S-Clarke

Really good write up on Slavisa Jokanovic if anyone is interested: http://outsideoftheboot.com/2017/05/13/tactical-philosophy-slavisa-jokanovic/

Good find, this sort of stuff is interesting (well, to me anyway). This is a good example of why I don't think we have the players to play that way. To be fair, Hamsik, Callejon, Insinge would walk into our team unchallenged, but if you look at Hamsik in isolation and the role he operates....he is the player that makes them tick, ensuring that the attacking 3 aren't too separated from the rest of the side. We don't have anyone like that in our team (maybe Davis is trying to be that type), so whilst on paper it looks similar, we are probably light years away from that. Worth noting that Merteens is also not a pure number 9 striker, he can play all over the front 3 - similar in a sense to Gabbiadini. I would imagine Milik would have been first choice for them had he not been injured. Generally, I see a structure to how we're trying to play, but it's frustrating to me because I don't think we have the players to do it. We're definitely not as gung-ho as Napoli though, very much a case of keep what you have before trying to get anymore (and that would be in the personality of the manager). So I think it's a mixture of both - we're lacking the players to make it work, and the manager is also lacking the confidence to execute a quicker game - probably because he knows we don't have the players, which begs the question....why is he persevering with it? He doesn't seem to be a manager who assesses what he has and builds the system around that, he seems to want to shoehorn his way whether we're fit for it or not. That's where I think he's going to come unstuck.

Let's not starting ****ing around with Stephens. He's a CB, don't want to see him as a ball playing defensive midfielder. I'd bring in Hoj for sure though. He is someone who is crying out for a run in the team and is a lot more dynamic and progressive than our other midfielders. He's kind of a Davis upgrade in that sense. Davis has been frustrating for me this year, but mainly because he's being asked to play in a midfield two which doesn't suit him.

The top two are a bit misleading, as those numbers are pretty much made up by two players. Tom Davies and Marcus Rashford. Take those two out, and it would be a lot closer.

That is such a non-league thing to do. I'd prefer we employed a manager capable of making the choices himself!

Good idea. let's just hope the people deciding it aren't the same panel who award/take away dubious goals.

I think the fact that prices are the same after renewal will hit the renewal levels. Early renewal lost a bit of it's point with that.

The Spurs game tonight just illustrated the alarming gulf which has developed between the top 6 and the rest this year. Hope it's not a trend, as the top 6 has been streets ahead of the rest this year.

Can't disagree with that.

It was 100% booing and jeering towards the sub.

Yeah, it was because of the sub. Seemed to be as if people were chomping at the bit for a reason to boo, but as a substitution it actually worked for us as Boufal made a positive impact.

Two results were, but the 1-0 loss in Prague, 0-0 at Hapoel, 1-1 to Hapoel were equal to the dross served up the season before.

Yeah, I've seen people say ''He got us further in Europe than Koeman'' - but he didn't, it was Koeman that got us to 6th so we had 6 guaranteed games anyway. Still went out at the first possible hurdle this year.

Yep, you've called it spot on. I personally think it's a tactical ploy for the 'wide attackers' to come inside and create space for the full backs, but that means that our game relies so much on the wing backs and the performance in these positions. But then what happens is that they'll deliver, but everyone else is then behind them..... The movement at times yesterday in the 2nd half was better, but it's still not tactically right for me. We don't get the best out of Tadic or Redmond playing that way, and then if the fall backs lose possession, you're pretty much open to the attack - as we saw particularly in the 2nd half against Arsenal.

Very composed young English centre half. Seems to be quite a few in the PL this year with Gibson, Keane, Mawson, Maguire etc. He's certainly at the same level as any of those, he has surprised me. Reads the game, very, very well. Extremely composed on the ball and came bring it out from the back. I said on another thread, but I wouldn't be adverse to seeing him play alongside VVD next year.

