Got to laugh describing us as average. Okay then if thats what you want to believe have it your way, we were given about £12M in footballers over the summer. Our lwb is a full international, so is our rwb, and our central playmaker, the dfmid loaned from Chelsea is England's hotest young prospect in years.... I could go on but I'm sure you get the point.
Blimey.
In that case then we should be grateful for only a 2-1 defeat and you might as well have had another 3 of your divers sent off?
Good luck in the Premiership followed by the Champions League next year.
Oh and the World Club Championship the year after.
Or alternatively you might struggle this season with a lot of players that aren't really yours.
You had a man advantage and instead of Powell setting out your 2nd half team to pass and move, rip us up and create openings, he had you lobbing the ball in. Like it or not thats why you lost.
You had a man advantage and instead of Powell setting out your 2nd half team to pass and move, rip us up and create openings, he had you lobbing the ball in. Like it or not thats why you lost.
Yes, but with the Watford International XI we had no chance anyway!
With all due respects guys Londonbridge has got more right than wrong, our midfield could have gone off for a cuppa, we have been playing hoof ball all season and everyone one around me in the East Stand was asking the same question, why are we playing 4 across the back when they went to 4-4-1 after the sending off?
To be fair he does make one point. Watford were entrenched in the bottom half before their last 2 games (both away wins). They might be a ragtag bunch of loanees but you have to say despite all the cheating and time wasting look at the quality in there. They were so comfortable on the ball and having a spare man in a 3-5-2 before the red card it was untrue. Yet, they undoubtedly have more capable players than we do even if it it is the equivalent Moscow State Circus. This league is a FAR bigger jump than most considered, Southampton and Norwich had far too good squads for what were strong seasons in L1 when they got promoted (and they strengthened), we have neither.
4-5-1 with Razak in please. We need to go into Curbs lockdown mentality now and try to get a hold of the ball in the midfield or we are just going to get picked off every week.
And as for the hoofball he's right, just kept lobbing it in for Fitz Hall to gobble up, if we don't put more forwards on then there are players to give them the ball and just play patient football we win that game last night.
I agree eaststandmike and I think LB has hit the nail on its head. Hoofing balls into the box with all the lumps in it we were never going to break them down. Their number 39 was very good I thought. Starting to get a bit worried now looking at all these games coming up. Think we will be ok but I think this will be a tough tough season!
Watford fan in peace. The sending off aside, imo you lost last night purely and simply because you played route 1 league 1 hoofball, even when we were down to 10 men, and that doesn't take advantage of having the extra man. Your midfielders could have gone off for a cup of tea and not been missed. And what is Powell doing playing 4 across the back when we only had Deeney up front? Sorry but Powell lost you the game, strange as a few comments here rip into Zola's tactical ability, I'd say Zola was the one manager who got his tactics spot on. Got to laugh describing us as average. Okay then if thats what you want to believe have it your way, we were given about £12M in footballers over the summer. Our lwb is a full international, so is our rwb, and our central playmaker, the dfmid loaned from Chelsea is England's hotest young prospect in years.... I could go on but I'm sure you get the point. I'm actually disappointed in how you play now as I always cheered for you guys in the premiership, you knew how to pass a ball around and play good attractive expansive football in those days. Ciao.
Some very fair points LB. I dont think many will argue that Powell got it wrong last night. A question for you. What's its like having a team of Tom Daleys,? I'm not being flippant, but I would be embarrassed if my team behaved like Watford did, and as for that cheating little shit Forrestier, I hope someone busts his legs if he is gonna continue playing the game like that, the shame is he looked a very good player. I understand he behave like that every game. Utter low life, anyone can cheat a ref.
Last season, while overall we were brilliant, there were weaknesses, and these are being highlighted against better opposition. Our Watford 'friend' highlights them to an extent
1) Last season we often replied on a bit of set pieces and crosses into the box to score. This season opposition defenders are more experienced and bigger - each team has a 'Cort' type defender, and are able to deal with this easily, yet we persist with aimless crosses into the box from deep. We're too predictable
2) Similarly, why are we still doing these Stoke City long throws all the time, they rarely worked last season as our throwers aren't strong enough to get a pacey ball in, and opposition teams have defenders good in the air (e.g. Hall last night) to clear them.
