Now this is the sort of analysis I can get behind! Get your CV into Quest, no wait, to the BBC because clearly we’ll be back in the Premier League next season. COYH! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've seen it. He was running towards the ball, which is rolling forwards towards the box. He didn't actually touch the ball before he was 'fouled', and it would have been quite easy to adjust his run towards the box. Take Kabasele out of the picture below and consider the ball is rolling forwards towards the box, with a pacy player like Armstrong. If Armstrong is able to get a shot in, 1-on-1, from 25 yards or closer with no player close enough to challenge, that counts as a GSO. It's a bit of a moot point because I don't actually think it was a foul anyway, I think Armstrong has decided us being down to 10 men for 70 minutes is a better way to get back into the game, rather than a 1-on-1. Once the ref has bought it, he has to send Kaba off. I think he's potentially questioned himself as to whether it was actually a foul and compromised on a yellow.
I'd hope that XI last night was partially with Bournemouth in mind, you'd think Capoue walks straight back into the first team after getting 30 minutes under his belt (and maybe if he is knackered after 60-70 minutes then we can consider subbing him). Same with Troost-Ekong, looks a cut above the rest of the defence, but got a slight injury against Derby. You'd think Cathcart and Kabasele would have been enough against Blackburn, and I suppose all told they were, but they were very shaky last night, who gets culled? Does Sierralta come in from the cold any time soon I wonder? Very surprised Perica didn't even come off the bench I thought Sarr was very good in a nominal striker role, although he basically did exactly the same things as he would have done had he been named as a winger. Joao Pedro again didn't have the best of games, despite the goal, I think he's wasted as a striker, put him out wide, or possibly in a deeper role and I think he'll flourish but without limiting his goal threat too much
I think it's one of those which 9 times out of 10 you'd expect to see a red, but there's just that little element of doubt there that means that, even if there were VAR, it probably wouldn't have been overturned
So you're only going to enjoy the football when we play absolutely perfectly? Yeah we weren't at 100%, but we still played some good stuff and created some really good chances, it was a very enjoyable game to watch IMO (and besides, I'm hoping for even more when Capoue, Hughes and a striker come in)
Not to get all COG about it, but that still wasn't our best team, we rode our luck a bit, but I think we deserved the win. Imagine what we'll be like with a midfield of Capoue and Hughes...
Also not allowing myself to get too excited yet, on paper we, along with Bournemouth, Brentford, Norwich and Swansea look far ahead of the rest. People joke about how we're going to piss the league with 100 points, but it might actually take something around that number to do it
Ultimately, love him or hate him, the plan must be to get Gray in the middle with Sarr and Pedro either side. I'm convinced those 3 will score goals, Perica as back up on the bench. Deeney back up to the back up in case we need to bring someone on to shoulder-charge a defender from behind. Capoue, Hughes and Cleverley/Garner behind, 4 at the back.
Not the way I saw it. Clearly running in the direction of the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, more (I suggest ) towards the corner flag.
He is, but not with the ball. I anticipate his first touch after beating Kabs to the ball would be towards the goal, and he's got enough time to adjust his body and do so. Instead, he decided to dive like a ****, waste the chance, and didn't even get Kabs sent off, which is quite funny
Doesn't have to be perfect, but I like quick, accurate passing rather than the pedestrian stuff, interspersed with hoofs, that we've seen so far this season.I'm not blaming Vlad - he's got an unbalanced squad to work with for now, and he's got points on the board - but I'm more interested in football than in winning (until it's a question of promotion or relegation, obvs).
The fact that Joao scored a worldie with his right on friday and then with a laser guided pass near the penalty spot with his left 5 days later was really quite something. Hard to knock the Pozzo scouting network with Pedro and Sarr up front together.
In fairness, I'm not entirely sure that the classic concept of 'the Pozzo scouting network' can really take much credit for noticing the most promising player on a Ligue 1 team that had qualified for Europe and who had just scored against Arsenal in the last 16 of the Europa League and then paying £30m+ for him. Pedro, certainly. But not so much Sarr.
It was patently obvious, and I said it many times, that our players were playing far below their abilities last season. Players don't lose their ability, it's like riding a bike. The only reason they played so poorly was down to their mindset, their attitude, their values, their ambitions. The fact that four coaches in one season were unable to correct this attitude tells me that it was mainly down to the players, but with coaches who were not outwardly all that positive in how they picked the team or set us up, I am sure blame can be shared to an extent. It doesn't take many players in a team, either, it just takes a few influential players with egos to poison the atmosphere and culture in a "team". There were players that "disappeared" for whole games last season, it was literally and without exaggeration, like playing with 10, even occasionally 9 men. When your Captain, "talisman" and "legend" effectively goes on strike at our most crucial time in our recent history, then you know that something is seriously wrong - and so it proved. Hopefully, we now have a squad minus the poison (or where the poison is less influential), and a coach who looks for attitude as an asset, and that will allow our players to perform as they can.
It's nice to see a forward in and around the penalty spot too. Noticeable the number of times JP has been there and scored one and missed two others,just,on Wednesday. Do they have penalty spots at The Sun or TS?
Have you watched Ivic's latest press conference? He's spends a lot of it talking about how he's focussed on changing the mentality of the dressing room and working with psychologists. It seems in a really good place at the moment. I think you'd like his approach. The biggest challenge is looming though... at the moment the team is everything. It's stressed in every answer Ivic gives, he expects people to put the team's goals ahead of their own. But at some point Deeney is going to be fit and will expect to walk straight back into the team as captain. I think Ivic will be strong enough to resist this but I suspect Deeney won't respond well and will start to try to undermine him.
I agree, and the mentality will be really tested when we have the inevitable run of poor results, and that is the time that any dissenter's will try and muscle in. Outwardly, Ivic does seem strong enough to handle it, we must hope he does.
Just watched the extended highlights and Blackburn certainly seem to be cut from the “Bournemouth” cloth. They twice had great opportunities to go and score, Armstrong clear through in first half and Holtby buying a penalty with the goal at his mercy. Both looking to get extra advantage by getting opposition players booked or sent off rather than potentially scoring. It was especially beautiful that on this occasion both attempts backfired but it really is a negative tactic. In both instances I’d say a player has more to gain in confidence by taking on the chances rather than always looking for a foul. I mean how far do you take it? How good an opportunity do you want to turn down to try and get opposition players into more trouble. Always found this a despicable tactic and we’ve clearly got back to back games dealing with it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ah, l see it now. It was not highlighted on my thread. We shall see. We have rode our luck so far. The Championship looks weaker than anticipated and this is definitely to our benefit The game against Bournemouth may give an indication of the level we are. Bournemouth fans seem to feel that they will walk it. We take a point off them, that would not be too bad.
Are you this gloomy and negative in life generally? If survival is your aim then we will have achieved it by January at this rate! Already 10 points ahead of the bottom 3/4 and as you say haven’t played that well. Who knows what we can do if we manage to defend and attack well in the same game. BTW not one of those who think we are/were going to “piss the league dreaming of Suarez getting 30 goals etc. But we will be top 10 at worse.
