A mad couple of weeks: Leicester and we woz robbed as deserved to win and at worst a draw Villa we were shocking Norwich we were flying but couldn't score, but battled and got the win Wolves started like Villa, but second half we stood up and battled. Wow another 3 points So for me JM is making some crazy decisions, but the last 2 games the players have pulled him out of the fire. Bamford shouldnt have started. Yes it worked last weekend but to start again a few days later when not fit….. Joffy should have started with Bamford coming off the bench when they tired. Bamford's season over now. Greenwood on? Rodrigo was brilliant again and played a captains innings in the second half. Koch awesome, klaesson was cool and solid, Ayling second half brilliant and Harrison second half after being bollocked by Rodrigo was immense. So the jury is still out but he has back to back wins putting us on 29 points and7 above the drop zone. 4 goals scored in the last two games. 50% win ratio which should have been 75%. The players are bouncing and together. That win was against a top 6 club and just maybe the players are buying into the new man?
Leicester was the new coach bounce, far too soon after his appointment to say it was down to him. Villa was a worry, truly awful. Norwich the worst team in the division, one of the worst teams ever. Today was several layers of Anaglypta papering over almighty cracks. We will never be gifted another three points like that. Red card and woeful Wolves defending and mistakes I’ve got to say I felt Rodrigo was shocking tonight, he improved the second half against 10 men as they all did. I’m still behind Marsch but as for jury out, I only just agree, I’m edging towards thinking he’s out of his depth. I’m going to judge him once we resume after the break, that’s long enough for him to have some influence. Saying that, I think he’s inherited a pretty poor squad so it’s really hard to judge. He’s done a few things I feel are positive but also a few not so.
He can only play with what he has. I think his motivational manner and team building spirit is greater than Marcelo’s. If we stay up, he will be judged on next season.
The standout images of the last two games was every player on the bench cuddling players, staff and Jesse. High fives, back slapping and huge smiles. Not seen that with any team in a relegation dogfight before. So really seems that the players are buying into his vision. Worst thing tonight if you forget about team selection, wa the dire passing that continually screws up everything and the ball comes straight back at you and a struggling defence. Shocking from Struijk, Llorente, Forshaw, Dallas, Ayling, Klich, Harrison…l first half we gifted them the ball and 2 goals. Karen Carney said no way back from that (idiot) so what did Jesse do at the break?
Second half we came out just as bad, the red card gave us a boost and Wolves heads just went. I hate to sound all Debbie Downer but the win tonight was 100% fortunate, the goals weren’t even good goals, deflections, keeper and defender error, it was just WTF is going on. On interview Marsch said he told the players not to start feeling sorry for themselves, granted it was hard for him as injuries meant he had no control over them but to hear him say himself that Bamford had complained about his foot hurting after the Norwich game yet still playing him a few days later was a very weird decision Tonight will give the players belief, it will be a deep wound for Burnley and Watford, it gives us a bit more hope. At half time I was reflecting on the season, I was trying to find blame and it just kept coming back to poor recruitment since promotion. Sadly our best and most reliable players are still those we came up with. I hope we survive, I hope we recruit better next season and I hope JM improves us. I’m hugely disappointed in Llorente, the slightest knock and he wants to come off, to hear Marsch say “it’s just a bit of a bruise on his back, he’s fine though” was good in a way but frustrating in another. Cresswell is a beast of a unit though.
@ristac I share your concerns on the coach. However, I think we have to just let him see this through. He seems to be a good motivator and has brought the squad together which is huge in a relegation battle. The one thing I will say is that the players do run and try for him so there is a positive there. Looking forward I think we have to give him a pass on this season. He needs to get the squad sorted in the summer and stamp his mark on this team. I will judge him on next season but the club need to spend some money in the summer. There should be quite the exodus of players given the dross we have seen this season.
I did notice the unused U23s like Summerville getting a hug from him after the game, maybe a few players felt Bielsa was too cold shouldered, who knows. Maybe it is felt that the money already spent on the likes of Rodrigo and company and future spends will be “ready made” players that need far less improvement coaching (Bielsa) but more motivational self belief (JM).
Ristac says “Second half we came out just as bad, the red card gave us a boost and Wolves heads just went. I hate to sound all Debbie Downer but the win tonight was 100% fortunate, the goals weren’t even good goals, deflections, keeper and defender error, it was just WTF is going on.” I will agree with that but counter with: Rodrigo hitting the crossbar twice and post twice, Raphinha hitting the woodwork 5 times and hitting the keeper from 3 yards out 4 times when a miss-hit goes in. James hitting the woodwork 6 times, Struijk missing 3 headers into the net when harder to miss. There has been so many times where millimetre's have gone against us this season and a different result would/could have happened. Would say it cost Bielsa his job too. So yes Jesse seems to be getting a reaction, but could it also be that players are coming back. Players Bielsa didnt have this season?
