We would have to work our way up to "Parking the Bus " ......the bus was totally in for maintenance. The Spurs were working their magic within our parked bus mentality The pressure being put on Taylor and Rangel left us in a pitiful state in the middle when other players had to come to our backs rescue . Anytime the Spurs got the ball (which was most of the time ) it was painful to watch our players turn and run for our end . No width or attack = Championship next season Worst football I've seen us play ever after we scored . The starting line up yesterday was the same as Curtis's starting line up his first game in charge , against Man City .....the only exception was Paloschi for Routledge , we played pretty well against Man City...... We should play even better exchanging Routledge with Paloschi .......Why didn't we? Because confused players have been pulled in to many different directions , by to many managers , in to short a period of time , with to few games left to make an impact . If Curtis or Guido or just about anyone else was in charge after our first game against Norwich , we would be in a lot better shape now than we are . No leadership for managers and players to follow from Huw and the board's inability to make timely decisions is the root of all things wrong imo .....were in big fuking trouble ...... IMO
If we lose to Arsenal and Norwich - playing as ineptly as yesterday - who should take charge against Bournemouth? Sorry guys, it has to be asked
No panic needed .We got exactly from the game what we thought NOTHING.My major concern was guidos tactics,questionable subs and ala brendas no plan b.Positives I thought paloschi looked more intune with the team plus Fer looked have decent.Again don't understand why Fer didn't start so we could see whether hes an option
I'm not panicking after the Spurs game, my question was what if we lose to both Arsenal and Norwich as well...... That would be 4 defeats on the bounce - and only 2 points out of the last 18 points. Would it suggest that Huw's "Italian Job" was ill-fated? 5 points from Guidolin's 7 games reign would be relegation form. I want Guidolin to succeed - but I'm a Swans fan first and foremost and I want the team to stay up.
Blimey Charlie, same old same old from the same old same old it would seem. Does any one actually watch what is going on in any game we play? a serious question. We lost 2-1 not because of the system but because we missed 3 gilded chances to score, which came because we are playing the system we do, and because we gave Spurs two goals from absolute basic errors in defense, nothing to do with the system. Sont want to talk about the goals left on the pitch but in defense Fabs failed to take a simple catch, mistake and they scored. Later from a corner our defense failed to get distance on a clearance, mistake, heading the ball to an unchallenged Rose, mistake, where were our DM's? mistake Rose had time to pick his nose before he picked his spot, mistake, they scored. Our loss had everything to do with our poor play, the sitters we missed, the two goals we gave away and absolutely nothing, nadda, zero, zip to do with the system we played. . The diamond, although ugly, is giving the team the opportunity to get results. It is giving the players the opportunity to create chances, but it is the players who are missing them. The system also gives shape to the team to defend in numbers when pressed, but the team is failing to this as individual mistakes are killing us, not the system. Guidolins system is working but the players are failing. If they continue to play as they are then José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix couldn't make a difference. In response to the winger myth, Monterro for who?, Barrow for who? Routledge for who? Ferr came on and made little impact, what system would you play with wingers? who do they cross to? who in the middle would challenge big CB in the air? Playing anything other than the diamond, with our current personnel would be suicidal, I know its butt ugly, I actually hate it too, but right now this bitter pill is the only remedy we have but the players have to start earning their corn, stop making basic errors and slot the chances when they come, and in this system they will.
Fab made it possible that we didn't lose by at least a half dozen goals but go ahead and focus on a punch , that worked , the rest of the team should have dealt with the punch result . Easy to say it was an easy catch in hindsight , if it was that easy Fab would have caught it ....Fab made Gazzette's European team of the week off this performance ...only one other Premier League player made it . Spurs had 34 shots , we had 10 . All our success was built on those "Pacey" wingers , that you want to fling to the side Stumpy ....... From League 1 till now Everyone watches the same game Stumpy , I guess we just see different things .... We're all right and wrong in part with our opinions ...Fab and Paloschi are the only positives to come from this game ...imo
Stumpy, I played at a decent level, I've coached and I've reffed - and yes, I do watch the games and what goes on - pretty intently if truth be known. I really wish I could share your optimism. Yes we did have a couple of decent chances, but let's remember that Spurs had 34 shots, 14 of which were on target and that Fabianski was "easily" and clearly Man of the Match.
