Watford (a) Post-Match Thread (2-1 defeat)

[Dan LCFC]

1 hour ago, Bob Weasel Fox said:

I do think Puel is actually getting the line ups wrong at present

 

granted today we had enforced changes but it wasn’t good enough none the less

I can't put it entirely on Puel. It seems to me like you really have got to be totally fresh to get in the side under him hence why Iborra can miss out completely despite our lack of midfield, although when I put it like that it sounds quite daft really.

 

King isn't the answer in midfield. He's done a lot for the club but he just isn't good enough. With King it isn't so much the mistakes he makes, it's more the lack of what he does in the game. He's never imposed himself enough on games.

 

Chilwell I thought had his worst game in a Leicester shirt.

 

Vardy had one of his worst games in a while. I was convinced he'd scored his chance.

 

It really was just such a flat, insipid performance against a crap side. I don't think there's a ground we're so consistently poor at as much as Watford. At least at Arsenal we actually do play quite well sometimes despite the results. At Watford we often end up faced against a poor side and yet end up losing the game. I felt like I've seen that game today about 5 times already.

 

We really did tick off some Leicesterisms today. Conceded to ex player (who ranks as one of our most bizarre signings ever), conceded on the stroke of half time (AGAIN), conceded two awful goals courtesy of set pieces (AGAIN), ended a teams awful run (AGAIN). Just such a waste of time and a shit away end to boot. I regret going.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

2 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

I can't put it entirely on Puel. It seems to me like you really have got to be totally fresh to get in the side under him hence why Iborra can miss out completely despite our lack of midfield, although when I put it like that it sounds quite daft really.

 

King isn't the answer in midfield. He's done a lot for the club but he just isn't good enough. With King it isn't so much the mistakes he makes, it's more the lack of what he does in the game. He's never imposed himself enough on games.

 

Chilwell I thought had his worst game in a Leicester shirt.

 

Vardy had one of his worst games in a while. I was convinced he'd scored his chance.

 

It really was just such a flat, insipid performance against a crap side. I don't think there's a ground we're so consistently poor at as much as Watford. At least at Arsenal we actually do play quite well sometimes despite the results. At Watford we often end up faced against a poor side and yet end up losing the game. I felt like I've seen that game today about 5 times already.

 

We really did tick off some Leicesterisms today. Conceded to ex player (who ranks as one of our most bizarre signings ever), conceded on the stroke of half time (AGAIN), conceded two awful goals courtesy of set pieces (AGAIN), ended a teams awful run (AGAIN). Just such a waste of time and a shit away end to boot. I regret going.

Yep pretty much agree all the way around bud

[Gerard]

30 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

As I wrote earlier, I think it’s difficult to blame Puel. He’s inherited a very average squad. He can only be judged when he’s had a couple of transfer windows. 

Its my belief if he stays for any length of time, he’ll look to ship out large parts of the squad. Musa, Slim, Huth, Mendy, Amartey, Wes, Fuchs, Dragovic..amongst others.

I think we’ll see a squad overhaul under Puel.

We can’t judge him on this lot. Some of them are fine. Others are rubbish

 

Puel has took over a squad that he had no say in, changed the way we play and took us from the relegation zone to 10pts above it. We have to accept that this is a work in progress and the transition won't be as smooth as we'd like.

 

We have too many squad players who aren't really complementing the first team nor are they progressing as footballers. I think we'd accept any reasonable bid for:

 

Jakupovic

Hamer

Benalouane

Amartey

King

James

Musa

Slimani

Ulloa

Iheanacho

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Let's ignore Vardy missing a clear 1 on 1 and Kasper being tethered to his goal line. Let's just take the easy route and blame King

 

Iborra was comfortably worse on Saturday. 

[CosbehFox]

30 minutes ago, Kitchandro said:

Puel can’t even accept we were crap.

 

That’s worrying.

 

What’s gave you that idea ?

[Xen]

31 minutes ago, NewEnglandFox said:

 

We were leading the game like the post he quoted says. I don't know why you feel it necessary to skew it to score first then lose. Dropping points from winning positions even if we didn't score first clearly fits into that. And it's much more common to talk about points dropped from winning positions. We also dropped points from winning positions against United last week, West Ham, and Stoke as well.

Not skewing anything. The stat is that we hadn't lost a game that we had scored first in since then. 

[BenTheFox]

What I must admit is that I find it peculiar that Puel's Southampton were defensively sound but had real trouble scoring goals, yet we're leaking goals. Do you think maybe he seems more interested in focussing on a team's strengths instead of addressing their weaknesses, or is he maybe overcompensating after being labelled 'boring' at Southampton? Maybe I'm just reading too much into it. 