3) Hollands and Stephens as a midfield pair - they lack energy, hence we are getting overrun in midfield, and just as bad, neither are capable of bombing past the forwards and running through on goal, Stephens prefers to sit deep spraying passes around, while Hollands who ought to be a box to box midfielder just seems unfit. I can't imagine one of them running though on goal, 1 on 1, the way we are currently playing. Maybe Razak can add something.
4) The lack of Plan B, changing tactics when things aren't working, of finding different ways of breaking down an opposition defence. Throwing on Hulse last night meant more of the same, rather than new tactics
5) Injuries, last season we were lucky, this season we aren't. Jackson was missed last night, as he has the instinct to get into great positions in the box, to score those 'easy' tap ins.
6) The odd transfers last January, which brought in Clarke (who's barely played since arriving, and has been pushed out) and Haynes (who's always injured, and had a track record of this before we signed him).
7) BWP's finishing last season was poor in the second half in the season, and hasn't picked up.
Can't fault the effort and with better finishing could have won it comfortably. Them scoring against the run of play played into their hands twice and i felt it was just one of those nights. They had some decent neat and tidy players but thought we were stronger all over the pitch although there is definitely something missing. Could see the free kick goal a mile off and think Hamer has to takea lot of blame for that and the other goal was a freak effort. We will be ok.
Equally it is fair to say that you can get away with long ball in L1 because pretty much every game there is a terrible defensive error that gifts a goal. I have lost count of the amount of times in the Football League Show I have seen defenders in L1/L2 just falling over and giving away cheap goals. Bit different at this level...
We need to be more patient in our build up play and stick to the style that got us promoted into this division. There was too much long ball last night, even before Watfords second, and if we are going to play that way why take Green off?
4-4-3 at the end was never going to work, espeicially with three out and out centre forwards up top. If you're going to play that game you need some pace and someone to get behind the backline. That game tonight and the Blackburn match was screaming out for Wagstaff.
Hollands has been too inconsistent at this level and I think Razak has to be worth a go in the middle alongside Stephens.
We're missing Wiggins up the left without a doubt and how anyone can question Jackson is beyond me. Anyone watching that last night should be able to see how much we miss him.
Powell leaves his substiutions too late as well. Watford are a bunch of cheats and although Mike Dean sent one off, he could have been tougher on their players.
Difficult to play behind a backline that plays so deep - you have to counter the tactics they adopted with numbers and a bit of quality at the right time.
I honestly thought Watford were the worst team we have seen at the valley this season. Compare them to leicester who zipped the ball about and leicesters movement was unreal. That's what makes this loss so bad Watford were pony.
Watford fan in peace. The sending off aside, imo you lost last night purely and simply because you played route 1 league 1 hoofball, even when we were down to 10 men, and that doesn't take advantage of having the extra man. Your midfielders could have gone off for a cup of tea and not been missed. And what is Powell doing playing 4 across the back when we only had Deeney up front? Sorry but Powell lost you the game, strange as a few comments here rip into Zola's tactical ability, I'd say Zola was the one manager who got his tactics spot on. Got to laugh describing us as average. Okay then if thats what you want to believe have it your way, we were given about £12M in footballers over the summer. Our lwb is a full international, so is our rwb, and our central playmaker, the dfmid loaned from Chelsea is England's hotest young prospect in years.... I could go on but I'm sure you get the point. I'm actually disappointed in how you play now as I always cheered for you guys in the premiership, you knew how to pass a ball around and play good attractive expansive football in those days. Ciao.
your rwb is an international? who for, st kitts and nevis? he was terrible.
and all the muggy in peace crap yet you have a few digs. ciao.
And Watford are above average in this division. I have to agree that the comments describing them as average are unfair.