Not Guidolin's fault, not the players fault Spurs are champions in waiting and were much better than us which is what a lot of us expected. The only plus was our goal difference wasn't badly affected. Although I hope it's not necessary it may be important at the end of the season. Still not panicking but then I am the type who would have been playing my violin as the Titanic went down.
I can't agree with your post at all, Stumpy. You make out we're creating chances galore and our players simply aren't taking them but the stats don't back that up. You're also forgettting the 8 or so chances Spurs didn't put away. There is a place for playing the diamond and I get that but my biggest criticism is the Manager's reluctance to change thing up when needed. He takes far too long to make those decisions and by then it's way too late. He comes across as a very conservative guy that isn't a risk-taker. He seems to like to shackle our attack too. In other words, a very Italian manager. I'm not sure that's what we need. The game was crying out for an outlet to take the pressure off and give Spurs something to think about in order to get us out from under the cosh. He brought Barrow on at 87 mins. Not good enough I'm afraid. I didn't expect to win the game at all but we may have got something had changes been made.
It`s not over by a long shot yet, there are worst teams than ours around us but unless the boys know and show that they need to fight like our prem lives depend on it ( which it really does from now on ) and to scrap every point going then what`s the point with some of them being in the job ? unless to make a quick buck before some of them are found out ! Not helped it seems by Gwendolins tactics but hopefully there is more to him and the boys will get it in time ? If the worst happens then i think the scene of the crime will be traced back to the dithering when they should have got rid of Monk at the start of the internationals well before xmas when maybe a more attack minded gaffa could have been brought in with more time to make his mark before we were back at it 100mph ? I still think we will scrape by and rebuild in the summer for another go in the prem next term but theres a lot wrong at the moment including the back room and higher which needs a kin good shake up !
Hopefully we will just scrape home due to some others in a worst position than us and if we do or dont there has to be a massive changes at the club. First and foremost we must have a quality Board who know what they are doing and give 100% towards making the club better, We need more investment and the board must try harder to get it,.....We need a good manager that knows the premiership and give him full control of everything on the playing side. We need to reduce the average age of the squad and bring in younger hungry players just like spurs have done. We are relying to much on players that have been with us a long time who's skill is still there but their pace has lost that half a yard, We have some new players picked by non playing staff who cant pass the ball with any degree of consistency and as for taking and defending corners then its very poor......I really hope we can end the season out of the bottom three and get to work rectifying everything that is wrong with the club.........And we need to get our extension back on track and doing something positive about it....
Not chances galore Kiff, but I think we are creating good chances and should be scoring more of them. I'm disappointed as you are I suppose. I'm convinced the system is not to blame though. Under Laudrup we played the same system, diamond with golden Michu at the top. Then we played pseudo wingers with instruction to cut in to support the diamond and create passing zones and triangles. I remember us all cursing Dyer, me included, for not attacking the bi-line but his instructions were to cut in field, Hernandes the same both pseudo wingers who played as wide-midfielders. Monterro doesn't hit the bi-line, although he has this in his pocket, but to cut in to support the diamond but he doesn't, he just cuts back and passes off the ball and doesn't get involved in the play as Routledge does, or even Barrow does. Because he doesn't get involved Siggy is not freed up as Michu was, to run lanes and channels and head for goal. We continued with the same system in Laudrups second season, no changes at all but Michu's injury flared up and he stopped running, and scoring. The team lost confidence and over the course of the season began to scramble and the system unraveled. I see so many parallels between Laudrups second year and now. In both cases, imo, goals dried up, players got edgy, tightened and began to make basic mistakes. Our problem right now, imho, is a psychological one. We are playing reasonably well but the players are tight and edgy, we are creating chances but are snatching at them. In defense we're as stiff as a board, slow to the ball, slow to react to situations and we panic under pressure because they are fearful and so out of focus. Imo fear is the problem but is Guidolin the man to take it away? Rodgers could and would but Guidolin, on a short term contract? Well, lets hope so. If he doesn't though it will continue to gnaw away at player performance and devour confidence. Saving grace is that Villa and Sunderland players are in a worse place than ours and looking into my crystal balls, oo err, one more loss and Newcastle will implode. Most important game since we entered the premiership imo Swansea vs Norwich and I'm away Saturday and will miss it
Stumpy - I recognise that there were nervy times under Laudrup - but we did hear "You're only here to watch the Swans" ring out regularly that season. When did we last hear that at The Liberty.....
