Ohio Saint Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 I'm OK/disappointed. Not sure what will happen against the better teams this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewYorkSaint Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 No meltdown necessary. Frustrating not to win…. But I’d say plenty of positives there. Redmond, Hojberg and even Pied looking super-promising, and Tadic and vvD could be in for epic seasons. Way too soon to be on Puel's back. Let's give the new system a chance. There were moments second half with electric fast conversion of defense into attack right down the middle of the field. We might just surprise ‘em on Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
californiasaint Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 I know it was only 10 men but encouraging to see that many players in the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilchards Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 2 points lost. Hojberg is a class act. Good subs by the manager. We need a deadly striker off the bench as Austin does not fit the fast quick touch passing football. Kind of pleased but I can't help feel that Watford are crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamplemousse Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 I think there are more positives than negatives to take from this match, particularly the second half. Cedric was awful, midfield improved when Hojbjerg came on and Pied looked lively. Austin should've come on earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 (edited) awful, awful 1st half. Very narrow and overrun in midfield much better after HT and then obviously, bossed it completely when they were down to 10 men Hojbjerg looked very good when he came on. He is a starter from now on for sure. Long was busy Redmond was terrible in the 1st half but get a great deal better as the game went on Tadic was good throughout Cedric....well, he was not that good last season. Hopefully, just lacking match fitness Rom is by no means a big brick wall like Wanyama Pied looked decent when he came on hopefully, Bertrand and Fonte will be back soon not sold at all on this formation with our group of players. Still think Redmond is wasted centrally. many of the positives people will go on about were brought on by their red card. This was Watford at home, who we completely tore apart a few months back Good to see Yoshida still provides a serious howler per game. they did defend well to be fair. Edited 13 August, 2016 by Batman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonb Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Holjberg looked very composed although not as quick as I first thought. Romeu was caught a few times by Capoue in particular. We'll need much more cover than JWP offers away from home. Redmond came into the game very well second half. Pied looked decent and got into the game well. Tadic also got into the game more and more. Disappointed with the final third in general but that has been the story of pre-season too. The team showed character to get back into that match. Holjberg igniting the crowd towards the end of the game was great to see from someone who has only just joined. He looks a leader already. Something to build on for sure. I'm not as disheartened as I was when Watford took the lead. We looked all at see for 15 minutes there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridge Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Sh!t team selection from the beginning...Cedric no no no...JWP no no no...Romeo got skinned too often...Højbjerg is class and should be a starter at all times...Redmond out wide....diamond is to narrow...P!ssed 2 points up the wall playing at home well done!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkeith Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Looked a lot better in the 2nd half, particularly when Pierre came on. The foward movement got a lot better and Tadic and Redmond started getting wide. If the 2nd half is how the top 3 are going to play every week then I will be a happy bunny. However, until PH came on we were being bullied in midfield and we lacked height across the pitch. Cedric looked a bit rusty, but he should not have been left on his own with Deeney for their goal. When Shane long retires he should have a double DVD set, one with hos goals against Germany and Villa, the other with his comedy air shot in the 2nd half! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampersound Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Slow start but finished strong. We had more than enough chances to win the game today but playing like the 1st half against any of the top half team would have cost the game. Still got Ryan & Jose to come back into the team so we would still be stringer Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohio Saint Posted 13 August, 2016 Author Share Posted 13 August, 2016 5 minutes into my post match calming down period, I am feeling very positive about the efforts of our players. They all gave 100%. I don't think that this game really revealed anything about Puel. I'm looking forward to next Friday. That will tell us a lot more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austsaint Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Game changed completely when the impressive Hojbjerg replaced JWP. Redmond's second half was really good; Tadic looked sharp and menacing all afternoon; Davis and Romeu grew into the game. VVD imperious in defence as was Yoshida apart from that hideous back pass. Targett not too bad at LB. The only disappointments on the day were Cedric, JWP and Long who was less effective than usual. Quite a bit to look forward too judging by our second half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Marco Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Not really sure what to make of that. The first 45 mins was up there with