Boy we do love a plucky 1-0 defeat this season. Decent performance again, but our midfield obviously lacks stamina and that resulted in them switching off for a minute and allowing Bowen acres of space to get that shot away. We'd matched them very well up until then but it really was that extra bit of lethargy towards the end which ultimately made the difference. Our lack of cutting edge obviously remains a problem as well - yet another game without scoring. Sarr still being out has really been costing us with us lacking much other cut-and-thrust in attacking areas despite lots of huff-and-puff. Also crap that our winger/forward signing Kalu has been not fit enough to appear at all while we were missing Sarr. We did need another winger or forward signed in the window but it's not much help if they're not actually available when we needed them. It's a tough place to go though. Really with Sarr finally back for the next game, and a few not terrible looking fixtures on the horizon, our season simply must kick on from here.
Hallmarks of relegation that sort of loss, play relatively well but lose to a deflection. I worry how Roy is going to fit Sarr into the team if that is the way we are going to play every week.
King hasn’t regressed, he’s been **** all season, the hat trick against Everton just papered over the cracks.
All very nice and solid, but we only worked Fabianski once from Cleverley's shot from memory. What is our game plan? Keep it tight and hope for 0-0 every game? Dennis looked near back to his best, but with King playing badly, he was too isolated. Midfield had steel but little quality. We haven't scored for ****int ages and haven't won since November. An improved performance and a loss just doesn't cut it at this stage.
The 'Watford Wind-Down'TM remains utterly alive and thriving. In some ways an improved, or at least far more organised performance, but the end result is the same - another grim night for the watching supporters (as well as the watching fans) in the wider context of a grim season. That is the problem with those kind of incredibly defensive/organised/negative tactics - everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Suddenly we're 20 minutes from time, desperately scrabbling around to totally change our approach, just to get back in position to snatch one measly point. And did we manage it? Did we fucck. He's miles ahead of he who shall not be names qualitatively, but I am getting a little bored of literally nothing King ever does actually coming off. If we waft one more looped ball from defence/the back of midfield unthinkingly to noone/the gladly waiting head of an opposition player, or head one more defensive ball clearance with no purpose a maximum of ten feet out to a waiting opposition attacker, I may just publicly smash every Watford mug I own (3). Subs were so late, and made basically no impact when they come on. We cannot afford to constantly be so sloppy in possession that even our best/most technical players are regularly underplaying passes and giving possession back under no pressure. It's just madness. Even the commentators made note of it. And, to cap off this delightful evening, results around the league seemed to go resolutely against us. Can't wait for fuccking Saturday. We go again.
Bit much that. King is obviously a good footballer and is far better than Gray technically, but he offers little to no goal threat at all. I do agree that he has to be dropped, though.
Well, another one gone - and another one that is pretty tough to stomach. We more than matched them, despite not having the ball much especially at the start. Cannot fault the effort and we certainly did not disgrace ourselves this time against West Ham. Defensively, we are much more solid - which is really good to see, but creating chances, even half ones, seem beyond us right now. Kiko and Kucka should not be the ones getting into good positions to shoot - neither of them are strikers, but at least test the keeper. Kiko had a chance to shoot in the first half but dwindled too long. Thank god we have Sarr back for Brighton - we have missed some energy in this side. West Ham shamed the football world by allowing that Cat Kicker to play, he even deflected a good pass from Pedro towards the end. Woy has certainly got us playing more like a side who want to fight to stay up, but when you are down there - all the fluke goals go against you. We didn't deserve to win as we created hardly anything - but then again losing seemed a tad unfair. However, we would of been livid with joy had that been our fluke goal, so swings and roundabouts and all that. Dennis looked sharp - and looks to of finally gotten over his sulk. We haven't scored a PL goal since early January. It's almost mid February - that has to be a cause for concern. I know we have had a really tough run of fixtures, but we blew it against Norwich and should of beaten Burnley. Not over yet, still points to be won and let's hope for a much more attack minded game on Saturday against Potters' boys. Shoutbox was brilliant.
A much better performance than those of the previous manager, now rests on Sarr to make a difference as I’m afraid we don’t have a cutting edge without him!
He was in the right place a lot which is more than you can say for Gray , he also has great pace , but like Gray has no confidence , JP or Dennis would have got a shot off on at least 2 occasions when he turned back
I can see us losing a few games 1-0 unless Sarr comes back and helps offer more threat in attack. Tight at the back but maybe have a bit of bad luck or mistake and aren't able to get back into it.