[CosbehFox]

Just now, BenTheFox said:

What I must admit is that I find it peculiar that Puel's Southampton were defensively sound but had real trouble scoring goals, yet we're leaking goals. Do you think maybe he seems more interested in focussing on a team's strengths instead of addressing their weaknesses, or is he maybe overcompensating after being labelled 'boring' at Southampton? Maybe I'm just reading too much into it. 

It’s just representative of what he had available with both squads. 

[oxford blue]

We were poor today and, as said before, dominated in midfield. I was surprised Watford started without Okaka or Grey because it meant Richarlison was not on left hand side where he causes most problems, particularly with a third choice right back. Unfortunately, Dragovic showed just why he is that; poor defensively and too many passes backwards. Chilwell's defensive abilities were exposed, but was good going forward; first half he often combined well with Albrighton - our best player. Gomes played better than he has played for some time, but was not sufficiently tested. Even when Vardy was through first half he wasn't required to make a save. 

 

Slimani did ok after he came on but I'd be surprised if Watford made a bid , assuming they are interested as has been reported. 

 

Hopefully Iborra will play v Liverpool and Amartey will be able to play - hopefully showing more responsibility than he did 3 days ago.

[ARM1968]

I said after the Southampton win that Puel’s true worth will only show when we hit a rough patch. We’ve hit it. So now over to Claude. Let’s see what the man can do. Support him. Support the team. 

[ARM1968]

double postie

Edited 26 December 2017 by ARM1968

[wokinghamfox]

No energy in the performance right across the team. We looked spent against a very poor Watford. 

 

Hard to explain this one other than the Man U game took it out of us mentally and physically.

[Brooksy]

51 minutes ago, vanity said:

You say you aren't convinced by Puel, but he cannot control the players he has. As you say, our defense is poor. Kasper is poor AF from penalty kicks, good god he is just a liability at this point, and King isn't good enough. Those things aren't Puel's fault, he has to deal with what he has. But JFC Kasper is starting to look truly awful. To get beaten near post like that, when it is literally the only angle the guy can score from, that is 100% on him. His body needs to be in the way of that shot, just awful. 

 

And we need him. And the guy from PSG. We played today without Iborra, and our quality dipped dramatically. We were absolutely dominated in the midfield. We can play King sometimes, he is adequate sometimes, but there are certain match-ups he simply has no business being on the pitch, and sadly, today was one of them. King needs to head off to the Championship.

True. Obviously its far too early to properly judge him. Im hoping a couple of signings plus Silva will improve us. 

[MPH]

3 hours ago, FuchingKante said:

Difference is we're not payed 50-100k a week to play football, so think we're entitled to have a moan 

 

 

Didn’t say you weren’t. Just some are acting like their life is over

[MPH]

3 hours ago, copunk said:

It must be really hard to go training for a few hours a day, have the rest of the time to do what you please, have to play football on a boxing day when as you say, we have the day off, yet get paid thousands and thousands of pounds a week to do so, footballers are really hard done to eh

 

 

 

Life carries on after a defeat, mate!

[MPH]

3 hours ago, woollett the bullet said:

Would agree but pretty sure this was said only last week after palace.

You mean just before the Man United game?

[Guest ttfn]

Something which has been lost in the understandable stream of negativity caused by the utter shambles of a second half was that for the most part the first half performance was really pretty good.

 

We pressed intelligently (I.e. In coherent groups of players), won the ball back in some great positions and were all over them until we scored, at which point the wind seemed to be taken from us.

 

The second half was about as frustrating a 45 minutes as I can remember but it is clear we're a work in progress. Inconsistency is sadly inevitable whilst we adjust to a new style which asks different things of the players.

[KJT]

Just read on the BBC premiership website on the Leicester game today stats that Leicester have only won once in there last 12 boxing day games , so I'm slightly feeling that it was kind of meant to be, there's something in history. Not as down as I was before

[StriderHiryu]

If you look at the match stats, it was 50% possession each and they had just one shot on target in the game! So maybe that shows we were a bit unlucky with the final result? Before conceding the second one we had a few decent breaks and if we had put one of those away or Vardy puts his one on one away and the match would have been very different. It's not like we got battered in this one.

 

It wasn't a great performance, but I don't think it was as some made it out to be. But for sure in the last few games (Palace, Man City and no Watford) we have looked lethargic at times and at least 10% below our usual standards. That for sure is a concern, as is our poor defending at set plays as we must be one of the worst in the league at defending them! But we are in a run of a crazy amount of games and we are still 8th in the table and well clear of the relegation places.

 

With a manager trying to drastically change our style, I think a period of inconsistency is to be expected. But it's strange as we put together a great run with great performances and now are playing rubbish all of a sudden! I wonder if it's because teams now do know what to expect from us with Puel's new style?

