Yeah I've been confused about it since the start of the season, I don't necessarily disagree with changing the system, but personnel-wise we practically doubled down on our existing one, but who knows what the discussions and plans were about it. Either way we've hardly seen the possible benefits even if the squad was more suited. *shrugs*
I completely agree with you that this is the board's fault, but Puel has failed to get any oomph or passion out of this team...
I partly agree, but the same squad got us to Wembley by playing some great football against some good teams. I,just don't know why the league form has been so terrible.
I mean we set up like that from the off, and before West Ham equalised. Fair enough if we tried to push up but sunk back under pressure, but we never did. Like I said I would have more of a benefit of the doubt if it wasn't such basic concepts not even looking intended to be implemented. Players tracking certain players man for man, the height of the defensive line, the trigger point for a press etc. We didn't try to do these things and failed, we just never tried.
Just looked at the fixture list and can only see home draws and away defeats. 9 points max. 40 points looks a long way off.
I still see it as 3 mistakes and 3 goals. That is what cost us in the end. Forster is so slow at diving. I see it as finally our transfer policy has come back to bite us. Puel is partly to blame, but he has been dealt a **** hand.
The board have so badly ****ed up by not bringing in a CB I'm starting to worry about relegation. With VVD out we look so susceptible to conceding and we don't score enough to counter that. Getting to the final is a smokescreen that hides how bad our form is.
First time this season I am starting to question whether we are in, or on the verge of a relegation fight? Longest injury list in the league, played the most games out of everyone in the league and we still have the top 6 to play... a defeat to Sunderland next weekend and things will start to look very bleak!
Can't Van Dijk just use a pair of crutches to get around the pitch? Is there rules against that sort of thing?
Cos most teams didn't give a **** about the EFL. Liverpool tried, but they weren't that fussed about loosing. Has anyone explained to Les n Claude that we don't get a get out of jail card for winning the three handled cup...
I do too, but if you go into a sword fight with one arm tied behind your back and then stab yourself in the foot, you still shouldn't have gone into the fight with an arm tied behind your back. And also the first goal can be fairly directly tied to our depth and allowance of West Ham possession, even though Maya was dragged far too wide regardless.
We probably won't be relegated this season. We could absolutely be relegated next. Big, big summer coming up. Time for the board to show some balls. West Ham were not that good today. We were ****ing dreadful.
Also, Forster is costing us far too many points this season. I wouldn't be surprised if Hassan gets a run after the cup final.
Completely agree that Puel is getting no help off the board, but the players are underperforming massively and that has to be partly down to Claude. Also, we're just so easy to defend against, we do the same **** in every passage of play. Tactics are to blame, poor transfer business is to blame. Whatever happens manager-wise in the summmer, the board also have a lot of work to do to ensure we don't go down. Take Virgil and Bertrand away next summer and we're in for a hell of a long season.
Well that was terrible. Though West Ham deserve credit, thought they looked much more like last years team to me. I think anyone not concerned about being dragged into a relagation battle is living in dream land personally. Not saying we will go down, but can certainly see us being dragged into it. We're the WORST team in the league currently, and that's fact, not opinion. My main concern is that against any well organised team we are toothless as ****. That was fine when our defence was good. But because of this last month, I can't see us keeping many (if any?) clean sheets. I don't need to explain how that combination is a recipe for the disaster. Added to that... the fact that Hull, Swansea and Sunderland are all starting to pick up points and I'm starting to get VERY concerned. How many people see us winning at Sunderland? The blueprint for bottom half teams to beat us is very clear. I just hope Claude and the players aren't thinking we're already safe. If so, we're in more trouble than I thought... Quite frankly, if I was CP the first thing I'd do Monday morning is tell the squad we're in a relegation battle and that they need to fight to make sure it doesn't happen. Finally, up the ****ing Saints!