That RWB was an international??? Do me a favour.... he was awful!!!
We weren't terrible, we were average, our main downfall is not being clinical. Who was busting a gut to get on the end of crosses? The Ref didn't help us, yes they were a player down, but what about when BWP was clear through? Being dragged back, but still managed to get a wayward shot off. Blatant foul!!
The Watford fan is just telling a few home truths. It is disappointing that a few don't look like making the step up and we don't have the luxury of many more games to give them the chance to adjust. Hoof ball was never going to be good enough this season and we got away with a bit of that at times last season. We always look better with the ball on the deck and a bit of urgency - think last quarter of the Forest game for example. Also SCP is going to need to learn to change things that aren't working during games. As some have said the substitutions tend to come too late but it's not just that.
I still think we have enough to finish mid table but with respect to our visiting Watford fan losing last night on top of the Palace defeat ....these are games we needed to win as I expect Blackpool and particularly Leeds away to be a lot tougher.
By 'eck we are going to need to beat Barnsley. Don't you just get a bad vibe about that one already? It's what comes with the turf when you are an Addick.
Powell got it wrong, Hollands is half the player he was last season. We played too many long balls, Hamer needs to concentrate, Cort needs to stop bear hugging, we need to grow some and give it back, 3 men pushed our 4/5 man wall to the side, so that they got the shot on target, what was all that about. Pritch, still eating out on the great game he had at Fulham, I'm sorry but he is too lightweight at this level.
Positives, Lawrie Wilson MOM be a country mile, after heaping (rightly) criticism at his door, I have to say he was very good last night, OK, second half, his defensive duties were curtailed due to one up front, but he has a great engine, looked very dangerous going forward, he surpassed Green in the crossing and creative department, one of the reasons Green was subbed. Great display. Ric Fuller, what a good player he is, defenders just seem to bounce off him, he holds the ball up very well, has a great first touch and makes space, looks to bring the midfield in and scores goals, all the attributes of a first class striker. After 75 mins he was shattered though. Solly, I cant praise this bloke enough, even out of position at LB he exudes confidence and then when he went to RB, he linked up so well with Wilson, this highlights even more that we need a proper right back, on last nights performance I can see Green warming the bench with Wilson and Solly on the right, new LB notwithstanding. Spirit, I thought all the players showed tremendous spirit last night, but it didnt happen for them, the loss is down to the gaffer I'm afraid, but he would have learned a valuable lesson. Onwards and hopefully upwards to Blackpool and 4-5-1.
Like Wilson or not but he was the only one of our offensive players who got to the byeline last night and pulled crosses back. Far too many deep,overhit crosses from green and kerkar. We didnt play that badly imo but we were very naive in our tactics and there was no where near enough quality on the ball in the final 3rd and as has been said,when we didnt score in the 1st ten minutes in the 2nd half we started to panic,launching the ball into an overloaded box from just about anywhere on the pitch. As for Watford,they were workmanlike and can take a set piece,unfortunately,they arent going to be remembered for much in the way of decent football this season as the theatrics of nearly all the team really does let the spirit of fair play down.Their reputation will precede them eventually,not only amongst other teams but with officials and their number 41,Tom Daly,will not be the 1st of theirs sent off for simulation this season. Thats not sour grapes,its an observation. As for Zolas comments after the game about 41 'slipping over',laughable and he obviously doesnt believe his players do anything wrong,its the Italian way.
We don't get enough bodies in the box. And those that are in the box lack sharpness and intuition. There was one move that summed it up - high ball - Fuller got a decent flick on but nobody there - BWP on edge of box where as his dad would have been a bit closer anticipatiting flick on. I'm afraid he is a player that plays on his confidence- had a goal stolen from him against Palace that could have set him off but he has now gone into the trying too hard malaise that means he has to be dropped. We can't carry a striker who doesn't score.
