Watford v Boro 3-0

[Humpty 6,459 11.5k]

1 hour ago, TeaCider24 said:

Yep, and multiple posters hoping that he leaves to join Wolves, one saying his prayers have been answered.

Just the normal reactions...

*Facepalm*

It doesn't surprise me. There's often a distinct lack of objectivity and balance following a loss. People get upset and disappointed, myself included, and say things they don't often mean to make themselves feel better.

Plenty to improve on, no doubt about that, but make no mistake we will be worse off if Rob Edwards leaves.

FWIW, i thought we got the set up right on Saturday. Unfortunately I thought the execution wasn't there in full. We controlled possession, territory and i believe we have more shots. We limited their threat mostly. Given we played three midfielders, two concede two direct goals on the counter like that was poor. Offensively we didn't take enough risks. When teams defer possession of the ball and sit deep like they did, you have to take more risks than we did. It was a little reminisent of how Carrick used to handle a low block. The difference between Edwards and Carrick being that Edwards will learn from that.

I'd hope now that we begin to settle on a set formation (4231) and personnel. I think McGree will make a difference in that set up. I think we're also at a point now where we have to throw Strelec in and just play him. We've spent a lot of money on a player that's supposed to make a difference at this level. That's only going to manifest with game time.

No need to panic or throw the baby out with the bath water. We've over acheived this season and much of our fan base would do well to remember that in the context of recent results.

Edited November 3 by Humpty

[SouthernSmoggie 5,804 7.4k]

19 hours ago, Andyboro said:

Besides the whole formation talk im sat watching various highlights from all the other teams is they always seem to have fast paced wingers who can beat a man and reach the bar line and im not even sure we have anyone who can consistently do it.

Also teams that are scoring for fun are basically just shooting on sight, i still think the players are subconsciously defaulting to carrickball and trying to pass it in the net instead of just having a dig.

Ita frustrating to see us get into so many good shooting positions and squander the chance, instead we get tackled and counter attacked 🙃

 

 

Agree with that. I'm always wary of a team with no pace - I think it contributes to the fact we seem to need twenty intricate passes to get in on goal, whereas other sides seem to find it so much easier. Watford's first two goals were nice and simple - smash it out wide into space to your fastest lad and get him to drill a low cross into the chaos of backtracking defenders. 

Our wing backs are willing and work hard, but they're very different from the likes of Jones and Giles under Wilder. It's always check and pass inside to a midfielder who looks up to see seven or eight defenders in front of him. So they pass back out wide and nothing happens. We're also lacking a Doak across the front line who'll drive past someone towards the byline and cause disruption to their shape - the closet we have to that is Silvera... And, well, enough said. 

[ManBearPig 2,694 4.5k]

Does anyone watch the typical boro podcast? 

The Aussie guy Ry was on it and made a great point regarding Silvera starting in games when we need to be more attacking and he should have started over Targett on Saturday. 

Wondering what peoples thoughts are on that? For me, it would certainly be a more direct option 

[Humpty 6,459 11.5k]

Not for me.

[Rob 7,758 11.7k]

1 hour ago, Downsouth said:

Your instinct about Ipswich seems to be carrying weight now Matt improving all the time it seems.

 

more common sense than instinct

even if current manager couldn't sort it out, you know they would address it before it was too late like the other PP clubs will do

like if people wrote southampton off, they have acted and you would expect someone to come in and make good with the team in time to at least crash the play off party

[Rob 7,758 11.7k]

now I never watched the game, don't intend to (as was away for the weekend)

terrible score line, but to be honest I didn't really expect us to come away with that much (if 4-0 was off the cards that is ) we never seem to get much there 

I get it the match highlighted everything people been moaning about lately, looking at the stats it seems like the score line flattered them a bit but seemed a case of them converting chances and us wasting the few we had.

but Watford are the best/one of the best team/s at Home in the league at the moment with 16 points playing 7, 

hull, ipswich, preston 14 points after 7 games, us and coventry 14 points after 6 games, so only 2 teams can better that output at home when they play their 7th game.

not making excuses but generally most teams are losing there at the moment (only dropped 4 points over 2 games)

defs loads for us to work on, but its not the worst result losing there, almost expected tbh

if they won at our place tho I would think this reaction would be well deserved, they are best at home and worst away at the moment 

Edited November 3 by Rob

[Marvanelli 2,176 1.4k]

If Targett is fit, then regardless of tactics and formation, he should be starting...especially over Silvera.

I don't think Silvera will ever be good enough for us, if we want to be promoted.

Seems like a good lad and a decent pro...but quality wise, I don't think he's good enough.

[Humpty 6,459 11.5k]

Silvera is, at best, a back up player that i would have behind a fit Bangura as back up to Targett.

We don't need to reinvent the wheel. We have quality forward players. They just need to be played regularly to achieve a bit of consistency.

[Richmond_Boro 93 88]

It was never a 3-0 game. They got two breakaway goals and finished them very well to be fair but they didn’t create much more, if any, than we did - plus the third goal should really have been given offside. That being said it wasn’t a good performance by us by any means. There is something missing between the link up from midfield to attack. I’m not seeing many killer final balls that dare i say we had when Azaz was our number 10. I would not be averse to going to a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 and with McGree finally back in the fold i think that could work well for us with him in the side.

[Neverbefore 17,072 30.8k]

35 minutes ago, Richmond_Boro said:

It was never a 3-0 game. They got two breakaway goals and finished them very well to be fair but they didn’t create much more, if any, than we did - plus the third goal should really have been given offside. That being said it wasn’t a good performance by us by any means. There is something missing between the link up from midfield to attack. I’m not seeing many killer final balls that dare i say we had when Azaz was our number 10. I would not be averse to going to a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 and with McGree finally back in the fold i think that could work well for us with him in the side.

It wasn't, but it does show what happens when you set a side out to nick a goal and keep a clean sheet. Sometimes the opposition scores all their chances and we dont nick that goal. We were second playing a perennial 14th/15th placed team (albeit with a good home record) and lined up like we were playing Barcelona and didn't create a decent chance till the game was gone.

You can argue that with our setup more often than not we will sneak the points, but history says otherwise and I dont like it as an approach to football. To have signed the number of attackers for the amount we did and none of them to have managed to stake a claim in the starting 11 is a sin

[Humpty 6,459 11.5k]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cglgzw7g2pet#MatchStats

 

I think the stats show how unlucky we were. We seemed to have the better of most areas including shots and possession. As i've said before, it seemed like the execution of a good plan wasn't quite there. Hopefully we're focused and put things right tonihgt. If we can frustrate Leicester their fans will tunr on them quick.