I think that is the best that we can hope for in the next couple of matches until the team gels. Furthermore, I think we should put out a full first team against Tiblisi to try and get the team playing as a team before the NLD. There were some good signs but it needs to improve dramatically prior to playing Ar5ena1 or we could be on the wrong end of a hammering. It was always going to be an issue after making so many changes.
I'm gonna jump on roo's bandwagon and start banging on about creativity I think? So is that willian? Eriksen? Other?
Soldado worked hard for little reward in open play, that doesn't mean he had a bad game. He was given sweet f.a but took the one chance given, the pen, can't ask more than that. I've seen a fair bit of this guy in La Liga and my god do we need a CM that can find him...2yrs too late though, Modric would enjoy his runs, and Bobby would enjoy his service, thats the kind of mid we need...but no doubt another DM'll turn up!
Come on - that's simply not true. He was put in for 4 chances in the first half. He hit three off target, and didnt connect with the other one.
Quick summary: Rose and Walker: improved on what I have seen on them recently though can't get carried away given the opponents. Siggy: thought he was very poor both in link up and forward roles. Capoue: Didn't put a foot wrong other than the wayward shot early on, Sandro will have to make a quick return to his previous form if he wants to retain his place, judging on that performance. Chadli and Lennon had similar games, drifting in and out with little significant contribution though neither were bad. Soldado: A pen is a good start and as others have said - impressed with his general link up and occupation of the final third which goes against his poacher reputation. Otherwise, it's encouraging that we could bring on the likes of Capoue instead of Parker, Hudd, Jake et al. None of those players filled us with confidence, it looks like Capoue is a step higher. Overall was most impressed with our full backs today who had previously been my biggest doubt in the squad.
Bang on, except for me I wouldn't group Walker and Rose together as Walker was much, much better. Other than that, Dawson should get a swift but necessary knee in the balls for his wayward distribution too. I don't think steam can emit out of my ears but, if it could have, it would've when he saw one pass interecepted by a Palace player(and returned!) which resulted in our captain calmly playing an equally shocking pass well behind Walker. It wasn't even a blind pass, he knew exactly where he was. PS Great to see Kaboul back and no great offence intended to any player
If Lennon, in particular, had played crosses quicker and more accurately then there'd be no cause to worry about creativty, I sometimes worry if there's another team in the entire Football League that would put up with his distribution. He's got devastating pace and has been essential to our club for a long time but Christ he looked like a youngster thrown in the deep in today.
Disagree. If you only want to see the wayward passes that is all you will see. There were also a lot of completed passes too. Of course it looks bad when he misses but some of the accurate ones give an extra dimension to the attack.
Have you got the right player, he wasn't given a one on one, nothing gilt edged, if you want to include some snapshots and a cross that was just ahead of his lunge, as you admit at the top, you watch a different game. Not much more I can say.
They do on a good day but I don't remember one yesterday. If he treats possession like he did today then he'll find himself responsible for as many goals as Walker was last season. Defensively I thought he was good, as always, which is why I didn't pick him up on anything other than that one particularly infuriating moment. That moment was particularly frustrating to me so I mentioned it. Well that's why I brought Dawson up initally at least, but perhaps his distribution does merit further discussion as according to OPTA he hit 9 long balls with 5 not finding anyone. Maybe it's our midfielders' fault for not making themselves available but from what I saw I struggle to believe that's the case.
Chadli's new to the Daws Diagonal, so I do sympathise, he did ping one nicely into feet, and thats his biggest problem, he thinks he can do it every time, worst thing about it is you know its coming 15 seconds before, its so bloody predictable! But, someone saying our mids didn't make themselves available enough...correct, pass was there, but the move bit of pass n move wasn't going on much, all the more amazing one got MoM. Its still early, intensity will come over the next weeks, usual crap though, we just get going then there's an international break after the 3rd week I think it is.
I have to disagree about Walker, I thought he slowed play down by taking too long to decide his pass. Dawson was fine for me ok there were a couple of hoofs but he dealt with mosts things quite calmly. Rose was a lot better than I had seen from him in previous games. Soldado made all the right moves and the snap shots he made would not have existed if it were not for his skill. Paulinho did nothing spectactular but looked very solid. Apart from that I agee
I interpreted those hesitancies at the lack of movement ahead, and Palaces pressing, Sig and Lennon not showing at times meant the only thing on to go forward was a hollywood pass to find Soldado further away, so I thought he made the right decision there. Their LB Moxey apart from the handball had a pretty good game, considering he's their 2nd choice.
I agree with you on Moxey a very good game. I see where you are coming from on Walker but I saw Lennon, Paulinho, Sig, Soldado, exchange some quick fire passing which was causing Palace problems whereas Walker just looked a bit more predictable. I think it was perhaps the lack a game time together it was as if we were playing several different games at once Chadli and Rose were doing different things on the left and so on. Half the team were playing measured slow passing the other half quick one touch stuff. I always favour the one touch game hence my observations on Walker.
agree on moxey. thought he did very well. obviously people just have different views and there's not much that can be done about that, but i just dont follow how people thought rose was better than walker. for the first hour rose looked incapable of trying anything other than making the most simple pass available to him just to get rid of the ball. by contrast, when walker got the ball he was either looking for the most incisive pass that was on, or was breaking at speed and beating players; either way, he looked a constant threat. personally, i reckon walker is going to have the monster season that we were all hoping he would have last year.
Fair points. I think you're totally right in your assessment and I concede that Dawson wasn't exactly pinging balls forward for no reason. The more I think about it the more I remember him having a good game, I just think it's a case of one moment that I thought he deserved a good kick in the nuts for
Fair play, I've missed that looking at something else probably, thats the good thing about these match threads. edit ...the Walker bit, not the passing!
