Been out all afternoon watching the Ospreys Select XV play London Irish so haven't followed what has happened. We need 4 points from the next 2 matches & we need to build from there.
In our first 8 games we've played 4 of the top 5 teams in the league along with the champions away and saints away. That must be one of the toughest starts to a premier league season ever. Looking forward to a few games now where we have a more favourable chance of getting a result.
I hope he's given some players a look today to see if they can cut it rather than it be his 1st choice 11. As I've said, Taylor and Fernández should be nowhere near the first team. VDH brought a calmness to the defence thats totally gone in this game. Needs to come back. Amat played well the last few games but looks awful alongside Fernández. Shambles. Ki was terrible, what's happened to him? Fallen apart. Routledge was a bystander, Cork the same and didn't read the game well enough. Fer was his lazy self without the ball. All in all not good although we can't really expect much at Arsenal realistically even taking in to account our previous wins there. That said, we had chances and that Gylfi chance is 1 I'd have bet my house on him scoring. His goal was harder. Hopefully next week sees VDH, Baston, Kingsley and maybe Fulton getting starts. Must win games on Bradley needs to sort it out quick.
We created enough chanced didn't we? Another shoulda woulda coulda game. Dissapointing but Bobs tenure starts next week. Team did all they could but anything they did was balked by the number of times Fer, Taylor and Ki, when he came on, lost or gave the ball away. We seemed to play with a gaping hole in our midfield which didn't help either. The hole seemed to move very slowly but always corresponded to wherever Fer happened to be plodding at the time. Very poor game too from Fernandez, no surprise there Poor from Taylor and Routledge whom were carried by Barrow and Sigurson. The rest of the team just filled in and did what they could when they could. Its hard enough to win games at this level with 11 players but now we seem to be carrying two, three or more players every game, its no wonder we're in the bottom three now. Most of all though, I was very dissapointed with Bradley, who after all his talk and bravardo, selected a substandard team, he looked out of his depth today. I hope its just first game nerves but next week he has to be more asstute in his selection His honeymoon's over, his season starts with Watford next week, we need to do better.
Good enough to build on? We were an absolute joke for 70mins today, unless we are building for the Championship.
If West Ham get a draw today it will leave us bottom but 1. When you think about those 4-0 defeats Stoke have had, they've still managed to be above us.
But at the same time Stoke have had Sunderland home, West Brom home and Hull home. With Boro and palace away. Definitely a more favourable run of games compared to us, yet were still in touching distance of them.
Looking at the stats it's a marked improvement that we can definitely improve on and not a bad introduction to the premiership for BOB the Builder. We scored 2 goals as well and not many teams will do that at Arsenal this season.... The stats for today were nearly identical and that is encouraging for Bob's first game in charge and to do that against the giants at Arsenal fills me with confidence that we will get better under Bobs guidance......i said we would lose 2-0 so losing 3-2 is better than i thought... very optimistic....
I tend to agree with Stumpy - but would be less harsh on Bradley. As he says, let's give him a few games. It's definitely a must win v Watford though. I'd love to see Montero and Barrow start, and Bradley has a reputation as an attack minded manager so let's see it!
[QUOTE="swans-m, post: "Looking forward to a few games now where we have a more favourable chance of getting a result." Like Hull, for instance.
Watford is the acid test - lose that and the downward spiral may be unstoppable ...... ..... but I think we will win
Swans' are bottom but one as I type. Who would have thought it possible. I wonder how many of the Laudrup haters would like to turn the clock back ? You reap what you sow.
Vetch - in many respects we find ourselves in our current predicament due to a combination of poor transfer dealings over several windows and the appointment of Managers who would acquiesce to the Chairman. I suspect that Laudrup would be long gone - by his own volition - even if Huw hadn't decided to remove him Just my opinion!
A mad game Arsenal could have run away with it but to keep it to 3_2 at the end was not bad going comparing how both teams are doing so far ! Lot of work to do but hopefully the run of games where we normally expect to do better will pay off for once. To soon to judge Bob but it be great if he was the one ! 65% happy.
Turn the clock back and we would be last from bottom in Div one by now if laudcrap was still here....
Give us bob hope or just hope Bob ? Work out what tools you got to work with and use the right tool for the right job and make sure the spares fit the job they need to do at the right time ! Something I'm afraid fran didn't get right that often but he and all the others are yesterday's news now so step up to the plate Bob and hit your critics out of the park or you will be drop kicked out of it with short notice just like the other tryers and chancers before you ! No pressure like !
