Post Match - Roma 1-1

[CUJimmy]

Sort of post match and nowhere else to ask but does anyone know why the A46 North was closed last night.  Nothing on the usual planned roadworks sites and no news of an incident either.

 

Not a huge problem apart from an extra 20 mins of Cundy talking absolute shite as usual.

[filbertway]

1 hour ago, Dahnsouff said:

Keep it tight for the first half, these big lads tired quite a bit second half

I watched them absolutely pour all over Napoli in the last 15 mins of their game a week or so back. I'm gonna wager that fitness isn't an issue for them. Their main issue going forwards was the Mourinho shaped handbrake that scarily seems to have tricked/shocked a fair few people.

[Dahnsouff]

Just now, filbertway said:

I watched them absolutely pour all over Napoli in the last 15 mins of their game a week or so back. I'm gonna wager that fitness isn't an issue for them. Their main issue going forwards was the Mourinho shaped handbrake that scarily seems to have tricked/shocked a fair few people.

Reading the Roma forum, it sounded fairly normal but it could be normal fan discontent  

Although as you might have expected, they were and are concerrned about PL intensity

[RowlattsFox]

It was an interesting game. I felt we were decent but lacked a big threat, and I felt they could've won the game if they tried more going forward. 

 

Disappointed that Maddison was unable to provide quality, in the biggest games we need him to show up more consistently. Dewsbury-hall tidy as always and I thought other than the goal Tielemans did ok as defensive mid, helped by them not putting to much pressure on though. 

 

It's going to be difficult to go to Rome and win so they're favourites. 

[coolhandfox]

Surprised by how many people seem to think we weren't postive enough last night, other then Liverpool's game all the other semi-finals 1st legs have been tight and decided by the odd goal. 

 

That's the nature of big games they are tight and cagey. 

 

Roma have lost 3 games in the last 19, but for some reason people think we should be blowing them away.

 

 

[J. James]

10 hours ago, Kalacs_Orthopedic_Shoe said:

Was expecting Russell Crowe, but in the cold light of day they looked more like this lot. We go to Rome and leave those children without a dog to breast feed from!

Err... It was a wolf wot suckled Romulus and Remus!

Maybe you're thinking of their lesser known idiot brother Elonius Muskus who had to settle for Dog milk when the wolf got mastitis... No wonder nobody's heard of him. 😐

[splinterdream]

I don't think Roma were as bad as we think, think Jose got his tactics wrong. He played against us the same way with Spurs and battered us. They certainly have the players to threaten us and I think it'll be a different game in Rome. Bearing in mind the occasion I thought we did really well, I think Justin is a better threat than Castagne.

[fox_up_north]

They looked dangerous going forward and they physically bullied us off the pitch. Lookman struggled against who was on him. Even Iheanacho was getting muscled. 

 

I would have liked to have seen a couple of short corners to mix things up but I counted 6 at the back at one point. Definitely a vintage park the bus from Mourinho. 

[AKCJ]

I know he's World Class so this is probably a bit obvious but if we had Mahrez then we'd have won that game.

 

We're crying out for a winger with that sort of touch and finesse.

 

I like Lookman and Barnes but both are a bit more "head down and run" style wingers. Really do need someone that can sustain attacks from the flanks to take some of the burden from Maddison.

 

We looked grand in the middle third last night. Just as soon as we got close to the box our attacks kept failing. 

[Dahnsouff]

1 minute ago, AKCJ said:

I know he's World Class so this is probably a bit obvious but if we had Mahrez then we'd have won that game.

 

We're crying out for a winger with that sort of touch and finesse.

 

I like Lookman and Barnes but both are a bit more "head down and run" style wingers. Really do need someone that can sustain attacks from the flanks to take some of the burden from Maddison.

 

We looked grand in the middle third last night. Just as soon as we got close to the box our attacks kept failing. 

Although I agree that Mahrez could have turned that into a win, we have Maddison (and hopefully CDK) for exactly this type of difference maker role, and I would also say Lookman and Barnes are quite different, as Barnes is definitely head down whereas Lookman is more subtle and can retain and recycle better.

[foxes1988]

10 hours ago, winteriscoming said:

He did it last year and seemed like he really didn’t want to. As proven with using our top scorer nacho from last season even less this season. I just think there are times he could play both nacho and Vardy or Daka with either and decides not to. Daka and nacho can’t play the lone forward role. They need someone alongside them. Can’t remember this season where we’ve played 2 upfront. 

Yes he could of done in the last month and knackered our CBs which have only just returned from injury again, great plan that 

[suffolk fox]

Overall it was a good performance, and we played well in patches but overpassed it for the sake of passing at times in the final third when a shot or forward incisive pass would have been benficial.

 

Maddison, well he frustrates the hell out of me.  A number of times in the 2nd half he tried the extra touch or turn, instead of laying off the simple easier ball to a teammate which would have proved decisive.  In the 6yard box, he had won the ball on the byline if he had laid it back to Barnes I do believe we would be now talking about a slender 2 1 going away next leg.  He is a show pony falls over too easily too.

 

Dont really know what to make of Roma although they wont be that passive at Stadio Olympica next week.

 

One last thing how Smalling cant get in the England team in place of Mings or Maguire is a mystery that only Southgate can explain.  He was outstanding for them last night.