the worst I have seen. Play like that at Arsenal and Man Utd and we will be 0-3 down at half time. It was really poor. JWP was his usual **** self, offering nothing at all. Second half was much much better. Redmond came more into the game and improved from his dire first half display. However he wasted a lot of chances that I think someone like Mane would of buried at least 2 of them. When they were down to 10 men we seemed a bit clueless to be honest. Pass to the wings and cross or launch it into the box. I cant remember Gomes being tested at all. So like I said not really sure what to make of it. At the end of the first half I would have taken a draw. But second half when we got the goal and they went down to 10 men I expected at least some shots on their goal. Tadic was my motm. He was the creative force in the side. Redmond did great in the second half. I also think Target played very well. JWP and Long had terrible games. Need to get some creative players in asap or we are going to struggle imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Højbjerg needs to start, really talented, classy player who always looks to go forward, rather than the sideways pass that Davis and Ward Prowse are guilty of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewildered Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Grew into it, some encouraging signs by the end. Bring in another attacking player to play in the diamond, move Hojbjerg back into Romeu's place and get Fonte and Bertrand back into the starting line up and things could get a lot better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintsmike25 Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Against Man Utd I worry we will be bullied, they're far physically stronger than we are and given that Deeney looked good at times against us I worry what an in-form Zlatan would do to Yoshida, any idea why Fonte didn't play? As for the formation it's going to take time for instant results but there were signs, however Long was isolated at times so our key players will be Redmond and Tadic, both can create and shoot - if they play well we will play well. It's the first game of the season so I'm glass half full, we showed spirit to come back into the game we had more shots, some chances just need to be brighter in the final third, this is where Puel now needs to look seriously, we need a pacy striker to create competition for places as I fear Jay Rod won't ever be the same again. I'm sure we're working on a signing behind the scenes, even if it's just a loanee we could attract a world-class name if we play it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilchards Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Don't think we ever deserved to win, which is a concern at home to Watford. Draw a fair result. You've got to be kidding right? 500 passes to Watford's 200 66% possession and 25 shots to 5. That's what I call a battering without being able to put the ball in the net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 To me, its more the formation thats bugging me than the players. I think we need Redmond, Long, and Austin on the field to score like we need to. Redmond looks very dangerous on the ball in space, not hanging around inside, and Austin gives is a scoring presence in the box area (which we need). Right now crosses are useless. This could be done with a standard 3 upfront, by moving Redmond to the #10, or by slightly adjusting the formation to allow Redmond and Tadic to both attack (rather than just one of them). However Puel seems fixated on the diamond. I think we will see more of this, by much better teams. Hang back, defend, counter, give up possession, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lighthouse Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 I'll look on the bright side, we played better overall even before the red card, apart from 20 minutes or so after their goal when we really lost our rhythm. Decent performances by Virgil, Yoshi, Romeu and especially Hojbjerg. Redmond I was a little disappointed with, mainly in the first half. Long also, had one of his tried had but didn't look like scoring games. Tadic looked decent but I got the feeling only Hojbjerg was really on the same wavelength. Cedric fairly poor, so too Davis. In future PH has to start. We can have Davis and JWP in the middle. They're both too 'try hard, limited effect' to play together. Austin should have come on sooner I though. Fonte? If he's just not fit that really is criminal from him and the club. Fair enough he got an extended break from the Euros but to not get fit for the start of the season is unprofessional. I think we will be in the middle of a media/JM/Pogba/Zlatan Bukkake party on Friday and probably lose but I'm optimistic for the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stknowle Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Enough there in the 2nd half to provide confidence we won't be in any trouble. Tadic and Redmond did well (the latter being split seconds away from celebrating a debut brace and win but was correctly given off side) but this was only Watford at home - we still definitely need another creative forward option. Hojberg looked a class above every other player on the pitch from the moment he came on. I think we would've won that match if he had been on from the start and Puel picking JWP ahead of him worries me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjii Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 No need for a meltdown. We were far superior and played some nice stuff. We were rusty for the first half but that happens on the opening weekend. Watford are shiiiite so it is 2 points dropped but a point on the board and broadly a decent performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint lard Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 As I've stated before....we look impotent in the final third....especially with