Saints Won, Watford 1.....Post match meltdown

[Saint_clark]

A fair point. They defended well in the second half. Romeu was getting no help in midfield with the limited tackling ability of his teammates, Hojbjerg has to start with him in every game because we'll get steamrollered by a few teams if we have JWP running alongside play like he did today.

 

Shoddy atmosphere from us. Watford made a fair noise at times. The gimps that started "Shane Long's on fire" should get a lifetime ban.

 

Only fair to point out that was being sung in small parts last season, before the Will Griggs on fire chant took off.

[stknowle]

With due respect he might be brilliant in training but it's in matches he needs to perform and he doesn't do that. My measure of him is that nobody has tried to take him off us.

 

You don't need to offer me "due respect" mate. I think he is utter c@rp on the 3 season's and counting evidence offered before me.

[Baird of the land]

First half we were utterly terrible. Nobody wanted the ball. Goal was poor, blame all round, felt one of the centre backs should have been with deeney and then romeu was too slow to the 2nd ball.

2nd half much better. It was good to see Redmond looking dangerous after an anonymous first half. Long worked really hard but air shot really summed up his day. Hojberg looked good and composed.

I'm with others in thinking our team is much better suited to a 4-2-3-1 than this diamond we were trying to play but maybe it settle down better.

Would have preferred to see Davis or Romeu taken off to bring on Austin. Felt a bit of a safe move against 10 men.

Tadic was mom for me.

Feel a bit sorry for Martina. While he's a limited player he did a good job at end of season and is only right back to have full pre-season, yet instead unfit Cedric got the nod and played horribly.

[saint lard]

Against Athletico Bilbao VVD and Hojbjerg were stand outs. Not Davis and certainly not JWP yet Puel started them as a pair and got precisely what most of the crowd could have told him for free. they are crap together and are more a liability than anything else. After 55mins Hojbjerg comes on and makes Puel look a clown by running the game.

 

I personally think the manager could be out of his depth. I'm not saying he is but the signs aren't good. Redmond is a nippy little player that scored a classic wingers goal coming off the right, in the centre he just didn't have the movement or strength to make the runs that a striker needs to make. He doesn't look like a striker but a winger in the centre. I get the feeling Puel has hung his hat on this diamond formation despite the players struggling to play it and trying to turn Redmond into Thierry Henry. A good manager plays the players in their best positions and uses a system designed to get the best out of them. That didn't happen today.

 

Not only has he imposed a rigid system requiring the players to conform but he has made selection mistakes that today deprived us of a win. He turned a team that finished sixth after a great run of results into a first half shambles.

 

Bloody spot on.

 

 

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[Charlie Wayman]

A dose of realism following the summer of bulls.hit. As was plain to see we are a work still very much in progress. First half we looked totally bewildered, clearly having learned nothing from Puel's teachings of a new system this summer. Matters weren't helped by Long & Davis still being away on holiday. What was glaringly obvious is how badly we need two decent strikers.

 

Bright sparks? Hojberg looked the real deal and his arrival change dour fortunes and Pied looked half decent and bloody quick when he took over from Cedric and actually looked to me like he was a much more effective raider

[Wade Garrett]

Formation is absolutely shocking, far too much reliance on the full-backs getting forward.

 

We had the back 4 and Romeu, but it looked like the rest of the side were doing the same job. Wasn't impressed.

 

Thought Tadic, Redmond and Pierre played well. Watford were garbage.

[Wade Garrett]

Don't remember Poch or Koeman playing a diamond formation, so how is it all of a sudden the Southampton Way, being taught from the kids upwards?

[Saint_clark]

Don't remember Poch or Koeman playing a diamond formation, so how is it all of a sudden the Southampton Way, being taught from the kids upwards?

 

Frustrating as hell. Our current players would thrive in last seasons formation IMO.

