You've just described two signs of good upper management. Only bad managers blindly accept what their subordinates say. Going to the floor and seeing for yourself (attending training) and holding skip meetings (talking directly to the squad) are how the very best operate. The bad ones are those who sit in an office and just leave someone to do whatever they want.
Well that was a big improvement on 39 seconds. Plus it was only 1 goal. That's like a clean sheet to us.
Gracie says don't worry we'll be happy... https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/fo...disappear-following-fa-cup-exit-a3752016.html
Apparently, Gracia has already chucked a sickie with the flu, though supposed to be travelling to Stoke!! Sounds like there is some unofficial sickness rota at Watford FC!!
Having read various descriptions/accounts of Gracia in the press after his appointment - it was often mentioned how he'd set his team up to combat the specific opposition in front of him. Looking back at the game yesterday after the emotion has subsided - you could argue that we did a number on Stoke. Lambert has said in the press how difficult his team found it; Stoke fans on Twitter (without irony) are apoplectic about our tactics - feigning injury and time wasting (yes, really); and their local press has run an article about the game setting a record for the ball being in play for the least amount of time in a premier league match (we still had more possession than them, despite being the away side - and perhaps they could have stopped with the rugby tactics in order to let the game flow a little better). I wonder if this was just an example of the coach setting us up to be generally more organised and harder to beat - or if it was actually a tailor-made plan to spoil and frustrate Stoke, essentially playing them at their own game? It will be interesting to see if we're slightly easier on the eye over the next few games depending on who we're playing - or if it'll be ugly, grinding out points style tactics from here on in?
It's difficult to dish out too much praise for spoiling tactics, but I agree he deserves credit. Using Mariappa as an auxiliary centre half was clever, but again I don't think it takes a genius to see the Janmaat is hopeless. He also managed to force Capoue not to hide by getting him to sit deeper.
He is a brilliant coach. We have 13 games left and we will not concede a single goal so will get a minimum of 13 points taking us to 40 and safety.
Good post Jossy. Difficult to tell just how deliberate some of the play was, but the entire team will have presumably remembered Stoke frustrating us earlier in the season. Since Silva lost interest we have often looked hopelessly naive, so a bit of pragmatism is a good thing. We did create some occasional good moves at Stoke ... as you say, it will be interesting to see if and how our style and game management varies with Gracia.
I think "pragmatic" may well turn out to be a good description of life under Gracia. We may lose less games but there won't be much flowing football.
Got to say it's fairly impressive to see us transform into a side that was easy to best, into a team that is rugged and stoke are moaning about (stoke ffs). In GTs second spell I saw a similar transformation in his first game, I believe it was sir Thomas Mooney that had a role of winning headers on the left wing against their small full back. We just played a simple yet effective game and it worked a treat. I suspect the first phase of operation Gracia is to make us compact and hard to beat. We've got the players to turn our 25 minutes of good stuff into goals
In GT’s first game back we conceded 3 goals at home (Ipswich?) and lost from being 2-0 up. It was chaos?
So it doesn't look like there's been a new manager bounce. Well I disagree. There were clear improvements last night. Defensively we rode our luck a little bit, but the Stoke chances were reduced. Strangely we struggle to score against Stoke. They've conceded 50 goals this season, and in 2 games we've contributed zero to that total. So in Gracia's 2 away games we've conceded 1 goal. He's identified the biggest weakness in Janmaat and replaced him with a central defender, who played extremely well. I think that's embarrassing for Janmaat, to be replaced by a central defender, but I think he'll be gone in the summer. There are pluses. Good debut from Deulofeu. Deeney looks far leaner and fitter, defence ARE far more organised, Capoue played well in a deeper midfield position, Holebas was putting in some quality crosses. Doucoure and Gray had some nice moments. Ok, it's small pieces, but I'm seeing it turning around. Attitude seems better, but we're at a delicate stage. We could have lost last night and confidence would take another hit, but we didn't. We got a valuable point, a clean sheet and there's now a little bit of hope whereas before there was none.
177 minutes and counting .... With defenders who never play together for 2 games running and shot of confidence I’d say it’s not a bad start.
If he gets a tune out of Capoue he's already performed a miracle and therefore should be renamed Jesus Grazia.
[QUOTE="Manatleisure, post: Gracie says don't worry we'll be happy... https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/fo...disappear-following-fa-cup-exit-a3752016.html[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE] Thanks Tcs, you cheered me up. Needed that. Don’t worry - Everything will be alright in the end, if it’s not all right, it’s not .... etc And it’s many more games til the end ... No worries I’m happy
Puel speaks the best English among the current Prem managers. Dalglish possibly the least intelligible in the ‘Prem era’.
Running wasn't his problem. It was when he ran into blind corners or turned back and ran the other way that caused the aggro.
Actually he was pulled off (Vydra style) after an hour but was centre mid in a team beating Messi, Suarez, etc.
Quite. Not just you miked2006. Me too. Way too claustrophobic. Get an office at the Vic. instead Gino.
No, no and no again. If you've just hired a new departmental head then you should be able to trust him to run his department (after all, you appointed him) without the need for micro-management on a daily basis. Especially interfering on the playing side of things which you personally have very little knowledge of. By all means get involved less often. Once a fortnight say. Strikes me that this may be the most important aspect of the generic problem leading to nine changes in 5 1/2 years. Constant, in-your-face, interference. That would piss me off no-end. And I suggest it pissed Marco Silva off PRIOR to the Everton approach and a number of the previous incumbents too.
This reminds me of the time I ran a customer support department. The MD had a brainwave after watching one of those "back to the floor" type programs. He decided to spend a day on the phones with us. He managed 2 calls and one irate customer before the whole plan was shelved.
An ode to our new managers and the 0-0's that will keep us up: When we're struggling to score, But we still get a draw, That's Gracia... When we're dead on our feet, But we get a clean sheet, That's Gracia... When we don't cross or shoot, But we put in a boot, That's Gracia... When we barely compete, But we avoid defeat, That's Graciaaaaaa!