2-1 to the football team. Never in doubt really. Well done Palace, you really showed us to be the flat, limited bunch of dross that we are. Might have done us a favour long term - if Gino's got eyes in his head.
Today we supporters were well and truly let down. Us fans who work hard and scrimp and save so we can go and support our beloved team. Us fans who support our home town club, knowing the glory days will be few and far between, rather than opting to support one of the bigger London clubs. But who dream that one day, just one day, it will be OUR day. And then, yet again in a showpiece occasion at Wembley, our team doesn't turn up. I've been a voice of positivity here all season and defended QSF and our progress with every post I've written, but frankly if the Head Coach does leave next month, I won't shed any tears. The people behind our recruitment need to take a close look at themselves too. They've given us a totally lop-sided squad, one that today was trailing for all but about ten minutes of the match yet had no striker to bring on. We have the base of a good squad, and one that can be built to become an established member of the PL, but big questions have to be asked about whether we have the right people in charge to shape it. I feel very very let-down tonight.
We ****ed that right up good and proper didn't we? A ****ing fantastic opportunity to get to the final, playing a crap Palace team.. and they out-played us. The team should be designed to set up Ighalo and Deeney, get the ball into the box. But no, that's not the QSF way. What a shower of ****. EMBARRASING. AND Gomes would've stopped that first Palace goal. Pants was trying some kind of kung-fu move or something, joke.
Cue us sacking Quique at the end of the season and journalists from all the major UK news outlets saying yet again that Watford are all that's wrong with football.
I hate playing any team with fast attacking wide players, and once again it was a weak point. Really wish we were bombing down the wings and boxing it for forwards flying in but with Abdi and Jurado this doesn't happen. Both good players but not in those positions! Gueds made a difference but still no real attacking intent! Never look dangerous from corners or set plays and at times the midfield looked scared to shoot, picking out another sideways pass rather than putting a boot through it! Didn't expect to win, but even so the first half was a disappointment and even though the pace picked up in the second half we never looked likely to take control! Where next? Who knows but I hope a few of the players put their frustrations behind them and further cracks don't appear!
I think with a better squad we would do well under QSF's tactics. We have too many players like Abdi, Gueds, Anya who aren't top half PL players and then too many inconsistent players who are good like Jurado,Capoue and Ighalo. Won't lose much sleep if QSF goes but we need better recruitment in the summer.
On a different note, how funny was it to see those 4 Palace players on the ground after the Jurado/Suarez combo?
Congrats to Palace - they deserved it, we didn't. Without a doubt the right team won. I can't imagine how pissed off those who actually traveled to Wembley are feeling. QSF's position just doesn't look tenable at this point. The fact we look turgid and utterly devoid of ideas isn't down to the players, it's down to the tactical approach. That comes from the head coach. When players like Abdi (who we know is an excellent offensive player) look so incredibly one dimensional and devoid of attacking intent, the only conclusion to draw is they're doing what they've been told to do. Our form is dire. Without a lucky FA cup run to point at I really don't see how QSF keeps his job going into next season. We show less attacking prowess than we did under Lewington.
Depressing that was. You look forward to it and we don't show up. That's an average palace side and we gave them nothing to worry about. Suarez my only highlight, thought he played well.
The players have to take some responsibility too, its an FA CUP semi final what were they doing in the first half playing nervous out of shape and all over the place. I for one am not in the 'QSF out' camp. Also bear in mind Valencia are looking for a new manager and although paper talk is all about Flores being under pressure it could be more to do with he is maybe looking HIMSELF at managing elsewhere with better players. If you had said to me at the start of the season would I take mid table safety April time and an FA Cup final semi final I would've said "wow really? yes please".
All a bit kneejerk for me, saying to get rid of QSF. He's done his job. We're safe in the Prem, despite all the pundits saying we didn't stand a prayer with all the new players and that we'd finish bottom. We had a good cup run too. It's all gone a bit rubbish since the new year, but with some decent recruitment in the summer we can progress again next season.
It's and obvious point but other than Deeney and Igahlo... And to an extent Gueds the fact we have no quality elsewhere on the pitch to put the ball in the back of the net is so frustrating. All season long we've had situations like the pass from Jurado to Suarez and we have no cutting edge, we get into decent positions like that and without fail manage to conspire to waste it, we literally have nobody anywhere else on the pitch to even occasionally show a bit of composure and out the bloody ball in the net!
I agree but I think the last 4 games are big for QSF. If we put in positive vibrant performances against Norwich, Villa, Sunderland then it will leave a feel good factor at season's end. If he coughs up more negative rubbish then I think he's had it.
