
Continually hoofing it up front to then play off the scraps and percentages is certainly long ball in my book.
We seem to have the balance right between playing it short when we can progress the ball through the lines, and knocking it long if we can create something. Also at the breakdown/turnover of the ball, we almost always go back and start from the back, invariably then trying to play through the lines when we're set.
We can also go a bit longer when the opponents aren't great defensively or a bit disorganised, as per Saturday.
Of course a long hoof to relieve pressure and allow you to get up the pitch and press, or when you're a goal up towards the end, is just sensible.