Think Rafa will have target this game for 3 pts, and will have a clear strategy on how to get them. Our manager, not so much.
Newcastle 2-0 Saints
I think Gabbiadini just needs game time. He’s expected to come on as a saviour sub when we are up against it, but he’s a cultured player and has a greater influence on a game the more he’s on the pitch.
Biggest problem for me is the persistent use of the wings as our main method of attacking. Tadic is a shite no 10 (good in other ways), so Carillo ends up working the channels to make up for his lack of positional play. so when a cross comes in, he’s either out of position or has two big units flanking him. If a cross is coming in from the left, then the only other option is either Sims of JWP, neither of whom have any aerial threat whatsover. Ditto, Redmond / whoever else is on the left. And i don’t think i have seen Tadic head a ball in 3 years. I think crosses are reasonably pointless unless we have Austin up front.
When we went 4-4-2 on Saturday and went through the middle more, we were far more effective. Lemina looked like he had been uncaged with his forward runs, the two strikers pulled the defence in so the flanks were available for attacking full backs / midfielders and their penalty box was much busier all round. I hope the Manager sticks with this approach, but fear he will still play his default formation from the start.
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Rafa vs. Diet Rafa. Brilliant. I cannot wait for this one.
Its like supporting Saints at the dell
Six pointer after six pointer
Football just like the old days
It is almost exciting
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Listening in the pub last night with one ear to Keys & Gray’s guests
Hughton set up Brighton to beat Arsenal by attacking them down the flanks.
Because Arsenal LIKE to try and play through the middle of you (similar to Citeh & Scousers tbh)
So DEFENSIVELY he set Brighton up to actually conceded space on the wings - he simply knew that was not the favoured route and that their striker/midfielders could be nullified by his lumps. They showed lots of examples and they (Arsenal) looked no different from Cedric or Betrand hoofing a hopeful ball in. But then when Brighton ATTACKED down the wings, they were lumping the ball in towards Glenn Murray. Not a system but in fact playing to the strengths of your players
Was interesting, we seem to at least TRY and play both ways - just never bloody execute it very well.
Equally it made me realise how fvcked we are that we keep playing to a system NOT to the abilities of our players.
Damn we need Chazza back
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We’re boring shite, we can’t score as we don’t have the confidence, talent and tactical nounce to change or do that now, we don’t have someone who is talented or confident enough to shoot, run passed a player or play a quality through ball.
We on viewing alone should be relegated already, what utter crap they serve up and I know at least 5 people not renewing next year as they have had enough, 2 seasons of woeful unispiring football is one thing but it is the propaganda and excuses that grind the gears, if they told the truth with some passion to why they are failing it would help, if we could see they were hurting (they arent they looking for moves already and will get some) it would placate the fans somewhat as this is easily as bad as it is under Branfoot as we’ve fallen from far higher reaches, they have to admit their system isn’t working and was always built on sand.
Name me one successful Chinese ownership in the Premiership?
Is it the chinese generally you don’t like or just our ones.
The Arabs seem pretty shit hot at football ownership. So to the Russians. The Americans aren’t doing so bad. So it cannot be foreign ownership that makes team suck. If fact some of our worst owners have been British.
Our ones? What does that mean?
You mean our owners who happen to be Chinese?
I mean all Chinese owners in the Premiership and I use the Chinese as an example as they own our club so it is totally relevant.
See Palace have a bit of character.
What, because they’ve scored the first goal in a game?
No, they have shown their character by having 28% possession
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Of course, how many have we scored lately? They’re up for a scrap.
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Accidental up vote there Barry. Sorry.
Why can’t we play with Gabbiadini AND Carrillo? Gabbiadini as a 10? We scored a goal against Burnley when the latter headed back for the former.
Literally what is the worst that could happen? We lose and go down? Given current and historical form, there is a pretty good fucking chance of that happening anyway.
Something has to change. Anything will do at this point.
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No dramas, I don’t down vote as its wet and pointless, you’re safe lad.
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Then we are also “up for a scrap”.
We have played 11 games this year.
In the ten games we have played this year, that have had at least one goal scored by either team, we have scored in 9 of them and first in 7 of them.
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Does that make any sense or any difference? How many games have we won? How many League games this year have we won at home?
Rhetorical.
2-0, character and guts, they have it and we don’t, its as simple as that and the Palace fans piss all over ours, they never used to, St Marys doesn’t help us win games.
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Are we playing Newcastle this evening or is all this bleating on the wrong thread?
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Upvote for the first bit.