I thought he came on and did what you'd want him to, he impacted the game and opened the space up. Seemed to pick the right passes when in the number 10 position to get us wide, and it almost worked. Don't think he did anything to warrant criticism last night, he's had plenty of worse cameos.

That wasn't too bad. The first half was a bit of the same old, felt like both sides played within themselves and it was very much played at a pace of a pre-season game. Way, way too slow. Penalty surprised me in terms of it was given, but the miss didn't surprise me at all. Why don't we just stick with a given penalty taker? Whenever JWP has been on the pitch he has taken them, he's our best striker from a dead ball and needs to take penalties when he's on the pitch. Need to stop faffing around with the takers. 2nd half was a lot better in terms of it being a watch, we seemed to come alive from around 55mins and put them under some concerted pressure for a period - forced Romero into a couple of good saves, although you could argue that a couple of the shots were straight at him. We played much quicker though and this is what opened the game up, we had the likes of Davis pushing forward and closing the gap to Gabbiadini - who was way too isolated in the first half. My gripe is that we still played a bit too centrally though, Redmond and Tadic seemed to come inside and through the central area's - obviously a tactic to open the flanks and allow the fall backs to push on, but Targett's delivery in particular was garbage so that was a pretty dead avenue for us. I would have liked to see Redmond and Tadic pull out wide to the flanks and take on their full backs. What is up with Redmond at home by the way? He's a totally different player away from home. At home he seems reluctant to commit, run at players, or penetrate the final third. He seems happy to just sit behind the full back and move centrally, it's very odd and it didn't work at all. To be fair, Tadic did similar, so you do wonder if that's instructions they are following. Special mention to Stephens, who I thought was great. This is a player who has blossomed as the 2nd half of this season has progressed, and I didn't imagine him to be this composed. I wouldn't be adverse to seeing him line up alongside VVD next season (if VVD is still here that is) - he's impressed me that much that it would seem harsh to drop him. But overall, another frustrating 0-0, but not a bad game at all. Probably from our point of view a 0-0 where we actually deserved to get the win, as opposed to a backs to the wall effort. Quite clearly Utd didn't fancy it, they weren't even playing in first gear, but with a bit of luck we'd have won it. Would be surprised if we fail to beat Stoke if we play the same way as the 2nd half.

He tried to score a goal.

We don't close down like we used to, we seem to be quite happy for teams to have the ball in front of us, as long as we keep our 'shape'. We're very passive in terms of our closing down and pressing of space, that's something which has irked me all season. It's clearly an instruction they're following, as the risk would be you commit too high and get pulled out of shape, but I guess it's what you prioritise.....keeping a defensive shape, or taking a team on.

Probably quite likely he'd miss and hit De Gea in Manchester apparently, it's the young kid Pereria playing in goal tonight - De Gea didn't travel. I'd say this is a good opportunity to test him, get some shots in, put him under pressure etc, but I won't hold my breath.

It's all very hush hush isn't it. No idea what his injury was. Broken foot? Achilles? ankle ligaments? It was something kinda bad anyway, as his leg was immobilized for weeks.

That result kills me. We did setup to avoid being countered on, didn't exert ourselves too much. He would have been more than content with a 0-0 I'm sure. I don't know why we played so tepid, they were a truly atrocious football team. Let's not kid ourselves, they were L1 level, which was shown up when they were humped in the knockout round. If we'd have gone and taken the game to them, we'd have won it comfortably. Predictably cautious and protecting what we had rather than going for what we didn't. Dumb arse move. Worst result of the season for me.

First manager gone.....Walter Mazzarri at Watford. (well, he leaves after the final game)

Misguided comment by him, he should draft out what he's going to say before he says it! I don't think he meant it as it came across, but never mind.

It will only take a good summer from one of the teams in and around the 40pts mark to close that gap next year, what with the extra games Everton will have....it may not be as straight forward for them. I think we're the side with the least to do to make up the gap, I think we have a lot more quality than the teams around us. You just have to question if we're getting the best from it... But then equally, a bad summer...and you could be going the opposite way.