I was thinking why on earth is Kabesele captain. He's not domineering enough, doesn't get in the referee's ear, doesn't lead by example, he's very much a Sissoko style of non-captain we had last season. Then I looked at the line-up and there was nobody else who could fulfill that role. Very much like last season, no real captain in the side who has the nous, gravitas and shear personality to lift the team up by it's lapels and drag it forward when things get tricky or don't go to plan, just like today. We're really crying out for a John Eustace style personality for the team to rally around.
Fully agree, and thought the same with Cathcart as Captain. As much as Deeney is ready for the scrapheap as a player, you could always rely on him to be in the ref's ear and cajoling anyone slacking.
As long as the passes from midfield and the runs from the forwards, like Sarr, are not co-ordinated and timed better the team will slow down. The more it slows down the more hesitant and lacking in confidence our attacks will become. Vicious circle. Coaching and time together could improve that. Of course, there is a lot more to the game than this, (such as the passing not simply going straight into touch or bouncing to the oppo keeper), but it would be a very important improvement.
We need some nastier & uglier players sure but let’s not pretend which useless lump wearing the armband makes a difference, who was our on pitch captain in the dismal 19/20 season? Deeney. Who was our on pitch captain in the 20/21 promotion? Deeney got injured and then it was what Hughes, Chalobah & Cleverly? Hardly natural leaders. We’re finding a lot of ways to say there’s too many players in the team who simple aren’t quite good enough to play, a tedious trend that stems from last season.
I thought Xisco was an odd appointment, but you could see his enthusiasm and it rubbed off on the players. We heard Duxbury go on and on about lessons learnt, but l think that nothing has been learnt. We have wasted, wasted £15m on Okoye, Manaj, Kalu and Bayo. l doubt that these players will feature a great deal for Watford. £15m blown by a club very much in financial difficulty. We should have invested in purchasing some young talent, but we are in bed with an agent who seems to control the transfer policy at the club. Davis is injury prone. He will pull a hamstring just tying his boots up. No idea what is the situation is with Kalu. The rumours in France is that he was 38 yrs old last week not 25 as he claims. Gaspar is joining Cathcart and Cleverley in the 'legs have gone' club. Cathcart and Cleverley should have been released in the summer. Is Edwards time up? "You don't know what you're doing" was said to be hushly voiced at the Vic. You are right, it was the first defeat of the season, but we had ridden our luck big time in the past games. We were easily beaten and we were exceptionally poor. Going forward, l do not see very many positives and as a few have mentioned, does Edwards have the skills to make changes. Is he out of his depth? Today was extremely disappointing, but no surprise Boro is a massive game now. How the players react will go along way in placating the fans. Another defeat, another insipid dog turd performance and Edwards shouldn't get too comfortable in the managers chair.
As time goes by one sees promising youngsters not progress quite often. But, if he is only 18, Asprilla looks like the most promising player I have seen for quite a while. And I haven't forgotten Sarr, Pedro and Richarlison.
Had several hours to reflect we should have won and up until their 3rd goal was convinced we would win defence was very poor today , forwards were getting it wrong continually , they were playing so far up the pitch I dont understand how we didn’t batter them (well I do our forward we’re slow to get back on side and kept running too early) , we had chances that on other days might have gone in (JP shot that hit the cross bar) , a penalty , a wonderful disallowed goal they were not very good but won can’t take that away from them always going to have days like this , Bachman has been on fire and on other days might have stopped the 2nd and third (1st was such a fluke goal) I think Sema has been alright, keeps trying and can take corners (shame about his scuffed shot) Asprilla will be good, you can see he has something about him JP and Sarr were alright but not sure they looked like £30m players today Gasper was poor, choudhury generally good sierralta poor Kabs, surprised he was captain , didn’t give away a penalty which was something Bachman , not his best performance , but don’t blame him has saved up many times this season already (in fact surprised we haven’t seen bids come in for him) who was too blame , for me it was the front 3 (or however many there we’re) , should have been timing their runs better there was so much space behind the QPR defence JP and Sarr should have been in their elements RE looked pissed right off at times just need to do something better on Tuesday and get the momentum back
Haven't seen the game yet, but regarding Edwards/The Team - Have we got any noticeable style or identity yet? From the games I've seen so far it's been very much pass sideways or backwards to Bachmann/a CB - Hoof it and hope for the best. I think as a club we need to stop sacking people after 5 minutes, and get some form of style/identity into the squad, but at the same time I'm yet to see what Edward's style is (and granted, he hasn't had many matches as yet), but if it's hit and hope with the players we have, we won't get far.
