They overran our midfield because Tufan is a fairy and was nowhere to be seen. Reids could probably confirm how many touches he had in the first half, I'd be surprised if it was double figures.
Is that the 4th time now? Where he's having a mare and walks off, didn't he get barged over by Lanzini of all people for the first goal? LANZINI. I'd understand if it was Antonio but the 59kg Lanzini barged him to the ground. Pathetic loser.
All true. You missed out the 'c' word however, confidence. This team has none, losing five consecutive games ensures that. It is the perfect storm and as others have said CR is not immune by selecting Kucka over Louza. I can only think that the fitness data suggested that Louza wasn't able to play for ninety minutes but that's only a guess. I'd sell Sarr now and invest in some semblance of defensive security,at half time I'd have put Nigel Gibbs on! Like most I see no way of out of this and I am preparing to climb to the UGT on Saturday to make my views clear to Gino. Anyone got any crampons?
Decision making from well paid professionals all over the pitch ,was embarrassing to watch end of not ,having the covid excuse
It's just so standard now isn't it? The same mistakes match after match and poor old Ranieri has been left an absolute stinker of a team. Thought our central defenders were ok but lacked protection from midfield and the less said about the full backs the better. Dennis, King, Louza and Sissoko class, Kucka was a very solid right back. Bachmann showing why he was Stoke's third choice keeper. I am fully resigned to relegation and honestly it doesn't bother me anymore.
The most depressing part of all. That's what Pozzo has done to this club in the past few years. People are just losing interest. How long can anyone remain passionate when the same old **** carries on over and over again?
Thought serrirlta was going to be an improvement to are defence today yet my 1st thoughts were right he is garbage in a back 4
Lost the last 5, and 8 defeats from 10 games. It's not looking good for him. But today was so utterly hopeless and the sort of performance that would sack every other Watford manager in the past, with that track record. I do think there are mitigating circumstances with Ranieri though. A very tough run of games, Covid issues and now AFCON. Only one more game, which is one most would expect us to lose anyway, before the transfer window opens. But we've got to be far more solid than we appear to be under Ranieri. Today was not just inept but we looked devoid of ideas and energy. Today was the first time I've really thought this team hasn't got a prayer of staying up. 3 or 4 decent players is not enough. I think the investment and remedial work required is far too big to sort out in January. Maybe we'll stay up if those teams below us and Leeds remain as pathetic as us, but we all know Newcastle and probably Leeds will have enough financial clout to sort themselves out. Maybe Brentford will fall, but they've already got 20 points on the board. It's not all over, but there is a hell of a lot of work to do to sort this mess out. Upgrades required in each position across the backline as well as keeper. We need another high energy midfielder too. If we got all that, with these players being at Premier League level, then we've got a chance of staying up, but I don't think we'll do enough quality business to resolve our obvious deficiencies.
The formation clearly needs to change with the players we have available, play 5 at the back and keep a clean sheet would be a start or is that too much to ask
How the fucck is prioritising the deployment of even more players from the very worst area of our squad to play a formation none of them have been coached in up to this point going to help us keep the clean sheet we haven't been able to all season so far?
Self inflicted wounds all over the place. I'm not even going to refer to it as defending, we haven't got anyone worthy of being mistakenly called a defender. The farce of giving away the penalty said it all, just when we'd had the let off of their disallowed goal. I'd gladly settle for scraping 17th place, but on that showing....no chance.
The geezer's not played in barely 3 months and he's sat in a back four with arguably three of the worst defenders in the league. How much can we expect of him?
In all honesty he needs to try something different because it's not working. But we desperately need bodies in and more than I originally thought. Tufan should never put on our shirt ever again! How on Earth is he an international? Fullbacks, what fullbacks. Centrally absolutely no cover for a defence with no confidence. I feel for Louza because he always wants the ball and tries. A professional footballer should be able to play any formation it's not rocket science. Yes I feel bad for Ranieri but ultimately it's him who selected the team and formation and he has to take some responsibility too.
