Coventry Home First Game of the Season

[Mickyblueeyes]

I need this game to kick off. Least excited I’ve been for a league season ever. And I’ve done many Div 1, Championship returns, league one and the Levein years. It still feels down (for me) from last year.  
 

I think I need a fresh start. Enzo’s style to look as beautiful as it did v Liverpool for 30 minutes. A Madvidi step over and goal or two to get me back into it. Start well boys, please. 

[Lillehamring]

2 hours ago, Old Fox said:

Absolute rubbish…..these will be decent, organised, well coached and at it ……we have too many players looking elsewhere and a manager who is frustrated with the squad and knows we are not ready …….as earlier poster said things are not well…….it could take until October to sort this mess and implement his ideas post the window closing …….this could be a car crash I reckon on Sunday …..

Have I missed something? Did we play another preseason game and lose 6-0 to a L2 side? 

 

There has been absolutely nothing to suggest Maresca is frustrated: 

Quote

 

"It was good to spend some days here in Singapore," said Maresca.

"Today I think we did start very well. In the first half an hour we were playing good football from the back, finding solutions. They are probably one of the best teams in terms of transition, we conceded some.

"The result is important of course but it was important to see the intention of the players, how they received ideas. To be honest they were good.

"We created chances against this team. Sometimes you spend 95 minutes without creating a chance. The first half an hour we found solutions, space and created chances. Then we conceded a goal. When you concede transition against this kind of team, it's always dangerous."

 

Is what he said about the only game we haven't won this preseason. Against one of the best teams in europe.  You read that as 'frustrated with his squad'? - wow.

 

The squad clearly understand what he wants and are playing that way - yes there's ideally a few more signings, and sure it won't be perfect game one  - but october - that's 9 games - i'm sure we'll be anything but a 'mess' by that point, especially considering we aren't a mess right now.

 

Not saying coventry will be easy opposition, or even that we'll win - but this kind of negativity sets the bar at a new level of pessimism

[oxtonfox]

This has the look of a 0-1 to Coventry to me. We’ll have lots of possession as Matesca demands but as usual no penetration or finishing capability. 5/1 odds for a Coventry win looks too big.a bet not to take on. Sorry. 

[mad biker]

3 hours ago, Wymsey said:

Darren Bond is the referee.

Not a mate of yours is he Wymsey  :-)

[gurru991]

6 minutes ago, oxtonfox said:

This has the look of a 0-1 to Coventry to me. We’ll have lots of possession as Matesca demands but as usual no penetration or finishing capability. 5/1 odds for a Coventry win looks too big.a bet not to take on. Sorry. 

I will never bet against my team !! It just ain't right !!

[Daggers]

2 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

 

Neel from Beyond the 90 had me on the show again. We looked back at some tactical analysis of the Liverpool game and then look forward to the Coventry game, looking at their tactics and danger men. Even gave a shout out to some people on this forum! Let's just all pretend I didn't call it the M42 derby 

Really enjoyed that - probably the best long form analysis. The only absence was factoring in the psychological aspect, something we've seen with Spurs where incoming players may not have played a part in the previous season's misfortunes but take on the prevailing mindset embedded within the club and carry it forward. That's the main thing I reckon needed to be addressed this summer - something that NFP homed in on from Day 1. I've not seen evidence that Maresca has (or hasn't), so I remain hopeful he has...or is at least working on.

[Legend_in_blue]

I find the lack of confidence in terms of getting a result plain weird.

 

There's no way we're losing this game.  Have people truly forgotten how poor sides in this league are?  They may be competitive and "up for it" but they lack quality and a clinical edge.

 

We have more than enough to put at least 3 past this lot.  Easy win.

 

Edited 4 August 2023 by Legend_in_blue

[Lillehamring]

12 minutes ago, oxtonfox said:

This has the look of a 0-1 to Coventry to me. We’ll have lots of possession as Matesca demands but as usual no penetration or finishing capability. 5/1 odds for a Coventry win looks too big.a bet not to take on. Sorry. 

i don't think our penetration or finishing is as cut and dried bad as you suggest - we've scored in every game so far, apart from liverpool and, despite them having an A+ defence we still showed that we didn't lack penetration, creating a half dozen good chances and winning a lot of corners.

 

Since then we've added a decent looking attacking left winger.

