Underperforming Players Being Untouchable

I think if we ran off a string of 7 straight wins some people would off themselves.

"I moan, therefore I am"

 

If we are just basing the discussion on yesterdays game then I'd say -

Hughes - good game. Unfortunately for him, he's not your typical bomb down the wing player. He was really good yesterday at getting hold of and keeping the ball, allowing the team time to get forward and help out, re-organise shape etc. Was part of some nice intricate play that got us into good positions and worked hard in the press and in getting into his defensive shape.

Femenia - not bad overall, not amazing and I'd be happy to see Janmaat play but not worthy of major criticism.

If I had to pick out players who under-performed or not good enough I'd go Holebas and Gray from this particular game.

Noticeable how some players just seem to be easily targeted once people have made up their minds about them. Dawson, for example had a good solid (if unspectacular) game but the decision on him seems to have been made already so lets keep the positives to ourselves.

 

I don't know why anyone would be surprised to see Hughes starting initially, he is the perfect 'wide' midfielder in a QSF system. Basically Abdi reincarnated

Whether that system changes after the initial bedding in period remains to be seen. The solution isn't going to be throwing Sarr in at this stage however. I struggle to believe anyone who wants Sarr starting has actually seen him play live this season. Undoubtedly lots of potential but looks unbelievably raw and nervous - long way off being a starter in the Prem

As for Kiko, we have bigger problems with Holebas on the other side + Janmaat was on for about 15 minutes yesterday and lost the man he was supposed to be marking twice in dangerous areas - if Nelson or Xhaka had taken advantage it would have cost us the game.

As usual with football fans, players mythical reputations seem to improve the longer they are out of team. The grass isn't always greener

 

Get Hoskins on!

 

Gareth Williams will save our season

 

Especially if we play a passing game

 

Lost his place on the bench to Rinaldi.

 

He was a useful outlet in the second half yesterday. I agree I'd rather play an actual attacking winger there, but if hes going to play it should be there and not at RB.

 

I am therefore I moan, even.

 

Hughes is there because he contributes attacking wise and also is disciplined in defence, positioning and assisting the full back. Sticking an out and out winger there instead may help in some areas, but less in others. I feel Hughes contributes a lot. He's neat and tidy, set ups a few chances and scores a few goals. Amrabat was worse, jurado was more attacking but produced less and did little defensively. Hughes is always putting himself about.

If he was as good as Beckham in the wide midfielder who's not a winger role he'd not be playing for us.

 

I agree. There's a difference between measured criticism and simply being antisocial.

There are a lot of people who have said on here that they don't use the Shoutbox anymore due to the rampant negativity from a small handful of people. It's certainly nowhere near as widely used as it once was. What used to be a fun tool to talk to other fans during the game has become an echo chamber where a small number of highly toxic people lash out at everyone and everything while working each other up into a right frothing mess.

I turned it off after the second Arsenal goal and my match enjoyment went up immeasurably. It's a shame because there was some great discussion there in the past.

 

Not always; Cleverley had been getting some bizarre abuse from a few parties prior to yesterday's performance. He was playing well when he first came in, and did well for Silva before he got injured and was out of the team for ages.

 

Cleverley is the one who my colleagues laugh at as how crap watford are when we come up in conversation. Id like to think watford fans know how good he is, but then i remember what idiots post here so let out a small sigh.

 

I give him much less leeway than other players purely because he's English with an only way is Essex haircut.

As soon as he has a single bad match, or even a bad half of a match, I want him out of the team and one of our sexy foreigns installed in his place pronto.

But then I'm a ******* idiot and he is ******* ace.

 

The boss snowflakes don’t like this son. You are an antisocial toxic.

 

Thought Holebas was excellent yesterday. Ok got caught out by one ball inside him for their second but that could happen to anyone. Kept Pepe quiet throughout and his standing his ground that sparked the melee changed broke the spell of passivity that we'd been in since their first goal and stopped it being a training match.

 

I agree. He was great and I think our team benefits from him being an aggressive 'hard man', in much the same way as we did when we had behrami.