this formation. Højbjerg needs to start. This fancy dan system may work in France but it won't work against Premier league opposition. No offence but that was Watford! and we got lucky to get a draw. Too narrow,Tadic out wide to produce assists.....get in a decent No 10 if we have to persist with this. Square pegs in round holes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo_ARG Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 It seems to me that the goal Redmond had made him look better than he was. Especially in the first half, he was poor. He need to take decitions quicker when he is centrally because the holding midfielders are so quick and strong there. He lost too many balls. He did look much better when he played inside the penalty area, he grew with the team. Maybe the goal gave him some confidence. But I still don't see him linking up with Tadic on the passing game, he is either a winger or the same type of player Long is, more of a poacher. So no suprises, we still need a creative forward who can pass and dribble with more ease through the opposition. That is if we stick with this diamond shape. Tadic was my MOM, great vision and intelligence as always. But hey, Hojberg may have been MOM if he played 90 minutes. I don't know what happens behind the scenes but JWP in the starting 11 doesen't make sense. Hojberg was superb, the thing that impressed me the most was his determination, a strong charachter that was out there to prove a point. Way to go, lad. Pied did OK, promising. One last thing, it pains me to say it but Romeu was awful, probably his worst game as a Saint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Convict Colony Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 interesting comparison for the JWP and Davis positions from today Man City have De Bruyne and Silva in there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nta786 Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 My ratings from the Itchen North Forster: 8 because he didn't have much to do and did well to save Yoshidas co*k up. Cedric- 4.5, no fitness, his passing was completely off to me, didn't bomb up and down, maybe fitness not sure- not the best. Yoshida- 6, defended okay, won a few headers, but shocking backpass could have ended the game for us VVD- 7, defended well, bombed forward a few times, nothing amazing, but did the job well Targett- 6.5, have to say was fairly impressed with him at times, got on the wrong side of Amrabat sometimes but was good attacking. Romeu- 4.5, lost Capoue for the goal, and not to forget he was overpowered a couple of times, not his best game unfortunately. JWP- 5, I still hope he will come good but added nothing today Davis- 6, Stevo same as usual, does a job. Tadic- 7.5 thought he was great at times, lost in first twenty minutes but eventually had a good game, his dribbling in first half was beautiful. Long- 7, finishing as usual pretty poor, inc the air shot haha. But did really well in getting their man sent off Redmond- 7.5, good goal and dribbling but did look lost up front in the first half. Recovered well in second half, and was actually focal point towards the end PEH- 8 and my MOTM despite not starting! I mean blimey, this guy just oozes class. Pied- 7 he was on the right side attacking a lot, some decent crosses, some okay ones too, overall wasn't bad tho Austin- 6, not enough time, think he only had one header but kept quiet by a good Watford defence. Overall- 442 diamond just doesn't work with our players, a point in the end, should've had all three, and this is the PL, full of surprises. A shame we didn't win 1/2-0 though, would've been nice to top the table Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_clark Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Sh!t team selection from the beginning...Cedric no no no...JWP no no no...Romeo got skinned too often...Højbjerg is class and should be a starter at all times...Redmond out wide....diamond is to narrow...P!ssed 2 points up the wall playing at home well done!!! Oh well, there's always next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalkboy Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 We looked absolutely terrible for a while after they scored, but it's nothing new, I remember some rubbish performances during the first half of last season. The second half was a lot more positive, thought we played some nice football and looked dangerous at times, just couldn't find the clean finish which is no surprise with 10 men behind the ball. Loved the build-up to Redmond's offside goal, would have been a beautifully worked strike had it stood. Thought Cedric was awful. Pied looked better going forward but can't judge him yet as he had no defending to do. Pierre Emil H looks total class to me - calm, controlled, intelligent, he oozes quality. Redmond had a much better second half and could be great for us. Shame we couldn't grab all 3 points but felt a lot more positive after the second half display. At least we didn't lose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stknowle Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 My ratings from the Itchen North Forster: 8 because he didn't have much to do and did well to save Yoshidas co*k up. Cedric- 4.5, no fitness, his passing was completely off to me, didn't bomb up and down, maybe fitness not sure- not the best. Yoshida- 6, defended okay, won a few headers, but shocking backpass could have ended the game for us VVD- 7, defended well, bombed forward a few times, nothing amazing, but did the job well Targett- 6.5, have to say was fairly impressed with him at times, got on the wrong side of Amrabat sometimes but was good attacking. Romeu- 4.5, lost Capoue for the goal, and not to forget he was overpowered a couple of times, not his best game unfortunately. JWP- 5, I still hope he will come good but added nothing today Davis- 6, Stevo same as usual, does a job. Tadic- 7.5 thought he was great