Just like we found when Deulofeu was injured, it's so much easier to defend against one good winger than it is to defend against two
Biggest issue for me was that Kuckca was utterly ****ed 3 minutes before the goal, Clevs was still running , but on fumes, Femenia had gone, Dennis was ****ed , King was ****ed, Kayembe was very nearly ****ed. The main outcome was that pressure was let off Rice who could the finally pick the passes to Lanzini and Bowen. For me, the lads did really well tonight. I'm proud of them, but 34 year old legs can't do 90 mins at premier League pace (bar Ronaldo). Sent from my DN2103 using Tapatalk
Decent performance overall. I can't believe how calm I felt about our defence and midfield lines being so solid. Never really looked like conceding and a massive improvement on the chaotic defending of the past 5 months. A mid table performance overall, just unfortunately when were in the relegation zone and needing a win or at least a point. King was giving the ball away from very early in and killed off a lot of our forward momentum on a few occasions. Should have come off at half time. Should've come off at 60 minutes at least. And it was him losing the ball that pretty much set up their counter attacking goal. Shame that the main negatives were the late subs in what was a markedly improved performance, team set up and tactics. Too little too late perhaps.
Garbage. Sorry, people love to desperately give us an undeserved pat on the back at every possible opportunity, but after a decent first half we were poo and never looked anything like scoring. Cleverley and Kucka are both terrible, terrible players. Crap subs that made no difference as well. Dennis was lively and Kamara was mostly excellent but I don't see who we are possibly going to beat. We are down.
This was the key moment, i.e. not subbing Cleverly and Kucka after 60 mins by default. Until the goal, we looked far more solid than the reverse fixture. I doubt that goal would have happened in the first half. I keep saying this to myself, but we must beat Brighton to have a realistic chance of keeping in touch, but Potter was in the stadium tonight and he has our number lately.
If we'd have started the season with Roy we'd stay up comfortably. As it is, it'll come down to whether or not he can instill his methods in time, because we're rapidly running out of runway.
Yup. Clear that subs were needed before before the hour but Roy dithered and in the end by the time he did make subs they had no effect.
We were a bit unlucky, but look a lot better drilled already. Lack of firepower is worrying, if only we had a £35m winger we could throw back in. Hopefully Zouma’s cat survives the celebrations tonight.
You're probably right but I'm resigned to going down now, so I just want my team to land a few punches and bloody a few noses. Sent from my DN2103 using Tapatalk
It's QSF 2.0 all over again. Not getting beaten badly but not scoring will lead to relegation. I have more confidence in our ability to keep the goals out now more than anything I have seen so far this season - but scoring them, we couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo right now. It looks like Newcastle are starting their ascent to safety now. So that leaves us and three others to battle iut out for the 17th place. We can do it = but my lord we need to start creating and finishing even half chances now.
A fair improvement but frankly the bar has been set so extraordinarily low this season. We didn't really test West Ham who didn't look very functional for a lot of the game. A better side would have punished them today. I guess having Sarr back soon will help us going forward but it's pretty clear we will be playing championship football next season. Also f**k Zouma.
Deserved a point, wet spam weren’t at their best yet scabbed a win with the only player who looked like providing anything doing so. For all our what seemed to be better organized defence we now have no innovation at the other end. No doubt about it we have to start winning at home. Starting Saturday. Nothing went our way tonight results else where etc. unfortunately those bottom 3 as it stands now look like favourites to drop. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Just got myself sat down on the overground away from Stratford - glutton for punishment with an 8am flight tomorrow…. I say this without my BW hat on. And I say it with no malice at all at anyone who chooses to defend the choices the owner makes regarding the team. Hopefully that is clear? That was awful on the whole. Dennis was very good and shone throughout. And there was some endeavour from Kayembe and Sissoko. Kamara was by far and away the stand out performer in yellow. But as a collective? Who play for each other? No chance. They thought and battled through the first half but you always felt West Ham just had to go up a gear and utilise their bench - the 2nd half was a case of us hoping they didn’t get a break. And they did. And we were blunt and clueless after. Hodgson was far too slow to make us more offensive, there’s no escaping it. I fear he’s too focussed on clean sheets without realising it’s 3 points that will keep us up. We have gone beyond 1 point per game etc. 1-0 down and changing right-backs whikst Kalu sits on the bench but Kucka finishes 90 mins on the RW? Make it make sense please, because I’m struggling. Any talk of being ‘unlucky’ or deserving a point is utter folly. Game was there to be won or held on to at HT. We came out and waited for West Ham to decide what they wanted to do.
What are Roy's methods? Don't score any goals and play as many of the most boring footballers we have in the squad as possible, as to not really threaten the opposition at all? That was mostly absolute crap tonight. Being semi-solid at the back and having nothing forward doesn't and will not keep us up.
