Watford v Cardiff.

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I've waited all day to put something down about yesterdays debacle - for the whole month of November I have been saying if only this and if only that - but the boo's at the end says i all. The players aren't a team and to my mind they are becoming more separated by the week. Jokanovic is the manager and it is therefore his job to get them working as a team but he isn't doing it. Add to that Vydra looked like he's lost all confidence - he was clear on goal late on in the first half but cut inside instead of trying instinctively for goal and therefore missed the chance of an equaliser. God knows what Bassong and Paredes were doing but it wasn't pretty. Gomez too lacks confidence and Deeney tries but can't buy a goal at the moment. All of these should be sorted by the manager but instead each week they get worse. For me Fessi and Oghalo should have started given they have been the better strikers of late and I can't understand why they didn't. All in all the manager needs to taker charge - but I wonder if there is too much player power and he can't get over it. After all it was player power which lead to Saninio's sack because they didn't like him calling the shots - is Jokanovic too aware of this and therefore taking a back seat rather then trying to sort things out as a manager?
 
A very disappointing game that revealed a lot. Abdi is not the midfield maestro he was two seasons ago. Vydra is missing chances this season he would have scored with ease two seasons ago. Deeney is not suited to be captain--he wastes his energy arguing with the ref. Paredes is a dreadful defender and flatters to deceive as an attacker. Anya is too lightweight and is poor with his final ball.

So much for the players--what about the manager? They say a team reflects the personality of the manager on the pitch, for good or ill. Recall the Zola season? The team played with a smile, and we saw brilliant football, in his image. Graham Taylor? His team was like him--honest, hard working, professional, united, a bit of magic. If by some miracle Jokanovic got this side promoted, would we give him much credit for his contribution? I cannot imagine ever naming a stand after him. No charisma , does not inspire confidence in the fans (the players?) hard to fathom his tactics or team choices (actually hard to understand them when he tries to "explain" them post-match). Dour, fixated on "control" when he should be fixated on "attack" with this squad. Five more games takes us to Dec 28th. That is long enough for a decision on his future.
 
yellotoyou said:
The players aren't a team and to my mind they are becoming more separated by the week...
Jokanovic is the manager and it is therefore his job to get them working as a team but he isn't doing it...
All in all the manager needs to take charge...
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Compare and contrast Eddie Howe's generally mediocre (for the Championship) players and what serious organisation and quality leadership can do for you. I think it's a question of vision. Usually it is the manager's vision, not the owner's, that is important.
I'm not doubting the Pozzos - they have infinitely more experience than me and they are not 'chancers' like a couple of our recent owners. Is it that we need to find a manager whose vision is the same as our owners', rather than just buying into it (without really feeling and understanding it) to get the job?
 
brian_66_usa said:
it takes time for any manager to get to know his players .
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I agree. I'm a big fan of leaving well alone and riding through bad patches if you have the right fella. e.g. Lewington. But, there has to be a point where enough is enough. Just when does a good board relieve a manager of the reins, though? It's an interesting point. Not just because we're going through a bad patch, when do results indicate that you don't have the right fella?
 
Just back on line....

What a disappointing game.....


so much promise,, a soft goal conceded, loads of possession, and so many chances mistaken.

WO article says it all:

"They lost belief, seemed to run out of ideas, and their efforts to get back on terms turned from relatively incisive to increasingly futile, with wayward shots becoming a growing feature of their play. "

I feel it is unfair to blame individual players..... I think we played to a system that did not work in the box ultimately and we paid a price.... plus lots of missed shots, some of which were dreadful.

Cardiff took a soft goal then sat back and defended en masse..... Not the best for a team like ours relying on fast counter-attacks and incisive runs.


Very disappointing.....
 
Paredes admitted himself he wasn't really a defender - said he was more of a winger/wing back.

Also i doubt he has played in such a physical league.
 
Well done to Jokanovic for changing to a formation that he thought suits the team better rather than sticking to one that wasn;t really working with the players we have. By the sounds of it, we just came up against a keeper on form, with an attack a bit low on confidence. We always seem capable of conceding though, no matter who makes up the defence - it's been like that for a while. Not sure Gomes fills the defence with a great deal of confidence either

The manager does seem to be learning though... it will take him a while to work out the best players and in what formation, and although the results don't match that just yet, it took Zola a while at the start too!
 
SalisburyKev said:
Well done to Jokanovic for changing to a formation that he thought suits the team better rather than sticking to one that wasn;t really working with the players we have. By the sounds of it, we just came up against a keeper on form, with an attack a bit low on confidence. We always seem capable of conceding though, no matter who makes up the defence - it's been like that for a while. Not sure Gomes fills the defence with a great deal of confidence either

The manager does seem to be learning though... it will take him a while to work out the best players and in what formation, and although the results don't match that just yet, it took Zola a while at the start too!
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Kev... I don't think much was down to their keeper.... we couldn't finish... it was getting embarrassing.... <ok>
 
The stats say we had 73% of possession - AND WE STILL CAN'T SCORE!! - says it all really - something is very very wrong in my view. I always thought Saninio left/got the sack due to player power but not sure where it came from - thought it was the talk at the time. Anyway well have to see what December brings but if it brings more of Saturday then don't think we'll be going to the Premiership under Jokanovic. His record is getting worse by the week and his managerial qualities seem to be lacking in this league. I don't think its a case of players getting used to him etc. after all these players have been together (generally) since the start of the season and many since last season - so regardless of the manager surely even they of limited imagination can think about playing together as a team! Plus its not a case of things will improve - things are getting worse by the week not better - at least under Saninio and others we were scoring goals and not trying to pass the ball around anywhere but in front of goal. Now we aren't even looking like scoring. Yes Marshall looked quite good in goal - but over 90 minutes with 73% possession even we should have scored!!
 
Being unlucky not to score is acceptable if it was just once but now four times and more - its becoming a habit and one the manager needs to be doing something about - but having sat through the last two home games and heard about the last two away games - nothing seems to be changing - he plays players who have lost confidence (ie Vydra) and drops those who do seem to have some spark (ie Oghalo).
 
yorkshirehornet said:
Kev... I don't think much was down to their keeper.... we couldn't finish... it was getting embarrassing.... <ok>
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Ok I went by stats and people saying their keeper was man of the match

It does seem it was just 'one of those games' where we created plenty but just couldn't score. On another day we would have got 3 or 4. Doesn't help they get a goal like that, then just set up to try to contain us - and even doing that we still created a number of opportunities, which surely is positive...

I hope the manager keeps the formation. It was a new one for some of the team, and it wasn't as if we were outplayed. For me, nothing to get too concerned about... yet
 
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