Watford fan in peace. The sending off aside, imo you lost last night purely and simply because you played route 1 league 1 hoofball, even when we were down to 10 men, and that doesn't take advantage of having the extra man. Your midfielders could have gone off for a cup of tea and not been missed. And what is Powell doing playing 4 across the back when we only had Deeney up front? Sorry but Powell lost you the game, strange as a few comments here rip into Zola's tactical ability, I'd say Zola was the one manager who got his tactics spot on. Got to laugh describing us as average. Okay then if thats what you want to believe have it your way, we were given about £12M in footballers over the summer. Our lwb is a full international, so is our rwb, and our central playmaker, the dfmid loaned from Chelsea is England's hotest young prospect in years.... I could go on but I'm sure you get the point. I'm actually disappointed in how you play now as I always cheered for you guys in the premiership, you knew how to pass a ball around and play good attractive expansive football in those days. Ciao.
Sadly, there's not a lot in this post that I can muster a decent argument against. For the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half we were passing the ball around, Watford hardly got a touch and we were taking advantage of the extra man by making them run their arses off without ever touching the ball. Unfortunately we had no final product and after 10 minutes we reverted to hoofball, which was never, ever going to work against their defenders.
That being said, Watford could easily have been down to 8 men by the end of that game and should certainly have been down to 9 after the ref blatantly booked the wrong man and twice got the yellow card out and then put it away again when he realised he'd have to send someone off. The referee was absolutely appalling 2nd half and the east side linesman was shocking the entire game.
Very disappointing performance but only from the manager and a couple of our players. The rest I thought put in a decent shift and on another day I think we would have been leaving with all 3 points.
The biggest issue and Powell mentioned it himself last season is our lack of pace. Hollands stephens jackson kerkar green are all slow for their positions. At least waggy's pace would make defences honest and that would create space for our attackers. At the moment we are no threat to run at/get behind defences so they can push up.
I suppose one of the things that we should ask ourselves is if the ball had gone in the net from the numerous shots, would we have thought we were lucky? I don't think so. there were times when i felt we looked comfortable in this division, not top table but not bottom. When you look at our record when playing with only 10 men over the las few seasons I don't think it is too bad, packing the defence and hitting the oppostion on the break, which is basically what happened to us.
What worries me about last night is that we failed to change approach when we clearly were not making a breakthrough, sure we got close, but hoping that the next one will be closer is not a good plan. Watford knew what was coming and catered for it, no one tried to run at them into the box and we have players who can do it. I felt against Blackburn we could have mixed it up in the last 10 minutes to go for the win and last night we needed to to get a win or even as it turned out a draw.
I agree with London Bridge, although his I come in peace and then digging us out, as oppossed to constuctive critiscism, does not quite match. CP may have told them to play football - isn't that what his philosophy is, but they did not, there was no trying to stretch them or drawing them out. He needs to take charge of the team, even from the sidelines. In the past he has changed quite a few games at half time, but I have rarely seen him make too much difference during play and we need leadership during play yesterday.
As I said in a different post we need to re start the season now we have a better quality of player in and that re start has to be from Saturday.
I think Watford were pretty ordinary - at that isn't a bitter comment. Zola's tactics were only good because Powell didn't counter them. He waited for something to happen - and it felt like it would to be fair but more could have been done to put the odds in our favour. It was a true comment about the defence- the waty Watford set up - it wasn't needed - you do have to sometimes show a bit of flair and last night the cautious approach was the wrong one.
To be fair SH we were tipped off about your guy and his antics, apparently he was doing the same away at Huddersfield at the weekend. If it is doing the rounds on the forums you can bet the refs will soon pick up on it so Zola better get him some longer studs or he will be having a lot of baths on his on this season
Don't listen to the extreme views, we played 'ok' but aren't getting the breaks or going that extra mile at the mo. For Watford it was a daylight robbery, nicking a set piece winner with their only chance in the 2nd half. But that's football, and we've all been there.
Defensively, we were sound. Solly on the left, despite doing nothing wrong, is still a big square peg round hole, and the balance just isn't quite right.
