Match Day Thread Watford v Hull City

5 yellows today, 5 v Southampton, this could cost us before long. It also smacks of defensive problems to be solved and a bit of indiscipline in the ranks.

 

Not sure there was any genuine interest from the prem.

Nor will there be at this rate.

 

Have to agree. Miles off it, though I heard something about West Ham, but the source was probably the milkman or the itk taxi driver who once took a bloke to the MKM and reckoned he overheard a telephone conversation between him and an agent.

 

14 conceded after 7...You don't have to be Carol Vorderman to work out the mean. 17 after 8 if you count the Wrexham game. We can't defend for toffee.

 

The West Ham link was a load of bollox, simples

 

'Team showed great character' - reaction
Watford manager Paolo Pezzolano told BBC Three Counties Radio:

"The team showed great character, attitude, and consistency in so many moments of the game.

"We have been trying to work on getting the players moving up front more, and I was pleased with today because we showed that.

"I believe in making sure that we are physically able to keep repeating efforts and can overcome any mental tiredness we might feel in games.

"We want to keep the same energy we used to turn this result around in the following games.

"What is important for us is to continue working to keep the fans happy. In life it is about keeping going and overcoming the difficult moments."

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03:45
Media caption,
Paulo Pezzolano: 'The team showed great character' (BBC Three Counties Radio)

Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside:

"There was too big a difference between the first and second half and that needs to improve.

"In my opinion we were the much better team and we had a couple of chances to score a second or third, and we didn't do that.

"We knew they would react in the second half but I never felt we were under pressure, but both goals we could have defended better.

"When we lose the ball they are really dangerous – maybe the best in the league. But we were very poor in the second half, I do not know why."

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08:03
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Jakirovic: 'The second half was very poor'

 

Listened on the rad....At one point we had the ball on the edge of their box and it ended up back with Pandur...I did wonder if it was a sneaky rerun of a commentary from a game when Walter was around. No. It was today.. So much for the attacking football!!

 

At least three today were for cynical fouls to break up play because we were getting overrun, it’s definitely linked to our poor defence.

 

He’s done more than Akintola.

 

I thought Akintola looked decent previously. Very direct, offers something different, has pace... Definitely an option worth having, at least to bring on as a sub. Not a world beater but an actual winger to have in the side. But he was ****e today. As were the other subs.

 

The defensive issues need to improve and quickly. This is why I said a clean sheet would’ve done a world of good against Southampton.

I’m not sure if it’s tactical or just individual errors. We’re **** at defending set pieces and that would suggest an issue with how the coaching staff are setting them up. But then I look at the goals and chances today and it’s just sloppy mistakes by players. Their first was because Egan was indecisive about getting to the ball first and let their forward bring it down and cut it back to Louza in the box. The second was just more ****e defending at set pieces/crosses that we’ve seen in almost every game.

I like Jakirović and things are clicking in certain respects. We’re creating and scoring a lot more which is a positive. We’re just crap defensively. Gone from one extreme to the other. I’d be more concerned if we weren’t scoring and conceding at the rate we are.

 

Wonder if it’s the relationship between Jakirovic and Holden when it comes to attacking and defending on the pitch, rather than taking the back 4 through defensive drills

 

Can't quite make my mind up as to whether our defensive frailty is a result of our more attacking approach meaning we're giving the opposition more of the ball, or whether it's about, dare I say it, not having 2 such reliable centre backs as Jones and Mcloughlin. I think it's a bit of both. Also think the fact we're basically playing 4-4-2 or at times 4-2-4 is putting a lot of pressure on the 2 midfielders. Felt we struggled for pace there today.

 

Still have absolutely no idea where this season is going. Decent, **** or somewhere in between?

 

Not having as much of the ball is one factor. Against Oxford when we had 75% possession, they didn’t have a sniff apart from the two goals from a cross or long throw.

Positioning at set pieces and crosses seems to be a big issue. I also think we can be too aggressive at times. Hughes steps up out of position a lot. If he wins the ball then that’s great but if he misses the tackle or the ball ricochets to another opposition player then there’s a huge gap in our defensive line. Greaves used to do this a lot too before his last season. Knowing when to step up and when to hold the line is something Hughes will have to learn. This also applies to the midfield. We’ve tried several combinations so far but off the ball, all the midfielders seem to want to join the press. One of them just needs to stay back in front of the back four.

 

Inconsistent lower mid table I reckon

 

Anyone post the goals ta

 

We look a lot better with Hadziahmetovic on the pitch. I'm not sure if it's because games open up more closer to the end or if we lose a player with the ability to break their play up when he gets subbed off.

Southampton scored after he went off. Watford levelled with him still on the pitch today but really seemed to take control after he went off and then bagged their second after successful pressure and a few set pieces.

As for defensive frailties, the majority seem to be individual errors to me. For the amount McBurnie and co are giving us up front, we're giving just as much to the opposition at the back with some poor decision making and lapses in concentration. Piling pressure on ourselves unnecessarily will only fire other teams up. That back pass from Slater today when we were chasing the game... Pandur got there and sorted it thankfully, but it shows the other team we're rattled, or shaky. **** like that gives them confidence and knocks ours.

Still, unlucky today. If McBurnie's shot that hit the post had gone anywhere between 4 inches and 4 feet to the left we'd have been 2-0 up and I don't think they'd have come back from that. There's a lot of psychology at play and that second half we essentially brain farted ourselves into a bit of a coma.

 

See Jones is keeping his place in table topping Middlesbrough. Poor decision?

 

Yes