The problem Flores has, is that he needs to create a blueprint from which the players can perform. He's super defensive, with five across the back line for a home match against Sheff Utd. It's unfortunate we used this formation against such a weak opponent, as it wasn't really necessary. It was overkill to contend with anything United has to offer, but he's trying to implement something and that message has to be consistent. If we do this against Leicester, West Ham or any of the top 6, then yes, it could be a good format. Against the weaker sides we need to pose a lot more problems, especially at home. This is why I think our situation is now hopeless. The system will reduce chances for the opposition, but it's a trade off. Playing this way will also reduce our chances to score. Today we created only three chances, but all were very good ones, which is unusual for us. However, there was nothing else created at all, not even half chances or nearly moments. There is no balance with the way we're playing. It's a case of clean sheet at all costs, but he has to start somewhere. It just goes to show how broken we actually were under Gracia. We do need someone who is a bit more than a one trick pony though. We need a coach who can sort out the defence but make the most of the attacking talent we have. I'm not sure Flores is able to achieve something attractive going forward.
So: Gray was offside, didn't know whether or not he was offside, and missed an open goal - a triple whammy. Wow! I didn't see him doing that!
Yeah and I figured that was the logic too. But I think today lost the team a lot of credit with the fans. We were urging them on, encouraging them to attack and go for it in the last 20 minutes. Despite the pisspoor start to the season the crowd was still completely on their side and prepared to try and build the atmosphere up like we did against Arsenal with waves of attacks. By then it was obvious the only threat Sheff Utd posed was if we gifted them a goal (good odds on that, admittedly). QSF even mentions the fans’ desire for the team to attack in his post-match comment, so he’d picked up on it. But the answer from him and the team was a big fat raspberry.
I hope the 'Sarr must start' brigade enjoyed that cameo today I like the kid and think he has potential but its clear as day that he is miles off being a PL starter and both coaches have obviously realised the same
Booing a draw, who do these fans think we are Stoke? Pathetic fans echo a pathetic response it seems.
I spend over a £grand on season tickets; traveled and suffered the humiliation at the Etihad a couple of weeks ago; not seen a league win for 11 games; took 40 mins to get in from Bushey today...I booed, them booed some more...and proud.
Le Championnat has two or three sides of Premier League level. The rest are Championship or lower. Sarr has potential for sure, but the price tag, the new surroundings, the position of the team and it's playing level are most probably factors in his poor showing. He must wake up in the morning and think it is a bad dream.
Are you absolutely sure it was booing? I thought people might be shouting ‘Boo-en’ to congratulate our keeper on his first clean sheet in months.
Because as fans, we have had to endure months of this insipid, gutless ****. We can't pick the team. We can't make these cowards do laps in the rain. All we can do is boo them and let them k know that their own fans think they are piles of ****.
The only way today is acceptable as a result, is if it’s the start of something. As in, today was about getting a clean sheet, about building some defensive solidity and pretty much sacrificing attacking intent for that alone. Painful as it was to watch, opening up toward the end and going for a winner probably increased the likelihood of them snatching a goal, which would have absolutely devastated any hopes we had of turning this around. If we able to produce a couple more good defensive displays, and build some confidence that we’re able to restrict the opposition from scoring on demand, we might be able to start opening up offensively a little more. There’s absolutely nothing to celebrate about getting a point at home to a newly promoted club, but maybe a clean sheet will be enough to start restoring our fragile confidence and give us something to build on over the next couple of weeks. A final word on Doucoure, who was beyond awful today. He looks completely and utterly devoid of confidence. Needs a spell out of the team, hopefully allowing Quina to come in and play with the fearlessness or youth that we’re sorely lacking in this team of experienced, terrified, losers.
What a ridiculous post. These ****s are paid shitloads every week. We’ve been in the PL for four years. Sheffield Utd are a limited side who have just been promoted. People have every right to be disappointed and to express that disappointment. And yes, we seem pretty similar to Stoke at the moment.
That's fair enough and I understand the frustration however did you not think that the performance today particularly defensively was a drastic change to what we have endured? For the first time in seven months we looked competent and a unit defensively and we created the lions share if chances. Is that not an improvement or is it something to boo?
pretty sure you could build a whole squad for the combined total paid for Sarr, Gary and Chalobah.....
On its own its nothing. But in the context of the performance and results since the fa cup semi final, it's just another insult from our over privileged, pampered players. Too gutless to make anything happen and beat a side for the first time since April. Disgusting bunch of wastrels.
