I fear Pearsons not going to drop Deeney for the Norwich game and took him off to rest him. the commentators pi55 me off talking about Deeney being our talisman all the time and how he said there were uncomfortable words after Soton game as if he’s not the problem but others are.
Foster - Had some nice saves, can't be faulted for the goals imo Mariappa - Played better than I expected, but you could still see he was out of position, was too slow a few times and also offered no threat whatsoever going forward Kabasele - He had some really big defensive mistakes especially in the first half, but at least he has some pace about him unlike Cathcart Dawson - Better of our two cbs yesterday by my standards. Wins most of his aerial battles, made that one last-ditch tackle and always looks like our biggest threat at set-pieces Femenia - Looked slow at times and can't cross. Looks a bit better on the right imo Chalobah - In the first half he was our worst player for me. Lost so many balls and when attacking he made all the wrong choices. Had that nice move in the second half when he almost assisted Welbeck Capoue - I wouldn't say that he seems to not care, but rather his decision making is poor. Because he had two or three very important tackles and some nice positive passes. Sure penalty was absurd and the free-kick he gave away before that, but I just think he needs some rest and that tiredness is the reason for his bad decision making Doucoure - I actually think he had a decent game. Ran a lot, solid in both defence and offence. Would have been my motm if it weren't for Hughes Hughes - As I said my motm. He seems like he cares a lot about our club. He ran his socks off and made numerous great tackles. Was always giving us another option in attack too. Also, as others have already said, our best player after lockdown Sarr - He didn't get many balls, I'm not sure if it was due to Azpilicueta practically man marking him or we just didn't pass the ball to him. Had some nice dribbles but lacked the final ball like throughout most of the season Deeney - Looks super unfit atm. And also I think he lacks a bit when it comes to ability, i.e. he's not good enough anymore at this level to be our starting no. 9 . But I would never say he doesn't care about the club because he tried to get back to the defence and help out quite a few times but that just tired him even more probably. I also got very frustrated when a commentator here in Serbia said that he's a true leader by example both on and off the pitch. And something about how everyone should play like him or something like that Subs: Cleverley - Looked ok defensively, but I pretty much can't remember him touching the ball in any of our attacks Welbeck - Way better than Deeney. He gets into better positions, is a lot faster, better ball control, I think yesterday he was even better in the duel game as I seem to remember him and being stronger in two or three duels with Christensen. Also that move when we were closest to scoring is our best attacking play in the last three games. Has to start our next game Masina - Looked decent. Strong in duel, quite fast in comparison to our other defenders and also quite skilled. I was shocked when I saw him on the bench as he really is our best defender since Pearson arrived imo Pereyra - Looked like he couldn't care less. He made some awful mistakes which could have cost us goals. I seem to remember he had one super nice pass to Welbeck on the wing which is what is really upsetting about him. He really is our best player technically and he could be our best player if he just put the effort in All in all, I think this performance was a bit better than the previous two (that doesn't say much though does it ), Welbeck and Masina have to start against Norwich, Capoue and Deeney need to be rested and Pedro should at least be given a chance.
We're a big physical side apparently. What does that matter when the delivery at set pieces if appalling and there is no variation ? It's the usual lazy stereotyping. We would be much better if we played to our strengths which is moving the ball at speed in and down the flanks. We cannot stretch any defence when sat so deep or with carthorse upfront. At least with Welbeck peeling off we can get into the channels. Welbeck credit to him did it twice and actually managed to nearly get onto Sarrs excellent near post flat cross. Deeney was flapping his arms when Sarr provided another peach of a ball in the six yard area allowing James to divert it behind for a corner. Deeney is utterly shameless and appalling. Moaning about the cross when if he could be bothered to get fit he might have been able to get a shot on goal. He is a millstone round the neck of this team.
