What Is Our Style Of Play?

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by NathWFC, Jun 25, 2020.

  1. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    The clue is in the constant. Is Quique a long ball coach? Nope, he's defensive at other teams but not long ball. Was Mazzarri a long ball coach? Nope, Napoli played good football under him. Silva? No, and we played some great stuff under him at the start (when Deeney was out...). Has Javi Gracia carved out a career as a long ball merchant? No, again.

    Yet most of these coaches and now Pearson arrive at Watford and for some reason they spurn their regular style of football in order to instruct their team to smash long balls. Why is that? Because they have to accommodate Deeney.
     
  2. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    Why do they have to? Instructions from Giraldi? From Gino? As we saw from QSF's interview in The Athletic, the owners were trying to pressure him into moving to 4 at the back - I assume that was 'football expert' Giraldi.

    I find it hard to believe all these coaches were too weak to leave Deeney out - but then again, we don't have anyone else up for the task. The technical ability of our squad from defence to midfield is horrific. Only Hughes and Capoue have any composure on the ball. It's not overly a shock that we have to resort to hoofing.
     
  3. leighton buzzard horn

    leighton buzzard horn Squad Player

    We look better with Deeney than without. That is the harsh reality of it and it isn't the position we should be in.
     
    folkestone orn likes this.
  4. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    I thought this for a while, regarding Carragher he actually said that about us during the cup semi against palace for which QSF was in charge. He said we had no identity and no obvious style of play and he was spot on. The last couple of games has really reminded me of that game against palace, slow ponderous and clueless.

    That said football doesn’t have to be a complicated game, not having Gerry is a big blow. Having a threat on two wings makes a massive difference to us, at the very least it eases pressure on our creaking defence which makes us look a lot more competent than we do now. With both fit it’s just a question of giving a to one or the other, they both carry completely different threats so it really keeps the opposition occupied.

    Deeney is a huge issue though. We spent money on Gray but it was clear from very early on he was a dud. We needed to bite the bullet and buy a decent striker, they aren’t cheap but you get what you pay for. As I said football doesn’t have to be complicated, if we just had a striker that would make runs and finish the odd half chance we’d be comfortably mid table. Sarrs crosses aren’t always great, but how many crosses has he put in in the past few games? Yet nobody has got on the end of one.
     
  5. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Basically the squad has no one else around who can do the job the manager wants Troy to do.

    The flaw is Deeney isn't very good at it now sadly.

    Not against 6ft 5 defences anyway who are fitter or stronger!

    We haven't replaced his type of striker - Success is unless and Okaka couldn't stay fit.
     
  6. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Deeney is now like a very very poor mans Wayne Rooney towards the end of his Man Utd spell. Doesn’t have a goal threat anymore so is constantly too far back playing in the number 10 role. Very occasionally he has a good game, but all too often it’s like the last couple. Rooted to the area in front of the penalty box trying to do flick ons to... nobody, because he’s the player we need on the end of them but he’s nowhere near good enough for that role anymore.
     
    Chumlax and wfc4ever like this.
  7. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    Good point. The difference in technical ability between the two sides was so obvious yesterday. Their first goal involved two forward passes along the floor in between the lines of our midfield and attack, just after Kiko (one of our better players on the ball normally) had just aimlessly hoofed the ball into the centre of the pitch. The free kick for the third came again from a ball along the floor to a forward coming short. We can't do either of those things.

    We have Doucouré as the link man between defence and attack. It kind of worked when he was fully match fit and could press, along with Sarr and Deulofeu. But it's a disaster now, he's not the kind of player that can receive a ball on the half turn and make something happen, it takes him too long to control it. We're undoubtedly one of the worst footballing teams in the division, as laid bare by being outpassed by a Burnley.
     
  8. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    In light of how hopeless we look without him now, I've just been looking at past results and line-ups before we signed GD, and weirdly we coped more than all right with personnel which wasn't massively different and that was just over two years ago. What could have changed now?