[S-Clarke]

First half was really poor, lack of understanding and people getting in each others way. It seemed too congested and we weren't getting in the final third what so ever, it was a pretty turgid game all in all.

 

2nd half could only get better, but I felt it only started to improve once Hojburg came on - he picks up space intelligently and carried the ball forward a few times, but I honestly don't remember him giving the ball away - something all our other midfielders were guilty of for the majority of the first half.

 

Could have won it in the end, but it was a tad too little too late. Good starts from Redmond though, he will be a thorn in a lot of teams - if he's given freedom. I don't like the idea of him being static in a single position, if you let him roam around the front 3 then he can be a threat with his pace.

 

Still obviously gaps in this side for a tad more pace in and around the final third, but the 2nd half was promising long term. Hard to read a great deal into first season games though, but there's a basis of something here as we all knew.

[LaptopSaint]

Like others have said the strangest thing all day was not to select PEH to start. It was obvious in the two Spanish friendliest that he was the real deal. At least all three new signings look like they'll contribute this season - but it would still be good to get a couple more in.

As for the formation - we have to give it a bit of time. The first game of the season is such a lottery anyway - shame in a way it wasn't against a 'bigger' team, we'd have probably got a point away to Chelsea too.

[doddisalegend]

Bloody spot on.

 

 

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Is it heck more like the usual over the top saints web dramatics after one whole game. I saw enough in the second half once the players started to get in to it to be confident we can have a decent season.

[benjii]

The reason we didn't win was because people were rusty and unfocused in the first half and we kept making sloppy individual mistakes.

 

It's pure speculation to say that wouldn't have happened if we played 433 or 4321. It doesn't matter what the system is if people can't pass the ball accurately 10 or 15 yards. I remember us playing 433 against Everton in our first home game last season and we were rubbish.

 

In the second half people had got up to speed, plus Hojbjerg was a massive upgrade on JWP, and we looked pretty dangerous.

[James]

I thought we were absolutely shocking in the first half, worst I can remember for a long time. Nobody seemed to know what their role was. We were getting completely overrun in midfield and Long and Redmond were just doing nothing. Redmond in particular had a very poor half. Tadic the only one to come out of the first half with any credit really.

 

Second half we woke up and played a lot better. Hojberg was quality, unbelievable that he didn't start. If he had we'd have won relatively comfortably IMO.

 

Not as convinced by Redmond's second half display as others on here seem to be. It's the front two that worry me to be honest, Long was ineffectual and I think Redmond is a bit lightweight through the middle.

 

I think the defence will right itself once we have Bertrand and Fonte back (assuming we don't flog him to United), the midfield will be ok once Hojberg is given a run but we don't have enough quality up top I don't think and I don't see where the goals will come from. Would have liked to have seen Austin given longer as I think we will end up relying on him.

 

Still hoping we can pull something out of the bag in the transfer market but there doesn't seem to be much happening. On balance of current news you'd say we were more likely to lose another player than bring anyone in.

 

Man U will be interesting, just hope Puel picks the right team!

[striker]

Bloody spot on.

 

 

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Bloody spot on #2

[Saint Billy]

I'm trying to offer something positive to today, and here it is, we did'nt lose, otherwise meh.

[shurlock]

I thought we were absolutely shocking in the first half, worst I can remember for a long time. Nobody seemed to know what their role was. We were getting completely overrun in midfield and Long and Redmond were just doing nothing. Redmond in particular had a very poor half. Tadic the only one to come out of the first half with any credit really.

 

Second half we woke up and played a lot better. Hojberg was quality, unbelievable that he didn't start. If he had we'd have won relatively comfortably IMO.

 

Not as convinced by Redmond's second half display as others on here seem to be. It's the front two that worry me to be honest, Long was ineffectual and I think Redmond is a bit lightweight through the middle.

 

I think the defence will right itself once we have Bertrand and Fonte back (assuming we don't flog him to United), the midfield will be ok once Hojberg is given a run but we don't have enough quality up top I don't think and I don't see where the goals will come from. Would have liked to have seen Austin given longer as I think we will end up relying on him.

