OK, I can see that the game plan tonight was to make the game tight, scrappy, and hope we get the first goal. if the coach thinks that's the best way to beat Brentford then fair enough, they're a good side. We didn't do the basics very well at all though, and at half time surely the coach realised there was a good chance they'd play the percentages better than us and would likely take the lead. So it proved. So what then? Yes, 3 subs, but neither our approach nor the pattern of the game changed. We could have pressed more, introduced more width, even thrown a defender up top for 10 mins and gone direct, but we didn't do anything different at all. We're definitely limited by personnel (and hopefully that'll change a bit in January), but we also need some imagination from the coaching staff. Blackburn are going to be a very similar proposition on Saturday. Hopefully our better players are more 'on it' than tonight, but either way, we need some flexibility in the approach if we're going to keep up what has been an impressive start from the new coach. Bad day today, onward and upward. Hope we're learning.
I think the biggest problem in simplistic terms is that we’ve got lots of decent midfielders & defenders but not many decent forwards & wingers so it’s much easier for us to defend a lead than it is to come from behind. We can change formation & tactics but I think this will always be an issue for us until we either develop these attackers or sign better ones. Having said all that I will give Adeboyejo some credit. He’s probably not the option off the bench any of us want but he’s clearly improved his all round game & looks hungry & does seem to be having a positive effect off the bench.
I agree the manager needs to have a plan b. His way of playing wasn't right against Cardiff or Brentford, not because we lost but because we didn't look like scoring and we didn't adapt to deal with their style. It will get harder for us if other teams analyse how we play and have a plan themselves. Val is doing good but I'm not sure if new strikers is the solution, we should have pressed higher against Brentford and needed to have more possession by not being as direct as Brentford coped comfortably in defence with our approach.
His tactics were spit on for most of game. Cant go toe to toe with the best sides in the league. We dont have the players. midfield pair of mowatt n james are both good on the ball but very slow! Need splitting up. Victor n woodrow up top saturday. Mowatt just behind n styles n James in the centre. Oduor on the left. freiser left as far away as possible. Preferably back in Austria.
I think the level of players we have now we have to accept we will get beaten. Plan ABC could all come into play but I'm expecting to lose a fair few games against sides challenging for promotion. What I'm not expecting is to lose to the poorer ones and Val seems to have got the measure of that. Lets see what Saturday brings.
I agree with all that which begs the question why, when you have good midfield players available but weak forwards, you play two in midfield and three up front.
I thought yesterday was maybe a chance to go 352 rather that. 343, especially at half time. It’s only a small shift but the wide attackers weren’t in the game either as a press or in an attacking sense. Styles or Kane in the middle of midfield might have given us a bit more. With a standard 2 upfront of Woodrow and Chaplin
You might argue only having two forwards in the side would make them even less effective. Though that said we can’t be any worse by having Frieser out of the side, maybe Oduor on the left and Styles in the middle.
I don’t think we really strung more than 3 passes together last night at any point. Matty James really struggled up against some more athletic midfielders which is food for thought. Also it was maybe one game too many for some. We looked knackered most of the game. Our press was only a fraction of its usual level.
Yes, agreed, that was a real worry. Anyone can have an off night but he conceded possession more last night than in all the rest of his games so far put together.
The nice thing about all this, is that we're all thinking that with a slight change in set-up and/or starting lineup, we could have got a result last night. Not too long ago, winning a game - any game! - seemed a huge challenge and the number of things that needed to change was very long indeed (the board, the plan, the budget, the system, the formation, the keeper, the centrebacks, the fullbacks, the centremids, the strikers, the head coach, the experience level, the height of the forward line... pretty much everything). We're doing ok.
I would’ve probably left Mowatt on & took off a centre back & changed shape, not really anything to lose at 1-0 down.
Think we did change slightly last night - Matt on commentary mentioned we weren't pressing their defenders as much we held a line and let them play it around - which could explain possession stats
TBH I thought the tactics & set up wasn't the main fault. We were just far too wasteful with the ball when we got it. Non of the subs did much to change that. We go again versus Blackburn. Hopefully we can find some red shirts.