    In the later games of Silva's reign before he lost the plot, we switched to three at the back, with Holebas/Zeegelaar and Kiko as wing backs, I think to compensate for the absence of Chalobah, resulting in impressive wins against West Ham and Newcastle. But in earlier matches (including the one at Southampton, which for me is one of the top five performances in the PL during the Pozzo era), we employed the same formation as we do now, with a centre back pairing that drew from Britos, Prodl, Mariappa and Kabasele, Holebas and Kiko as full backs, and a central midfield that had always had Doucoure and drew variously from Capoue, Hughes, Chalobah and Cleverley. Up front it was Richarlison, Deeney/Gray and Carrillo/Pereyra. Masina is clearly better than Holebas, Hughes than Cleverley, and many would agree that Sarr is better than Rich was for us. Pereyra is about the same level as Carrillo - has hit greater heights but more inconsistent. Foster is better than Gomes. So why should this team look so awful now?
     
    Watfordftw likes this.
  9. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Didn't we score 2 goals from outside the area and keep a clean sheet?

    That seems like years away !
     
  10. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    For me I think the problem is Pearson needed a quick fix, so he moved Doucoure further forward and just utilised Sarr and Gerry as much as possible. It worked, at least to start. But take Gerry out and it doesn’t work. There is no plan B with Pearson, that was his solution and although we could probably try and play another way that might work I’m not sure he knows how or if we have time to implement it.
     
  11. Pozzo Out

    Pozzo Out Squad Player

    Feel sorry for Pearson, given how quickly and evidently this lot down tools whenever they come across a bit of discipline.

    We should just go full ultra opposite from QSF. Bring back Beppe.
     
  12. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Agree with all, except Masina being better than Holebas as of 2/3 seasons ago. Holebas was class, at times, despite his age.
     
  13. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    I don't know, he had pretty mixed form in 2017/18 and made some awful mistakes. Some supporters actually couldn't wait to get rid of him before he stepped it up and had our best season for us in 2018/19. I was happy to keep hold of him though because I liked his hot-headed commitment (the definition of a "loveable ar5ehole") and style of play even if it was at times reckless - best defender on the ball in our five years in the Prem, with the possible exception of Ake.
     
  14. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    A man who choked an opposition player on the pitch, threatened a few journalists, fought off a pack of dogs in Transylvania or wherever and resigned from a job over support for his son is too weak to deal with our lot?

    Don't buy it.
     
    wfc4ever likes this.
  15. I think Pearson has made the same mistake most of our coaches make. They come here with a history of playing 4132 or 433 or 451 and think Deeney is the perfect lone striker. Joka tried it, QSF tried, it, the grinning idiot tried it. Eventually they realise it doesn't work and move to some variation of 442 / 4222. The problem Pearson has is he can't go 442 because that doesn't suit Sarr, and 442 anyway leaves you overloaded in midfield. The grinning idiot solved the overload by playing Pereyra and Hughes inverted.

    The squad is square pegs and round holes.

    Pearson has to either decide to drop Sarr and play a longball 442 with Deeney and Gray up top. Or drop Deeney and play football with Pedro Welbeck and Sarr across the front.
     
    Jumbolina likes this.
  16. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    And to think, we signed Sarr when Gracia was boss with his 4-2-2-2...
     
    La_tempesta_cielo_68 likes this.
  17. recruitment has always been scattergun
     
    Hogg-DEENEY!!! likes this.
  18. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    Our time in the Premier League is full of bizarre signings. Remember when we signed Amrabat and Quique repeatedly said he could play as a striker when it was obvious within fine minutes of watching him play that he was in fact, a crap winger?
     
    Hogg-DEENEY!!! likes this.
  19. Crezzy95

    Crezzy95 First Year Pro

    He was painful to watch, as was Jurado.
     
    wfc4ever likes this.
  20. King Dev

    King Dev Squad Player

    To be fair I can see his point...don't get many wingers where their strength is holding up the ball
     
    Steve Leo Beleck likes this.
  21. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    Giraldi. Football expert.
     

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