As a team in the Premier league we always struggled against teams that press so no surprise this has continued, we don't have many players with quality on the ball Bit surprised Ivic mentioned lack of confidence in some players, maybe this is a hangover from relegation As much as I am no Deeney we need a focal point up front
Today continues our absolutely gash record on the road. Just one win since January. We do look a bit better at home this season, but any promotion hopes will be dashed if we can’t start improving away from the Vic. 2 goals scored in 5 away matches this season speaks for itself. We’ve really become a home and away side these past months. After lockdown we earned 7 more points in the PL, all of those coming at home. This season we were seconds away from making it 4 wins from 4 at home. If only we could translate that form on the road.
Yes-keep it tight because we have no central strikers available. This is squarely on the scumbag players who refused to play and the idiots in charge who paid them to do nothing. The idiots then didn't ship out the scumbag players-you might want £xxxM but if you need to get rid of them ship them out to Udinese or for less than you want.The bottom line is they had to be out but too many remain. If you have no fit striker(s) how are you meant to play? Ivic was right in building from the back until the window closed/players became available but the big mistake he has made is by playing the same way when the opponents are crap and offer virtually nothing. Things have to change now because Stoke and Coventry are two more poor sides and if 4+ points aren't taken he will be gone at the next break.
This Barnsley match report doesn't seem very impressed with either team! http://barnsleyfc.org.uk/threads/minority-report-v-watford.297165/
Yup. The fixation with playing those passes became more and more laughable as the game progressed. Eventually we reached a point where we kept doing it, Barnsley knew we would do it, everyone watching knew we’d do it and, shock horror, it didn’t have a hope in hell of coming off. I can only assume because it worked against Bournemouth the team are stuck in a loop of trying to recreate it.
Hmm, I thought that even though it was clear what we were doing, Barnsley weren't really able to stop it - most of the time we successfully got the ball to Sarr when we tried, often via some fantastic passes from Capoue, and then Sarr would easily skin the full-back - however, after that he'd generally just fluff his cross or there'd be no one in the box to get on the end of it.
Are you putting yourself forward? OK, we'll give you a go. Be at the players' entrance with your boots at 19.00 on Wednesday.
I think Ivic said in the press conference the other day they had only had time to work on the formations used to date, due to short pre-season with the squad. Time to prioritise this before the next game, surely we've all played four at the back at some point. Even a straight 4-4-2 would be better than this. Can understand 4-3-3 needs organisation to not get overrun in the centre but they're all professional footballers. Let's try it.
Loads didn’t make it. Capoue’s generally did but Wilmot and Cathcart made numerous laughable attempts. And I think Sema only managed to control a single one when we tried to switch it to his wing and that ended up in a tight looking offside call going against us. He had his worst game of the season and couldn’t control anything else.
Not great, I agree. But, once we acknowledge that the team does not have a goalscorer, I don't think we were anything like as bad as has been made out. We had plenty of possession, were enterprising, we were moving it about much more quickly, and there was more mobility up front. There is a large degree of making your own luck in football, but we certainly didn't get any. We lost to a stunner that went in off the post, but otherwise they had much poorer chances than we did and the margins are so small - Pedro just getting a toe on Sarr's cross, Wilmot's header not bouncing over, and Cleverley's poor miss. We are still in the play-offs, one win below the automatics, the equal best defence in the division, and in my opinion we have the most room to improve.
I think ultimately this performance isn't much different from, say, the Middlesbrough or Derby games, did have some joy, but that joy all being fairly limited, not the result of ripping teams apart like Norwich are doing. Only difference is that against Boro we score from a set piece, Derby Joao Pedro scores a wonder goal and the cracks are papered over, but today, they score early, we miss the chances we get, and suddenly we end up with a turgid loss with lots of questions to be asked. Obviously there should be more to come when Hughes is back and we can field an actual striker (preferably not Murray, but if need be, I wouldn't be opposed to him starting against Stoke), hope to **** by the time they're ready to be fully integrated back into the team, we bite the bullet and decide to stick Kiko at left-back (or, even better, bring a decent one in on a free)
Sema hasn't looked great in the last few games, Stacey completely owned him down his flank when we played Muff. His biggest problem seems to be a distinct lack of pace. I didn't think he was ever especially quick, but lately he just looks sluggish. It is very limiting as it means it's almost impossible for him to get passed any of his markers and progress down his flank, meaning we have to keep on playing down the right as you say. If we ever play someone else down the left again it might be worth switching him back to the more advanced central midfield role, meaning he can find a bit more space rather than always needing to beat a player one-on-one. PS that "offside" given against Sema was never offside though. PPS I remember T-E also hitting one very good long ball which made it to the flank.
I understand that he played wing back in Italy last season but it's a different game over there the pace is a lot slower, so its easier to get up and down. He is completely wasted playing wing back in my opinion, he is one of our best attacking threats and can put a good ball in, this is another aspect highlighting that the system doesn't work with the players that we have to our disposal.