 

I don't know much about coventry's defence other than their best defender last year now plays for us.

[Bilo]

15 minutes ago, Legend_in_blue said:

I find the lack of confidence in terms of getting a result plain weird.

 

There's no way we're losing this game.  Have people truly forgotten how poor sides in this league are?  They may be competitive and "up for it" but they lack quality and s clinical edge.

 

We have more than enough to put at least 3 past this lot.  Easy win.

 

I hope you're right, but we're low on confidence and goal threat. Blackburn slapped us last season. It'll be tricky.

[kingkisnorbo]

17 minutes ago, Legend_in_blue said:

I find the lack of confidence in terms of getting a result plain weird.

 

There's no way we're losing this game.  Have people truly forgotten how poor sides in this league are?  They may be competitive and "up for it" but they lack quality and s clinical edge.

 

We have more than enough to put at least 3 past this lot.  Easy win.

 

Big occasion for the fans. Squad with less preparation than some Sunday league sides because of continued cock-eyed leadership and organisation. Team bloated with lots of players who couldn't be less arsed about us. Seem to have also forgotten that we got kicked up and down the park by Blackburn last year with an objectively stronger squad. All points in one direction.

[StriderHiryu]

28 minutes ago, Daggers said:

Really enjoyed that - probably the best long form analysis. The only absence was factoring in the psychological aspect, something we've seen with Spurs where incoming players may not have played a part in the previous season's misfortunes but take on the prevailing mindset embedded within the club and carry it forward. That's the main thing I reckon needed to be addressed this summer - something that NFP homed in on from Day 1. I've not seen evidence that Maresca has (or hasn't), so I remain hopeful he has...or is at least working on.

I blame Neel for that, I'm just there to do an Alan Hansen and complain about terrible defending.

 

[WigstonWanderer]

1 hour ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

I need this game to kick off. Least excited I’ve been for a league season ever. And I’ve done many Div 1, Championship returns, league one and the Levein years. It still feels down (for me) from last year.  
 

I think I need a fresh start. Enzo’s style to look as beautiful as it did v Liverpool for 30 minutes. A Madvidi step over and goal or two to get me back into it. Start well boys, please. 

I too was very impressed with that start. However, I did get the impression that Liverpool were still in second gear, almost as if they weren’t trying - preseason friendly after all. They didn’t seem to be pressing and seemed rather slow.

 

As soon as they turned on the after burners they just brushed us aside. Of course that doesn’t mean the same thing will happen with Championship teams. We won’t be playing anyone with anything like the same quality.

Edited 3 August 2023 by WigstonWanderer

[ClaphamFox]

1 minute ago, kingkisnorbo said:

Big occasion for the fans. Squad with less preparation than some Sunday league sides because of continued cock-eyed leadership and organisation. Team bloated with lots of players who couldn't be less arsed about us. Seem to have also forgotten that we got kicked up and down the park by Blackburn last year with an objectively stronger squad. All points in one direction.

And with a manager whose relationship with that squad had become completely dysfunctional. It’s surprising how many people seem to assume this season will just be a continuation of last season, effectively dismissing any possibility that the arrival of a new manager and coaching staff, and the departure of 10+ players and the arrival of several new ones, might actually make a difference. 

[CosbehFox]

In cold light of day, if Cov get their counter attacking right, we will have a problem. There should be too much quality but I question the desire still of these players. 
 

It’s very mixed vibes that we’ve given lots of minutes to players who’ve shown indication to leave but others who’ve looked to get themselves onboard havent. It’s the latter we need plenty of on Sunday regardless of your tactics. The desire, willingness and fitness to win the ‘second ball’ and get Coventry going backwards 

[glebe_sydneyfox]

I'm hoping for a win because this is a 9pm kick off on a Sunday down here and I don't want to be in a fuming mood for the working week ahead.

[Electric Yetis]

4 hours ago, Wymsey said:

Darren Bond is the referee.

Ah Jesus, absolute shite and as up himself as Mike Dean.

 

 

[Anglodanglo]

15 minutes ago, kingkisnorbo said:

Big occasion for the fans. Squad with less preparation than some Sunday league sides because of continued cock-eyed leadership and organisation. Team bloated with lots of players who couldn't be less arsed about us. Seem to have also forgotten that we got kicked up and down the park by Blackburn last year with an objectively stronger squad. All points in one direction.