 

Still hoping we can pull something out of the bag in the transfer market but there doesn't seem to be much happening. On balance of current news you'd say we were more likely to lose another player than bring anyone in.

 

Man U will be interesting, just hope Puel picks the right team!

 

The opening home fixture against WBA a couple of seasons ago was worse than today. Arguably so was last season's performance against Everton.

Edited 13 August, 2016 by shurlock

[Fabrice29]

Really frustrating result. Thought we were ok, much better second half obviously. Their formation and lazy passing stifled us, especially first half. They played with two blocks of 3 and wing backs. Our passing wasn't quick or crisp enough to be a threat. I'm excited to see us away from home though, can see us really suiting playing against teams a little more open. At home we will have to be patient and expect the odd frustrating 1-1, 0-0 draw but ultimately I walked away frustrated today but confident we're going to be more than OK this season.

 

Hoijberg is going to be great for us as well.

[shurlock]

Against Athletico Bilbao VVD and Hojbjerg were stand outs. Not Davis and certainly not JWP yet Puel started them as a pair and got precisely what most of the crowd could have told him for free. they are crap together and are more a liability than anything else. After 55mins Hojbjerg comes on and makes Puel look a clown by running the game.

 

I personally think the manager could be out of his depth. I'm not saying he is but the signs aren't good. Redmond is a nippy little player that scored a classic wingers goal coming off the right, in the centre he just didn't have the movement or strength to make the runs that a striker needs to make. He doesn't look like a striker but a winger in the centre. I get the feeling Puel has hung his hat on this diamond formation despite the players struggling to play it and trying to turn Redmond into Thierry Henry. A good manager plays the players in their best positions and uses a system designed to get the best out of them. That didn't happen today.

 

Not only has he imposed a rigid system requiring the players to conform but he has made selection mistakes that today deprived us of a win. He turned a team that finished sixth after a great run of results into a first half shambles.

 

It's one game -specifically one half. We came into the game and looked more fluid and dangerous by the end. Who knows whether that will continue or not. Sounds like some of your Brexit prejudices are spilling over onto the main thread.

[stknowle]

I'm trying to offer something positive to today, and here it is, we did'nt lose, otherwise meh.

 

Hojberg? Were you "meh" about him?

[angelman]

Not even going to bother getting over excited by a meltdown thread, save to say that I thought up until Pierre-Emille came on, we lacked a bit of width which struggled to break down Watford's back 8.

[DuncanRG]

I personally think the manager could be out of his depth. I'm not saying he is but the signs aren't good. Redmond is a nippy little player that scored a classic wingers goal coming off the right, in the centre he just didn't have the movement or strength to make the runs that a striker needs to make. He doesn't look like a striker but a winger in the centre. I get the feeling Puel has hung his hat on this diamond formation despite the players struggling to play it and trying to turn Redmond into Thierry Henry. A good manager plays the players in their best positions and uses a system designed to get the best out of them. That didn't happen today.

 

Not only has he imposed a rigid system requiring the players to conform but he has made selection mistakes that today deprived us of a win. He turned a team that finished sixth after a great run of results into a first half shambles.

 

One. Game.

[stknowle]

Against Athletico Bilbao VVD and Hojbjerg were stand outs. Not Davis and certainly not JWP yet Puel started them as a pair and got precisely what most of the crowd could have told him for free. they are crap together and are more a liability than anything else. After 55mins Hojbjerg comes on and makes Puel look a clown by running the game.

 

I personally think the manager could be out of his depth. I'm not saying he is but the signs aren't good. Redmond is a nippy little player that scored a classic wingers goal coming off the right, in the centre he just didn't have the movement or strength to make the runs that a striker needs to make. He doesn't look like a striker but a winger in the centre. I get the feeling Puel has hung his hat on this diamond formation despite the players struggling to play it and trying to turn Redmond into Thierry Henry. A good manager plays the players in their best positions and uses a system designed to get the best out of them. That didn't happen today.