Keep attacking strength on Saturday was the amount of ball our two wide players had, and their impact on the game. Neither did it tonight, and Green in particular was a big step back from his performance on Saturday. Whether Watford did a specific mark on him, i didn't follow close enough.
We justdidn't create enough quality going forward. The one time we did, and a beautiful ball from Stephens, Fuller put away well. But over the 90, we just didn't force the issue enough.
I'm not panicking. We are a bottom half / potential mid table team. A bit of luck and this would have been 6 points out of two games and everyone would be raving. Small margins make the difference in football. I'm more annoyed at drawing on Saturday and not taking advantage of a Blackburn team clearly going through the motions, than losing tonight to a team who down to ten men were set up not to lose and nicked it off a set piece.
Wasn't there and wasn't even able to listen to the commentary tonight, but this assessment has a balanced ring of truth about it, I hope it is accurate. We do seem to be 'in' all our games and that suggests we're not far off where we need to be, but I've also heard that said about lots of teams that never find the magic balance and end up getting relegated.
I'd be interested to know if the switch to a 4 man midfield had anything to do with Green and Kerkar seeing less of the ball? If a 5 man midfield means we keep the ball better then I'd personally sacrifice BWP and play Fuller up top on his own as we're just not creating enough for BWP to get amoungst the goals and, whilst I don't subscribe to the BWP is lazy theory, it is true he doesn't contribute a great deal when he's not scoring.
Kerkar, Stephens and Green are all a bit inconsistent and Hollands seems to be close to the ceiling of his potential. Even bringing in Razak I'm not sure we are quite strong enough to be playing with a midfield 4 at this level right now and should focus on grinding out a few ugly wins by setting up to be very tough to beat, even at home. We have a solid back four as long as their not given too much to do and offered sufficient protection from midfield. That protection includes retaining the ball, something we seemed to do much better on Saturday than in any other game and I don't think it's a coincidence all 5 midfielders had probably their best game when they were deployed as a 5. If we're keeping the ball we're much more likely to keep it tight at the back and that takes the pressure of the strikers. We've scored in nearly every game so there are one nils there for us to win.
I am with Exiled, AFKA and Swisdom on this and though it is a bit early to call for the lifeboats, I thought we would struggle when I saw the selection. You cant even win many matches at Sunday league level carrying four attacking players who don't tackle (much). Our 4-4-2 always looks like 4-2-4.
Last Saturday, even though Blackburn were not giving it 100%, we looked solid against their very good players because we had 5 in midfield so Stephens had a bit more time and Hollands could to do what he does best- break up play and give it to Stephens.
The two of them are simply not good enough to boss a midfield as a twosome and at this level very few are.
The tough away fixtures coming up may work in our favour as we will just get over run and embarrassed against Blackpool and Wolves with two men in midfield so SCP may be forced to revert to the Blackburn solution with Fuller up front as a one striker.
Shame we don't have a classic attacking midfielder to make this work at its best and again we always miss Jackson.
Thought kerkar and / or Green should have been replaced mid way through second half and Wagstaff should have been brought on. As tricky as they are I thought they both went a bit missing and just some straight forward link up play and movement would have undone Watford last night. Fuller is quality but it looked like he was tiring last half hour as his movement had reduced a lot. Waggy and Hulse on half hour from the end would probabvly have done it but we were, until the last 5/10 mins, creating chances so don't think you can categorically blame Powell. Wouldn't surprise me if we don't win the next two. There is talent there, we just need a few breaks.
Last season, while overall we were brilliant, there were weaknesses, and these are being highlighted against better opposition. Our Watford 'friend' highlights them to an extent
1) Last season we often replied on a bit of set pieces and crosses into the box to score. This season opposition defenders are more experienced and bigger - each team has a 'Cort' type defender, and are able to deal with this easily, yet we persist with aimless crosses into the box from deep. We're too predictable
2) Similarly, why are we still doing these Stoke City long throws all the time, they rarely worked last season as our throwers aren't strong enough to get a pacey ball in, and opposition teams have defenders good in the air (e.g. Hall last night) to clear them.
