Had we made more of around 9-10 highly promising positions we found ourself in, no one would be saying we got it wrong 2nd half. Poor final through balls, ball played slightly behind the man running in, poor touch when through on goal all cost us - but that’s individual moments not tactics. We battered them last night, was very very entertaining, but the late equaliser is just a massive kick to the ********
First half we were all over them, perhaps some of the nicest football we've played this season. TC should've made the subs earlier, it was clear that some of our players were knackered and that the game was becoming stretched. Despite the result I thought it was an exciting match, much better than the dross we've been served up the last few seasons. Bayo 3rd top scorer in the league now. Still no idea where we'll finish, could be the playoffs, could easily be 18th. Really enjoying this season so far.
Our first half was the best this season. I suspect it was the risk of fatigue from all that travelling and internationals that caused us to try to shut up shop in the second half. A Friday night fixture when we have so many international players did us no favours.
He did score twice in one game for us, but only against Wycombe. I’m no fan, but I don’t think people can argue that so far it’s not looking like a fairly astute free agent signing by Rooney, as opposed to our recent record in that area. We’ve managed 4 appearances so far from Ogbonna before his injury, we got 3 out of Nkoulou, 5 out of Lazaar, a slightly more respectful 9 out of Sanchez and a whopping 14 from Bacuna, although I can’t recall any of those being particularly good and certainly not game-changing.
Incredibly frustrating given we should have been out of sight in that second half. Even if you don’t take those chances you HAVE to see the game out- use all the game management tactics you have like all teams in that situation should do. It’s our own fault and something that Cleverley needs to learn from. Remain calm and composed in those final minutes and we win, simple as that. The players looked absolutely shattered at the final whistle and I think that’s a good sign. Okay it might have been due to international travels for some of them but it shows they put their all into it, and as a football fan that’s all you can ask for. If everyone pulls together and gives everything then the players with that extra bit of talent will show it and shine through. A few posts up CB says we could make the play offs but just as easily finish 18th and that’s spot on. It’s entertaining and they’re not afraid to take risks (apparently that word was said a lot at the AYP thing on Tuesday night).
The stunned silence from the away end when Bayo actually managed to put the ball in the net - albeit after getting a lucky deflection off of himself after he somehow contrived to prod the ball backwards when the open goal was about 2 feet away - just about says it all. I hope Andre was made to take a drug test after the game. Utter toe-rag
A stalemate is coined from a chess term where the game is considered a tie. If the King is not in check and the player that has the next turn cannot make a legal move, the game is over and classified officially as a draw. It's a method used by experienced players' to avoid losing as a last resort.
Rich asked if he was likely to get a chance and whether there was a player in there. Tom was very diplomatic and said he trains hard. However when they were asked about his personality there were a funny looks shared. Dan Bachmann alluded to him being a very loud, confident person around training. Didn't seem to come across as a player they have faith in at all.
I liked the way that Pollock has taken on more responsibility for moving the ball on from the back but I still think our middle CMs are our biggest problem. Too often louza and sissoko were effectively bypassed (other than pinging the ball backward to Pollock) and then defensively they don't win much in midfield. I think that's why Andrews gets drawn out of position so often..
TDB might be lightweight but he does (or did) work well with Sissoko earlier in the season. We have the best midfielder in the division trying to set up a player who scores 1 out of every 5 chances on average. I'm not surprised Chak is trying to score himself now. Would it really hurt to give Doumbia a real chance I wonder.
Join the club. When you get eliminated from a game of Werewolf because you made a spelling error, you understand the criminal injustice on this forum in that regard.
Gray has scored 134 goals in League and Premier football, (and 5 international goals). Gray scored a goal every 1.86 games for Luton. Every 2.61 games for Brentford. Every 2.28 games for Burnley. And every 2.8 games for QPR. For Watford it was every 5.95 games! (Between his times at Burnley and QPR). Could it be that the fault lay with the way Watford played? You bet. I think, with a player like him you have to supply him with a maximum number of chances, because you know he will miss a lot of them, but he never gives up and gets into scoring positions frequently. Last night still hurt, though.
A very enjoyable overnight away trip – apart from the 95th-minute goal from Gray. It just had to be, didn't it. I said before the game he'd probably score and do that ear-cupping celebration he did when he shinned one in at Newcastle. An entertaining game, a nice ground (one step closer to completing The 92), and a good performance with a couple of good chances to make it 3-1 and wrap it up. Even in the dying seconds we had chances to just boot it miles down the line (was it Kayembe?). With seconds remaining and a lead to protect I'll never understand why kicking it 60 yards isn't considered a viable option. Got home just in time to see my local Step 5 side's derby game. Led 1-0 against 10 men for more than an hour. Missed a penalty to make it 2-0. Then conceded an equaliser in the 86th minute. 550-mile round-trip, two late equalisers to prevent two wins. Good old football.
Not the way they played, just the circumstances at the time. Deeney was the captain and undroppable. And when past his best and out of form he still played. So difficult for any other striker to get a run in the team to get the numbers up. To put that into some further perspective - Bayo, despite his limitations, has 7 in 15 games so far. If there is no further recruitment up front in 2024/25, Bayo may well continue to be the main striker and end up with a respectable tally at the end of the season despite the likelihood of some missed chances along the way. There is no substitute for a decent run in a team to get into a rhythm and build some confidence, rather than try to do something off the bench in a tighter timeframe most weeks.
I don't disagree with anything you've pointed out; I think our respective comments are more or less tangential. By 'the way Watford played' I meant in the broadest sense, the whole approach. Deeney was over the hill, yes. It is quite likely Pozzo made a misjudgement in expensively extending Deeney's contract. But I don't think the presence of one man would be responsible for the marked difference in Gray's scoring rate. Coaches are often, it seems to me, too wedded to a limited set of styles. But, if you employ somebody of that ilk it does not make sense (except for arguable business reasons) to bring in players who don't fit into that coach's style. Buying Sarr for a coach who didn't play wingers might be considered an example. Buying Gray and not organizing it so he was used as a gambler playing on the shoulder of the last defender might be another. I realise I am probably over-simplifying things, but the drop in scoring effectiveness of Gray with us other than elsewhere is stark.
Yes, my son-in-law is from Manchester and has been supporting City since they were **** and Manure were successful. Yesterday he took his son (our oldest grandchild) to his first match. He certainly wasn’t expecting a 4-0 home defeat. Perhaps his mum (WFC supporter) and I can cheer him up when we take him to Burnley for his next game. Maybe.
As loathsome an individual as Gray appears to be I peddled this line in the days when Pozzo had only failed to reply to one of my emails. We rarely played to his strengths and it seemed an utter waste of money.
I haven’t checked this out to see if it’s true, but I read that following City’s loss last night we now have the longest unbeaten home record in the top four divisions? Makes me even more nervous for the visit of Bristol City now as I fear they will do us at ours again.