 

Not only has he imposed a rigid system requiring the players to conform but he has made selection mistakes that today deprived us of a win. He turned a team that finished sixth after a great run of results into a first half shambles.

 

TBF it is early days but I share your concerns about Puel. Roy Hodgson has proved that clueless ****wits can get a long way in football. No proof that Puel is that, no proof he isn't.

[Pamplemousse]

The usual trolls are out in force. It's best not to bite, just ignore derry and saint lard, they're trying to wind you up.

[shurlock]

The usual trolls are out in force. It's best not to bite, just ignore derry and saint lard, they're trying to wind you up.

 

Frazer Richardson as a front sweeper - thats a trick Puel is missing.

[Greenridge]

The usual trolls are out in force. It's best not to bite, just ignore derry and saint lard, they're trying to wind you up.

 

As they offered views that differ to yours that makes them trolls? Ok.

[Dangermouth]

It's one game -specifically one half. We came into the game and looked more fluid and dangerous by the end. Who knows whether that will continue or not. Sounds like some of your Brexit prejudices are spilling over onto the main thread.

 

See no reason to mention politics. Are you the kind of person who would never forget the one person who looked at you and keep a shrine to them? No? Then perhaps keep it to football. As you say it was one game. It got better when they went down to 10 men like Norwich last year. It had improved from a portion of the first half where it was, as someone described it, 'boys against men'.

 

Against better teams or teams like WBA we are going to struggle much like we did today in places. The shining lights were Hojbjerg who is roughly the same age as JWP, has played the same the same number of games but already is playing at a standard that the latter will never reach (but let's give him another season so we can say he's had 4 different managers to get something, anything out of him), VVD and Tadic. I remain to be convinced by Redmond but he did take his two goals well, even if he did just drift offside for the 2nd. I can't see Clasie getting a game or being effective in that formation in this league, it doesn't help Davis much and Long isn't that good with his back to play as he showed in the first half. I do tend to agree that it does not play to our players' strengths and despite the high number of shots we had, how many were on target, how many were from good positions in the box and how many really good chances did we get? Even if the game did peter out into attack v defence, you would have to say the defence won as the attack didn't score.

 

We won't really know about the formation and CP until they've been tested through the Winter when we have played many league and cup games so let's see if we can do well enough up until mid-February to know what we're looking at. Cedric was **** and I'd wait until then too to see if he can actually play sufficiently well over a period of games to warrant a new contract.

[Pass the Dutchie]

Positives:

-Højbjerg

-We didn't lose

-Second half very dominant

-No action for Forster

-Much better after substitutions

-Promising moments from Pied

-VVD

-Fonte and Bertrand still to come

-Extra motivation to get some transfers in

[vectraman]

Just got home and reflecting on the action I saw....

First half - oh my goodness, just woeful. The formation is horrible to watch, very narrow, midfield is congested, no outlets out wide to play the ball to. Forwards all over the place offering no penetration, passing was awful, constantly giving the ball away.

We are a physically 'small' team, half the problem was Watford bullied us, we had no substance in the middle. Davis, jwp, Romeo all had off days, and offered nothing to the attacking potential of the team.

Watford's goal was just poor defending - just like Everton last year, we badly miss Bertrand, and also missed Fonte as well. I get the impression if we had been playing a decent side, we'd have been buried in the first half, fortunately it was Watford who I predict will struggle this season.

Second half started similarly, possession, passing backwards, across the back with no forward penetration. Good for stats, poor at winning games when you are a goal down!

Jwp going off was the catalyst for improvement - hoijberg is class and should be a shoe in starter every game. He passed superbly, not giving it away at all, quality. We started to get a bit of width, the game was crying out for it. Targett done ok going forward, and pied looked better than adequate as well. Cedric was simply awful, he made pied look like Roberto Carlos in comparison!

