3 games in, 1 point, overall assessment …

[desertfox2]

A big concern is that we seem to be set up in a way that is hoping, at best, to scrape just enough points to survive, when it seems almost certain we will get docked 10 points. If we do get a 10 point penalty our only hope of staying up is by being a bit braver. Hopefully it's just because we have played Spurs and Villa at home who are 2 of the best 8 sides in the league and against the rest we will have a go. We have to really go for the win in the home games against Everton and Bournemouth. If Cooper picks a midfield 3 of Skipp, Winks and Ndidi in those games then I really fear for us this season. If he is a bit braver then we might have a chance with the new signings. 

[Realist Guy In The Room]

42 minutes ago, Pliskin said:

I don’t agree with this, we don’t. 
 

We’re competing but I think the crooks is Cooper doesn’t have the balance of his team right yet. I actually thought when we actually attacked Villa we looked good, we’re showing far too much respect to opposing teams at the moment, and I think it’s Cooper being overly cautious. 
 

The team looks like it hasn’t fully clicked yet, and with more positive tactics we will pick up points. 

I wish I could see that, I really do and i’d very much like to be on here in a few games time, eating a massive slice of shit pie.

 

Pretty sure there’s just going to be reinforcement of the notion that Cooper was a disastrous appointment.

[Les-TA-Jon]

1 hour ago, foxfanazer said:

Results have been better than expected but we only play when we're behind and we haven't got enough attacking threat to turn things around. Need to be more positive from the start

On the other hand, being ‘more positive from the start’ could have seen us fall further behind in the Spurs and Villa games. 
 

it’s all a trade off. 

[whoareyaaa]

Just now, Les-TA-Jon said:

On the other hand, being ‘more positive from the start’ could have seen us fall further behind in the Spurs and Villa games. 
 

it’s all a trade off. 

Spurs could have been 6 nil up if they took there chances, we need to be a lot more postive

[nettle]

Woeful football played at forest in the premier league and he's repeating the same trick here I can't see Cooper lasting very long.

[Raj]

About where I thought we would be result wise.

Atleast we havent got hammered.

But like others have said I think we need to be alot more positive.

The crowd won't get on the players or coopers back if we go for it and lose.

[enmac]

One good sign is that we've scored when behind in all 3 games. Now we need a few clean sheets.

[Pliskin]

19 minutes ago, Realist Guy In The Room said:

I wish I could see that, I really do and i’d very much like to be on here in a few games time, eating a massive slice of shit pie.

 

Pretty sure there’s just going to be reinforcement of the notion that Cooper was a disastrous appointment.

I agree with you re Cooper. I would suggest that he is part of the issue, he’s just not getting the balance of the team right. 

[robski]

12 minutes ago, Realist Guy In The Room said:

I wish I could see that, I really do and i’d very much like to be on here in a few games time, eating a massive slice of shit pie.

 

Pretty sure there’s just going to be reinforcement of the notion that Cooper was a disastrous appointment.

That’s what I thought initially but I think we might get random games where we get a few wins and consistency that if it can keep us in touching space of safety throughout the season I would take that.

i believe Coopers signings are ok for what he hopes with hang in with a chance of avoiding relegation.

i think if Marsessa had been in charge for these games we wouldn’t have scored 3 goals all ready and possibly conceded more goals.

[John rayner]

1 minute ago, enmac said:

One good sign is that we've scored when behind in all 3 games. Now we need a few clean sheets.

Agreed, but also we are not being thrashed like some people thought we would be .decent performance today imo.

[JimJams]

13 minutes ago, whoareyaaa said:

Spurs could have been 6 nil up if they took there chances, we need to be a lot more postive

Not according to xG.  You might not put much stock in that as some don't but their xG was 1.41 for the match, ours was 1.03.  I remember seeing something after the game that said despite their dominance in the first half against us, we'd limited them to their lowest xG in a first half in 2024.  Their first half xG was 0.68, ours was.....   0.01

 

Which you wouldn't think was possible!

 

 

 

*Editing in: Today Villas was 1.48 ours was 0.39.  Against Fulham 1.96 for them, 0.86 for us.

Edited 31 August by JimJams

[l444ry]

He's getting there slowly. If Enzo had stayed it's questionable if results would have been any better. Pretty laughable reading some of the odd criticisms from the gung-ho Armchair Pep's amongst us. Give it a few more games and maybe then come to a sensible assessment. At least we look competitive albeit without that cutting edge. 

[Pliskin]

12 minutes ago, nettle said:

Woeful football played at forest in the premier league and he's repeating the same trick here I can't see Cooper lasting very long.

Problem is, I think Moyes is going to be the first choice for a number of struggling clubs. And I can see Everton pulling the plug first on Dyche. 
 

They say the grass isn’t greener, but if we wanted pragmatism, you go for experience. 