3) Hollands and Stephens as a midfield pair - they lack energy, hence we are getting overrun in midfield, and just as bad, neither are capable of bombing past the forwards and running through on goal, Stephens prefers to sit deep spraying passes around, while Hollands who ought to be a box to box midfielder just seems unfit. I can't imagine one of them running though on goal, 1 on 1, the way we are currently playing. Maybe Razak can add something.
4) The lack of Plan B, changing tactics when things aren't working, of finding different ways of breaking down an opposition defence. Throwing on Hulse last night meant more of the same, rather than new tactics
5) Injuries, last season we were lucky, this season we aren't. Jackson was missed last night, as he has the instinct to get into great positions in the box, to score those 'easy' tap ins.
6) The odd transfers last January, which brought in Clarke (who's barely played since arriving, and has been pushed out) and Haynes (who's always injured, and had a track record of this before we signed him).
7) BWP's finishing last season was poor in the second half in the season, and hasn't picked up.
Comments
In that case then we should be grateful for only a 2-1 defeat and you might as well have had another 3 of your divers sent off?
Good luck in the Premiership followed by the Champions League next year.
Oh and the World Club Championship the year after.
Or alternatively you might struggle this season with a lot of players that aren't really yours.
4-5-1 with Razak in please. We need to go into Curbs lockdown mentality now and try to get a hold of the ball in the midfield or we are just going to get picked off every week.
And as for the hoofball he's right, just kept lobbing it in for Fitz Hall to gobble up, if we don't put more forwards on then there are players to give them the ball and just play patient football we win that game last night.
A question for you. What's its like having a team of Tom Daleys,? I'm not being flippant, but I would be embarrassed if my team behaved like Watford did, and as for that cheating little shit Forrestier, I hope someone busts his legs if he is gonna continue playing the game like that, the shame is he looked a very good player. I understand he behave like that every game. Utter low life, anyone can cheat a ref.
1) Last season we often replied on a bit of set pieces and crosses into the box to score. This season opposition defenders are more experienced and bigger - each team has a 'Cort' type defender, and are able to deal with this easily, yet we persist with aimless crosses into the box from deep. We're too predictable
2) Similarly, why are we still doing these Stoke City long throws all the time, they rarely worked last season as our throwers aren't strong enough to get a pacey ball in, and opposition teams have defenders good in the air (e.g. Hall last night) to clear them.
3) Hollands and Stephens as a midfield pair - they lack energy, hence we are getting overrun in midfield, and just as bad, neither are capable of bombing past the forwards and running through on goal, Stephens prefers to sit deep spraying passes around, while Hollands who ought to be a box to box midfielder just seems unfit. I can't imagine one of them running though on goal, 1 on 1, the way we are currently playing. Maybe Razak can add something.
4) The lack of Plan B, changing tactics when things aren't working, of finding different ways of breaking down an opposition defence. Throwing on Hulse last night meant more of the same, rather than new tactics
5) Injuries, last season we were lucky, this season we aren't. Jackson was missed last night, as he has the instinct to get into great positions in the box, to score those 'easy' tap ins.
6) The odd transfers last January, which brought in Clarke (who's barely played since arriving, and has been pushed out) and Haynes (who's always injured, and had a track record of this before we signed him).
7) BWP's finishing last season was poor in the second half in the season, and hasn't picked up.
We weren't terrible, we were average, our main downfall is not being clinical. Who was busting a gut to get on the end of crosses? The Ref didn't help us, yes they were a player down, but what about when BWP was clear through? Being dragged back, but still managed to get a wayward shot off. Blatant foul!!
I still think we have enough to finish mid table but with respect to our visiting Watford fan losing last night on top of the Palace defeat ....these are games we needed to win as I expect Blackpool and particularly Leeds away to be a lot tougher.
