That's how it looked to me today. That said if we can get the service to these two, they will be a lethal partnership.
A tad over reaction here. we played well in parts in what was an experimental formation in a FRIENDLY game against an established top team...It was a good workout that lessons were learned that can be taken on board. Chelsea,everton liverpool have all lost games experimenting this pe season so are they in trouble as well. stop overreacting and look at the game as it was meant to be. Results does not matter like i keep on saying whether we win lose or draw. It was a good work out against a top team..
I like you optimism - but I thinking it is misplace. Let's be honest that was appalling, on pretty much every level. The line up for their corners in particular was hilarious.
Agree 100% Though why move monk upstairs ? he has basically zero coaching experience, doesn't even have all his badges either if memory serves me well! its sink or swim for monk IMO , if he fooks all this up it will need to be bye bye and his wife can eventually move away from the city she doesn't like. You don't make massive changes to formations one week before the season starts! you maybe try one or two tactical things but at this stage its about fine tuning not trying to re invent the wheel! all he will do is make it take longer for the new lads to gel into the team. Also, why only 2 subs ? and why stick to a system that was clear to everyone after 20mins that it wasnt going to work! Could this just be a bad day at the office against a very good team? maybe, but i remember us playing just like villareal not so long back, now we are playing more like bloody stoke or west ham! I think many are a bit shocked by what they saw today, i dont think anyone expected such an inept display, not so much from the players but from the formation and tactical side of things.
I hope your right Dai and that we never see that formation or set up ever again, because if we do that next week, we will be humiliated and could be on the end of a 6 or 7 niller.
Bony. ended up trying to win the ball on the edge of his own box and Rangel was left to patrol the whole of the left hand side of the pitch on his own. I expect Wilfried be be hammering on the. chairman's door demanding a transfer. Jonjo looked like he wanted to make an effort too.
Why Monk felt that a 4 4 2 formation would work against a competent Spanish side is impossible to imagine. But the major criticism is that nothing was done to change the formation until the match was almost over - it should have been changed shortly after the first goal. There was only one decent shot at goal from Swansea all game long. Thank goodness for Fabianski or else it could have been a lot worse. I couldn't see if Pep Clotet was there - I assume so - and probably thinking to himself he'll be manager of a Premier League club very shortly.
Also - it was an ideal time to give some of the players on the bench game time - Villareal did. The substitutes couldn't have played much worse than the starting line-up. Although having said that the fundamental problem was the formation.
Could be the prophetic statement of the season. Could it be that this is the life-vest that HJ thinks that he's wearing. In other words something along the lines of ..... Give Monk a month and enough rope to hang himself .... then exit Monk, step-up Pep.
