2-2 Palace, A Post Match Thread

[Pick Good Name Later]

How do you defend this? Inept at best. 
 

to go from having good control (credit where credit is due) to conceding a game with this ‘game management’ 

 

I believe we have a squad good enough to survive. That said, our undoing will not be our ability, but the chap entrusted with ensuring our safety. 
 

I struggle to see how this is defensible. 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

cheeeeerio cheerio cheerio 

[Bptiger]

The manager stuffed up big time , bringing coady on with such a short time left he was never given ing to be up to speed , why didn’t he replace vardy , he had run himself into the ground , we get players who can whole the ball and don’t even play them , cooper is not doing us any favours with his crap subs. And he just waits to long to make any changes, if we continue with him I can see us going back down 

[Muzzy_no7]

Woke up in a foul mood because of Pooper. Ffs. 

[stu]

Has it been confirmed why Vestergaard was not in the squad yesterday?

[JimJams]

11 minutes ago, stu said:

Has it been confirmed why Vestergaard was not in the squad yesterday?

Probably cos he played in both Denmarks games.

Earning rave reviews from the Danish press too.  So that's a no-no.

[FosseSpark]

12 minutes ago, stu said:

Has it been confirmed why Vestergaard was not in the squad yesterday?

Played two international matches and so the hinges, dowl and glue holding the wardrobe together needed repairing....

[Mon.is.a.god]

15 minutes ago, stu said:

Has it been confirmed why Vestergaard was not in the squad yesterday?

If I was a guessing man, he may have been behind the article in The Sun. A falling out with Cooper prior to this maybe? We all know Vesty doesn’t hold back. He’s got history of leaking stories to the press (Rodger’s) and surely has learnt not to attach his name to it to avoid a fine and training with the kids like previously.

Edited Sunday at 06:47 by Mon.is.a.god

[trooky]

7 hours ago, Pick Good Name Later said:

How do you defend this? Inept at best. 
 

to go from having good control (credit where credit is due) to conceding a game with this ‘game management’ 

 

I believe we have a squad good enough to survive. That said, our undoing will not be our ability, but the chap entrusted with ensuring our safety. 
 

I struggle to see how this is defensible. 

And they couldn't even ****ing defend😂

[Bordersfox]

6 minutes ago, Mon.is.a.god said:

If I was a guessing man, he may have been behind the article in The Sun. A falling out with Cooper prior to this maybe? We all know Vesty doesn’t hold back. He’s got history of leaking stories to the press (Rodger’s) and surely has learnt not to attach his name to it to avoid a fine and training with the kids like previously.

Thought exactly this, man has form

[Richmondfox]

7 hours ago, Pick Good Name Later said:

How do you defend this? Inept at best. 
 

to go from having good control (credit where credit is due) to conceding a game with this ‘game management’ 

 

I believe we have a squad good enough to survive. That said, our undoing will not be our ability, but the chap entrusted with ensuring our safety. 
 

I struggle to see how this is defensible. 

What’s shocking is while we had 5atb, JJ and VK were tucking in leaving space for Palace to ping balls to their wingers.

 

Hamza just stood still watching players walk into our half not sure what to do. Him and JJ did a lot of pointing at unmarked players and space but neither did anything about it. 
 

Ayew and Ndidi were battered at 60 mins. 

[AKCJ]

Right so having slept on it.

 

I thought Faes and Okoli were very good against two really good strikers at this level. Faes in particular was at his best when he's just got to defend and not worry about anything clever.

 

Ndidi had his best game as the attacking midfielder by a long way and we went to pot as soon as he came off. Hamza didn't get into the game and it didn't look like he knew where to play. He just sat in to the same positions as Winks and Skipp which meant we completely flooded the space for Eze but left Wharton alone. Without a player up front to hold the ball we ended up continually giving the ball back to Wharton who just dictated the play. A lot like how Winks kept us going last season.

 

We shouldn't start Vardy and Ayew. Neither can play 90 minutes and neither have a direct replacement. We should have started with a different winger with Ayew to be the impact sub for that last 30 minutes.

 

Fatawu looked completely lost yet again. He's been so poor at this level, I think he really misses the direct control that Enzo gave him. Feels like Cooper isn't giving him the instructions he needs. He's not the sort of player that you can say "just go and cause mayhem" too. He ended up running all over the pitch giving the ball away. 

