Match Day Thread Watford v Hull City

[NewcastleTiger]

Interesting and surprising claim. You wouldn't have known it from his performances on the pitch. He was always available, always stood up to a challenge and was really reliable defending the back post under pressure.

I've always wondered why Rosenior wanted rid of him, it never really made sense to me and as others have said, we've not improved on him since. If what you say is true then maybe that's why.

Heard it from a former Derby director. You’re very correct in how he carried himself on the pitch but off it’s he’s shocking

 

[NewcastleTiger]

That was belloumi too wasnt it?

Yep

 

[Walter Sobchak]

The only style of football I really dislike is the tiki taka side to side boring impression of Man City that some teams like to play.

Aside from that I’m not bothered.

What I really like is a team that is together and looks like they’re in the trenches for each other. It just seems to help knit the club, players and fans together.

Selles had achieved this which is why I’m on board with him as manager. Watford however was the antithesis of this which is worrying.

 

[NewcastleTiger]

Pedro has only been assisted twice by wide players in his 6 goals. He’s clearly a poacher type in the box as per his 4 other goals and Belloumi finish, but the service really is the issue. Not the strikers imo

 

[Blaknamberblood]

I think we are one of the better teams in the league at playing out from the back. We no longer ‘invite the press’ and hold onto the ball forever, we make the pass forward when possible. All our defenders and goalkeeper are comfortable in possession.

Alzate had brought composure to the middle of the pitch which helps this ball retention further.

Our biggest issue is that we lost our wide men capable of going past a player. Gelhardt does it to an extent but losing Millar, Belloumi and Barry has robbed us of getting at teams. Pedro has had to feed off scraps as a result.

If we stay up we don’t need a massive rebuild. Get Barry back, and get the other wingers 2 fit. Bring in 2 new first choice full backs a new striker and I don’t think we’d be far off being done. 4 key signings and then just buy elsewhere if it improves on what we’ve already got.

While I agree with the majority of what you've said I also think there is a need for creative midfielder who can see and pick a pass through defences, although I do accept that if we get our wide men back there'll be more options to pass to.

 

[Drew]

One thing I would say in support of Selles in relation to our boring and depressing football of late is that this is how it often goes when a manager has to turn around a crap team. That first season often is about tightening things up and getting results without being adventurous. Then after a proper summer they open up a bit. Rosenior was very much that way. I certainly agree that it's been pretty crap to watch lately (arguably for a long time in fact) but I think the job to judge him on now is simply keeping us up. Once he does that, we can then start judging him by the quality and expansiveness of the football from next season.

Im pretty sure Reading fans said this about Selles too. He made them solid in his first season and kicked on in his next.

 

[NewcastleTiger]

Im pretty sure Reading fans said this about Selles too. He made them solid in his first season and kicked on in his next.

I don’t get this desire for us to be a super entertaining watch when we are at the bottom. We need points, what we’ve managed to do in 7 of the last 10. That’s what will keep us up, not playing fast free flowing super risky football. Selles is doing his job admirably

 

[cheshireles]

Im pretty sure Reading fans said this about Selles too. He made them solid in his first season and kicked on in his next.

A couple of decent wing backs and a proven striker along with those returning from being injured, and we'll be in a good place, provided we can avoid relegation. Certainly better than last Summer when the squad overhaul was frankly too much in too little time and we're suffering in part as a result. Icing on the cake would be a bit more experience, some grit and physical presence in midfield, along with removing the captaincy from Coyle. Club captain yes all day long, team captain absolutely not.

 

[Blaknamberblood]

A couple of decent wing backs and a proven striker along with those returning from being injured, and we'll be in a good place, provided we can avoid relegation. Certainly better than last Summer when the squad overhaul was frankly too much in too little time and we're suffering in part as a result. Icing on the cake would be a bit more experience, some grit and physical presence in midfield, along with removing the captaincy from Coyle. Club captain yes all day long, team captain absolutely not.

Think Hughes will be installed very soon as captain, he seems to have all the attributes

 

[Kalman II]

Think Hughes will be installed very soon as captain, he seems to have all the attributes

Hughes as team captain for next season would be the right move. Age doesn’t matter. He already shows lots of good leadership qualities. Sunderland have O’Nien as club captain and Neil as team captain. Can’t see why we can’t have Coyle in a ceremonial club captain role and Hughes as the leader on the pitch.

 

[willyfog]

While I agree with the majority of what you've said I also think there is a need for creative midfielder who can see and pick a pass through defences, although I do accept that if we get our wide men back there'll be more options to pass to.

Its hard to say how effective Palmer and Gelhardt might be in that role when we haven’t got any pace out wide or up front to trouble the opposition.