On paper, this side should get promoted and I think we will. If we don't, I will still say I was right as we should have been. We'll be fine.
I've calmed down now. 5 at the back away at Barnsley with Chalobah and Capoue holding the midfield...... no wonder we had no shots on target! Shameful. Need to move away from this awful 5-3-2 system and play something that actually suits our players! Get Kiko at left-back, Ngakia at right back and play Kabasele alongside WTE! Don't need this 5 at the back b0ll0x. God knows what he see's in Cleverley or Chalobah! Both useless and offer nothing defensively or offensively. Garner left on bench but he's probably our best midfielder. Has to be Capoue holding with Garner alongside Hughes. Sarr out of position and not being given the chance to go one-on-one up against the full-back. Totally ineffective. Pedro isolated as Chalobah, Capoue and Cleverley all about 30 yards behind him! Not good!
I feel a bit sorry for Ivic. He doesn't have a natural LB to pick from aside from that kid Stevenson? Kinda ties his hands to a 3 CB formation.
Can't someone in the analysis department show him the footage of Femenia playing the role just fine, in a better league? Playing devil's advocate you could suggest he's being deliberately obtuse to prove a point to the board. Saying that, is it really that hard to secure a free agent left back? There's a couple floating about, surely.
We lost again. Glad I didn't watch. Was applying for jobs instead. Don't care about Watford and football right now. Paying the price for not signing a LB. Ivic not to blame. Pozzo out.
I don't agree that Kiko was a decent lb last season. He wasn't. One dimensional in attack and positionally poor in defence. This season hasn't seen a great improvement and he is so easy to defend against because he has no left foot. He might currently be the best of a bad bunch but he isn't the short or long term answer. If we persist with 3 in the centre then Ken can play on the left as he is better going forward and just as good defensively although I think we'll see the best of Ken in a 442(Sarr will also be better in this formation.) We'll find out a lot about Ivic this coming week.If he persists in the negative tactics with basically all players available then he won't last much longer.We won't get promotion by drawing games.This is a league where the most successful teams go for it and it's about time we did.
Clearly the free agent pool isn't up to snuff. We did pick up Stevenson but onviously that is with an eye on the future. I will go back to my first point, is Femenia natural LB? No. He can play there but is a right footer.
This season is becoming difficult to watch . I did think things were moving in the right direction. Early on we were Solid at the back and our attacking play, although disjointed looked to be improving and and with players to come back in. it looked positive. Admittedly the last couple of performances have knocked the wind out of my sails. We still seem unable to get a hold in midfield despite returning. . So now hoping that Hughes in his own might make the difference or Capoue finds his form once fully up to speed . We are defending ok but conceding so much possession ( such as Bournemouth) that at sone point it has to give. up front it’s clear that Pedro and Sarr don’t work , so with the return of Gray and hopefully Deeney, Ivic has to change things . Pedro hardly touched the ball yesterday , as he’s just not receiving it in areas he can work with it. I don’t believe our lack of cohesion is all down to Ivics tactics either. He is not telling them to give the ball away , especially at times when they’re not even under pressure . This squad is more than good enough to be beating most teams in This division . No one can argue we shouldn’t be beating the likes of Barnsley , who posed virtually no threat . I want Ivic to be a success, but it is down to him to get the best if this team and currently it’s not happening . A lot has been made of the left back situation, but please don’t tell me that with the ability in this squad we couldn’t stick Kiko in there and not be capable of beating Barnsley . I’m not being arrogant here, we simply have a vastly superior team to them.
I don’t know how true these comments are but looks like we didn’t do our research on the lad who scored. http://barnsleyfc.org.uk/threads/ben-wilmot.297201/ Even Mooney on the Hive said he had a bit of a reputation for shooting. Maybe sums it all up atm.
I agree with your comments re the left back situation. Ivic seems to be using that as the reason to continue 3-5-2...and that he's waiting until the international break before training the team on 4-3-3. The switch has to be made now. We need to play with a central striker. Ok, he's been handicapped being without Deeney, Gray and Perica, but Murray, even though he's looked woeful, I'm sure could do a job with Sarr and Pedro or Sema out on the flanks. At least try it out to see if it works. It's a nonsense to suggest the players will need extra training before deploying a 4-3-3 system, as most of them have played that way for most of their career. As long as Kiko is fit, we can easily play a 4-3-3 system. 8 goals from 9 matches, proves our attracting threat in virtually none existent. We cannot afford to let another two games pass before switching or else Ivic runs the risk of being out of a job.
I knew that! I blinking well KNEW THAT. What is the golden rule in any sport in the first minutes,keep it simple,settle yourself,yourselves and earn the right to play. This is basic. What does Capoue do, beggars around and loses the ball to a man known to like a long range shot. Not to mention the parting of the Red Sea to let him have the opportunity. I understand a lack of confidence but you have to graft a bit and work to find your game. Not good enough.