For sarr to set up zinc and be unselfish, amazing performance from him especially and the whole team.
First, we all know that we generally play much better and with more confidence at home than away. This is in large part helped by our good pitch, which enables us to play quicker, passing football - we'd struggle to play the same way as we did today on some of the terrible pitches in this league. Second,Bristol City were in terrible form coming in to this game and it showed. Anyway, how much more pleasant was it watching us without Tweedledeen and Tweedledre! Well done to Xisco for going with that starting lineup to begin with. Now let's see if the message finally gets through and he continues with that team for the rest of our key games this season... A few more quick things: Sarr was sensational today, back to looking a £30mil player again; Cleverley deserves a lot of credit for this season, he's been a key source of creativity for us from midfield and works his nuts off; JP looked the sharpest he's been in months. It was disappointing he wasn't one of those to get subbed off early - please say that's not an indication that he'll be back on the bench for Tuesday. Gosling looked a good ball-winner when he came on.
Brilliant performance for the first 60 mins and a brief lifting of the veil continuously pulled over our collective eyes - we'll see if we can either resist the temptation to immediately recall the disgusting duo to ruin it all, or indeed match that application and quality against a team that haven't lost 9 games in 12. I don't give much credit for Xisco for finally realising, weeks to months late, what everyone else watching already knew, and his subs were fairly basket case, but we shall see what happens midweek. Brilliant performances from Sema, Sarr, Cleverley, Hughes and JP too, a mon avis.
Great stuff. Disco: do not rotate,not unless someone's head falls off. One manager getting sacked soon it seems. Big mistake to select Maria Callas,she's never played well since Onassis left her out of the Fairs Cup Final. Happy weekend one and all!
Even lazer looked decent. Fell apart with all the subs somewhat, I wonder if making 5 subs, just because you can, is in fact worth it?
It’s not rocket science is it, there are 11 positions on the pitch, you can’t afford to waste any of those positions by starting players who are consistently failing and not doing their job. Replace failing players with semi competent footballers and the results are obvious.
Brilliant performance. Masterclass from Sarr. Great to see him at his best. JP, Sema and Cleverley, all brilliant. Hughes showing how much he's wasted out wide. We simply MUST persist with this lineup and this formation. Its beyond obvious to everyone. Much more dynamism, and our creative players expressed themselves well. Need to try and build on this, but I get the impression Xisco already knows he's getting sacked, he looked pretty lethargic today, but we shall see. Fun as that was, I suppose it must also have the caveat that Bristol City were absolutely awful. Would be quite funny if both teams immediately sacked their managers.
No point in getting carried away, but you got the sense from the outset that the players were playing with a purpose and a spirit that had been absent previously. Perhaps they just don’t gel with Troy. It was an encouraging performance, but Bristol were so very poor. Let’s hold back judgment for a couple more games. Sarr was sensational today. Sema and Pedro also did very well. Hughes was imperious. Everyone else played well. Even Gray was better, but still has no first touch, but lovely ball to Sarr for the last goal. Upbeat, but cautious. Troy must be aware of the situation. The young guns link up in a much more constructive way without him.
Bristol City are poor for certain. But we look completely different when we are not playing hoofball to Deeney. Hughes marshaling everything by dropping off into space and directing the ball to either flank. Cleverley and Chalobah committed the former leading like a real captain and setting up the second. Both pulling out wide when needed and both wingers Sema and Sarr attacking their respective sections of the box and getting the rewards. That is flexibility. As was the formation with players content to switch positions and a fluid middle three, Kiko and Sarr interchanging. Speed of passing and tempo in the first half was great. Pedro despite not scoring provided some lovely moments again, led the line and was desperately unlucky not to have two himself. Dropped a little in the second half but great to see Sarr so unselfish provide Zinckernagel with his goal. Better set piece delivery and some flashes of skill. Gosling a solid performance. Passing, defensively and a shot narrowly wide. Even Lazaar looked assured and managed to get some minutes into his legs. Same fiery nature as Holebas so nice to have competition with Masina for the spot. We have to keep with this passing and movement because it is what suits us in terms of the skill set we have. Lumping long to Deeney does not suit the side at all. Only our tenth six nil win in history and something we need to take confidence from and a morale boost. The coach must keep implementing this neat short passing style with the movement off the ball as it suits us as I have said but because I think that this is what he does want rather than having to shoehorn Deeney in. Not only attractive but productive. Lovely to see Alec back in the studio: Sema celebrates his first: Sarr knocks in his first:
Great result and performance I'm sure some will try to spin that as vindication for Xisco but its the opposite for me, just shows how easy his job actually is when he sets up in a way that every single fan has been suggesting for a month
Excellent from start to finish. An early goal always helps and Sarr was outstanding. Great to end the rout with PZ getting a goal. Hopefully keep this up!