 

Hanging up those nets with a hangover is brutal tbf

[kingkisnorbo]

28 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

And with a manager whose relationship with that squad had become completely dysfunctional. It’s surprising how many people seem to assume this season will just be a continuation of last season, effectively dismissing any possibility that the arrival of a new manager and coaching staff, and the departure of 10+ players and the arrival of several new ones, might actually make a difference. 

It simply will not be the cake walk some feel it will be. We are here for a reason. 

[justfoxes]

14 minutes ago, Rain King said:

Ah Jesus, absolute shite and as up himself as Mike Dean.

 

 

Love the Alice Band Mr Bond let’s hope he’s not as crap as most on here think !!

[TJB-fox]

1 hour ago, Legend_in_blue said:

I find the lack of confidence in terms of getting a result plain weird.

 

There's no way we're losing this game.  Have people truly forgotten how poor sides in this league are?  They may be competitive and "up for it" but they lack quality and s clinical edge.

 

We have more than enough to put at least 3 past this lot.  Easy win.

 

I think you’re underestimating the mess we’re in. 

[ClaphamFox]

2 minutes ago, kingkisnorbo said:

It simply will not be the cake walk some feel it will be. We are here for a reason. 

Anybody who really thinks it will be a cakewalk is being blindly optimistic. But your ‘It all points in one direction’ comment seems more like blind pessimism. Neither are particularly rational. 

[justfoxes]

3 minutes ago, kingkisnorbo said:

It simply will not be the cake walk some feel it will be. We are here for a reason. 

What with the new rules on tackling time keeping technical area violations abuse to officials and no berating the ref looks like we’re in for a long afternoon as not only are we going to see a bit more leniency on tackling but the ref will stop his watch every time a sub is made for goal celebrations penalties etc etc etc, the FA want to see more game play and less abuse to officials and to only one player I believe just the capt approaching the ref ?

[Ric Flair]

43 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

In cold light of day, if Cov get their counter attacking right, we will have a problem. There should be too much quality but I question the desire still of these players. 
 

It’s very mixed vibes that we’ve given lots of minutes to players who’ve shown indication to leave but others who’ve looked to get themselves onboard havent. It’s the latter we need plenty of on Sunday regardless of your tactics. The desire, willingness and fitness to win the ‘second ball’ and get Coventry going backwards 

Couldn't agree more. Just read your other post about our defence as well. It's going to be fascinating, Maresca seems intent on picking defenders that logically we'd assume wouldn't be considered as part of our rebuild. 

 

Fans seem to think last season we defended badly because we didn't have a good set of defenders, which I don't believe is strictly true. My fear once again is the system and football we'll try to play will be exposed and we'll concede a lot more goals than we ought to. On paper we have good choices at the back.

 

The worry right now is, it doesn't appear we yet have the creativity or attacking threat to get ourselves out of trouble in matches either. 

 

Bring it on, will be chaos either way this season IMO.

[Gamble92]

4 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Couldn't agree more. Just read your other post about our defence as well. It's going to be fascinating, Maresca seems intent on picking defenders that logically we'd assume wouldn't be considered as part of our rebuild. 

 

Fans seem to think last season we defended badly because we didn't have a good set of defenders, which I don't believe is strictly true. My fear once again is the system and football we'll try to play will be exposed and we'll concede a lot more goals than we ought to. On paper we have good choices at the back.

 

The worry right now is, it doesn't appear we yet have the creativity or attacking threat to get ourselves out of trouble in matches either. 

 

Bring it on, will be chaos either way this season IMO.

We have class defenders for this level. For the Premier League who's that great? A high line with Souttar at Old Trafford? Suicide.

 

I detest the idea that with our squad and resources that we are in anyway in need of a rebuild or waiting for a vision. 

 

Let's get into these ****ing Cov scum.

 

Come on Leicester

[Lambert09]

we might not be ready for coventry, we probably will lose this one …. but if by game week 2 we line up with this team…. the league will need the head start. 

 

                     Vardy/Nacho

   Mavididi.                           Rak-Sakyi

 

                    KDH.       Casadei

                            Winks

 

        Doyle.     souttar/ coady. faes. Ricardo 

 

                             Mads

 

The league will be in serious trouble 

Edited 3 August 2023 by Lambert09