By 'eck we are going to need to beat Barnsley. Don't you just get a bad vibe about that one already? It's what comes with the turf when you are an Addick.
Powell got it wrong, Hollands is half the player he was last season.
We played too many long balls, Hamer needs to concentrate, Cort needs to stop bear hugging, we need to grow some and give it back, 3 men pushed our 4/5 man wall to the side, so that they got the shot on target, what was all that about.
Pritch, still eating out on the great game he had at Fulham, I'm sorry but he is too lightweight at this level.
Positives, Lawrie Wilson MOM be a country mile, after heaping (rightly) criticism at his door, I have to say he was very good last night, OK, second half, his defensive duties were curtailed due to one up front, but he has a great engine, looked very dangerous going forward, he surpassed Green in the crossing and creative department, one of the reasons Green was subbed. Great display.
Ric Fuller, what a good player he is, defenders just seem to bounce off him, he holds the ball up very well, has a great first touch and makes space, looks to bring the midfield in and scores goals, all the attributes of a first class striker. After 75 mins he was shattered though.
Solly, I cant praise this bloke enough, even out of position at LB he exudes confidence and then when he went to RB, he linked up so well with Wilson, this highlights even more that we need a proper right back, on last nights performance I can see Green warming the bench with Wilson and Solly on the right, new LB notwithstanding.
Spirit, I thought all the players showed tremendous spirit last night, but it didnt happen for them, the loss is down to the gaffer I'm afraid, but he would have learned a valuable lesson.
Onwards and hopefully upwards to Blackpool and 4-5-1.
That being said, Watford could easily have been down to 8 men by the end of that game and should certainly have been down to 9 after the ref blatantly booked the wrong man and twice got the yellow card out and then put it away again when he realised he'd have to send someone off. The referee was absolutely appalling 2nd half and the east side linesman was shocking the entire game.
Very disappointing performance but only from the manager and a couple of our players. The rest I thought put in a decent shift and on another day I think we would have been leaving with all 3 points.
What worries me about last night is that we failed to change approach when we clearly were not making a breakthrough, sure we got close, but hoping that the next one will be closer is not a good plan. Watford knew what was coming and catered for it, no one tried to run at them into the box and we have players who can do it. I felt against Blackburn we could have mixed it up in the last 10 minutes to go for the win and last night we needed to to get a win or even as it turned out a draw.
I agree with London Bridge, although his I come in peace and then digging us out, as oppossed to constuctive critiscism, does not quite match. CP may have told them to play football - isn't that what his philosophy is, but they did not, there was no trying to stretch them or drawing them out. He needs to take charge of the team, even from the sidelines. In the past he has changed quite a few games at half time, but I have rarely seen him make too much difference during play and we need leadership during play yesterday.
As I said in a different post we need to re start the season now we have a better quality of player in and that re start has to be from Saturday.
Maybe you were playing too many long balls into the area 2nd half which Almunia delt with easily.
I know he was diving beforehand a bit but I actually felt at the time our guy had just slipped over but the ref was nearer so guess its up to him...
Noticed it was a Premiership ref..be interesting to see if he gave the same at lets say Old Trafford if a Rooney went down!
Anyway good luck for the season..hopefully you'll be ok because if we don't go up we need some local trips.
Last Saturday, even though Blackburn were not giving it 100%, we looked solid against their very good players because we had 5 in midfield so Stephens had a bit more time and Hollands could to do what he does best- break up play and give it to Stephens.
The two of them are simply not good enough to boss a midfield as a twosome and at this level very few are.
The tough away fixtures coming up may work in our favour as we will just get over run and embarrassed against Blackpool and Wolves with two men in midfield so SCP may be forced to revert to the Blackburn solution with Fuller up front as a one striker.
Shame we don't have a classic attacking midfielder to make this work at its best and again we always miss Jackson.
Wasn't at Huddersfield but they did say he went down quite easily at times but also managed to get stamped on once or twice (maybe not on purpose?)
Penalty incident up there seemed to be 50/50...there was a tackle but he made the most of it.