Couldn't bring myself to post anything when I got back from the game, due to a combination of frustration and anger. Opting instead to get stuck into a nice Chilean Merlot till the memory of what I'd seen faded a little. Anyway, strong coffee this morning along with a watch of the highlights means I'm ready to relive the ****-fest that I'd witnessed yesterday. It had all started so well. The youngest lad had driven back from Southampton to watch the game with me, but also to collect his Birthday present; a new shirt with EZE and the No 10 on the back. This duly collected, the man himself came strolling along outside the club shop and the lad got him to sign his shirt on the back. I shook the young man's hand, wishing him all the best and urging him to carry on entertaining us.Perfect!! Unfortunately, things just went downhill from that point onward. After a walk through the cold rain, under dark swirling clouds to get some food and back to the stadium, what followed can only be described as ineptitude of the highest calibre!! Just as SM had started to look as though he was getting it right he decides to change the formation to 4-4-2 to accommodate both Hemed and Wells up front. Ok, fair enough, it hadn't been too disastrous previously, but, hadn't a switch to 4-2-3-1 against Millwall produced the best performance of the season (1st half) along with Eze's best display in the 10 role? We both slumped in our seats when we saw the line up, as we had been so looking forward to watching Eze in the 10 position. The lad is studying football coaching at Uni, so it was no surprise that, after around 5 minutes he pointed out that we were outnumbered in midfield and that Eze and Freeman were wasted playing wide in a 4. Luongo and Scowan were swamped in the middle and (****ing) Norwich simply played around us as we made them look like ****ing Barca!! Now, I get that SM had probably decided that 2 up top would mean we could press the Norwich back 4 to prevent them from playing out from the back, but, given the fact that the rest of the team were sitting far too far back from the two forwards, this simply didn't work. There was a huge space between the midfield 4 and the forwards, so Norwich played out at will. Add to this that Eze can't (won't/doesn't like to??) defend, our right side was carved up time after time, leaving a CB playing out of position horribly exposed. Why oh why do these coaches insist on playing players out of position? Ollie was terrible for this and now SM was doing it also. I felt sorry for Eze and his body language showed just how pissed off he must have been. I realise he's a well paid professional and that he probably should have showed a better attitude to being stuck out on the right, but for ****'s sake McClaren!! He's young and had just dazzled in his best position and you stick him out on the right and ask him to do things that he's really not very good at like tracking back and tackling. As the half wore on, those around us all started to get on his back (and McClaren's too), but I was just so annoyed at what I was watching. I know most people saw the game, so I won't bother with a run through. Having seen the highlights, we clearly should have been given a penalty, which may have given us an undeserved point. It took SM 76 ****ing minutes to change things and get Eze into the centre, by which time were behind of course. The lad had said after 10mins that he should drop Luongo and Scowan in front of the back 4 and put Wells, Eze and Freeman in a 3 behind Hemed. He didn't need to even make a sub, but no, we just stumbled on and on, with Eze looking more and more distraught. It was no surprise that, after the changes, we started to look more fluent and threatening. This was a huge step backwards and is entirely down to inept coaching. Don't ****ing tinker when there's no need!!!! This is what I believe we should have started with yesterday: -------------------------------------------Lumley-------------------------------------- Kakay--------------------BFG-----------------------Lynch----------------Bidwell -------------------------------Scowan----------Luongo----------------------------- Wells-------------------------------------Eze------------------------------Freeman ---------------------------------------Hemed------------------------------------------- (If Cameron is fit, I'd prefer him to Scowan, but that's not crucial imo). Player ratings: Lumley - 6 - No errors, although he takes far too long to get the ball out. Time after time he delayed when he could have fed one of the CBs or FBs. Move it quicker! Babtiste - 5 - Despite one excellent block, he's not a full back and was poor. With no width, we needed a full back who could attack. Leisner - 6 - Solid enough. Lynch - 6 - Also solid enough and very strong in the air. Bidwell - 6 - Gets a 6 solely for doing a nut-meg on a (****ing) Norwich player. Eze - 4 - Can't defend and should never have been played out wide in a 4, which was an absolute travesty after his performance against Millwall. Looked completely pissed off. Luongo - 6 - Chased shadows all game, but looks a bit more like the player we we want him to be. Scowan - 5 - Also shafted by SM's chosen line up, but gave the ball away far too often. Freeman - 6 - Along with Eze, he's easily our most gifted player and was wasted on the left, although he can play that role a lot better than Eze. One excellent effort well saved. Hemed - 5 - Won some good headers and linked up a couple of times, but overall he looked very sluggish. Wells - 5 - No service in a **** tactical line up. Easily good enough to play in a 3 behind the striker. Once subs were made and Eze switched to the centre and Freeman went roaming we looked a different team. Take note McClaren!!