at times, lost in first twenty minutes but eventually had a good game, his dribbling in first half was beautiful. Long- 7, finishing as usual pretty poor, inc the air shot haha. But did really well in getting their man sent off Redmond- 7.5, good goal and dribbling but did look lost up front in the first half. Recovered well in second half, and was actually focal point towards the end PEH- 8 and my MOTM despite not starting! I mean blimey, this guy just oozes class. Pied- 7 he was on the right side attacking a lot, some decent crosses, some okay ones too, overall wasn't bad tho Austin- 6, not enough time, think he only had one header but kept quiet by a good Watford defence. Overall- 442 diamond just doesn't work with our players, a point in the end, should've had all three, and this is the PL, full of surprises. A shame we didn't win 1/2-0 though, would've been nice to top the table I've given up hoping JWP will come good. Hojberg has come good in his first game showing more ability in under 45 minutes than JWP has shown in his entire saints career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrfahaji Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 You've got to be kidding right? 500 passes to Watford's 200 66% possession and 25 shots to 5. That's what I call a battering without being able to put the ball in the net. Sometimes you have to credit the other team as a defensive unit. They had the lead away from home, of course they're going to defend. Then they went down to 10 and it was a backs-to-the-wall job. They did it pretty well - we probably should have carved out a bit more, and were unlucky with the offside goal, but Watford restricted us to half chances for most of the game - we certainly didn't get anything as good as Capoue's chance/goal. Is that down to Watford's excellent defending or our lack of attacking ideas/penetration? That's not easy to answer, but I don't think we can use those stats to claim a "battering". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saints foreva Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Poor first half. Much better once Hojbjerg came on. He looked quality. Build a midfield around him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gammoncheeks Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Changed my mind about a few things after watching the game today. If we are going to play this w a n k formation with one holding midfielder we need to invest some of our money in quality.....Romeu is not the answer ! Jwp was dross ant thats being kind! Yoshida nearly put Foster out for another year with another howler! 2nd half was good but quality wise we looked poor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doddisalegend Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 On the train poor first 30 minutes cost us we looked off the pace and a bit confused. The team grew into the game though and had a very decent second half. VVD and Romeu were very good. Hojbjerg was class and showed JWP up. Pied had a decent cameo doesn't seem afraid to shoot. Redmond showed glimpses of what he can offer. Lots of solid with dodgy moments from the rest of the team. Cedric was poor but got better. Tadic faded in the second half. Long very quiet. Targett ok at best. Yoshida was well Yoshida. Sadly the let down was JWP poor all round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katalinic Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 My ratings from the Itchen North Forster: 8 because he didn't have much to do and did well to save Yoshidas co*k up. Cedric- 4.5, no fitness, his passing was completely off to me, didn't bomb up and down, maybe fitness not sure- not the best. Yoshida- 6, defended okay, won a few headers, but shocking backpass could have ended the game for us VVD- 7, defended well, bombed forward a few times, nothing amazing, but did the job well Targett- 6.5, have to say was fairly impressed with him at times, got on the wrong side of Amrabat sometimes but was good attacking. Romeu- 4.5, lost Capoue for the goal, and not to forget he was overpowered a couple of times, not his best game unfortunately. JWP- 5, I still hope he will come good but added nothing today Davis- 6, Stevo same as usual, does a job. Tadic- 7.5 thought he was great at times, lost in first twenty minutes but eventually had a good game, his dribbling in first half was beautiful. Long- 7, finishing as usual pretty poor, inc the air shot haha. But did really well in getting their man sent off Redmond- 7.5, good goal and dribbling but did look lost up front in the first half. Recovered well in second half, and was actually focal point towards the end PEH- 8 and my MOTM despite not starting! I mean blimey, this guy just oozes class. Pied- 7 he was on the right side attacking a lot, some decent crosses, some okay ones too, overall wasn't bad tho Austin- 6, not enough time, think he only had one header but kept quiet by a good Watford defence. Overall- 442 diamond just doesn't work with our players, a point in the end, should've had all three, and this is the PL, full of surprises. A shame we didn't win 1/2-0 though, would've been nice to top the table Good summary, exactly how I saw it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delmary Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Romeu is not the answer for defensive mid. He jumps in too quickly when tackling, and ball watches too much. PEH was class, another black box special. Too early to make judgement on Redmond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Fan CaM Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 JWP should never have started - too slow, went backwards, no vision, no threat, got caught sleeping. Yoshida does some things really well, but always has a howler just waiting to happen. Long was not really at the races today although the feed to him was poor until PEH came on (he's a top signing). We desperately need a better attacking