[CosbehFox]

22 minutes ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

On the other hand, being ‘more positive from the start’ could have seen us fall further behind in the Spurs and Villa games. 
 

it’s all a trade off. 

We gave away chances to Spurs and Villa regardless. 

[Kp1984]

Cooper likes setting us up negatively from the start makes the 1st half a wright off. Leaves us chasing games just wish we would worry about how we can hurt teams.

[One Arm Babba]

1 hour ago, desertfox2 said:

A big concern is that we seem to be set up in a way that is hoping, at best, to scrape just enough points to survive, when it seems almost certain we will get docked 10 points. If we do get a 10 point penalty our only hope of staying up is by being a bit braver. Hopefully it's just because we have played Spurs and Villa at home who are 2 of the best 8 sides in the league and against the rest we will have a go. We have to really go for the win in the home games against Everton and Bournemouth. If Cooper picks a midfield 3 of Skipp, Winks and Ndidi in those games then I really fear for us this season. If he is a bit braver then we might have a chance with the new signings. 

Absolutely spot on. Paying way too much respect to opponents. If the team that finished this game started, I’m certain we win. Villa really aren’t that good. 
 

our performance today was worth a point at least , but we allowed them a 2 goal head start before we actually went for it. That’s the disappointing thing. 

[Hammo]

No more or less than expected, but the manager’s cowardly selections and tactics do not bode well. I just hope he has the guts to acknowledge and learn from his mistakes and avoids the stubbornness/arrogance of his two predecessors. If he doesn’t, we are in big big trouble.

[Wizerud]

I’m more optimistic than I was at the start of the season. I think we’ve looked better than expected defensively. Okoli was one of our best players today, Buananotte has been a nice spark, Ayew has been decent and if Edouard and El Wotsit can make an impact I think there’s good reason for hope that we’ll stay up. We’re not the finished article and I believe team selection will improve over the course of the next few games as Cooper gets a better picture of who he likes. I certainly think we’re better than Ipswich, Southampton and one of at least three other teams in the league. 

[ealingfox]

Cooper so far has reminded me of Luis Enrique at Barcelona - traditional back 4 and a flattish midfield 3 focused on winning and retaining possession. However this was fine in the attacking third for them because their front 3 was Suarez, Neymar and Messi. We're a bit short of that kind of quality atm, Vardy aside.

Edited 31 August by ealingfox

[Trav Le Bleu]

2 hours ago, JimJams said:

We've played 2 decent halves of football.

On the face of it most people outside of the fanbase would expect us to lose to Spurs and Villa and maybe get something away to Fulham.  Though it's not happened quite like that, the points outcome is probably how those on the outside would have seen it going.  We've got our major games to come after the break.  We need to be beating the likes of Everton, Bournemouth (and with the way they've started maybe add Palace) and the other promoted sides.

Now we have a finished squad and an international break to work through there's no excuses for Cooper.  He needs to start playing to win.

Yeah, fortunately Ipswich and Soton haven't fared any better than us and Everton have pretty much carried on where they left off, so games against these teams will be massive.

[kyleolly]

We play that crap in the first hour of the games and the opposition think we are useless so take their foot off the gas and then we start playing abit but it’s still not great. If the 3 subs were to start in the next game I’d be hopeful but you just know Coops will go back to the defensive midfield 3

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, Realist Guy In The Room said:

We’ve mostly been rubbish in the three games.

 

Even when we’ve looked ok, we very much look like a Championship side ‘giving a good account of themselves’.

 

Our best players from last season are looking pretty rank, needing too much time on the ball and the passing is

just atrocious.

 

Todays game we really saw what a mountain we have to climb.  John McGinn is a very average Premier League midfielder yet was light years above anything we had on the pitch.

 

 

The ironically named Realist Guy in the Room.

[Pliskin]

1 hour ago, desertfox2 said:

A big concern is that we seem to be set up in a way that is hoping, at best, to scrape just enough points to survive, when it seems almost certain we will get docked 10 points. If we do get a 10 point penalty our only hope of staying up is by being a bit braver. Hopefully it's just because we have played Spurs and Villa at home who are 2 of the best 8 sides in the league and against the rest we will have a go. We have to really go for the win in the home games against Everton and Bournemouth. If Cooper picks a midfield 3 of Skipp, Winks and Ndidi in those games then I really fear for us this season. If he is a bit braver then we might have a chance with the new signings. 

We’re not getting a 10 point deduction. 
 

But I agree with you, Cooper is trying to set the team up to be defensively solid, but we’re not. He’s basically setting up to allow the opposition control of the game, and then they punish us eventually because we give the ball away needlessly because we’re rushing the passes.

Edited 31 August by Pliskin

[JimJams]

9.5?

[Pita]

25 minutes ago, Kp1984 said:

Cooper likes setting us up negatively from the start makes the 1st half a wright off. Leaves us chasing games just wish we would worry about how we can hurt teams.

Poor manager.