Tbf Gray gets dropped in games anyway. The lack of 'the Deeney effect' helped the team express themselves i think.
With the look on his face the entire game and the slink off down the tunnel after the final whistle, I wonder if he was even head coach today anyway.
Well, that was good. Now don't ever play Deeney again and leave Gray on the bench for similar games. Absolute, undeniable proof that they are the problem and completely hold us back in every way.
My optimism had reached rock bottom to the point of not watching this one, but now it is rocketing. If we play this system we will walk to the title.
Please please please start with the same squad again and dont swap JP out for Deeney or Gray Excellent game, lost of energy, they were **** , but lets face it we have played a lot worse against teams a lot worse. Hughes and Cleverley in midfield works so well , even Challobah was all right, though Gosling looked all right as well Sarr, Sema and JP up front who would have it , are three most skilled players are good when you play a system that suits them Kiko was a big miss, good to see him back, hard to say about the rest of the defence as they didn't need to do much, but am sure they would have been good if they had needed to. Only small negative, Gray did **** all and lets be honest if couldn't score today he never will, rest of the subs kept it going and looked good.
That is a damning reflection on Deeney and Gray that they are both dropped and we win 6-0. Xisco needs the minerals to keep those 2 on the bench from now on, we even looked like we dropped down a gear when Gray came on and Pedro went out wide.
Obviously Bristol weren't great but were they that much worse than half the pi55 -poor sides we've huffed and puffed against this season while Deeney has been on the pitch - strolling around and waving his arms in the air and glaring at his teammates when a pass doesn't go straight to his feet? We played with pace and we played like a team. Hopefully Xisco has got the message. I don't think we were caught offside either until Gray came stumbling on. And, surprise, surprise, Hughes was excellent in the centre of midfield
No Deeney and G**y. No hoofball. 4-4-2 abandoned, 4-2-3-1 re-instated, players playing in correct positions and we win 6-0 against a side that have been around the top 6 most the season. Surely now this is the wake up call to XM to persist with this line-up and system!? Please don't change it, it works for the players we have and brings the best out of players like Hughes and Sarr. Great performance today, teams at this level can't live with us when we play like that. Hopefully this is Xisco's 'slav moment' in the promotion season and who knows, if we do all of the above we may be celebrating an unlikely promotion come May! A long way to go, but today has given me a lot more hope that we can deliver. Peak Watford when we go back to 4-4-2 on Tuesday night with Deeney and G**y up front and draw 0-0.
Its all so simple isnt' it! 1. Stop pandering to yesterday's men Deeney and Gray 2. Play our best players in their best positions, the formation picks itself 3. Movement and tempo Why has it taken our coaches so long to get it? If Xisco doesn't start with the same team and the same formation next game he wants shooting Cleverley, Sarr, Pedro, Sema, Kiko, Hughes, Masina, all of them brilliant
Those with an obsession about Deeney and Gray will have it down as just those two being dropped as the cause of today, but it was as much about Hughes playing centrally, a decent formation and Sarr finally putting in a performance he is capable of. I do hope those who have been banging on about Deeney picking the team will give him full credit for the team he out out today but I suspect not. It also helps with the effort they put in. What this performance does prove, without doubt, is that effort levels have been missing this season and that is unforgivable. They have a chance now to draw a line under it and kick on for the rest of the season starting Tuesday. No more playing around with the line up or talking about fatigue. That is now the line up and that is the minimum effort level for the rest of the season.
There’s no fell apart in winning 6-0. Well worth protecting the players who came off for Tuesday. Actually looking forward to it.
Sarr 10/10 today, scored 2 and made 3 including the first which as its an own goal doesn't credit him!
Gray played a really good pass before the 6th goal, the same pass he made against Wolves in the semi final. If only he'd done sonething worthwhile between those two passes.