Longs doggedness changed the game - his chasing through forced the Watford foul and the red card. That gave us the extra space to work with. Redmond needs to play out wide, he and long do not look like a strike partnership, and I don't like the weird positions the forwards take up. Just a weird, forced system that we really don't need - imo of course.

Got the goal, looked like we might go on and win it, but no. Very few clear shots on goal. Gomes was pretty uncalled on for all our shots stats. Just goes to prove - stats are for reading, goals for winning!

2/10 first half, 6/10 second half. Remember, this was Watford who we easily swatted aside back in January.....sterner tests to come.

[View From The Top]

I certainly get the impression that some of our fans are utterly desperate for failure just to say "Told you so".

[saintadam]

Hojbjerg could be another gem. A worthy Wanyama replacement. Just a shame that JWP started instead of him today. Also a shame that Romeu had an off-day - we need him to grow and cement his place in the team this year.

 

Also frustrating/sad to see people here writing off Puel after just one game. C'mon what kind of support is that?? Second half was really good and a lot of positives could be taken from there. Has this forum always been filled with this huge amount of negativity? The transfer rumour thread is depressing to read.

[shurlock]

See no reason to mention politics. Are you the kind of person who would never forget the one person who looked at you and keep a shrine to them? No? Then perhaps keep it to football. As you say it was one game. It got better when they went down to 10 men like Norwich last year. It had improved from a portion of the first half where it was, as someone described it, 'boys against men'.

 

Against better teams or teams like WBA we are going to struggle much like we did today in places. The shining lights were Hojbjerg who is roughly the same age as JWP, has played the same the same number of games but already is playing at a standard that the latter will never reach (but let's give him another season so we can say he's had 4 different managers to get something, anything out of him), VVD and Tadic. I remain to be convinced by Redmond but he did take his two goals well, even if he did just drift offside for the 2nd. I can't see Clasie getting a game or being effective in that formation in this league, it doesn't help Davis much and Long isn't that good with his back to play as he showed in the first half. I do tend to agree that it does not play to our players' strengths and despite the high number of shots we had, how many were on target, how many were from good positions in the box and how many really good chances did we get? Even if the game did peter out into attack v defence, you would have to say the defence won as the attack didn't score.

 

We won't really know about the formation and CP until they've been tested through the Winter when we have played many league and cup games so let's see if we can do well enough up until mid-February to know what we're looking at. Cedric was **** and I'd wait until then too to see if he can actually play sufficiently well over a period of games to warrant a new contract.

 

The jury is out on Puel - I don't know if he'll be a success. Saying that, the last thing I'll do is to start jumping to strong conclusions after less than 90mins of football, especially as the side we fielded today -quite apart from formation- was weaker than that we've been used to. Im not a particular fan of JWP - indeed I've taken plenty of s**t on here in the past for not buying the hype (back in the day when it was mboard heresy to raise doubts). That said I can understand why he started today.

Edited 13 August, 2016 by shurlock

[doddisalegend]

The reason we didn't win was because people were rusty and unfocused in the first half and we kept making sloppy individual mistakes.

 

It's pure speculation to say that wouldn't have happened if we played 433 or 4321. It doesn't matter what the system is if people can't pass the ball accurately 10 or 15 yards. I remember us playing 433 against Everton in our first home game last season and we were rubbish.

 

In the second half people had got up to speed, plus Hojbjerg was a massive upgrade on JWP, and we looked pretty dangerous.

 

 

Good summary I agree.

[SaintBobby]

Hojberg excellent. Why the hell JWP beat him to a starting place is beyond me.

 

Surprised that so many on here think Romeu had a poor game, I thought he was very good indeed. Yes, a couple of noticeable errors, but otherwise v impressive IMHO.

 

Still can't get my head around Austin only coming on with 9 minutes to go. He is a centre forward. And we needed one badly.