 

I think we had to bring one of Buonanotte or El Khannouss on to give us someone that can hold the ball and get us moving up the pitch. I don't mind bringing defensive minded players on the pitch when we're winning away but we do still need a way out. We're not good enough to just shut up shop and get a clean sheet.

 

Skipp is quality. I just wish he had a little bit more pace and natural fitness.

 

 

Overall it's a good point. We'd have all taken a point before the game but all three would have taken a lot of pressure off for next week's game against Everton. Ultimately failing to see out the result will be a mark against Cooper and that is the life of being a Premier League manager. Does that last 20 minutes happen with a better manager? I doubt it. We're at the point now where I think he needs to beat Everton and Bournemouth in order to keep his job when we go into the next international break.

[rugbyblue]

Not a fan of Cooper's set up and defensive mindedness.  A third goal at 2-1 would have likely killed the game.  To go ultra defensive invited pressure which cost us in the end.  

 

Oh and whoever designed and decided to install the low hanging TV gantry, you owe me £15.  Half the price for half the view!🤣.  One and done ground for me this one.  

[Collymore]

For me the first half of the game was exactly what I wanted. Leicester with the right to be in the Prem playing with confidence, on the front foot and having the right to win the game. 

 

Then Cooper went into his shell. 

 

I don't mind us seeing games out (but with some form of attacking outlet) and I wouldn't have minded Hamza coming on for Ndidi but to basically have 9 outfield defensive players on at the end was criminal. I say 9 because Fatawu wasn't getting forward at all and we literally had Vardy with 90 mins in his legs as our only advanced player.

 

When you're 2-1 up you should be looking for quick direct players to come on knowing that the opposition is bound to give it a go. 

 

If you throw on defensive player after defensive player it becomes attack V defence.

 

We gave Palace an easy opportunity with little risk to get forward. Surely Coops should know this? We should be having a very good chance at winning that game 1-3 or at least if we do finish 2-2 we've had some brilliant opportunities to score ourselves. 

 

Cooper. You better learn quickly or you can ****off. 

 

Also what the hell is Coady doing there? With all that experience. Absolutely shocking from him. 

[Dickov22]

9 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Right so having slept on it.

 

I thought Faes and Okoli were very good against two really good strikers at this level. Faes in particular was at his best when he's just got to defend and not worry about anything clever.

 

Ndidi had his best game as the attacking midfielder by a long way and we went to pot as soon as he came off. Hamza didn't get into the game and it didn't look like he knew where to play. He just sat in to the same positions as Winks and Skipp which meant we completely flooded the space for Eze but left Wharton alone. Without a player up front to hold the ball we ended up continually giving the ball back to Wharton who just dictated the play. A lot like how Winks kept us going last season.

 

We shouldn't start Vardy and Ayew. Neither can play 90 minutes and neither have a direct replacement. We should have started with a different winger with Ayew to be the impact sub for that last 30 minutes.

 

Fatawu looked completely lost yet again. He's been so poor at this level, I think he really misses the direct control that Enzo gave him. Feels like Cooper isn't giving him the instructions he needs. He's not the sort of player that you can say "just go and cause mayhem" too. He ended up running all over the pitch giving the ball away. 

 

I think we had to bring one of Buonanotte or El Khannouss on to give us someone that can hold the ball and get us moving up the pitch. I don't mind bringing defensive minded players on the pitch when we're winning away but we do still need a way out. We're not good enough to just shut up shop and get a clean sheet.

 

Skipp is quality. I just wish he had a little bit more pace and natural fitness.

 

 

Overall it's a good point. We'd have all taken a point before the game but all three would have taken a lot of pressure off for next week's game against Everton. Ultimately failing to see out the result will be a mark against Cooper and that is the life of being a Premier League manager. Does that last 20 minutes happen with a better manager? I doubt it. We're at the point now where I think he needs to beat Everton and Bournemouth in order to keep his job when we go into the next international break.

Agree with all of that except Fatawu. The lad is a star in the making. The problem yesterday was he’d been told to kind of play centrally and just didn’t know where to be. Ended up trying too hard and giving away rash fouls. 

