Friday, November 8th - 20.00 hrs. 16 Aston Villa 11 3 2 6 16 18 -2 11 17 Everton 11 3 2 6 11 17 -6 11 -------------------------------------------------- 18 Southampton 11 2 2 7 10 27 -17 8 19 Norwich City 11 2 1 8 11 26 -15 7 20 Watford 11 0 5 6 6 23 -17 5
Even though the table suggests that Watford could very well be as bad or worse than us. Recent results with our ongoing inability to defend coupled with our newfound inability to score or fashion good chances mean a rather negative outlook from me. Watford to pinch the points in a diabolical game. Hope I'm wrong. Bah!
I'm certainly not expecting a very entertaining game and Watford DO have the ability to attack, which we seem to have lost, so you could well be right!!
Where has all the "We are going to enjoy the season whatever" sentiment gone? Miserable, doom-laden lot! We're going to blow Watford away on Friday, just you see.
But, after our tricky opening fixtures, the thinking was that Brighton, Villa, Palace, Burnley and West Ham were all "games we could / should get something from"? Zilch. Diddly squat. Nada. Just a hat-full of goals conceded and none scored in reply. (Apart from a consolation vs Villa) So why any different this time, what's changed to promote this surge of optimism?
I'm not sure things have changed much, most people accepted that we were going to struggle this season, are happy we're in the PL and whilst I don't think anyone wanted or wants to go straight back down most accept it is likely. I think where things have changed a bit is how we are approaching games, we seem to be moving away from a positive ' never mind the danger' attitude to one of safety first and not much else afterwards. It's not the results that are the issue for me, losing to the likes of Liverpool & Chelsea didn't bother me one bit, when we were playing positive, free flowing, fast moving and exciting football, however we are slowly drifting towards a negative, slow and predictable style of play that would be frustrating, even if we were getting results. Yes we have really struggled with injuries, but with the exception of Hanley, a player and captain who many seemed to hold responsible for us being poor defensively when he was playing, things aren't that different to the start of the season. Up until the Man City game I thought we did pretty well performance and point's wise, considering our fixtures and the amount we spent over the summer, that result should have really given us a boast, but if anything the opposite seems to have happend. Interestingly the short injury to Krul, who many on here prior to the season felt wasn't good enough to be our first choice keeper in the PL, seemed to coincide with a downturn in our performances and a drift away from the style of play that was entertaining fans even when we lost. For me, performances and not necessarily results are key going forward, just as they were at the start of the season. If we're going to go back down, which is by no means certain at this time, lets go down playing the style of football that got us up and can get us up again.
Well said, CC. Shades of Hootun / Neil starting to creep in...and no-one wants to see any more of that!
Because I have faith in DF and the players Cromer, that's why. How many times have they surprised us in the past year? Who thought we would beat Man City?
The "positive, free flowing, fast moving and exciting football" we've got used to watching requires a finely tuned machine with all cylinders firing. I think you underestimate the cumulative effects of the injuries we've had. It's no good just looking at names and noting how the team sheet differs game by game. It is possible to absorb the odd injury and still maintain the level of play, but if adjustment is forced on us in several positions, game after game, and one or two critical players are below their usual level (Stiepermann, Buendia), it is just not possible. That's the position we are in.
And that is why I am negative of our chances until the treatment room spits out at least a second fit CB. We are more often than not giving up 20+ chances to the oppo. That can't continue. Fo me though it hasn't been about our defence only. Against Citeh and Bournemouth we showed defensive resolve, it can be done. Even with the depleted personnel. For me It is mostly now our utter inability with the ball that feeds the oppo chances and field possition that ramps up the pressure. Citeh pressed us high, but we passed around them with style, precision and perhaps most importantly confidence. With holding on to the ball and moving it into more dangerous areas more quickly we really were using attack as the best defence. To get the team back playing well we need it balanced, so whilst Zimmermann maybe no miricle cure and Hanley is limited. Either I think will give us an instant boost, not least of all because both also are leaders. Back to the now and my negativity. If Tettey continues to start every game, how long before he breaks down? He has been better than most in the last few games and his experience and grit is all but absent from the rest of our midfield options (Maybe Amadou aside) Confidence now is shot to pieces and I just don't know where are how it will return? Had Steipermanns hit ducked under the bar, might we have seen a lift? Can we actually get are passing together to make a fast start against Watford? If we find ourselves behind again in the openning quarter, can anyone really say we currently have what it takes to come back? Bah!
I don't disagree with you on any of that General. My optimism about Friday is, as I said, based purely on the ability we have demonstrated numerous times in the past, to produce unexpected results where nobody was giving us any chance. But if we do, it won't be by suddenly reproducing the sort of football that destroyed Newcastle or put up decent performances against Liverpool and Chelsea. It will be by virtue of DF "finding an answer" with a script the players we have available are able to deliver on the night.
In all my negativity, I see your point and our players are not just rubbish now. Can Farke get some mojo back i the team for Friday? Maybe some, but some could be enough because there is one other variable for optimism. Watford to be where they are have to be pretty bloody bad too. Amadou and Tettey fit would be a huge boost just to have one in midfield. Bah!
It would be nice if we just had a bit of luck which allowed us to get the 1st goal on Friday. Maybe a penalty or a deflection off a shot going wide, just something to get us going. In all honesty, we haven't had much so far (if any) and things like that are 'supposed' to balance out over a season. That first goal could be the inspiration to go on and repeat the Newcastle performance and then hopefully carry forward into the next game.
We're at the EPL Poker table with the smallest pot of money. The tactics that got us to sit here should be maintained, and we have a few hands left to play. All in Vs Watford.