08 Jan 2022 23:00:03
Good win. Bad-to-terrible performance. A flat back 5 against a side 19th in the championship. Boot it long to Rondon or give it to Gray or Gordon and hope they do something. Still awful at set-pieces. Benitez is so obsessed with doing everything as a manager, it doesn't seem like he does any actual coaching. His disingenuous comments about issues existing before he got there do not cover up the fact we’ve won twice since September because of him. Good to see him turning on the fans with his post-match comments too. Sooner he’s gone the better. Never felt more of a disconnect with the club than since he’s been here.
Positives, not much. We won. Gordon another assist so 2 goals/ 2 assists in as many games. Gbamin did okay when he came on (even if he was played as an 8 when he’s a 6, and our 8 played as a 6. Master tactician, they said. ) . Minutes for Dobbin. Think we finished with 53% possession. Really scraping the barrel.
Anyway, on we go. Up the Blues.
08 Jan 2022 23:22:05
Why did you think it was a back 5 because the BBC posted a graphic so it must be.
The way they lined up it was definitely 3 4 3.
Also our 8 has played as our 6 since he got here
Considering Carlo did none of the training and left it to Davide and Dunc again your comment seems a bit redundant.
By all means criticise Benitez but make sure what you are omplaining about makes sense!
09 Jan 2022 07:41:58
I barely saw Mykolenko or Kenny get high up the pitch enough (except for the assist) to really qualify it as a 343. That might be down to personnel but seeing as the 541/ 343 has worked so poorly in the last 3 games, criminal to even start with it.
Aye, Allan has but square peg in a round hole. He doesn't have the discipline to do it in a 2, whereas Gbamin was bought to sit and shield the defence.
Your comment is equally redundant. What. CA did has no relevence to Benitez’s lack of coachinf, and at least with his son and Ferguson taking training, there was at least a hint of a gameplan and accountability. Now its ‘be bad at defending set-pieces and have zero pattern of play’. As well as there being a DoF at the club to run the scouting aspect, now its all on Rafa. Less time for coahing.
None of what I said doesmt make sense.
09 Jan 2022 08:17:36
That's new information to me Hugo, but fair play to you for remembering that - please could you point me in the direction of the quotes from club officials about what exact role Gbamin was bought for 3 years ago?
09 Jan 2022 08:21:33
We won so stop searching for any stick to beat rafa with. We could win 10 nil and some would still be moaning.
Wasn't pretty at times and there are a few things we would do differently but we only see them on match day, we don't see training.
09 Jan 2022 08:45:29
That was a back five. 3 centre cracks and 2 wing backs: back five. Add to that that that there are 5 defenders and that they played like defenders positional wise, it was a back 5. I don't have a clue where you are getting a 343 from mate.
09 Jan 2022 08:47:02
''We could win 10 nil and some would still be moaning. ''
Honestly that is as ridulous as it gets mate, reality checks and maturity needed here!
09 Jan 2022 09:25:22
From what I saw, he set us up as a 3-4-3 when we had the ball and then a 5-4-1 when we didn’t, with gray and Gordon dropping deeper into midfield. I might be wrong there, just what I saw.
Yes we did win, and there are positives to take from the match - 3 really good goals, Gordon looking better each game he plays and what a brilliant player Gray is. Mykolenko definitely has something about him, just seems like a rough diamond at the moment. Down side of yesterday - we seemed poor defensively again. Is it personnel or tactics? I can’t help but feel that taking Gordon off changed the game a bit and allowed them to score.
09 Jan 2022 09:29:44
Correct blue-tit 3 CB's and 2 FB's, I haven't watched our two new lads but I am hoping they turn out to be proper wing backs. With a fully fit squad I would like to see a 5 3 2 set up and drill drill drill it into them. Alan needs to be the centre of a mid 3 for me. Ideally two in there with him truly capable of box to box. DCL, Richarlison up front. Having said that I am but a spectator. Seems to me some of this lot are superb on the training pitch but leave it all there.
09 Jan 2022 09:42:53
Look at Gbamin at Mainz then tell me he wasnt bought to do the same job. He’s a DM. Also need to remember Mykolenko hasn't played in about 4 weeks so a little rusty but thought he did okay.
No time for these ‘we could win 10-0’, ‘Rafa can do no wrong’, ‘stop moaning’. If you want to watch the game in a vacuum without seeing a pattern we’re on, by all means Geofjohno, do so. I could care less that Rafa managed Liverpool, I was 11 when he won the Champions League with them in ‘05. Past means nothing to me. His present is him being a terrible coach for these talented players with no game-plan and no signs of any coaching. He isn't our saviour and we aren't lucky to have him.
09 Jan 2022 09:52:14
We were playing Hull . Stop making it sound better than the car crash it was. Rubbish formation, rubbish tactics, and bloody awful team selection.
09 Jan 2022 12:16:29
We were all excited when carlo joined because of his past. He hadn't won anything for 3/ 4 years.
Last night he obviously wanted to rest some players for the league but the formation isn't working. We can re-hash the discussions we've been having over the last weeks but won't make us feel better.
I know i keep trying to make excuses because Ijust can't see the benefit to keep sacking managers as we do, however, I think the fan base has turned and will eventually get him sacked.
Think he's got 2 or 3 games at most with some of the fans.
09 Jan 2022 12:26:49
Lose to Norwich and he just has to go.