[Clarkey123]

What don’t people understand about the best form of defence is attack. When you put players on with attacking threat and who can do a bit with the ball at their feet (Buonannotte, El kannouss) it puts fear into the attacking team to throw more men forward. Sticking Hamza and Coady on just invited the opposition onto us and we had no way of keeping the ball. To compound it even more why Coady and not Vestergaard? Hamza over Ricardo ? Vardy the whole 90? 
 

Non of it makes any sense. If Everton do a number on us he needs to go.

[FoxOnWheels]

5 minutes ago, Clarkey123 said:

What don’t people understand about the best form of defence is attack. When you put players on with attacking threat and who can do a bit with the ball at their feet (Buonannotte, El kannouss) it puts fear into the attacking team to throw more men forward. Sticking Hamza and Coady on just invited the opposition onto us and we had no way of keeping the ball. To compound it even more why Coady and not Vestergaard? Hamza over Ricardo ? Vardy the whole 90? 
 

Non of it makes any sense. If Everton do a number on us he needs to go.

Exactly this when it becomes an attack vs defence exercise they’re always going to get chances or something going to happen, if we had more of an attacking threat could easily of been 3-1 scoreline or we keep the 2-1 as they’d have less of the ball 

[Paninistickers]

2 hours ago, AKCJ said:

Ayew to be the impact sub for that last 30 minutes.

Absolutely this. Jordan Ayew (who's done well)  is a finisher, not a starter. Come on, niggle, hold the ball up, win free kicks, waste time. Dark arts man. Defending ain't all about having defenders on the pitch 

[coolhandfox]

Still think we are short a decent set of fullback, JJ and VK are short of the standard required.

 

 

[l444ry]

So let's get this straight. It's Cooper's fault when we fail to hold on to lead but not to his credit when we go 2-0 up. Sounds like complaining with the benefit of hindsight and disappointment. Shame there's another team on the pitch effecting things then we'd not need this strange logic? 

[JimJams]

A bit like not crediting a builder for building a house and then burning it down I suppose.

[Bordersfox]

9 minutes ago, l444ry said:

So let's get this straight. It's Cooper's fault when we fail to hold on to lead but not to his credit when we go 2-0 up. Sounds like complaining with the benefit of hindsight and disappointment. Shame there's another team on the pitch effecting things then we'd not need this strange logic? 

I give credit to Cooper for the way we set up.  I don't mind it, I'd prefer Fats to start with Ayew coming on later but overall against Palace the set up worked pretty well initally.  I'd also prefer Ricardo over Justin but, again, I can sort of see why he's using Justin.  I liked the energy and commitment and we played so okay stuff at times.  

 

However, football is played over 90 odd minutes and, unfortunately, setting us up to get a two nil lead is pretty pointless if you then can't manage a game.  

 

The first Palace goal was unfortunate but the minute we went ultra defensive I said to the old dear, we ain't winning this  - 100% we concede and, of course, we did.  And I'm just a bloke on the sofa with a few tinnies.  It's just so obvious, you see it time and time again.  You offer no threat you face wave after wave of attack and more times than not concede.

 

It's Cooper's job to manage the situation and make the right calls.  Changing shape and bringing on an aging defender was a terrible call.  Replacing Ndidi with Hamza and not Facundo was also not a good call.  This was obvious to me and I'm sure many others.  We were left with no outlet centrally and were pushed further and further back.  

 

The simple fact is it didn't work and we did concede.  So Cooper has failed, at least partially, in his job.  Palace were crap, let's not sugar coat it.  Cooper was not out-managed or unlucky.  He made bad decisions and handed the initiative to Palace for a good 30 minutes. 

 

Obviously I'm not calling for his head now because that's just borderline hysterical.  However, if he cannot improve his decision making in game quickly he's got to go.  I see no signs currently of him learning anything.  We shall see if that changes.  He needs to be braver, if he is results will come.  This squad is better than I thought and our summer business overall looks to have been good.  

 

Time for Cooper to step up.  

[st albans fox]

Apparently this is the third time in the last seven games at Selhurst where we’ve gone from 2-0 to 2-2 

[Corky]

4 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Apparently this is the third time in the last seven games at Selhurst where we’ve gone from 2-0 to 2-2 

Vardy has scored in all of them.

[Matt]

26 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Apparently this is the third time in the last seven games at Selhurst where we’ve gone from 2-0 to 2-2 

Bloody Cooper! 

 

Edited Sunday at 14:28 by Matt