We went back to the sit back and hope we can hold out philosophy that we had under Quique. What a terrible way to play football, Pearson. As others have said, it all stems from the top down. I have little doubt that our players as a squad have the ability to be a mid table side, but we just don't have the mindset and that comes from the club culture. We set up like a poor side, and then we try and play like a poor side - sitting back and hanging on, and Pearson then seems puzzled why we play like a poor side. He continually plays Deeney who has been a disgraceful Captain for years, who refused to go back to training when preparing for the biggest fight of our lives. A Captain who for the last few weeks has been only interested in himself and has been revelling in the support he has been given in the media, and on places like this Forum, and by the Club. What Club gives the Captaincy to a player who comes back from a summer break about 2 stone overweight after just been given a huge salary increase. That is a terrible message to send out to the players, and it is continuing this season. He does nothing on the pitch as a player or captain, and he goes on "strike" off it, and is more interested in getting copyright on the BLM motive on shirts, and making public statements on the matter than he is in getting us to safety. Again, what message is that sending to players that, for example, are spending months away from their family and home country on the other side of the world to be with the Club at 18 years old. Last night he hit one good ball from his own half, and he made one good pass to put Femenia through on the left for a cross, but typically he passed it, and then stood still rather than try and get on the end of the resultant cross so it was easily cleared. He did nothing else. Diabolical from our captain, our talisman, our hero/legend (not to me he isn't), and it happens week in, week out. I have not felt so much contempt for a player as I feel for him since I saw Roy Keane try and end the career of a fellow player 7 years ago. Deeney is poison and he makes me sick! I wouldn't want him in my Sunday League team. And then Pearson decides to bring on Pereyra again. A player who like Deeney disrespects the Club with a passion, yet he gets the nod over Pedro. What on earth is the man playing at? One of the commentators I was listening to was pleading "Just give the Chelsea defenders something to thing about!". And Pearson brings on Pereyra, what is going on in his head? But one of the players I have been praising for his attitude, Masina, showed some spirit. I picked out Deeney on here for doing nothing during the drinks breaks against Southampton, and he was the same last night, whilst Masina was running around trying to gee the players up. He is a young man way out his comfort zone, but he showed more (correctly directed spirit) than Deeney has shown all season. Likewise Hughes, who doesn't always prove to be effective, but at least he gets stuck in and shows the right spirit. And overall, I thought there were a few other players that did reasonably well last night and I didn't see many not bothering apart from Deeney and Pereyra, But when you are told to get on the pitch, don't press, don't try and get forward in any sort of numbers, we cannot expect to come away with a decent result. Why can Pearson not see that we only get good results against the better teams when we get at them, get stuck in, when we press and try and cause mistakes? Genuinely, I wonder if he is just totally thick.
It is precisely this. The lack of knowledge that football journalists,commentators, analysts or whatever department they work in is dismal. Compare this to tennis people,Mark Petchey and others, who know most if not all of the game styles, strengths and weaknesses of players outside of the top 150. Happy to burble on for hours about Kane,Mane etc but clueless about almost everything else. Unprofessional.
The general viewing public don't care about any side outside of the big 6. Compare the press that Wolves and Sheffield United get, despite their amazing seasons, to Arsenal - a club that hasn't come close to winning the league for years. The media are breathing a sigh of relief that the little clubs are fading and won't make the CL.
Hughes & Welbeck were the only positives to take out of yesterday. If Troy starts ahead of Welbeck on Tuesday then Pearson deserves the axe.
They say we are tall, physical and good from set plays as a stereotypical thing to say for a team like us. In the press this week there was talk of commentators being subconsciously stereotyping players.
Can we just close this thread please admin. Everyone is in agreement for once on here that we are bobbins so let's freeze it for sentimental reasons.
Next game: Foster Femenia - Dawson - Kabasele - Holebas / Masina Chalobah - Hughes Sarr - Doucoure - Pedro Welbeck I swear to ******* God if we start Deeney and Capoue and involve Pereyra in any shape or form again this Season I will scream bloody murder. Foster, Dawson, Kabasele (just), Chalobah, Hughes, Doucoure (just) and Welbeck can leave with their heads held high after yesterday. The others were shambolic. Sarr has been as bad as the others since the Leicester game as well.
It wouldn’t. Par for this squad would be in a position where they only go down if they lose by 7 to City and then do so!
