No meltdown from me. Just pissed off. Though that could be down to the fact that I have been ill for over 4 weeks am on my 3rd course of antibiotics and had the results of a chest X-ray that weren't too clever, especially for a non smoker. Still, we march on.
We can see that we are slow moving forward and hardly put players in the box when we do attack. It seems bleeding obvious to me and most of us, so surely MP2 can see it as well - doesn't he?
I don't know if he does. Its a ridiculous formation to play when our midfielders cannot shoot. Yet so it goes on month after month.
So, two weeks to prepare, and then our four most-important matches of the season, from which we really need 7+ points to build up a buffer before things get really hairy. If our team sheet for NUFC involves Redmond on the left, Tadic on the right, and Davis in the middle, real questions will need to be asked of Pellegrino.
At least we're not Palace I guess. We can't keep playing the same players in the same formation and expect things to change. Could probably just copy and paste what I wrote after the last match. I'm ok with Long playing but he can't be your only goal threat because he's not really. Given the solid back 7 we have, you simply need to be trying something different up top. Yes MP has been dealt a **** hand with our attacking options but he has to change things. Gabbi on the left, Tadic central, JWP right, Austin up top. OR Long left, Boufal central, Redmond right, Gabbi up top. Or Tadic left, JWP central, Boufal right, Gabbi/Austin up top. And that's before even trying different formations. We have the CBs and full backs to try 5 at the back (becoming 3 at the back when attacking). There's no excuse for lining up against Newcastle with the same players/formation in a couple of weeks.
True Beefy; certainly some have not carried forward any level of progression or stepped up as more senior players however its not necessarily the player who is at fault for that; its about management and that means leadership, strategising and planning in terms of squad makeup and training.
That's the definition of madness isn't it?....keep on doing the same thing and expecting a different result...
I blame MP1. He showed me a joyous brand pf football. One that was innovative and purposeful. Since he left, all we have done is go backwards. I have seen glorious football at St. Mary's and want it again.
The definition of a bottom-half team if nothing else, heh. Finishing 8th (a mere two points above 13th) last year flattered us; unless we're able to improve our performances, we're unlikely to be that lucky again.
Don’t get me wrong, Poch was great. He brought the best out of some average players. If he had this team we would be better, we have so much more depth. We lack a centre forward and playing Davis at 10 is not helping.
Hard to say really who had a better side. I'd probably argue Koeman did in his first season (Alderweireld, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Mane, Tadic actually playing well)
Dunno, I think we were fairly close to full value for 6th that season. We were extremely good at working chances in the corridor of danger in front of goal, and our defensive was as advertised. We were lucky in that some of the top teams were a bit weaker, placing us closer to CL than we would in most seasons, but I'd consider that side to be a good bet to be around 60 points and 7th in a normal season (like last year's Everton, perhaps not coincidentally).
Probably save that discussion for a long international break (oh wait). Maybe it's more interesting than discussing the game. Another one where I feel like I know what happened without reading anything. Yoshida equalised but Crouch scored the winner? Neither of those things are very good. A lot of the discussions here are what we should do in January, which is probably about right. We'll need cheering up after our results in December anyway. Did Gabbiadini play in a wide position when he came on? Did it sort of work?