midfielder of the Hernandez mould IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyNumber7 Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Despite a big improvement in the second half that performance has left me rather worried. That system just does not suit us at all, we had no overlapping width, no real focal point in attack and nowhere near enough off the ball movement, we were far too static most of the time. VVD and Tadic were excellent, Redmond was ok and Hojbjerg is class, can't understand why he didn't start. The rest were pretty poor though. Very early days but far from encouraging and United will spank us on Friday if we play like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stknowle Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 JWP should never have started - too slow, went backwards, no vision, no threat, got caught sleeping. That description is completely accurate, I'm sorry but at this level he is sh1t. Maybe with a couple of seasons in the lower leagues he might do a Marsden/Lambert but right now he simply is not what we need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabrone Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Not a bad start, could and should have won that one in the end. Hojbjerg looks like he's going to become a firm crowd favourite, v.impressed with him. Austin needs more time on the pitch to work up an understanding, that's where the bulk of our goals are going to come from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 (edited) Posted in the pre-match thread that I was surprised Hojbjerg didn't start as he was one of our best players pre-season. Felt he made the difference in the second half. Still more optimistic than pessimistic about the season. COYR! Edited 13 August, 2016 by trousers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buctootim Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Typical opening game of the season result. Cant read too much into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hoff Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Enjoyable game - anyone complaining after one game needs to calm the f down. Forster - nothing to do all match, Watford restricted to one shot (which they scored) Cederic - under par performance. Targett - positive outlet going forward, struggled slightly with their number 7 Virgil - solid, composed. Yoshida - short back pass in first half but well recovered by Forster, played well Romeu - a few misplaced passes, would probably swap for clasie next match JWP - bit of a passenger. Hojberg in for JWP please Davis - standard, solid performance Tadic - impressive, could be a good season for dusan Redmond - played very well, just needs to anticipate that tackles coming in quicker Long - very quiet, but fantastic speed to get their man sent off Hojberg - looks the real deal. Pied - a few promising crosses Austin - not given long enough to impact the game. Sitting towards the back of block 13 I noticed Redmond looks to have his own box branded "NR94", also saw reed, McQueen, gardos and Bertrand in players box Hoff Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lighthouse Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 On the train poor first 30 minutes cost us we looked off the pace and a bit confused. Fairly standard journey with Southern Rail at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Duckhunter Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Tadic & VvD were different class than the other starters . How the **** does JWP get anywhere near the side , he just not good enough . Too weak, too polite , what is he actually good at ? He's not even taking corners and free kicks now ( not that he was any good at them ) . He was truly dire today , like a little boy lost . The difference it made when he was swapped for a genuinely decent nipper was there for all to see . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derry Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faz Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Better than last season's opener. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stknowle Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Comments about JWP consistent in their negativity. He simply MUST have something about him that we are all yet to see, otherwise why would the club give him a new contract? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintTex Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 gave the ball away needlessly, especially in the first half. So frustrating!!! Hopefully that is just a symptom of the players getting used the system. Right now it seems pretty obvious that they are trying hard, but having to put thought in what they do or where they need to be, instead of just instinct. Hopefully it will get better with familiarity and how they play becomes second nature. And maybe, this game might light a fire with management on getting one or two more players in before the transfer window closes. We have the talent, not worried about relegation or even the threat of it, but it might be kind of a "meh" season. A Stoke like season, if you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derry Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Comments about JWP consistent in their negativity. He simply MUST have something about him that we are all yet to see, otherwise why would the club give him a new contract? 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Duckhunter Posted 13 August, 2016 Share Posted 13 August, 2016 Comments about JWP consistent in their negativity. He simply MUST have something about him that we are all yet to see, otherwise why would the club give him a new contract? If he was a foreigner , we'd have binned him by now . Overhyped because he's home grown . The club have a blind spot because he's an academy product Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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