 

Overall 6.5/10. Two pointed dropped, but we look okay.

[doddisalegend]

Not even going to bother getting over excited by a meltdown thread, save to say that I thought up until Pierre-Emille came on, we lacked a bit of width which struggled to break down Watford's back 8.

 

 

We had width I think both Cedric and Targett where playing high up and trying to get toward their final balls where poor though. Cedric in particular didn't seem to realise Pelle doesn't play for us anymore....

[The Cat]

People being a bit harsh on Romeu. He was getting swamped due to no one in front of him bothering to even gesture towards tackling in the first half and was having to get through an awful lot of work to keep our midfield competitive.

 

I'll also say how much I enjoyed Tadic being on the ball more. Granted not everything came off for him but as he's currently our most creative player we need to play through him as much as possible. Overall he had a very decent game although I wish he'd have a pop from the edge of the box sometimes.

[doddisalegend]

I certainly get the impression that some of our fans are utterly desperate for failure just to say "Told you so".

 

 

Yep

[USA SaintsFan]

Decent performance, I think if we had found a winner the story would be a bit different on here. No need to write off the system after one game, especially considering it isn't as bad as many are making it sound.

 

Very poor start, I write that down to nerves, and adjusting to the new system, playing against PL opposition for the first time with the diamond.

 

I really like Hojbjerg and Redmond, and Pied was surprisingly energetic and solid for the little time he was on the pitch. Our back four was hardly troubled for most of the game, despite missing two definite starting players, and arguably two of the most solid performers in our squad. Miles ahead of where we were, defensively, at the start of last season. Forster had no chance on the goal, and the only other meaningful task was to clear Yoshida's back-"pass."

 

Midfield will be better with Hojbjeg starting, he showed that he is by a mile our most talented midfielder, although it has not been determined if he will be the most consistent one. Long and Redmond did well, but I would like in the future to see one of them swap for Austin. We need more height in the attack.

 

Two attacking additions, or even only one, will make this squad solid. I am sure the club knows this, and there is still half a month in the window left.

 

Did anyone notice the referee's reluctance to blow the whistle? I counted four penalty shouts for us, with varying degrees of blatancy. Two shirt pulls, including one that could have prevented long from scoring. A suspiciously clumsy tackle on Long, resulted on the defender shoving him off the ball, and proceeding to land on top of him. How is Long supposed to stay up? And another, in which the defender changed his run in order to make contact with Hojbjerg. No attempt to play the ball whatsoever.

 

Last thing, the commentators here in the States were weirdly infuriating. Completely obsessed with Watford. Apparently in the first half it was "men against boys," in favor of Watford, despite them only taking one meaningful attempt on our goal.

[verlaine1979]

Might have just been the contrast on the TV, but aside from VVD and Romeu, Watford seemed to physically dwarf us man for man. New formation hardly a resounding success - not a lot of point having two strikers racing about up top if the rest of the team are struggling to advance beyond half way.

[Nolan]

Think its because Romeu being the sole DM he got so much of the ball. 93 passes in the game where as Tadic was the next highest with 60.

 

Worth noting that Hojbjerg got a perfect 100% pass completion from 44 passes

[ringwood]

Well a good manager has a system that suits the players , not a system that he shoehorns the players into, first half looked very much like the players didn't really know where the next player was or was going to move to 2nd half improved as it looked more like a 4 3 3 at times .

 

Last season the management tweaked the system to suit the players and turned the season round, lets hope we are not about to waste valuable points to try and enforce a system the players are not really comfortable with.

 

We either need players who suit the system bringing into the club or revert to the system the club has followed that has allowed managers and players to come and go but still move forward

 

Tonight after watching that performance its glass half empty , and for Puels first report , could do better

[InvictaSaint]

Anybody else think Deeney looked rather....portly? Looked like he had piled on the pounds rather than shedding them over the summer.

