No one was in the second half. I don’t know what Bruce does sometimes at half time but this isn’t the first time we have totally fallen apart.
I think he told them to try and manage the game because the defence dropped deeper than the titanic and they started piss farting around, but ultimately weren't good enough. We've got one ball playing cb and he can't get a game
Schar I don't understand why he's not in the back 3. I don't understand why Bruce seems to freeze out cbs that can play, but tries to get the Cloggers to play around at the back
from the PGMOL website ==================================================== What contact equals a foul? Clubs were surveyed by the Premier League in March about VAR, and the feedback from there as well as lessons from the past two seasons have informed Riley and PGMOL about what sort of contact constitutes a foul. "The experience we have had over the last couple of seasons is that the Premier League is all about competitive and compelling contact," Riley says. "We've lost a bit of that contact sport, probably because of the intervention of VAR. The experience of the Euros has shown that people will appreciate it if you allow the game to flow, if you accept that some small contacts just aren’t fouls; they are part of the game. "And the feedback we've had from clubs and players is to raise that threshold, so referees don't go forensically looking for minute contact but consider three factors: is there clear and proper contact? Does that contact have a consequence - does it make somebody fall over? Or is the motivation of the player to use that little contact to go down? "So if you have clear contact with clear consequences, that is what you penalise, but leave the small things alone, on the pitch and in the VAR Hub." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I would love Atkinson and Riley to come out and explain this one
At 1st I thought nailed on pen, but I wasn't surprised var didn't overturn it This season fans and particularly the lesser clubs are going to be reminded my VAR was good for them last season. Bigger teams get more chances and thus get more opportunities to dive, get soft pens and more offside calls ruled in favour of the attacking side
They deserved to win, just looked to carry more threat and their central midfield and wide areas were the difference. They actually look a very good side, got some really good players. Never a pen in a million years but you do see them given. I suppose the biggest disappointment is to have VAR review it and still see it given. Probably a shred of doubt there though, and its probably easier to not reverse a refs decision on the opening day. He clearly looked to play the ball, the only query would be if you could have seen it from the other side, did Murphy's leg connect with the West Ham lad before he played the ball off him. It didn't look like it but the angle was funny. Hayden was shocking again, particularly with the ball. Same with Murphy. Shelvey played only 15mins at the start when he was closing the ball. Then stopped trying as usual. He killed us again. Ritchie did quite well first half, he'd have been better off staying in the dressing room. Jekyll and Hyde. Take Murphy's goal out of it, he was awful His control and passing of the ball is sub standard. Our main deficiencies were cruelly exposed. Got to credit West Ham and Moyes, tactically exploited. ASM came deeper and deeper for the ball because the midfield sat further and further back. Then when he loses it they're onto us with Hayden providing zero cover in front of the defence. Bruce/Jones tactical plan to overcome Shelvey's laziness appears to be to ask him play like a quarter back, and get Hayden to do his running. Problem is Hayden arrives further forward and can't find a black and white shirt. Murphy and Ritchies forward balls quality wise, hopeless. Sadly without further reinforcements, it looks like lower half finish for us. That midfield cannot compete. Those two wing backs and our full backs cannot compete. We look a threat up top. I also would leave if I was Schar and Krafth was getting picked - unless he's not quite fit that's a joke.
I agree on this entirely and I'd like to add that there was I think an instruction from management to try and take the sting out the game at the start of the 2nd half. It was a game on a knife edge, so that instruction lead to a total landslide in favour of the side that was told to keep going fwd... Essentially all the things you mentioned and the fact moyes didn't bottle it turned the tide dramatically.
That would be a valid tactic if you have had technical players good with the ball. You can suck them on while not under threat. However when you are deep and they have the ball, its curtains. Pretty amateur from our management/coaching team. When you have Hayden, Murphy, then Shelvey not trying and Ritchie deciding to not turn out, it'll quickly just become you being very deep. Either the management overrate the players we have, or are unable to see why we can't do that. We'd have been better off playing a high line, and trying to squeeze the game that way. Accepted the risk. Worryingly, Willock only partially helps the issue. We really must get someone who can sit in front of the defence and provide protection. That will allow us to free ASM properly. They must be able to use the football properly too. I'd say we are stuck in the wide areas with the full back's/wing backs. Its not all gonna get sorted. I still think we stay up mind, they are a canny side.
Let's face it if anything they'll loan a cb.. The club simply will not address the cm issue enough and Bruce's actually making the defense worse on top of that. I think they'll stay up, but I think we're going to get thumped quite alot which hasn't been the case for years thanks to rafas work. Whether people liked it or not they're going to see why it was a good thing this season. It was entertaining yesterday but painful
All fair but correct. The problem is still the Shelvey and Hayden show. The world of football has moved on from Hollywood passes (Shelvey) and crunching tackles (Hayden). And Willock isn’t the answer. He is part of the solution but we really need a proper solid CM to play alongside Willock. It all knits when you have a good midfield.