 

The biggest issue for me all season long has been our defence. Harry Maguire has been great since joining, but Morgan / Maguire is not yet as solid as the Morgan / Huth combination. We have conceded on the stroke of half time so many times now, it's so frustrating to see! We have got to sort it out because it's costing us game after game right now.

 

With Liverpool and Chelsea coming up we are probably going to drop down the table a bit, but with Silva coming into the team and who knows what other business we do we should be OK. But I can't see us finishing higher than 8th now, if we can even get that position. We are just too inconsistent. 

[Great Boos Up]

My old streams don't work anymore, so looking from the outside. We are not going to Europe and not going down but wont be turned over. (a bit of stress free bliss for me)  I can just about stomach losing on boxing day away. But maybe then to then announce Silva and beat our main rival Burnley? Then beat Newcastle, then a signing to beat Soton and Palace and a worldy signing to beat both the mancs?

knock you down and then build you up....perhaps Puel is playing a very good complicated game of staying a premier league manager within a club who have recently sacked all of our best and most loved managers.

Just a thought.

Don't disagree just post me a stream site that now works so I can see what you have seen.

 

[Fox 4 Life]

7 minutes ago, KJT said:

Just read on the BBC premiership website on the Leicester game today stats that Leicester have only won once in there last 12 boxing day games , so I'm slightly feeling that it was kind of meant to be, there's something in history. Not as down as I was before

It's fine our next 2 games are easy..... oh wait 

[The Doctor]

13 minutes ago, ttfn said:

Something which has been lost in the understandable stream of negativity caused by the utter shambles of a second half was that for the most part the first half performance was really pretty good.

 

We pressed intelligently (I.e. In coherent groups of players), won the ball back in some great positions and were all over them until we scored, at which point the wind seemed to be taken from us.

 

The second half was about as frustrating a 45 minutes as I can remember but it is clear we're a work in progress. Inconsistency is sadly inevitable whilst we adjust to a new style which asks different things of the players.

Not sure if we're just trying to conserve energy for that tbf - we've got the thickest schedule in the division for the festive period (in terms of time between kickoff at the weekend just gone to full time of the New Years game).

 

Imagine having that but with solid squad depth rather than a CB at RB and having to rely on a bit part player, with the alternative a lad who's managed 4 months in the championship and two months in this division since May 2015 due to injury, the moment one cm needs a rest.

[Monsell1976]

57 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

I can't put it entirely on Puel. It seems to me like you really have got to be totally fresh to get in the side under him hence why Iborra can miss out completely despite our lack of midfield, although when I put it like that it sounds quite daft really.

 

King isn't the answer in midfield. He's done a lot for the club but he just isn't good enough. With King it isn't so much the mistakes he makes, it's more the lack of what he does in the game. He's never imposed himself enough on games.

 

Chilwell I thought had his worst game in a Leicester shirt.

 

Vardy had one of his worst games in a while. I was convinced he'd scored his chance.

 

It really was just such a flat, insipid performance against a crap side. I don't think there's a ground we're so consistently poor at as much as Watford. At least at Arsenal we actually do play quite well sometimes despite the results. At Watford we often end up faced against a poor side and yet end up losing the game. I felt like I've seen that game today about 5 times already.

 

We really did tick off some Leicesterisms today. Conceded to ex player (who ranks as one of our most bizarre signings ever), conceded on the stroke of half time (AGAIN), conceded two awful goals courtesy of set pieces (AGAIN), ended a teams awful run (AGAIN). Just such a waste of time and a shit away end to boot. I regret going.

Since the run of 4 wins, I think we have been flat.

 

 Is it the new manager bounce over, and we are back to how they played under shakers, or do we face facts, some of these players are not good enough, or at least not good enough consistently.

 

 Puel’s team selections raise concerns, and his tactics and subs at times are questionable, but it’s hard to judge him, as this isn’t his squad, and I don’t think some of these players can play his way, so I have kind of written of this season already, see what puel has with his own team next season, but a massive freshen up of playing staff needed in the summer.

Edited 26 December 2017 by Monsell1976

[Tuna]

56 minutes ago, Gerard said:

 

Puel has took over a squad that he had no say in, changed the way we play and took us from the relegation zone to 10pts above it. We have to accept that this is a work in progress and the transition won't be as smooth as we'd like.

 

We have too many squad players who aren't really complementing the first team nor are they progressing as footballers. I think we'd accept any reasonable bid for:

 

Jakupovic

Hamer

Benalouane

Amartey

King

James

Musa

Slimani

Ulloa

Iheanacho

It's so disappointing to look at that list and see 3 record signings, a summer signing who has never played and our marquee signing of the summer.

Edited 26 December 2017 by Tuna

[Lesterlad]

Blimey talk about melt down