Great team selection; tactics and performance. We were so obviously the better team again and should have won by 9 or 10 goals. I was relieved to see the team sheet and see Altidore nowhere near it and even more excited to see the pacy nimble Larsson in central midfield and the goal poacher extraordinaire Ji up front with Wickham. I was so pleased to see Cabral overlooked again as well.
My immediate emotion was one of excitement and anticipation for the victory to come and to watch the sparkling free flowing passing football we all crave.
Okay, then I woke up.
Where was Altidore? Injured? Sick? Or dropped?
What is this fascination with Ji? He is a shocking footballer and offers nothing at all? Would rather have played Mandron with Wickham. Ji is PDC's choice not forced on him.
Why is Cabral suddenly a leper? Where is the likes of Ba?
If MoN had put this team out and served up that utter ****e there would be mass demonstrations on this board and people full of fury venting their spleens at each other.
Where it not for the brilliance of Fletcher who actually looked like a striker and gave us a massive goal threat after 5 months out, today would have been the worst day so far under PDC.
Getting better? Are we **** we are as bad if not worse than under MoN although I'm sure there will be plenty out there offering excuse after excuse.
I raised a thread on Tuesday saying PDC was in trouble and was castigated for it but whether you all like it or not I'll say it again.
We are in trouble and all PDC's after-match interview told me is he has no ideas beyond wanting MORE players (he has brought in 11 already btw) to give him more options to change the team, formation and plan on a game by game basis.
What will be the team against Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd (our next 3 games) is anyone's guess but I'll guarantee you now it wont be the same one for all 3. We have little plan, little thought and no consistency in the thinking. Chopping and changing players from game to game is amateurish behavior, or hauling people off in humiliating fashion may have worked for him in the 3rd division but this is the EPL and I am afraid I have severe doubts he has what it takes to manager at this level at all. In his 10 competitive games his teams have had 4 dismissals; scored 10 goals and conceded 16. 9 points from 30 available and W2/D3/L5 20% win ratio.
In those 10 games we have not exactly played top class team either. Southampton; Stoke; Villa; Fulham; Crystal Palace and the Nags. Only Chelsea, Spurs and Everton were top class teams imo. We look disjointed and tactically poor so far this season and baring a remarkable comeback against a lower league team on Tuesday we would be starring down a barrel right now already this season.
I know I will get the usual stick and grief and no doubt be called a mag or a ****e supporter blah blah blah but we are already in a relegation fight in my mind already and I have massive doubt as to whether PDC has what it takes. PDC has returned 0.9 points per game in his 10 game run and that doesn't equate to many points over 38. I'm not saying that this is how it will all go this season but its clear to even the most loyal and supportive fan that all is not well. PDC is talking a good fight but I'm afraid 1 wonderful derby game should not cloud our judgement that the football is rank. This is his team already as he has brought in 11 of HIS players so we can judge him right now but he isn't picking them or is subbing them at the drop of a hat.
Like I said, if MoN had put out that midfield and paired Ji with Wickham and lost the game 3-1 today he would have been called every name under the sun.
We're in the **** all right and we need to get out the **** asap but our next 5 games are Arsenal, WBA, Liverpool, Man Utd, and Swansea. Thank **** for Swansea as without them we would be bottom right now. Our 6th game is against the filth. I think by the time we play them on the 27th September we will be cut adrift and be firmly entrenched in the dogfight. We had to get off to a decent start this season with the fixture list we were given. We have had a mare of a start imo.
Okay, over to all the abuse I will no doubt get right now....it wont change our position though.
My immediate emotion was one of excitement and anticipation for the victory to come and to watch the sparkling free flowing passing football we all crave.
Okay, then I woke up.
Where was Altidore? Injured? Sick? Or dropped?
What is this fascination with Ji? He is a shocking footballer and offers nothing at all? Would rather have played Mandron with Wickham. Ji is PDC's choice not forced on him.
Why is Cabral suddenly a leper? Where is the likes of Ba?
If MoN had put this team out and served up that utter ****e there would be mass demonstrations on this board and people full of fury venting their spleens at each other.
Where it not for the brilliance of Fletcher who actually looked like a striker and gave us a massive goal threat after 5 months out, today would have been the worst day so far under PDC.
Getting better? Are we **** we are as bad if not worse than under MoN although I'm sure there will be plenty out there offering excuse after excuse.
I raised a thread on Tuesday saying PDC was in trouble and was castigated for it but whether you all like it or not I'll say it again.
We are in trouble and all PDC's after-match interview told me is he has no ideas beyond wanting MORE players (he has brought in 11 already btw) to give him more options to change the team, formation and plan on a game by game basis.
What will be the team against Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd (our next 3 games) is anyone's guess but I'll guarantee you now it wont be the same one for all 3. We have little plan, little thought and no consistency in the thinking. Chopping and changing players from game to game is amateurish behavior, or hauling people off in humiliating fashion may have worked for him in the 3rd division but this is the EPL and I am afraid I have severe doubts he has what it takes to manager at this level at all. In his 10 competitive games his teams have had 4 dismissals; scored 10 goals and conceded 16. 9 points from 30 available and W2/D3/L5 20% win ratio.
In those 10 games we have not exactly played top class team either. Southampton; Stoke; Villa; Fulham; Crystal Palace and the Nags. Only Chelsea, Spurs and Everton were top class teams imo. We look disjointed and tactically poor so far this season and baring a remarkable comeback against a lower league team on Tuesday we would be starring down a barrel right now already this season.
I know I will get the usual stick and grief and no doubt be called a mag or a ****e supporter blah blah blah but we are already in a relegation fight in my mind already and I have massive doubt as to whether PDC has what it takes. PDC has returned 0.9 points per game in his 10 game run and that doesn't equate to many points over 38. I'm not saying that this is how it will all go this season but its clear to even the most loyal and supportive fan that all is not well. PDC is talking a good fight but I'm afraid 1 wonderful derby game should not cloud our judgement that the football is rank. This is his team already as he has brought in 11 of HIS players so we can judge him right now but he isn't picking them or is subbing them at the drop of a hat.
Like I said, if MoN had put out that midfield and paired Ji with Wickham and lost the game 3-1 today he would have been called every name under the sun.
We're in the **** all right and we need to get out the **** asap but our next 5 games are Arsenal, WBA, Liverpool, Man Utd, and Swansea. Thank **** for Swansea as without them we would be bottom right now. Our 6th game is against the filth. I think by the time we play them on the 27th September we will be cut adrift and be firmly entrenched in the dogfight. We had to get off to a decent start this season with the fixture list we were given. We have had a mare of a start imo.
Okay, over to all the abuse I will no doubt get right now....it wont change our position though.