Top post mate, points are paramount , and one win is worth more than three draws, ( goal difference can also makes it even more at times ) maybe we will see a more adventurous style of game management, substitutions etc, as the season unfolds I certainly hope so. .
I think it’s great that the defensive aspect has clicked so quickly. That’s not just the defenders, but the whole team are defending as a unit really well and will only get better with time. yes we need to do better going forward, that’s not just the attackers but the whole team. How we pass forward to break lines, creates and finish off chances. However, it’s fair enough that it will take time for us to become the finished article given that we have almost an entirely new team. i think we as fans have to show patience and support to the players. The solution is not changing the attackers, but quality coaching to help the team develop. Not directing this at anyone in particular, but we need to not complain too much about individual players because they do read what is said online. Talbi hasn’t scored, but he’s really highly rated and is going to be some player in two years time. Possibly even in two months time. He’s got so much quality and with our development approach, he’s in the perfect place.
Spot on. Some players have started off like trains and others are finding their feet more slowly. All are grafting like **** and playing as a tight-knit team and that's more than alright with me.
And that! It's an exciting time to be a Lads fan...seeing how this group of players develop over the course of the season will be fascinating.
Not done the whole squad thing, but I've looked at average age of starting line ups, vs our opponents so far this season. We were 23.5 opening game, West Ham 27.5. Vs Burnley we were 24.1 they were 26.5, Brentford we were both 24.5, and the Palace game we were 24.7, and they were 27. We have added more experience every game so far, I wonder if that continues (Traore for Talbi?).
I've just finished watching the full 90, I thought we were excellent. Our back four and midfield look as though they have played together for years the way they cover and interchange. Xhaka orchestrates just about everything and Alderete and Reinildo are quality on the ball. Alderete almost finds it too easy and made a couple of unforced errors because he is so relaxed. We seem to have moved to a 4-3-3 out of possession and our high press looks much more effective against the better players in this league. Sadiki and Diarra do phenomenal amounts of work with and without the ball I'm not sure it was a conscious decision to defend the point in the last ten minutes, our changes were necessary because there was some tired legs out there, especially Sadiki. The changes effected our shape, allowing them to get a foot in the game, so yes we had to battle for the point in the end, but so did Palace. We have a very good team and at the moment I feel confident we will give anyone a game. Hopefully in a few more weeks we will have continued our progress and I can feel just as confident then
I think Brobbey looked ropey, but also just lookedwilling to throw himself about for the cause! Think he’ll improve with more game time and fitness. There was a moment near the end when he got it and stuck it in the other half. Similar situation to Talbi v West Ham, but didn’t look at the 2 runners and just got rid. As a team, I think it’s close to the best I’ve seen us since the Reid days! It’s the mist comfortable I’ve felt since then.
I agree Marcus, I wasn't overly impressed, the ball seemed to bounce off him. I don't think he has played much football though and needs to get up to the pace of the Premier League.
brobbey looked scared to hell to be honest, good call giving him minutes away from home...he just needs to find his feet i think.
Reg doesnt throw people in lightly so he must really rate him or hes been class in training or both maybe.
oh aye, the lad has come from a horrible year and last time he went to another country to play he had a bad time (apparently)...i have seen enough clips to show me he has enough in his locker and RLB has seen much more, might take him a few more cameos before he clicks or he could start to light the league up next game, this is the fun part of the new season
How did the Dutch lad look at the end? I had it on a stream while dealing with other things so didn't realise he was on.
Couldn’t have said it much better myself mate. The teams we have struggled to score against are more defensive minded and these teams can be more difficult to break Dow as it normally requires intricate play or explosive play, both of which we need to develop in this league. That said I think the signs are encouraging and these players will become a lot better at breaking these teams down, given some time to work each other out and then they will start to work the opposition out. As you can tell I am excited to see what the next 3 months have in store for us.
Didn't have many good touches which might be due to being a bit low on confidence. From my very limited footballing, I noticed that my touch varied from being very good to poor and was linked to confidence. He'll need support and an arm round the shoulder from fans imo. Definitely got the talent and physique to be a good player for us.
Totally agree mate. With the right coaching I'm hoping he'll be a threat in this league. I'd like to see him him start soon......I don't know why,but I think it's sometimes difficult for some players to make an impact coming off the bench,where the expectancy to produce instantly is elevated. Some thrive on that,I know,but others need a bit of time to get the feel of the game.
We've got to give the players like Brobbey time to adjust and settle into the structure of the team. I take heart from remembering 09's league debut, which was a shocker. Look how he turned out!