Now wondering why I bought a ticket for Tuesday! Missed the game, buying engine oil and playing croquet. Sounds like we could do with a Grimes type player to take the ball off the defence and play it forward. As Hughes played in the last Champ season. Add another CM in that vein, an RWB, backup LB, CB who can pass a bit and isn't slow, plus a loan striker and we could be a good team.
Was anyone on here the bloke in the front row of the family stand that went over and took a swing at those three inbred QPR fans sat in the corner of the lower GT stand? They got chucked out and showered with coffee and pretty much anything that came to hand. The odd thing was that the bloke's wife and two kids didn't bat an eyelid when he did it.
No but there was a QPR fan in the Elton John that was removed for celebrating the first goal too loudly. The steward that dealt with him was brilliant to be fair. Basically told him 'walk out with me now or response will carry you out' Couple of lads in QPR shirts openly walking round at half time too.
This was a conversation we had on the way back from the game, there really are no "leader" in this team, much like last season today felt like a bunch of individuals sent out there and told to play. Kabasele, seems like a really nice bloke, but no way in 2022 should he be anywhere near starting let alone captain.
I did comment on the chat box that the kid who hurled the coffee on them was motm but it was lost in the CoG vs BWO arguing.
Agree with a lot of what you say here, however I don't think our forwards runs were badly timed, more that we have no one in the back line capable of spotting a pass let alone actually completing a pass. There were about 3 or 4 opportunities in each half from where I was sitting where pedro or Asprilla (and minaj a couple) had found the gap between the CBs of QPR and the pass never came, instead we take an eternity to move the ball from left to right meaning spaces get closed. Keyembe in fairness was trying to be progressive but it would take so long for him to get the ball the chance had already moved on.
It was a great shot - perfect arc onto the bloke's shoulder. Looked like someone emptied an ashtray onto him too.
Was definitely harsh to rule out the “3rd” but then Pedro’s might have had his ruled out . Who knows with VAR - it’s as much of a lottery as it is without the system !
You're over-playing the ramifications of Sierralta's performance. A few are. He simply did not seem the same player physically today as he did in the first 3 games. He already looked a bit slower vs Preston than he had done previously, even though that was also in a 3 at the back. Today he was even slower again, as opposed to recovered. That was far below his typical performance level. He was sharp in a back 4 vs Burnley. He was a rock in a back 4 last time in the Champ. I don't know why he seemed so gassed today, but he wasn't alone. The number of our players pulling up with cramp 10-15 minutes before the end of the game was extraordinary. I've never seen so much of it outside of pre-season friendlies. How are Kamara and JP getting cramp?! They didn't even play in the Cup game. Have they been pushed too much in training during the last week or so? It was weird.
I don't know if you can bemoan shot from 40 yards hitting the woodwork as a chance that 'on other days might have gone in', especially given we've already had our one in a million goal for the season! You could say it was 'one of those days', but you can always reduce the chances of those things happening by backing the manager, which we haven't done, certainly not fully anyway. I'm nervous about the Boro game now, they look a good team hitting their stride, while we look about 4-5 players short of a team I would say with confidence should finish in the automatics. Davis, Louza and Hause are due to come back some time in the not too distant future (Hause might even feature against Boro given he was on the bench today), but even without them, I think we need a wing-back, and a centre-half who can pass the ball, is that too much to ask?
It wasn't 40 yards out. From my recollection it seemed max 30. The goalkeeper was pretty much out of the picture is well. It didn't even require a lob as per Sarr's, just getting the ball on target and it probably would have gone in. But JP's shooting isn't his strong point.
Another grim match with another manager hopelessly out of his depth. Where are all the teats on here who were celebrating our relegation last season because the championship is somehow more fun?
