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Derby v Saints (Friendly) - Match Thread


trousers

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Porous defence,punchless attack. How is it possible to spend millions and still be the same ?

 

well, one was a keeper who hasn’t played, one was a Celtic midfielder that I’m not 100% sure we needed, one came on at half time and one went off just after half time..... .but of course if you need to judge their value and worth to the team based on about 40 mins go for it !

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Porous defence,punchless attack. How is it possible to spend millions and still be the same ?
Money doesn't automatically bring success. The team has to be built. Three first-choices are still missing, two playing their first game.

 

Ridiculous to expect instant change. And I'd much rather we lose today and learn than win and start off the season full of complacency. These games are about trying things out, finding the best formation and personnel.

 

If you look back, a pre-season full of big wins doesn't often lead to a good campaign.

 

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Results might not matter in pre-season but performances do and this has been awful from start to finish. I’m not convinced we have the players to fit the formation.

 

I'm not sure playing less defenders is going to make us better defensively. Hughes reverted to the five at the back because we where getting thoroughly rimmed at the back when he turned up the change certainly made us more solid. Arguably todays team won't resemble the one we put out on the first day of the season.

Edited by doddisalegend
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Maybe the players were under instruction to treat this game as a training exercise rather than take it seriously as a match? That's the only explanation I can give for such a lacksidaisical performance

It is a training exercise, that's what pre-season friendlies are all about. We have another 3 yet to ramp it up. Unbelievable the wrist splitters on here (not you). Sounds like our main problem has been lack of protection from the MF (again) which exposes the defence, never really sorted that since the days of Morgan and Vic.

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It is a training exercise, that's what pre-season friendlies are all about. We have another 3 yet to ramp it up. Unbelievable the wrist splitters on here (not you). Sounds like our main problem has been lack of protection from the MF (again) which exposes the defence, never really sorted that since the days of Morgan and Vic.
Fair point. Just observing that Derby had much more energy and desire about them. Why were they taking it more seriously than us? Perhaps they are simply further forward in their pre season time table than us. Edited by trousers
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Wow, that was awful for the whole 90mins. We had a spell for about 3mins in the first half where we passed the ball well but that was it. As poor as the worst performances we put in last season.

 

No shape, no desire (Derby commentator noting they wanted to play, Saints keen to slow the whole game down.

 

Team shape didnt look right with the 3CBs but the woeful individual defending from Hoedt (throughout), Stephens (throughout) and Vestergaard (momentarily) when we went to four at the back probably showed why Hughes has decided to get up that way.

 

JWP is not a RB or wing back. Personally don't see Targett offers anything that is PL level.

 

We had no control in the midfield, Romeu has to start for me as Lemina is too loose as a holding player and Armstrong clearly happier further forward.

 

Redmomd by a mile our best player (again), shame he only had the static Auatin to combine with. Is he seriously the best a PL side can find? He offers absolutely nothing until the ball is in the penalty area - ditto Gabbi tbh.

 

Hard to judge Moi, he made some decent runs but wasnt seeing much of the ball. If he can match Tadic's 7 goals from last season then that will be a good first PL season.

 

Key learnings from today:

 

1. We will struggle to score goals with the players we have

 

2. We will concede lots of goals with the players we have

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Fair point. Just observing that Derby had much more energy and desire about them. Why were they taking it more seriously than us? Perhaps they are simply further forward in their pre season time table than us.
And have their full squad, plus the motivation of a PL scalp.

 

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Ok, well that sucked.

 

Knee jerk reactions:

 

Our CB's are terrible. Stephens is a League One player, Hoedt not much better. Vestergaard scares me. He is good on the ball but looks really slow. The first goal was because he reached when he couldn't get there. Come the season we need Yoshi, Bednarek, and someone else back there. Hell, I'd sign Fonte at this point, it would still be better.

 

Midfield didn't get off the bus. I don't get what we were doing. Was it the players or a scheme? Derby all day just ran right down the center of the pitch, merrily passing the ball between themselves with little or not pressure.

 

I am willing to give the attacking players a break here, and that means Mo, Redmond, Austin, and Gabbi. When the mids were getting crushed, and the defense was awful, there really wasn't much they could do. We really didn't have the ball much in a scoring position.

 

McCarthy was ok. He was put in poor positions over and over (and over) again.

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Cant rely on goals from Austin, cant rely on the defence so we look in need of extra players in.

I cant believe that the club still haven't seen weneed some decent forwards. We have been goal shy for well over 2 years now

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Ok, well that sucked.

 

Knee jerk reactions:

 

Our CB's are terrible. Stephens is a League One player, Hoedt not much better. Vestergaard scares me. He is good on the ball but looks really slow. The first goal was because he reached when he couldn't get there. Come the season we need Yoshi, Bednarek, and someone else back there. Hell, I'd sign Fonte at this point, it would still be better.

 

Midfield didn't get off the bus. I don't get what we were doing. Was it the players or a scheme? Derby all day just ran right down the center of the pitch, merrily passing the ball between themselves with little or not pressure.

 

I am willing to give the attacking players a break here, and that means Mo, Redmond, Austin, and Gabbi. When the mids were getting crushed, and the defense was awful, there really wasn't much they could do. We really didn't have the ball much in a scoring position.

 

McCarthy was ok. He was put in poor positions over and over (and over) again.

 

Tbh, it was going to take more than one transfer window to sort out several disaster ones by Reed. Two of his disasters were culpable today - Stephens (that big new contract) and Hoedt. Feel sorry for Vestergaard having to debut alongside those two who are close to worst XI territory. Aim has to be staying up with slightly more comfort and weeding out Reed's garbage over the next couple of years. Hughes has done well if that is achieved.

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Can't wait for the Sparky presser after this. I don't think he is one to take this lying down (like MoPe did).

 

Loaning Hoedt out would be a good start. I've seen winos in Hoglands Park with more mobility than him. Thanks Les you genius.

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