To what extent Gueds? He's as out of his depth as the others. He can't even claim credit for the first half of the season 29 point haul given he barely played a minute.
Fair play Palace, much the better side. Says a lot about us that I'm not even particularly disappointed (easy to say when I've not had to pay for tickets etc), it just seemed utterly inevitable. I think QSF is done. Jurado was probably our best player on the day, but that's not saying much. I felt sorry for Suarez when he came on, who I felt at least tried to move us forward and frequently found himself frustrated by the complete and utter lack of movement ahead of him. Yes, he gave the ball away cheaply on a few occasions, but I always felt that it was more down to the fact he was trying to go forward and was forced to hold onto it for much too long because he no options. The lack of attacking threat in wide areas was horrendously apparent today. I hate to say it, because it sounds so knee-jerk, but I think Flores has taken us as far as he's likely to take us. We're too slow and ponderous to cause anybody a real threat. I think change is coming.
Point is it's not about simply doing the job. Trajectory and aesthetics are also important. I doubt anyone would claim we're entertaining to watch at the moment, and our form since the turn of the year would see us firmly stuck in the relegation zone if it wasn't for the purple patch we had earlier in the season. I think it's becoming increasingly clear that our previous run of great form was despite the head coach's tactics, not because of them. Our current gameplan seems to be turtle up, hope for a lucky deflection or unforced defensive error, and ride that to victory. It's awful to watch.
I was in the keep QSF camp as he's done his job this year. Having watched the recent dross with unmotivated players playing dull tactics he can absolutely do one And let's recruit a better quality squad with this money
I agree altho' I dont think it would have made much difference. No service - in fact the player who served our strikers best was Pantillimon.
Well, as shown against Arsenal you know he has a half decent shot and can finish, even if it's occasional, the rest of the squad... They've had the whole season, get into the final third and we just fall apart.
I don't give a flying toss what the media or other supporters from other teams think- we have just majorly embarrassed ourselves in front of the nation. The team needs fixing. And i don't think it is an overreaction to say that QSF has probably got to go. We need to move forward and fix this team. I don't believe QSF can do any more than he has done. He has secured our Premiership status, and we are all grateful for that. But I don't think he can do any more with this team, and i reckon Gino will be looking for someone that can lift this team to another level. At the moment we are nailed on for relegation next season unless big changes are made.
Agree with you on Gueds. He earned himself an enormous amount of goodwill from his performances for us in the Champ last season. If he had been signed as a complete unknown this year fans would be tearing him apart. The number of unforced errors and possession turnovers he gives away puts us under a lot of pressure. He might turn out to be a Premier League quality player, but he certainly doesn't fit in with our current system.
I guess a lot may depend on what players the Pozzos have lined up and who they think they can bring in. Will they trust QSF with them and believe he can adapt his tactics next season.
It's just dire. Ake can do one, beaten all ends up from a cross we could all see coming from the other end of Wembley. Terrible positioning. I'd bin Abdi, Ighalo and Pantilimon based on today too. All crap.
I can't believe how poor we are at set plays though, I'm not suggesting we should have kept Tozer, but I miss having a player who could score direct from free kicks. I can't believe how few chances we create from corners, never look dangerous and sadly we have 2 great strikers who have to help themselves in completely the wrong sense, rather than being on the receiving end of great set up play and having defences wonder how to pick up 2 danger men, defences just need to stop one creating the chance for the other as if Deeney doesn't get the flick on then Ighalo has nothing to run on to. Hope we get creative with our attacking options for the last few games, give some youngsters a chance, suprise the opposition and maybe a player like Jakubiak could add another dimension to our play.
They should all go n jump off a cliff.......gettibg through the FA Cup semis n getting another season in the Prem......its disgusting.
I agree, Gueds for all his enthusiasm doesn't have a good enough touch and can't pass under pressure etc. - but as a backup he's welcome, we aren't quite a club that can stack up quality in reserve a la Man City/ Chelsea etc.
And why are some of us saying QSF cant do a job with the better players? He's worked with players like Sergio Aguero and David Silva. If you look at our players, be honest, Ben Watson, Almen Abdi, Troy Deeney, Cathcart to name a few. These players came from the championship and QSF has turned them into players that have survived relegation so fair play to him. The other players come from a pool from feeder players but to progress we need to buy better in my opinion, like you say with the money for next season. Its not been pretty at times but its done a job. I wish we could play more sexy but we don't have those players at our disposal. I'm sure after a good night's sleep you will all agree with me. or not.
QSFs tactics are becoming so predictable now you could pretty much name the team prior to it being announced. I'm surprised everyone didn't leave after they scored the first. When did we last win a game by going behind?