I agree that things need changing, of course, but three-at-the-back is just literally not an option for us - we don't have the required fit and competent centre backs in our squad to play two-at-the-back, let alone three, and besides - those shytehawk full backs are not suddenly going to become devastating wing backs, and they are not absolved of their defensive responsibility upon moving slightly to that position. We don't really have the midfield two required to compensate for those five along the backline, either, and we're not getting creativity from Masina for a start; to involve him further in attack would be madness. We are backed into a corner where signings are our only possible recourse/answer, and, of course, it utterly remains to be seen whether we will get them or not (historical precedent says no, any remaining vestiges of organisational sanity say yes).
Maybe stop wrestling and pass the ball to a watford player rather than hoof ball ,along we all our centre backs ,they all have too many mistakes in them in a back 4 ,ranieri has to change something putting an extra body in there might just help rather than someone else further up the pitch (take your pick) who offers us nothing
If I was Ranieri and the owners didn't sign some better players in the transfer window I would leave.
Totally agree. That's why I said we need more bodies in than I originally thought. But a 5-3-2 might have to be used if Dennis does go to the AFCON. We need a left footed CB and two fullbacks/wingbacks added to a high energy midfielder.
As soon as the opposition pick up the umpteenth misplaced pass in midfield and descend on our final third, the Benny Hill theme tune starts blaring out in my head and I watch as each player does the exact farking opposite of what they need to do. I actually feel like ability wise they are far more capable than what's on show currently, but there's a mental fragility that all of them can't shake. Didn't Kiko have a panic attack on his professional debut? That's who's been our first choice right back for 5 years. Says it all really
Thing is though, its not just the back four that are the issue in how bad our defence is. We saw it in the first half again today - theres no out ball to relieve pressure and we continue to put ourselves in trouble by giving the ball away cheaply, its how their 2nd goal came about (and maybe the first I cant remember now). Like you say the lack of fitness/match sharpness undoubtably played a part today but its still an issue that we've seen before this season. Most defences will struggle when its all one way traffic for most of the half. I dont think Sierralta played too badly today all things considered. he kept Antonio in check for the most part. I think theres something to build on there even if it is a case of him being the least worst. As much as I liked Hughes and Chalobah, the reality is that neither would have improved this midfield. The perma-crooked Chalobah has managed a grand total of 4 appearances for Fulham so far this season and watching Hughes against Spurs recently he looked totally off the pace as they rather effortlessly played the ball around him. Would rather have Louza whose starting to show some promise and can keep up with the game. Agree about Kucka and Tufan, then again if Cleverley or Eterbo were fit I suspect neither would be anywhere near the starting 11. Which is why I wasnt expecting much from todays game however disappointing the final score might be. Likewise against Spurs, while I expect an improvement in performance if not result, its all about getting us ready for the two important games after against Newcastle and Norwich. As for the Pozzo's , if they have any genuine intention of staying in this league then they will need to invest in that back line this trasnfer window with players who will contribute from the off. Its all abit ambiguous, but we had potentially 5 out today with covid in Elliott, Cleverley, WTE, Ngakia and Rose (I dont think any are injured?). If those are the new case's referenced in the pre match conference after the team had gone into isolation then its probally safe to assume a fair few within the squad originally tested positive.
100% agree with you here, and can't be understated. Our central defenders have their limitations and are prone to at least one goal scoring chance a game but when the midfield fails to offer an out ball, and our full backs constantly invite the cross (or indeed just let their opposing player cut in) what else can we expect from them. The problems in our central defence around confidence and lack of leadership are clear to all, but it feels that the lack of protection they are offered needs to be addressed first and foremost. Personally it feels we're at a crossroads, do the Pozzos throw it all at trying to stay in the league (hoping that there are two worse teams than us and Norwich) or do they accept our fate and prepare for the Championship.
