I won't lie I would have taken a 2-0 win before the game. Norwich only beat these with a winner from a stoppage time penalty and they drew with Bournemouth two weeks ago and probably should have won that game. That was a comfortable game for us, I was disappointed that we did not kick on but I think the players just dropped down a gear or two because it was too easy plus we have been playing 3 times a week.
Sarr was permanently offside. They had to sub the lino after the first one’s arm fell off from all the flag raising.
We were managing the game in the second half and job done. Sema looked like he was still suffering and probably should have been rested tonight. With so many games in quick succession there will be loads like this.It has become so monotonous with a game every 3-4 days that the result is pretty much the only thing. It doesn't make for great viewing at times but it has to be managed this way. Major pluses:3 points,more minutes for Hughes,No Capoue,Clean sheet,seemingly no injuries and I didn't get soaked
I mean I haven't seen Sema in training of late, could we really afford to rest him tonight? Wonder if we'll see him at the weekend, wouldn't surprise me if we saw JP on the left wing. Kinda glad Hughes didn't start now, another 20 odd minutes under his belt and now hopefully he's fresh and absolutely raring to go and get at Brentford
Thought we were excellent first half. It almost as if the message was no more than 2 touches and move forward at pace with the ball. The exact opposite from Saturday. Mix of nerves tiredness and over cautionness from us 2nd half.
Like Dave WFC, I saw only the last hour. I've seen replays of the goals and they look like scruffy ones. Fine, but let's not go overboard about them. And the football I saw live was dreadful. Was it really a plan to see the game out after 30 minutes? Against Rotherham?! Not only boring, but frustrating. And not, as far as I can see, even a good idea: Fortunately, Rotherham are rubbish, but a bit of chasing saw them create chances and half-chances against a side who seemed to think that keeping the ball in your own half is the way to do it. I saw Kabasele and Ngakia have good games. Somebody needs to tell Sarr that he has so much speed he doesn't really need to risk being off-side; just play half a yard back. Just imagine this side, with this attitude, in the Premier League....
No, just everybody else, bar those immediately around us, is equally dire in this league of cloggers!
For the record, would I take it if you could guarantee we win every game like this until the end of the season? Sure, fire up HMS Grind The League, but of course we can't guarantee it, there's always the chance we end up with egg on our faces...
It's so weird seeing our cb going forward, realising they can't and doing a step over and passing it back again. Stats tonight don't lie. Kabasele and Troost passed to each other 9888997666 times
At this rate they are going to have a tough job enticing anybody back to the ground when safe to do so. I can hardly sum up the enthusiasm to press the red button to watch these muppets
It started off with promise and then went downhill. Just when you thought it couldn’t go downhill anymore , it did. The passing is woeful. This is a group of individuals and not a team by any means. Sarr s value must diminish with every game. I’m pretty sure he wants out in January but we wouldn’t get anywhere near what we wanted (unless we sell to Everton), It’s a good job Rotherham hadn’t got their shooting boots on, as they had chances. I can’t recall their goalie having to make a save in the second half? It’s probably down to too many games in a short period but it really is painful to watch.
Why does it ‘have to be managed’ this way? We’ve already shown we are a far better team when attacking this season and it doesn’t really cause us any more stress defensively doing that. We cope fine. And you say we were managing the game in the second half but they got a few openings at times - a better side would have punished us and made us creak far more. Let’s see what Saturday brings - not at all convinced.
Didn't see a second, although not for the want of trying. Red button still on the blink and by the time I got home and prepared supper it was half time so I went for the Hive option. It had a "glitch" and that was up the spout! Perhaps I should not watch every game?
To be fair on one occasion I was impressed with Ekong he got the ball and beat a couple of Rotherham players and then played a nice pass into Sarr who must've been offside by the slightest of margins, (I actually thought he was on) and then Sarr got clipped and if it wasn't for the flag it would have been a penalty.
I would like to know the last time we scored 2 goals in the first 15 minutes of a game and went on to win 2-0 Anybody?
We're not going to get away with that second half performance against many sides. Once again, we got lucky. Brilliant save by Foster early in the second half denied a certain fightback. Can't believe I'm not delighted by a win, but I hate these tactics. We played well in the first half. For once showing our class above our opponent. Two early goals and could have been a lot more. But what do we do in the second half? Yes, sit back and play tippy-tappy football, which will only keep the opposition interested. Rotherham created enough in that second half to have got a draw and had they scored one, with Watford in such lethargic mood, I very much doubt we could have done much about it. No matter what Ivic says in his post-match conference, it was clear this was a tactical change. To a man the team was completely different with a "protect what we have" attitude, instead of going for the jugular when you clearly have your opponent on the ropes. I expected a win, but it was unconvincing again, when it should have been commanding. I'm beginning to think Ivic is not the man to get us promoted. He's just far too cautious. Fortune favours the brave not the timid. What was that with just 8 subs today? Ivic making a point to the board? I know who's going to win that debate. No Capoue, no Murray. Even an empty place on the bench is better than them apparently. I'm hoping they are both injured. Neither deserve to be treated like that.
Was way too easy and the players dropped the tempo and become sloppy. If we were up against a better team I doubt we would have took our foot off the pedal so much. The game was done in the first 45 minutes we knew it.
As has been said on another thread, there’s more Cardiff’s than Rotherham’s in this league so we won’t be able to close games out like that with regularity. Rotherham’s tactics were so strange tonight. Dropped their top scorer/best player and only have him 10 mins when 2-0 down - and just invited pressure for 40 mins in the first half with zero outlet. We played with pace for a short while and created chances - but was quite hard not to given how they played. Utter tripe who aren’t even Championship level.
My sentiments exactly, but admit I did check the HT and hoped against hope we may push on for 4. But no - leopards, spots and all - it sounds like the feline smiler reverted to type in 2H and defended the win. Thankyou Ivic, the excitement of supporting my club is slowly, slowly f..a..d..i....n.....g
No team has taken this division by the scruff of the neck. Reading had a good start then fell back. All the other teams near the top win a couple of games then drop points for the next 2 or 3 games and so on. The top half of the table is separated by only 7 points. No team really stands out as being particularly good. The standings are based on who is less bad than anybody else. A real division of mediocrity this season.
For some reason we seem to be dragged down to other teams mediocrity, we just don’t have the confidence to take the bull by the horns and best teams properly!
Apparently this was what was said at half time (from the wobbly) "We spoke during half time and what I asked from them is to start the second half like the first half," said Ivic. "[I told them] The game is not over and we need to play, we need to to fight for every ball, we need to play with the ball we need to have the same movement what we did in the first half, especially the moment without the ball. "Why we started the second half how we started, and we played maybe 10, 15 minutes, it's a big question. "Maybe in some previous games, we had the opposite. We didn't start game, how we started today and after we started to wake up in the second half. We need to we need to be able to play 90, 95 minutes in the same way to win the game. "We were the team who were dominant, who created the chances. With a lot of possession and we need to speak, we need to speak, we need to walk, we need to a lot of times to speak, day by day to understand that we can win the game only if we are on our top level, every second of the game. "We need to be serious from the first until the last second of the game."
The fact that he's saying this sort of thing every week goes to show how much the team are buying into him. 'We need to speak'? Poor man's Beppe.
