I think my favourite moment was when we beat their press by pure accident and then just as we had a monetary bit of space in midfield Clevs did a raking cross field ball straight back to them, laughable.
I cannot abide players that don't put in the effort. We looked like we were trying to hold onto a 2-1 loss - and we couldn't even do that. That's Norwich, Brighton and Palace (and many more) that have walked away with big wins from Vicarage Road without getting out of second gear. It's a disgrace.
Watch us either win 1-0 or draw away to United next, we play better away from home by the look of it.
Didn't watch the game but I was really shocked reading here that Dennis had three decent chances and he didn't convert any. I don't know if am overrating him because he is that player in our squad that I can put my money on to score one or two goals if he had three clear cut chances. Sent from my TECNO P701 using Tapatalk
Gallagher’s touch to create the space and score was done with more class than any midfielder we have could do. Sissoko would’ve smashed it over, Kucka would never be there, Cleverly would have a poor first touch and slice it wide, Kayemebe again wouldn’t be there and Louza would give it our best go but tamely hit the keeper. Haven’t seen the replay but it looked an outstanding goal live from my seat in the opposite end.
It was good but a massive mistake by Kamara who basically ran straight past him and left him with the whole goal to aim at.
I was in the Vic Road end and it was a beautifully taken goal. He was impressive throughout I thought.
If I remember correctly, a silly crossfield ball from Kamara first (we actually failed to just simply clear the ball so many times today) Foster must've mishit about 6, Femenia, Samir, very strange, how hard is a hoof? Anyway, they got the ball back down the left, Sarr was jogging back to be honest, a bit more effort from him and the ball never gets crossed in.
Indeed, real tenacity and bite to him, pressed our midfield all day long. Our already ball shy, old and limited technically midfield really struggled with the way Hughes and Gallagher got in their faces.
He won’t be a Chelsea reject for long. Their fans fully expect him to fit into their squad and the sounds coming out of the club appear to say the same. They will not be happy at all if they sell him like the others.
Agreed - he’s had a cracking season and will be a squad player at Chelsea next year at the very least.
Yep, quality player. The level of quality we should be trying to get in on loan from the big boys. But of course, we don’t want to develop other team’s players and all that. I’m sure Udinese have a 5th choice midfielder kicking around instead.
What a truly miserable evening. It really is the hope that kills you but to watch yet another tepid and passionless display is so disappointing. Did we win a tackle or a second ball all night? I enjoyed Foster not being able to burst that balloon and nearly doing his ankle in and I also enjoyed watching Hughes. Well done to every **** that booed him or shouted about him earning more money etc etc. He was superb and how we have missed a player like that in our midfield this season. I did not enjoy everything else. Judging by the empty seats all round the ground tonight (at kick off) plenty have had enough of this team already - I know I have.
Gallagher and Broja both look fantastic. No chance a club sends them to a team who will end up with two or three managers in a season though.
@Bubble – you asked where was the workrate and the thundering challenges and I think this gets close to the heart of my sense of dissatisfaction with the game. The Premier League hype machine will have us believe that 'the product' is the best in the world but, actually, the football lacks many of the things that caused me to fall in love with the game in the first place. So often now it feels like we're watching a game being played out on a whiteboard with magnetic counters. A passionless demonstration of the theories pointy-headed analysts have come up with. That's perhaps a tad disrespectful to genuine sports scientists and performance analysts who come up with innovative approaches to age-old problems but I watched tonight and just wondered what it was I was supposed to be seeing. The football is sterile, passive and just bloody boring. Tonight there was so much sideways passing. Back and forth, back and forth. Going nowhere. Just watching the seconds tick away, feeling the blood drain to my feet. How long left? Twenty minutes? Dear me. Surely time for another couple of goals... Yes, there was, just in the wrong net. I don't want to watch 100-mile-an-hour headless chickens charging into each other for the sake of it (we can look forward to loads of that next season) but we've fallen into a trap of trying to play the same way everyone else plays, but are just so much worse at it. Perhaps my expectations are too high – set by watching Graham Taylor's first team upset the applecart time and time again by making teams of more talented individuals very, very uncomfortable simply by going for the jugular. I remember his quote about wanting to be in charge of a team that would excite people and then compare it to our bunch of plodding plodders. Losing is not the issue. Losing in such an insipid fashion is. You can't bore your way to safety with goalless draws by losing 1-4 at home to mid-table mediocrity, albeit mid-table mediocrity with a very good loanee pulling the strings.
I've been reliably informed that Cleverley is more than good enough for this level. It doesn't matter that anyone with half a brain can visually see that he's complete and utter ****, he's Tom Cleverley who used to play for Man United and England. I've also been told on Twitter tonight that I'm "ageist" for saying he and Cathcart are past their prime years. Lol. Our fans are truly mental.
I'm sure his highlights video cobbled together from the past 3 seasons will be a beautiful thing to behold.
Cucho tried to do the same but someone stopped him. Maybe he needed the loo after Zaha made him look silly ?
A few people have said Dennis had three good chances, and I disagree — one was a tough header, one was from a free kick second ball, and the last one was a first time finish from a difficult technique. Problem with this style of play is it relies on margins, players have to be clinical and that’s unsustainable for a lower Premier League side. Basically what I’m saying is, Hodgson is terrible and we should’ve sacked him after Burnley
Yeah, his chances weren’t easy at all. Would hope he’d score the third chance but I’m not overly convinced he’s a natural finisher in the Ighalo/Vydra mould. Still, he’s working off so little and alongside a woefully out of form King and no replacement for him to give him a rest. What a sorry scenario.
Yep and agree about the woeful King although I do wonder if he was carrying an injury? Nothing was sticking for King and he wasn't able to bring Dennis & Sarr into the game.
Makes the point stronger. Rather that get in another winger that has already disappeared, I find it difficult to believe we couldn’t find another front man either on loan or for a similar amount to Kalu.
