The team that played yesterday on paper doesn't look god enough to gain promotion back to the prem. Only seen the highlights , but looking at the game stats on my sky app it looks like we were fortunate to get the result. 30 % possession , no corners, no offsides,4 bookings. In a more competitive environment will we probably revert back to the big hoof up field to a forward who couldnt trap a bag of sand(resulting in less possesion) I am all in favour of changes but the team selected is not promising. Also if it was not for var we would have beaten spurs on two previous occasions , dier and ali handball decesions Be realistic, Its going to be a very long season
Is Capoue injured? Where have you seen that? Sarr is still a concern for me. Have we seen any footage of him at training even yet? Last season finished a long time ago (relatively) now. I can’t see a reason at all why he has been given such an extended break if he’s not been involved yet? The club have pushed pictures of certain players on social media, yet not Sarr? We knew this summer was truncated and I’m just confused a bit how we have seemingly been happy to let him progress behind the others...
If Sarr has been quarantining for 14 days, the club are hardly going to post pictures of him at the training ground. Does anyone know when those 14 days are up?
How does quarantine work for those playing international matches? I suspect Cathcart would be OK as he would have been in a NI bubble, but Sema could be a problem.
Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that Capoue was still struggling with injury that kept him out post restart, but haven't seen it confirmed anywhere tbf. If he's got you have to believe he comes straight back in now that transfer interest has cooled. Agree on Sarr. Early stance from the club and the players own social media suggested he was content to stay and would be part of the setup unless there was a massive offer (which hasn't happened) and yet he hasn't featured as part of the pre-season coverage either in training or in matches. Hope is that he is merely quarantined before joining up late with the squad, but even so feels like he won't be match fit for opening game even if it becomes clear where he will fit into the system. Still feels disconnected to me.
May well do if he plays more centrally as he did at Udinese last year and if no issues with quarantine, fatigue etc. but it does depend a lot on Capoue I think.
Who’s done this? I haven’t been following all the pre-season rumours, etc that closely as I prefer to just see where we are at the beginning of the season, but I’m interested to know which players have been moaning.
There won't be a quarantine coming back from Sweden. Not sure about the game today, but he only came on as a sub in Sweden's first game a few days ago so fatigue shouldn't be an issue either. Yes I'd expect he'd be in midfield.
Seems fit enough to prance around dressed like a clown C.L.O.W.N. in between sessions in a cheap looking gym wearing last years training kit.
We were told he went back to Senegal - travellers don’t need to quarantine from Senegal. They just need to fill out certain forms should they travel via Belgium or France...and whilst I wouldn’t put it past us, it fairly inconceivable we haven’t sorted that out.
Credit where it’s due, Cleverley looked more effective yesterday. I’ve been of the opinion that he’s past his best, and maybe the Premier League is too quick for him now, but he played decently enough. I think he may have a role to play as an experienced head around the dressing room, though I have reservations if the intention is for him to start on a regular basis.
Only two African countries are exempt from quarantine as far as I can see and neither is Senegal. Belgium and France are on the list of countries people have to quarantine when coming from too.
Oh, actually Sweden's last nation's league game is on Tuesday, so while fatigue won't be an issue it may put some doubt in Ivic's mind to play him after perhaps just one extra training session back with the squad.
Senegal is not on the list of 'safe' countries exempt from quarantine (according to the U.K. government website). Only two African countries are exempt from quarantine - as UEA_Hornet wrote - and I can also confirm his comment that neither Belgium nor France are on the list of 'safe' countries. Adam Leventhal reported in the Athletic that Saar has had to quarantine, but expected him to return to training sometime during the past week.
Thoroughly disciplined performance. Yes it is only a friendly but that is in stark contrast to the formless mass the team dissolved into on so many occasions last season. Resilient, defending in numbers, hunting in packs to win the ball and covering/blocking well. Ivic was impressive on the sidelines. Cajoling, communicating and urging on. His desire to get the team to win the ball quickly, keep hold of it and play from the back is evident. It was great to see Jeremy and Pervis as wing backs. So comfortable on the ball and if we play this five at the back then this is their natural position. Pervis was so sharp. I can see him if we keep him bagging plenty of assists and the odd goal as well. Murray would be a plan B aerial bombardment. However like Perica they are better with the ball into feet so should slot in well. Suarez to lead the line along with Sarr if it is a 3-5-2 to start is menacing. Sarr is as I mentioned before a calm finisher, has the pace to burn anyone and the skill to keep the ball under control as a nine not just a winger. All he perhaps needs is a little more upper body strength.
Yes, I don't mean as a starter. But if he's not leaving, would expect to see him on the bench as he can cover both sides.
You’re doing this all wrong. When something you’ve said is irrefutably proven you be incorrect, you’re supposed to try and wriggle out of it by arguing twisted semantics and post links to threads where you were correct as a distraction.
Could be recovering from injury in his home country. No point coming back to self isolate for two weeks until he’s closer to being fit.
I think most are being realistic and think we have a good chance this season. We have what looks like some very good young players with some experience as well. Everybody is entitled to their opinion but some people are just miserable and I don’t get it
TBF how much possession against Spurs did you expect the boys to have ? In any case it's not how much possession that matters it is what you do when you are out of possession and how fast you can transition. Leicester City won the Prem playing on the break .
We pressed high and hard in the 1st half. Suffered a bit when Gray went off and made a load of subs. Sat back near the end but we did that against most sides last season....must worse than Spurs and with supposed better players.
Importantly, apart from a striker's tackle from Glenn Murray, we didn't give them any good chances, which is what we like to see. I liked the effort to stop them at all costs, whether it was everyone charging back just before half time to stop their attack, or the crowding around any time they got in the box, or the general structure, which was more than we saw last season when we looked an absolute shambles. Could see the defence were trying the longer passes yesterday rather than aimless hoofs, although in general I'd like to see a better ball-player at the back to accompany Wilmot (who I was pleasantly surprised to see, I thought he wasn't back for a while). Ngakia looks brilliant, it seemed he was more of a defensive full-back at West Ham, but he's coming out of his shell here and has had two really encouraging displays. Estupinan looked promising, solid defensively, didn't quite work for him going forward, but still hope he stays Not that they played badly yesterday, but I wouldn't want to see that midfield play regularly when the season starts, you'd think Hughes/Capoue/Grimes/Busquets or whoever would be ahead of Cleverley and Chalobah (who could be fantastic depth options), and I'd also expect Sarr/Sema (hopefully Sarr!) to be there instead of Dele-Bashiru. By the looks of that, Gray could be a much better option in the Championship than I initially suspected, although we do need to keep Suarez (ideally as first choice) to have two more nimble options up front rather than the slower Murray and Perica. Not quite there yet, but I am very encouraged by that, it's promising to be a fun season
He's a handsome runner isn't he. Keeping Kiko could be a bonus this year in the champ don't you think? A utility player of whom we have not many.
As long as he's employed as a wing back with few defensive responsibilities he could be a useful back-up, yes. Rarely have I seen a footballer with worse positional sense and discipline when defending though.
Wierd that those highlights havent been posted on here. The clip of 8 Watford players running back to defend a Spurs counter was incredible and such a contrast to last seasons limp performances. We also looked like we had a plan when we had possession which again was lacking last season. Only a friendly yes but some positive signs.