 

Please no. We’ve had enough of compromising the formation in order to fit 2 incomplete strikers in.

We have a brilliant set of midfielders, I’d rather we put as many of those on the pitch as possible. 4231 is perfect for that.

Besides, Sarr started off looking nervous but I thought he grew into the game. QSF might have something there.

 

While I respect everyone’s right to view things as they see fit, and I certainly don’t take the ‘strong’ opinions as offensively as some, at times it certainly does come across as vitriolic and needless.

Sure, a couple of players have needed to be dropped. But that’s it. We don’t have many players who I’d say don’t make good strong squad players - it’s just they constantly start and some take that to heart more than others and it becomes some sort of vendetta. But there are obviously far more eloquent ways to express that other than just being purely abusive. Other fans tend to lose interest in the argument when it just comes across as personal abuse. Most fans have accepted that Femenia needed to be dropped - but there are plenty of ways of expressing that in strong terms without resorting to ‘F*ck off you floppy haired Spanish W*nker’...that stuffs just ridiculous in my opinion.

Personally, I found Sunday a much better experience having mentally given every player a clean start as a fan under QSF. I found myself willing Dawson, Femenia etc on rather than just waiting for the first error. I trust QSF to either quickly realise who should and shouldn’t play regularly - or make the current underperformers play to a higher standard.

Lastly, while I can accept that Sunday was just one game, I think Cleverley went a long way to showing that he’s not a ‘crock’ or ‘Championship level’ player as some had labelled him pre-season.

 

Cleverley looked back to his best, Demerit describes him as an engine which fitted what we saw Sunday very well

 

Sarr did some excellent work considering he was out of position. I would have no problem starting him. Certainly looks more of a threat than Gray, nice swivel and shot in the box, perfect movement and cross for Doucs.
Gray was gifted an opportunity 2nd half and again effed up his first touch ruining the chance. His inability to control the football and pass causes us problems with play breaking down. Was so happy QSF dragged him off.

 

He was excellent. Went about his work superbly. Great to see him shooting on site too

 

Careful

 

The two main things I notice about Gray are that he’s normally better coming off the bench and that he’s just very inconsistent. His run and finish against West Ham was brilliant. But put him in the same position in another game and he’s just as likely to be offside or fluff the shot as he is to repeat his actions. He plays well enough for fans to say he deserves to start - and then puts in a 5/10 ineffectual performance.

Sadly I don’t think that’s something he will drop at this point in his career. I really wouldn’t be surprised if this was his and/or Deeney’s last season at the club. If we persist with 4-2-3-1 (as we should) they will look increasingly obsolete. And both will likely want more regular football than we will offer them.

 

Sight.

 

I'm pretty sure QSF has said he sees Sarr as a forward.

 

My impression of Saar on Sunday was that, bar his promising turn and shot, he looked a little confused as to how to fit into the team as a striker. At the moment he probably feels more comfortable on the wing but, in time, I’m sure he will be a good striking option. Perhaps he should be given a start there against Swansea.

 

Well both actually.

 

Playing TC in his natural position helped.

 

Quite a few players put in good performances on Sunday after struggling recently. At individual times over the past year they have shown they have the ability to be a good mid table team, and maybe a bit better.

It is the attitud/confidence that makes the difference between poor and good performances. That can change week to week, ability doesn't.

QSF needs to get the attitude in the squad right, the rest will follow.

 

State of this sight.

 

Apologies

 

Kiko can’t cross, tackle or beat a man .

He is neither a full back or winger .

Technically excellent , and good in tight spaces but never impacts the game .

He is a right flank version of Jurado.

Gray , is not a professional footballer. End of.


Hughes , I don’t mind , but if someone out of that front 3 or 4 has to be dropped to accommodate Sarrs, Pereyra or Cleverley then he is first on the list to go . Not enough assists or goals to justify his consistent but unspectacular performances .

 

Cant tell which one of capoue and doucoure have been worse, replace either with someone who wants it, Chalobah - Quina etc.