Not true, zztop somehow has arrived at the bizarre opinion that: despite the fact that our defence and strikers would not be out of place in the Champ. Maybe zztop meant: our players as a squad have the ability to be a mid table Championship side? That would probably be more accurate.
I agree with this. Sad to say it as I'm a big fan of both Deeney and Bobby P, they are in no shape to play leading roles. Pereyra has looked shocking since the restart and his body language shows he'd rather be anywhere else than in a Watford shirt. Deeney is done now. His movement is too slow and it's no coincidence we had an improvement when he went off. That's not to say he's not useful to us, but he has to be a bench player now. We're far too easy to defend against when we just lump the ball up to Deeney. We need to do things differently. Deeney reminds me of Andy Carroll. Unplayable on his day, but his day has long gone now. The trouble is Welbeck's fitness. He has to be managed. He cannot play this high volume of games. But needs must. Our season is all about the next three games. After that, the points total will not be added to. We need to play our best team with players who are in the best form. Ok, we'll only have about 6 players admittedly, but the last 3 games have been so below the required level there has to be a big shake-up. The only thing we can take from Chelsea is the way we played for the last 15/20 minutes. There was an improvement. There was something to cling your hopes too. Welbeck had a shot and he created a good chance by running along the by-line. We looked more mobile in midfield and even though Chalobah made mistakes, I liked his energy and movement. Capoue looks a bit leggy to me, and we looked better once he went off and Hughes played alongside Chalobah in the deeper midfield role. Kabs has the pace that none of our other central defenders has, but he is making far too many mistakes. I like Dawson's wholehearted approach, but he's a bit limited. Having said that, he's the only player who poses a threat when we get a corner. Against Norwich I'd play Cathcart and Dawson. Masina and Kiko in the wingback positions. Hughes and Chalobah deep midfield. Doucoure the other position. Up front Welbeck central, with Sarr and Pedro wide of him. Pearson wont pick that and certainly would trust Pedro in such a huge game, but I think it's one which would give us energy, and a bit of pace, plus reliability at the back.
I might question that after watching how easily and frequently Troy came in second place in all of the physicality yesterday...
Agree with quite a bit of what you say but it's clear on here that the tide has well and truly turned against Deeney. No-one is defending his performances anymore. I wonder if we'll ever find out what's going on but I am convinced we're not as fit as the rest of the teams after the break, so perhaps Pearson knows we can't press so has abandoned it as a tactic.
People on this forum have been oddly obsessed with the girth of our captain for years. Very homoerotic. Still, there's a probably a huge amount of backtracking going on as there were claims that we'd be 'comfortable' and 'fine' this season. People need someone to blame. Then again, I wouldn't know as I've blocked all the racists on here.
So you're now of the opinion that everyone calling the donkey up front useless is racist? Give me strength.
It is; but I suspect it is largely cynicism: They are appealing to the great unwashed with cliches, hyperbole and simplicity. I also suspect a fair number of football commentators are not particularly bright.
This might be an unpopular view, but i'd start both Deeney and Welbeck against Norwich, with Deeney playing in behind. Troy can play a pass - he sprayed a peach out to Hughes in the first half, but is too slow to compliment Sarrs pace. Welbeck looked a different class up top, but with Troy in behind him I think these 2 could work well. Troy can still do the graft in that role, and it leaves Danny to pick his runs and do his thing. Would go for something like: Foster Kiko - Kabasele - Dawson - Masina Capoue - Doucoure Sarr Deeney Hughes Welbeck Masina doesn't mind getting forward, and Hughes drifts in which makes the room. Deeney could also drift to cover Sarr and Hughes if needed. It's a similar sort of transition Rooney did towards the end of his United career.
I'm so disappointed with how it's working out under Pearson because he got it so right at the start. However, right now, if he carries on starting Deeney over Welbeck in this same system, he has to go. It's unforgivable at this stage. We have the incredible luck this season that we can stay up with a pathetic points total - but there's no more time for messing around. No more Deeney, no more Pereyra. It just seems so obvious.
We've got a defensive midfielder on free kicks, and for that we’re going to get everything we deserve.
