Yesterday there was little more that Dorrans or Redmond could have done. Both got their shots powerfully into the corners. Jerome's one on one needed a bit more composure. But his overhead was an excellent reflex, soon he'll get one. I'm not too disheartened but do think we need to work on our defensive set up. AN seemed very cross with the goal we conceded and I imagine Tettey will here about that a lot on Monday. The statement that people not doing their job won't get in the team sounds like he's on a final chance.
I think there has been more excitement and attacking intent in the first three games than we saw in an entire season under Hughton. However, it's true that we need a real finisher. We should have 7 or even 9 points by now. We can't keep throwing away these chances.
At the start of the season I'd have happily taken 4 points from the first 3 games, however considering the way we've played I can't help thinking we should have had at least 6 points by now. We've played very well for long periods in each of the first 3 games and I'm certainly not more concerned now than I was at the start of the season. Indeed I think I'm slightly happier now than at the start of the season, although the re-occurring theme of controlling games and not scoring does seem to have become a bit of a habit over the last few years.
REALLY??? Most of the "chances" were on target and aside from an amazing performance from their keeper it could've been 3,4 or 5-1. I really don't understand (1st half aside) why the hand wringing, so many attempts on target. Think there were more on target shots than fluffed chances, completely disagree that we weren't taking our chances (during this game). We do still need a GH type striker who's going to get in there not get knocked off the ball etc but it's hardly like the crisis under Voldemort.
We've got one, he's been sat on the bench though. Seriously have people forgotten Hooper's conversion stats.
Well like I said the other day maybe he's on the Grant Holt diet, ie come back after the summer looking rather chunky then get trimmer lol otherwise I'm at a loss, maybe he's just not impressing during the week, is nursing a niggling injury. I can see this rapidly descending into a Becchio situation with the fans before long.
I personally find it quite frustrating that he doesn't get more game time but I know others don't really rate him. Also, who am I to argue with AN?
It'd be interesting if a journo actually asked him instead of banal questions like how do you think you did today? #facepalm
Didn't we have like 28 attempts at goal against Cardiff and some other teams under CH? pretty sure we did, but we just couldn't take those chances. But most games I'll admit was probably negative.
Very frustrating, if we won those games we wouldn't have gone down. I remember it wasn't creating our chances that was the problem, it was taking them.
That's not what I said though. I just said I can't entirely disagree with Merson - we need to win games where we've dominated more often. That's three games and only one win. And it happened under Hughton too, though for different reasons, I accept
I think you have to consider the point(s) Simon Hooper took away from us as well, Rob. Gary Gowers sums this up in his latest article for MFW, concluding with a quote: “We’ve had 58 attempts on goal in 3 games to 23 against. Amazingly dominant. Really deserve to have 9 points. Just think about that. 58 attempts in 3 games. Amazing in the PL.” It's not as if the shots O/T were straight at the keeper. Butland had a blinder and on another day we'd have won that game easily.
That is true, we could do with a bit of luck. The trouble is under Hughton I often felt the whole "luck evens itself up over a season" thing simply wasn't the case - we were so unlucky on a number of occasions with referee decisions and exceptional goalkeeping. Exactly like here. But we had chances beyond that - Jerome's one on one with the keeper where he has to hit the target (if Butland saves that fair enough) and Bradders chance where I think he should have gone with his head not his foot which he skies. So there was a lack of clinical shooting as well. The other thing I think is similar was that a lot of the time we were playing in front of Stoke with not enough movement or options. it was only as they tired that we got in behind or on the break. Fair enough, Stoke defended well with men behind the ball. But tapping it around outside the box with little movement doesn't cut it. That results in long range shots and I'm sorry but I don't think an on target long range shot can fairly count because often they're easily gathered by the keeper (and a fair few of our shots in the stats listed fall into that category IMO). The overall point I'm trying to make is that if you give the goalkeeper a chance to make a save, in the PL you will come across them who do it time and again. We (either) need to be creating more chances where the keeper has no way of saving it and (or) we need to be finishing more of those chances. Don't get me wrong - I'm delighted with our performances and getting more and more confident we'll stay up. We look far better than under Hughton because there's more flexibility and more movement off the ball, more creativity and we are creating more "unsaveable if you hit the target" chances. I'm just saying there's room for improvement beyond just blaming their 'keeper and the ref - and it lies in our finishing IMO (and staying awake at set pieces).
Certainly, but you said lack of clinical finishing, we pretty much did finish clinically against Stoke unfortunately Butland played a blinder that's not our players fault. You can't expect every player to finish clinically every time which seems to be what is being expected of them even world class players fail front of goal. I don't think the ratio to on target well hit shots to fluffed chances was bad at all against Stoke. It's easy for armchair players to watch replays & slow motion etc & rant about how he should have hit that with his other foot or head of chest or whatever, fact is a player has a fraction of a second to decide what to do, how to do it & get it done all whilst trying to second guess opposition players are going to do, I'm surprised they get it right as often as they do tbh.
Did nobody watch Citeh v Chelski last week? Begovic mad three world class saves from Aquero before he finally netted his fourth attempt! I don't hear anyone claiming Citeh need a new striker!