I said yesterday we should have made a change in the 1st half as two up wasn't working, Schteeve is supposed to be such a great coach but he was totally shyte yesterday failing to react and leaving changes far too late. Perhaps he was hoping we'd eke out a 0-0 but all the changes were too little too late. He said we were unlucky but he must have been watching a different game. Just as he seemed to be getting the faithful onside with some gritty performances he ruins it with this and his half-baked comments...
I enjoyed reading your match appraisal more than I did watching the match, Col! I'm no expert on football formations - I leave that to you, Bob and the rest. But the gap between the two strikers and our stuttering midfield was so easy to see for 80 minutes. When the whole team underperforms like this, they've either all been out on the piss the night before or the manager has the tactics wrong. It clearly was the latter. As you say, Eze needs to sit centrally to get the best from him and I thought Scowen's passing in midfield was frustratingly poor. A step backwards yesterday. SM needs to get it right for Swansea
Pretty much spot on Col - said at HT we should be putting Eze in behind Hemed, with Wells & Freeman out wide. It wasn't just the formation though, there seemed to be a lack of energy in the team - very lacklustre performance by most of them, and a more ruthless strike force would have got a bucketload of goals yesterday. My nephew is also at Southampton Uni studying football, unfortunately he's a Scum fan (I blame his dad) - couldn't believe such a course existed!!
Yeah, although they don't just play football all course! He's looking at psychology and youth development in his 2nd year, along with all the coaching etc.
I don't think one game will. But if he continues to play our most talented player out of position, it will certainly affect Eze negatively.
Personally I think Eze was exposed by Norwich’s zonal formation - took a couple of early kicks and didn’t fancy being marked tightly. He needs to learn that there’s two ends to the pitch. He’s light in the tackle and exposed Baptiste on more than one occasion. Teams will work out quickly that if you give him space he’s a danger. Shut him down and you nullify his threat. Probably his worst game in the hoops.
So do you not think that being played on the right of a 4 hampered his game? It's so much harder to mark someone who can drift between the lines. It was his worst game because he was played out of position. That's down to SM not anything Norwich did. Also disagree about not fancying it after being kicked a couple of times. Millwall kicked lumps out of him all game.
Not saying SM tactics were right - played straight into oppos hands. I also think playing Baptiste ahead of Ossie was wrong. Until Cousins came on there was no WB overlap - we all know Baptiste lacks any pace. Just don’t think EE was up for it like Wednesday. Needs to learn to adapt his game when he gets shut down quickly.
Having watched most of the game, you are spot on. Most worrying for me is the effect performances like this will have on younger players. I see enough to (just) not worry about relegation, but the half decent sides in the division will happily take 6 points from us this year.
The point I'm making is that he shouldn't have to adapt his game from the wrong position. I'm not surprised he wasn't up for it after being put out on the right. I also won't be surprised if he ****s off as soon as he can if SM isn't going to let him fullfill his potential. I do accept that he probably should have shown a better attitude, but he's young and, I guess, felt hard done by.
Absolutely this! I cant understand, that we have a such talent as Eze in our team, and we (or SM) play him like that You could see from the TV or tablet or even from your iphones/samsungs/huaweis display, that he was frustrated, un willing and eventually lazy to play in that position. Our midfield was weak and always easy to outplay with that system. I also agree that we should have had that penalty in the end..
I don’t think he’s lazy at all. Seen plenty of so called wide players track their men less than that. He’s just so clearly held back by that role. If we play two up at Swansea it’s suicide.
Great summary col. How's your lad doing with the coaching? It's a tough cookie to crack but if he ever needs any advice pm me mate.
I was more disappointed with our lack of ability to keep possesion. Norwich passed from right to left and vice versa with little to no pressure. We got the ball in the full back position and either kicked it high or out of play. Full backs are or seem to be more vital as ball players as they are defenders in the modern game. Baptiste is not a full back and Bidwell is just average at his very best. You move the whole team up the pitch via your full backs, which Norwich did with ease. As for Eze, I didn't see the millwall game, but from what I've heard, he had a stormer behind the striker. Accommodate this player, don't move him to accommodate another! Young lads thrive on confidence, feed him that confidence and have him playing facing the opposition, not his own goal!!