Our opponents defence can defend high and narrow and reduce the space available to play. If we still had Belloumi and Millar their full backs would sit a bit deeper and allow more space in front of their back 4.

 

[Evington]

I probably need a reset or whatever the parlance of our times is, but I struggle to watch City on TV these days - too stressful.

At the games, it's fine (ish) - but on TV is really a tough watch for me

I'm the same. I haven't been to a match all season but watching on tv I get very (very) frustrated/annoyed/disappointed, whereas I can just watch with the odd comment if it's live. Not sure if it's me or we are just **** this season but I certainly enjoyed watching us live last season (bring back Liam ).

 

[kingstontiger]

Think the debate on here since last night has been interesting (unlike the normal over-reaction to a defeat on Twitter) but one thing that gets me is the comment from some, every time we lose , that the team lacks commitment or doesn't care. I think the team works hard every game under Selles, particularly away from home. There's a significant lack of creativity in the final third, but the idea that the majority of the players don't care just seems a lazy comment to me.

 

[Benjo]

Think the debate on here since last night has been interesting (unlike the normal over-reaction to a defeat on Twitter) but one thing that gets me is the comment from some, every time we lose , that the team lacks commitment or doesn't care. I think the team works hard every game under Selles, particularly away from home. There's a significant lack of creativity in the final third, but the idea that the majority of the players don't care just seems a lazy comment to me.

I agree with this but think it goes even deeper. The players you'd assume care the most seem to be have been consistently poor across the season. You'd have to imagine the likes of Coyle and Slater etc bleed black and amber, yet we've rarely been able to depend on them this season and its often been their mistakes which have been costly. It's as if their heads have gone under the pressure.

Pedro would be your classic journeyman in theory but he clearly gives a ****. Same probably for Gelhardt who's got little riding on our season too. I do think the players care. Perhaps a little too much for some of them that have become such a part of the club.

What we're not showing is 'fight' AKA bravery. Not making runs, not making progressive passes. It's often very 'Rosenior' but without the level of quality up top we had last season.

 

[bradymk2]

was it steven toast who last season was on about josh murphy on a free?

well as we know, he went to portsmouth on a free and this season he has 7 goals.. 10 assists
wish we had one of them

 

[Drew]

was it steven toast who last season was on about josh murphy on a free?

well as we know, he went to portsmouth on a free and this season he has 7 goals.. 10 assists
wish we had one of them

There was a lot on here and Twitter not happy when we were linked with Josh Windass in the summer too. We’d definitely have been better with him in the team this season.

 

[TIGERSCAVE]

If ya read my post in particular the highlighted part by you I said ' we CAN get out of this through hard work and graft' not we WILL. The results we've picked up most recently hasn't been through skill levels, we've hung in games long enough to pinch them, that's what I was alluding to, my fear is the lack of creativity, which emphasises how very little chances we get per game, which in turn leads to snatching of chances. Whether we will get out of it is down to the player.

I was agreeing with what you said BAB

 

[Gone For A Walk]

I don’t get this desire for us to be a super entertaining watch when we are at the bottom. We need points, what we’ve managed to do in 7 of the last 10. That’s what will keep us up, not playing fast free flowing super risky football. Selles is doing his job admirably

It's not about being super entertaining to watch. Is anybody actually saying that? I doubt anybody is 'needing' to see us be that at the moment.
It is though about scoring enough goals. We've scored 1 last gasp wonder goal in our last 3 games. 2 goals in our last 4 games. We should be improving, not going backwards. That goal scoring form isn't likely to be enough. (and not meaning the issue is all 'simply' about the lack of a goal scorer; as others have said, it's just as much about our attacking play / final ball / creativity / decision making / etc in general).

 

[mazzer]

Our recruitment has been terrible 2-3 million on full backs that will probs never play for us again.

We may as well kept Callum Elder as left back and saved 4 million spent on Giles

 

[mazzer]

I think we are one of the better teams in the league at playing out from the back. We no longer ‘invite the press’ and hold onto the ball forever, we make the pass forward when possible. All our defenders and goalkeeper are comfortable in possession.

Alzate had brought composure to the middle of the pitch which helps this ball retention further.

Our biggest issue is that we lost our wide men capable of going past a player. Gelhardt does it to an extent but losing Millar, Belloumi and Barry has robbed us of getting at teams. Pedro has had to feed off scraps as a result.

If we stay up we don’t need a massive rebuild. Get Barry back, and get the other wingers 2 fit. Bring in 2 new first choice full backs a new striker and I don’t think we’d be far off being done. 4 key signings and then just buy elsewhere if it improves on what we’ve already got.

What is the latest regarding Barry.