Exactly, but we turned it around eventually. Most teams have periods like this. Even the (soon to be imo) champions Chelsea struggled for a time at the start of the season, but they aren't doing to badly recently eh?!
I don't really agree with you Godders. I would say we only need to win 4 of 14 to be confident of staying up and probably just 3 with a few draws thrown in. We are just as likely to win against the top teams as the bottom so we go into every game with a good chance
I like this post and there is a lot here that I agree with. However, I think that there has been a tendency for some supporters on this board to be perhaps too positive about Puel. He has done well in games and put out teams that have acquitted themselves well. Sometimes his tactics have been right on the nail. I don't think that Puel is incompetent but I do feel he has been dealt a poor hand and is,perhaps, out of his depth. The way he conducts himself is uninspiring and the football frequently dull, Most people would accept this. It is fascinating to read the perceptions of the player's performances yesterday. I thought Rodriquez did ok and prefer him wide on the flank. Boufal has bags of technique and looks a tricky customer yet, for me, he goes missing far too often. He is a luxury player that doesn't really contribute much. Davis' finishing is poor but he would probably be the second name on the team sheet for me after Romeu. Cedric was dreadful yesterday and I am surprised he hasn't had as much criticism on here as the centres halves. In addition, once Redmond and Long came on, I felt we played better. Our best football was played when we were 3-1 down. I don't think it is all negatives after yesterday but I feel that if we had acquitted ourselves better earlier in the season then we would not be discussing the threat of relegation. Up until Christmas I feel we were capable of having at least five more points on the board. The big worry is the lack of central defenders and I think that Les Reed has some very difficult questions to ask if the rest of the season goes south as this problem must rest squarely at his door.
I personally still think we need two holding midfielders in the side. JWP and Davis were like men against boys yesterday. West Ham were just stronger and more physical. Maybe go 4-2-3-1 Hojbjerg Romeu Boufal Davis Tadic Gabbiadini
You are right - different perceptions are fascinating. I just can't see how you thought Rodriguez did ok yesterday. I love the guy but he was simply awful!
Whatever you think of Rodriguez, good or bad etc, there's no way he should be starting in games currently over Long. Long carries a threat like no over player we have. Yeah he can be a complete donkey, but I have no doubt in my mind that defenders hate playing against him. Most of them are able to work out Jay pretty easily. If we had a front three of Gabby - Long - Boufal then we would get opposition defenders carded, win penalties, cause general bloody mayhem and yes, score some bloody goals. And that would still leave us with Redmond and Tadic to come one second half etc.
I see Long and Jay as basically the same. They either are good and get a goal or are invisible. Long hassles players more but goes missing from the penalty area. Jay stays in the area so gets the ball a little more. Both for me aren't good enough, we need a big rebuild job in the summer.
I take it we've all very quickly dispersed of any sentiment regarding not starting Manolo in the cup final?
Puel has one game to manage in the next 20 days, so he will now get the time that he has craved to spend a lot more time on the training field. This should give him time to look at the best formation to suit the players he currently has at his disposal. This is why I said in a previous post that after the break, I don't think Puel will have any excuses. He was bought in to work / improve the players, and to promote the youngsters. If he doesn't think the current formation will work, then he has to have the balls to change things, after all that is what he gets paid for? Koeman changed us to a back 3 when we were going through a tough patch last season, and more recently Conte at Chelsea realised that they were ****e playing a back 4.
We played 4-2-3-1 at times yesterday (although JWP duly seemed to forget a few times thereafter that he was right wing).
Well it was quite clearly set up like that, in my view (eg at both teams' goal kicks). Just because a player lacks positional discipline, and for example instead follows an opposition player round the pitch - forcing Davis to leave his position, and come across to fill in at right wing - doesn't mean that the manager's intention isn't for that.