[CosbehFox]

1 hour ago, Dahnsouff said:

Reading the Roma forum, it sounded fairly normal but it could be normal fan discontent  

Although as you might have expected, they were and are concerrned about PL intensity

I’m with you and Mourinho even mentioned it in post match interview. Their midfield legs went 

[BKLFox]

2 hours ago, Tom12345 said:

A serious question to ponder, but do we start Vardy in the return leg? He has just come back from injury and he was not given a sniff as Roma’s backline sat back. Nacho has been playing well and he is better on holding the ball and bringing other players such as Madders, Barnes and Lookman into play in tight spaces. In the next game, Roma will likely do the same so I feel it is better to start Nacho. In that case, we can bring Vardy on later in the game if it opens up - the key is not to concede early and then they will sit back the whole game. 

 

In the first game, we were much better after Nacho and Barnes got on offensively. 

 

We miss Mendy. His absence meant that we needed to rely more on our CBs and Tielemans (who is a bit too careless from time to time to play that role and in any event he should be a bit further up dictating play).

Yes because despite not having more than 10 touches its his name that puts opposition under threat, having him on just puts that doubt in their minds if to go for a high line or stick. In those opening exchanges with Smalling, Smalling was chasing a throu-ball back he had it comfortably but he looked round & saw Vardy so instead of passing back to keeper or getting it under control & playing away he smashed it off for a throw-in, this then set the tone.

[Nick]

Breaking News: We are a right winger away from being a very decent side indeed.

 

 

[AKCJ]

2 hours ago, Tom12345 said:

A serious question to ponder, but do we start Vardy in the return leg?

Chances will be few and far between in the Olympico.

 

Do you want them to fall to Daka, Iheanacho or Vardy?

[ALC Fox]

Excellent game to watch, we played some great stuff and could've won it easily but Roma defended very well.

 

I thought Tielemans was a different animal last night and showed real tenacity in his game as well as his obvious quality. I'm disappointed we're not taking a lead to Rome but we have the quality to beat them at the Olimpico.

 

WYS before kick-off was amazing, as was the tifo and the individual black flags with blue sash. Great to see. Hopefully we get another black with blue sash kit soon as it just looks like it means business to me, as well as being a brilliant nod to our history.

[CosbehFox]

40 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

I know he's World Class so this is probably a bit obvious but if we had Mahrez then we'd have won that game.

 

Thing is even him on Tuesday night had a chance to wrap up the tie for Manchester City and made a bad choice - it's semi-final football, nip and tuck 

[Ian S]

9 hours ago, Babylon said:

And the shots on goal were? Please don’t fall into this possession = control crap from the manager. We did nothing again.

You really watched a different match to me.

[Wortho]

I thought it was a very good performance and I don't think we could have played much better. We have given ourselves a good chance in the second leg.

[Ian S]

1 hour ago, coolhandfox said:

Surprised by how many people seem to think we weren't postive enough last night, other then Liverpool's game all the other semi-finals 1st legs have been tight and decided by the odd goal. 

 

That's the nature of big games they are tight and cagey. 

 

Roma have lost 3 games in the last 19, but for some reason people think we should be blowing them away.

 

 

Far too sensible view.

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

41 minutes ago, Nick said:

Breaking News: We are a right winger away from being a very decent side indeed.

 

 

Wish we'd signed someone else instead of Perez.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

Just woke up from getting back home at 2am.

 

We had chances to win it last night - particularly when Maddison broke into the box and instead of shooting he tried to do one last trick (ff shoot man!).

 

I thought we did ok. We restricted them to not much. I wasn’t that impressed with them. Mourinho has morphed into Stoke Peak Pulis - big lads, organised and hard to break down. 
 

I think we can beat them in Rome, and last night partly feels like a wasted opportunity. But we’re well in the tie and that’s the main thing. I see similarities to the PSV tie, but I think they are better than them. Hopefully we can assert our dominance again and not be as wasteful as were last night.

 

It could be worse - just look at West Ham last night against probably a lesser team.

[Deeg67]

2 hours ago, Pliskin said:

For me personally it was a missed opportunity to gain an advantage going to Roma. They’re not a good side, well drilled, but they’re not particularly threatening. 
 

We made life difficult for ourselves again, the set up wasn’t right, Maddison was too far away from Vardy, meaning he was isolated. The movement off the ball was too slow again, you’re never going to create space if your movement without the ball is like ours is. 
 

In recent times we’ve been most productive with two attackers. I think Brendan needs to switch to a back three for the away leg, try and get Maddison as close as possible to Vardy and get Kalechi up there with him to cause problems. He’s got to try something a bit different because we can’t go to Rome and play like that again.

I don't buy the mythology that the only way you can play two strikers is with 5 at the back - Rodgers just lacks the imagination and inclination to do so now.  We won a title playing two strikers and a back four.  You could even do a straight swap of Kelechi for Albrighton and play a midfield diamond, with Maddison up top and Lookman on the right opposite KDH.  It'd be a very aggressive formation, especially with Tielemans as the holding MF, but I think it would create a lot of trouble for Roma's back line.

[5waller5]

10 hours ago, Vlad the Fox said:

I’m sure it’ll be tougher there but in all honesty when they did attack they didn’t look to have players with any real quality when in dangerous situations, abraham looked like the donkey he did at chelsea. I may be proved wrong, time will tell, but I thought they looked an average team. Agree that we should have took more from the game however. 

Football is certainly all about opinions. I entirely disagree with this one!