Oh I accept it’s fine margins at times and we were due a bit of luck. On players coming back that Bielsa never had… We were dire the first half, the second half we probably had less players available than we’ve had all season. It could and should be season defining though, the break has come at the absolute perfect time. Opposition have no chance of closing the gap, Raphinha hopefully won’t have to travel with Brazil and Marsch should have Gelhardt, Phillips, Raphinha and Cooper all available to him, he seems to believe Bamford too? I’m honestly going to enjoy the break like no other, I can easily live on last nights result for the next two weeks with no more stress from watching us play.
I'm amazed when commenting on JM how often people have to point out he's American. It as if coming from a country that's poor at football means you can't be any good at it. If I remember correctly a certain red nosed individual who came from a country that's s**t at football had quite a bit of success as a manager.
All the talk this week about Raphinha and Phillips leaving has been trashed by just looking at the way Kalvin has reacted these last two games. He was on the pitch again last night euphoric. Video of Raphinha going mental last night should also demonstrate that yes these players want to be in the prem but will be able to do it and show for World Cup selection. If Raphinha goes, he goes for a lot of money and Phillips will stay with Leeds in the prem.
I don't care what others think, Marsch apears to be a quality appointment judging on results so far, been mentioned it is players coming back causing this to happen who? Bamford 45 min heir a few minutes there, he has inherited a lightweight squad and let's face it that's down to Orta & yes Bielsa and to a lesser extent Radz. The injuries are now piling up just as bad for him, but atm we seem to be getting results, whether that's down to him, the players or just plain good luck i don't know, but whatever it is, we were certainly not getting any of it under Bielsa,. Now looks like we have put our survival in our own hands, and it's now looking most promising, we are now showing signs, that in three of the four games so far we are getting harder to beat, and i put that down to Jesse Marche. the one thing Jesse Marche appears to have which has struck me from the interviews, is great enthusiasm/excitement, almost like a kid which seems to me to rubbing off on the players, could it be that which is helping the players, replacing some of the zest/passion which Alioski had, and we were missing. If Marchs saves us this season (and it's now looking more likely) as you all say the real test would be next season when he can stamp his own mark on the team. So to summarise i am very thankful for what Bielsa has done for us in the past, but am now looking forward to what Marsch can do for us in the future.
please log in to view this image Marsch said to Carragher and Neville there was no way Kalvin was going to play, but having him on the bench had the kids pumped and raring to go. Great management.. for me its now a case of the king is dead, long live the king. Some say judge Jesse next season but I would say he will be judged on this season now. We have averaged 0.8 points per game all season but Marsh is averaging 1.5 points per game. He has got us into a very good position where just 3 or 4 more points will be enough. If we fail now he will get it in the neck. Fully in agreement by the way about next season if we stay up but he will need backing in the market
History will judge marsch on next season. This is bielsa’s team and 12 games to turn round a losing team is no time. Not just a losing team… a team that were getting thrashed every week. Clearly he’s had an ‘easier’ run of fixtures but let’s not forget that it was losing to out of form relegation rivals in Newcastle and Everton that dragged us fully into sh*tsville. I have no idea whether marsch will prove to be a good manager. But when he’s bought his players and had a full pre-season, next year is the time to make that assessment. if he gets us out of this hole, this season…and he’s given us every chance, I don’t give a hoot how we play or how lucky we get.
little fact. Our xg against for the season under bielsa was about 2 per game. Under marsch so far it’s been 1 per game. sure easier fixtures etc, but for all the basketball nature of the games and the individual errors… we are not coughing up the same number of easy chances to the opposition. my amateur ham view is that our zonal press forces a lot of errors from the opposition… but also means We’re vulnerable to sides switching play which wolves did on numerous occasions. so the opposition get into promising looking positions, but lining up with the team narrow means there typically isn’t acres of space in the positions they are actually likely to score from. … or we’ve just been lucky!
I think when he came in he made the decision not to upset the Apple cart and to make only subtle changes, he knew the Bielsa sacking outraged a lot of the fanbase and to go and change it too much would be like saying Bielsa had got it so wrong, which would get him off on the wrong foot with manyI think he sat down with a few of the senior players and told them his plans but listened to them about where they think it had gone wrong this season. Regardless where we are next season, he'll have 12 games to assess the squad and where we need to strengthen, to most of us that's obvious but it seems to have been overlooked the last 2 years by the powers that be, hopefully that will change now. The real time to judge him will be the first 12 games next season , he'll have some of his own players in then too hopefully.
Agreed we were gash against Newcastle and Everton which turned the tide against Bielsa. The players then earned respect by being better than Leicester and should have taken all 3 but got none. We then made a complete hash against a top 10 team in Villa, we outplayed Norwich for a win and Wolves would have been top 6 had they won last night and they are still going for a European place and will be inside the top 8 this season. On top of that nobody has scored 3 goals against them all season. It may not be pretty but we have demonstrated in the last week that we can fight and upset the opposition. Marsch himself admits player for player against Wolves we are not as good, but we have heart and fight and aggression on our side. Its not pretty but hes getting the job done. You make your own luck in this league
The other thing that strikes me this last 3 games, was the fact that many on here and outside said that if we can take between 4 and 6 points from the Villa and Norwich game we should be safe. The view was we would struggle against Wolves and even a point would be good. What we’ve done is actually bet those 6 points a different way and Southampton is now crucial
