I have no issue with losing to Utd as on gas we give it a go and come away knowing we made them work for the 3 points. Play like we did yesterday, and they will slaughter us. That's the worry here, although I think we will be fine as we cannot play that bad again.
The main theme of this thread in post-mortem has been the setup, shape and quality of play. Looking at it from fitness, strength etc ... would those at the game have any comment on that aspect of our game. How did we compare to the opposition in terms for freshness, sharpness, speed, agility, strength, stamina etc.
Tbh, I thought there was a lack of urgency to close the opposition down when they were on the ball for large parts of the game. That said when we did squeeze them as a unit, we were very effective, just didn't do it enough. Hard to judge fitness and stamina etc as they didn't go full throttle, except Rangel and Gomis and their fitness and stamina looked good.
I have to say that Stumpy's analysis of the game at the end of page 5 is the first I've seen that I don't think I really disagree with in any respect. The level of panic on here at losing to one of the best teams in Spain in a friendly with an unusual formation and injuries is absurd, but that said this game does have to serve as a wake up call tactically for Monk. You're right to identify the dysfunctional Ki-Shelvey partnership as the problem; however I wonder if maybe we are slating these two, particularly Shelvey, for a tactical error beyond their control? I wonder if we'd played three in the middle properly, the third being Siggy, then we'd have better control of the midfield and Siggy would take over as our main creative output, taking the pressure off Shelvey to t**t the ball about inaccurately.
The problem is that they are the same type of player...you always need 1 who has defensive instincts and 1 who is more creative in a 2 man midfield. Doesn't matter what level you are playing at. Should have replaced Canas by now or be playing Jazz there instead. Monk is proving himself, easily, the most incompetent Swansea manager in at least a decade.
[video=youtube;yfAeMtcURg0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfAeMtcURg0&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/video]
Can't argue with you there bob, except I thought Bafe tried but got no support from anywhere and Bony looked rough so I don't know what was going on with him. In general, no one looked as fit as the Spanish but they are a stable team with little change over the last 3-4 seasons., unlike us of course.
Fair enough - my comment was more exasperation towards the post. Rangel worked like a Trojan, Montaro showed flashes but I'd prefer Routledge, Bony and Bafe did give it a go but Bony was back on the edge of his own area looking for the ball. Ten minutes into the second half Wilf looked totally cheesed off and I don't blame him, the midfield was none existent. Thee were quite a few where I sat in the East wanting Villarreal to score a fourth as recognition for the quality of their play. The team in yellow could have been us under 2009 - 2013
What an odd bunch you sit with bob, no one near me wanted a fourth but all were disappointing that we'd been bossed throughout the game. As I said Villareal looked far fitter, and sharper than us, but here's looking forward to next week. Rangel, trojan, not for me. Good in our box, poor in attack. Love him as I do you have to admit he doesn't have the legs at the moment to play wing back. He tried as hard as ever, but he's a yard off the pace now and needs to adjust his game. Just watched Man City lose 3-0 to Arsenal and the sky blues were pathetic but as embarrassing as it was I doubt any were cheering Arsenal on to score a fourth. We must be such a fickle bunch.
Agree with most of your comment here, though if any player was to be dropped it would be Shelvey, his passing is suspect and he's far too ponderous on the ball, not quick enough to move in my view, as for Siggy on the wing, I can only conclude it was due to our Wingers being out. At old Trafford next week you'll see our usual formation with one up front, being Bony with Siggy behind and Dyer Routledge and Leon back in the starting line up. It is going to be a tough call who to start next week up front, after the way Gomis played yesterday, but Bony is our No1 until he leaves!.............
I think the odd bunch (agree) were so disappointed with the team it wasn't like watching the Swans and they just wanted the entertaining team to score. And I have to say that team did not represent anything I consider to be Swansea City ... they just wore the shirts. Rangel worked his socks off with no support, compare that to Ki who lolled about the pitch, Siggy who was anonymous, Williams who couldn't be bothered and Batley who just couldn't! Much has been made of training and how bad it has been in the past and Monk has made big statements about the team training twice a day and how sharp they have been so there can be no reason for yesterday's shocking performance. Has he lost another dressing room, because few were playing for him or the badge. Personally, my overriding reaction was anger. As Ashley Williams said, 'We take the positives out of today. They were a good team.' And there we have it.
I went to the Mestalla in April to watch Valencia play Getafe. To counter the slick passing and pressing of Spanish football it was clear from that match that there was no way you could operate with only 4 in midfield or else you would be overrun - and as soon as the first goal went in yesterday that point was proved. We seem to have gone back to an earlier time with our tactics and formation rather than progressing - an insular approach of what worked in the past instead of what is needed for the future. I don't necessarily blame Monk - how can you have sufficient time and experience to analyse the best of today's football when you have young kids and are expected to put the bins out? And when your experience is based mostly on one team that has climbed from the bottom of the English league system. I have a feeling that our previous managers such as Rodgers and Martinez analyze thoroughly worldwide current trends with the benefit of good international contacts enabling them to visit top teams (in Spain in particular). And when things are going wrong don't you do something about it sooner rather than later? I hoped that the formation would have been altered during the first half - and most certainly at half-time. But the only change I could detect before Bony went off was Siggy giving greater width to the play after half-time. I watched again recently the match versus Arsenal at the Liberty in the first year of being in the Premier League; we started with Sinclair, Graham, Augustien and Caulker. Our current team are surely much better than them. Yet it was a fantastic game where we out-Arsenaled Arsenal. I'm off to Manchester on Saturday - I had hoped we could be a surprise package whilst LVH is still getting Man U to play the way he wants - but now I just hope I don't witness a drubbing. The match yesterday was no preparation for it.
If Monk knows what's good for him, he will stick to the well tried and tested formula of his predecessors Rodgers/Martinez etc, if he thinks 4-4-2 will work, then he will be out sooner than you can say Jack flash!...............
It just seems that monk was a bit afraid to leave one of his star players on the bench and go with the required selection. One from jonjo,ki,siggy,bony or gomis needed to be changed but it took until the 80th minute to do it. That suggests maybe Monk didn/t want to upset any of his senior lads/new signings . I expect he will start with one alone up front next week if he has any sense.