[Pamplemousse]

As they offered views that differ to yours that makes them trolls? Ok.

 

It's the same people over and over again.

 

There's nothing wrong with being critical and there is plenty to be critical about. But they're just fishing for a reaction.

[Lighthouse]

Don't forget the team that started the game was missing Fonte, Bertrand, Hoj, Cédric wasn't fit and I'd still expect a half decent signing who will put Long or Redmond on the bench. If was a long way from our strongest team. Hoj showed when he came on just how much one quality player can change a game.

 

Remember those garbage performances against Newcastle and Everton at the start of last season? Second half was a lot better than that, not to mention home games against Villa, Sunderland and Stoke.

[Lighthouse]

Anybody else think Deeney looked rather....portly? Looked like he had piled on the pounds rather than shedding them over the summer.

 

A couple of them looked a bit Akinfenwa I must say, Deeney in particular.

[USA SaintsFan]

Anybody else think Deeney looked rather....portly? Looked like he had piled on the pounds rather than shedding them over the summer.

 

I noticed that despite Deeney having a five meter advantage once in the second half, Van Dijk, not exactly our fastest player, ran him down with apparent ease.

[Professor]

it's would be unfair to come down on Puel after just one game but there is no denying this was 2 points thrown away. Hopefully Claude has enough flexibility to change the formation if it isn't working and the courage to admit if a change is needed. Hard to understand the tactical error after the sending off, of failing to play 3 strikers for the last 15 minutes by removing a midfield player. It didn't look as if Long needed to come off, but even if he did, JRod was available. One other thing Puel might have learned today is that Pierre-Emile is a better player than JWP. Next Friday could be embarrassing if he doesn't adapt.

[Batman]

Against Athletico Bilbao VVD and Hojbjerg were stand outs. Not Davis and certainly not JWP yet Puel started them as a pair and got precisely what most of the crowd could have told him for free. they are crap together and are more a liability than anything else. After 55mins Hojbjerg comes on and makes Puel look a clown by running the game.

 

I personally think the manager could be out of his depth. I'm not saying he is but the signs aren't good. Redmond is a nippy little player that scored a classic wingers goal coming off the right, in the centre he just didn't have the movement or strength to make the runs that a striker needs to make. He doesn't look like a striker but a winger in the centre. I get the feeling Puel has hung his hat on this diamond formation despite the players struggling to play it and trying to turn Redmond into Thierry Henry. A good manager plays the players in their best positions and uses a system designed to get the best out of them. That didn't happen today.

 

Not only has he imposed a rigid system requiring the players to conform but he has made selection mistakes that today deprived us of a win. He turned a team that finished sixth after a great run of results into a first half shambles.

 

Totally agree

[Plastic]

Might have just been the contrast on the TV, but aside from VVD and Romeu, Watford seemed to physically dwarf us man for man.

 

Thought the same. We looked a very small and fragile team today.

[danjosaint]

Very much like Hodgson square pegs round holes both us and England have decent teams if playing to our strengths but look clueless with different formations, that's OK if you've a big squad packed with quality something we haven't got so need a manager to forge a team around our strengths not by having a half decent winger put up front and Tadic as a 10, tell me why you can't have tadic and redmond wide, Austin up top with perhaps long up behind with Pierre and Romeu, ideally the position behind Austin would be taken by a quality goal scoring acm signing then long/Austin good battle it out for out and out front man

[gammoncheeks]

Very much like Hodgson square pegs round holes both us and England have decent teams if playing to our strengths but look clueless with different formations, that's OK if you've a big squad packed with quality something we haven't got so need a manager to forge a team around our strengths not by having a half decent winger put up front and Tadic as a 10, tell me why you can't have tadic and redmond wide, Austin up top with perhaps long up behind with Pierre and Romeu, ideally the position behind Austin would be taken by a quality goal scoring acm signing then long/Austin good battle it out for out and out front man

Probably got that spot on to be honest