Had we lost I could see it but we didn't we kept our first clean sheet since March. That is a small step in the right direction.
If this were the 3rd game of the season, maybe, but this was too little and too damn late. You dont get away with being barely competent after the run these traitors have put in for the past months. They needed a win. Nothing less. They didn't get it, so **** them app right in their ******* eye sockets.
I know it wasn't a win but it was something to cling on to/potentially build on over the international break. It may not seem like it but that was a positive result this season. It shows how far this team has fallen as we should have beaten them.
First home game for me in about 4 years (think the last game was the 2-0 home win against Naarch under Quique). Was very impressed with the stadium, looks a very tidy ground now the corners have been filled in. As for the performance. We looked solid enough if not a little nervous at times in the first half particularly, but we let Sheff Utd dictate the tempo and play at their pace. We allowed them to stroke the ball around with ease. Desperately missed Capoue's physical presence in the middle throughout. Cleverley is not a central midfielder, he has no physicality or pace. That said, he was running around clearing up Doucoure's mess all afternoon! What a horrific performance. In fact, I don't recall as bad an individual performance from a Watford player in a very long time! Everything he did today was horrid. I thought Prodl and Kabasele were both immense. Prodl's performance will go under the radar, but he actually organised the defence and we looked assured. I think Prodl brings out the best in Kabasele, and dare I say they're our best pairing if we revert back to a back four? Cathcart shocking. Dawson did well when he came on. Holebas had a game of two halves! Woeful first half and did well second half! Janmaat lacks the pace Femenia has but his positioning and reading of the game is head and shoulders above Kiko's. I am a big critic of Pereyra but today he was great. Put 100% in which is quite rare for him and looked up for it. Put one on a plate for Gray only for him to miss an open goal from 6 yards out. Pathetic. Gray's overall performance was poor. Some moments of decent play, but he's nowhere near good enough to start for us, especially when we've got players like Deulofeu and Sarr on the bench to partner Welbeck. Welbeck played well until he ran out of gas and should've scored at the start of the second half. In fairness he did everything right, it was a very good save by Henderson. Could argue he should've squared it for Gray, but after his f**k up in the first half I don't blame him for not passing. The subs didn't really impact the game massively, but mainly because we just kept lumping it up to them rather than trying to play through Sheff Utd and actually fire the ball into feet. Mainly due to the lack of quality we had in the middle of the pitch today!! In summary, the only positive is we kept a clean sheet and Kabasele and Prodl proved they should be playing every week. Three gilt-edged chances missed and three much needed points missed out on! A draw isn't good enough, this was a must win. I don't see us taking anything at Spurs with exception of a hammering from a wounded animal and Bournemouth's pacy forwards King, Wilson and Fraser will have a field day against us. Not sure where the points are coming from. Not a good day at the office. I can't name three worse sides than us currently!!
Too late to build on something as pathetic as clinging onto 0-0 @ home against a championship quality side.
We weren't clinging on though, we created the better chances and should have scored a couple of goals. Sheffield United barely had a sniff.
I never comment on the match and leave it to our forum experts but I’m soo pissed off. I booed at the end for the first time ever in the Pozzo era. WTF is wrong with Doucoure, he should not be playing. To play 5 at the back against Sheff U was pathetic. . We are doomed with this approach and will get relegated.. I really don’t want to go to Tottenham. Help me, help me..
The nightmare would be that Poch leaves by.mutual consent during the international break and we face a Spurs with new manager bounce (them, not us).
I didn’t boo but didn’t clap either. I could see the players were at least trying and putting some effort in. I cannot boo when I see that, no matter the result. Strangely, playing like we did today will serve us far better in the away games especially at places like Spurs. They are having a poor season, but are still dangerous. They smashed Palace 4-0 only a few weeks ago, but gave also lost a home to Newcastle, plus their last two thrashings. There is reason to believe it’s not totally out of the question we could get something positive from this game. Playing like we did at home to Sheff Utd was ridiculous though, and can only be justified if we do actually start to pick up points at places where we usually lose. A draw today was another 2 points dropped, so we need to start picking up points at unlikely places. If we turn into a more robust side but carries no goal threat, then the end result will still be defeats, only narrow ones instead of thrashings. But beggars can’t be choosers. We are in a hell of a mess, and it’s going to take something extraordinarily from here to get us out if it.
