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You're a disgrace.So Near So VAR
If you were a neutral, that was a pretty decent game of football, two proactive managers (both with some flaws), two decent teams, some decent football, a bit too open at times, and plenty of drama.
But I'm not a neutral and that winner for Leicester really fucked me off.
I don't think that was a bad performance at all, compared to our previous two away PL games, we were proactive, started the game with the right intentions, had 55% possession, created marginally the better chances, I thought Poch's subs, tactically, were good and effected the game the right way for a change. It was a real kick in the bollocks when cunty headed Maddison managed to twat one past Gazzaniga from 25 yards.
I didn't have too much issue with the team selection. Would rather a proper footballer was played in midfield instead of Sissoko obviously but it didn't bother me that Eriksen and Alli were dropped, neither were great Wednesday, and it won't hurt to show the squad nobody's above a kick up the arse. Also good to see a "proper" (almost) RB back in the team instead of a CB. Would obviously have preferred and orthodox 433, to the 41212 diamond, but this was possibly the best forward set up for the diamond with the energy of Lamela at the top of the diamond with Son and Kane operating as the twin strikers. Son movement is more intelligent than Moura's - who just whizzes around getting in Kane's way. Son's skill set more complimentary to Kane's.
We definitely edged the first half and went in 1-0 up curtesy of a really nicely worked goal, the ball played to Lamela, he plays Son through the centre, Son cleverly reverses it to Kane who does brilliantly to ride a challenge and still have the poise to finish. It was the kind of goal we've got used to watching people wax lyrical about Liverpool scoring, a lovely quick transitional goal.
I also thought we should have had a penalty. A lovely ball out from Winks - who was again very good (34 forward passes, Ndombele 17, Sissoko 12) - found Rose in space to gallop, his first touch was poor, and his choice was also poor, but Evans clearly stuck back a leg and caught Rose. A deliberate action by Evans.
We possibly got a break from VAR before we scored, but it was only a chance because Gazzaniga made a fucking pigs ear of a pretty routine shot. VAR was soon to show us that it giveth and taketh away.
We went in deservedly just ahead of a first half we had definitely edged.
The first 20 minutes of the second half was the only phase where we really lost control of this game, although it was during this phase that Son wasted a couple good chances and we scored what appeared to be another very well worked goal, Ndombele winning the ball and exchanging passes with Sissoko in midfield before playing an incisive pass (it's so lovely to be saying that about one of our midfielders) to put Son through down the centre, he wasted the chance bu the ball fell to Aurier who whacked it home in the bottom corner. I'm not going to grumble about the offside, we've had our share of these go our way, but it was ludicrously tight. It looked to me like the lines drawn by VAR overlapped each other, in which case, surely that's impossible to call? Something else that maybe needs looking at, along with the hand ball rules and the PL's decision not to use VAR to overrule clear refereeing errors. This is not about VAR, it's about laws and application of them.
I thought the decision to bring on a DM and shift Winks, our most dynamic midfielder defensively, over the protect that right that they were getting lots of joy down, was a sound one. Sissoko had disappeared, made 6 passes in the second half, made zero tackles all game, was not getting on the ball, as ever when the pressure's on, and had already lost possession once allowing Vardy to go clean through. They'd been getting more and more on top for that first 20 minutes of the second half and that VAR just ramped them up even more. The stats back this up. First half we had 53%. From 46 to 67 min (when we made the sub) that had reversed to them having 52% - the game and domination of the midfield had swung their way. From 68 minutes to the end of the game it swung back massively to us 64.5% in our favour. And despite them getting the winner, it was a long shot - their X/G basically flatlined for the last 30 minutes.
The last 30 we were back in the ascendancy again, and I also think the second change was a good one too, Lamela had run out of gas, and to be able to bring on a player like Eriksen into the 10 position late in a game is a luxury, we were the team going for the win, they were definitely creaking and Rodgers took off the offensive Tielemans for the defensive Choudary.
Unfortunately we squandered a few more good situations before Maddison popped up with a 25 yard zipper that seemed to catch Gazzaniga flat footed. It was a hammer blow in a game we'd put a lot into. A draw would have pissed me off a bit but I could have reconciled on balance, to lose was a fucking killer.
Ndombele showed some nice touches, if we can get the midfield blend and balance right, he's showing signs of what he's about, can wriggle out of pressure and break lines and can play incisive passes from that midfield area. He also made the most tackles today (Ndombele 4, Winks 0, Sissoko 0). He was a bit careless with the ball a few times too though.
As with our home games this season, I'm seeing some signs of us getting back to some better habits, but there are still omnipresent issues that after 5+ years of Poch kind of worry that they are still there. It is often mentioned that Poch's teams are one of the best at recovering points from losing positions, but his Southampton and his first two years under us (and maybe last season I can't remember) his teams were also the worst at coughing them up, and that's the case already this season.
This game was still way too open at times, and if only we could switch to a 433, we could use the lateral forwards to help stifle the wide channels when we are in defensive shape, this diamond makes us very narrow, and with two central strikers and a central AM, beating our press, what there is of it, can be very easy to push it out wide and once that happens, we can be got at quite easily down our flanks.
Surely after 5 years, a whole pre season with a bunch of players he's been working with for most of that time, Poch could have worked on defensive transitions and management, so that we aren't as open as we have been in almost every away game this season?
We were told by certain people that this lateral weakness was entirely the fault of Trippier, do those people start admitting it's the structure and system now ? Just look where Aurier was for their first goal.
Individual
Gazzaniga - Pfft
Aurier - Better than Sanchez I guess.
Alderweireld - I thought he was too easily bamboozled by Maddison first half when he went through and I think he could have done better to cut out the cross for the first goal.
Vertonghen - OK
Rose - Didn't really offer much going forward. OK defensively.
Sissoko - Was OK first half, and was involved in the build up to the disallowed goal with a nice touch, but mostly disappeared second half when we needed to get a grip of the game, 6 passes in the first 22 minutes of the second half, didn't make a single tackle all game, only made 12 forward passes (15 backwards) all game. Big noise, too little substance.
Winks - Once again our most industrious midfielder making 73 passes (as much as Sissoko and Ndombele together) with 34 forward passes. Not shitloads of incision though.
Ndombele - Glimpses of what he's about, some nice little moves and played some nice vertical and incisive passes, and did get stuck in today, joint most tackles (4) but was also careless with the ball at times too, and has to look for it a bit more at times too.
Lamela - Good first half, worked hard, played a couple of nice balls, including the one that sets us in motion for the goal, but some sloppy moments too and faded badly second half.
Kane - Decent 90 overall, worked a bit harder off the ball and took his goal brilliantly.
Son - Lovely little reverse to set up Kane for the goal, was lively throughout, but was very wasteful a few times too. Decent effort.
Yeah he was, but all credit to him for that lovely tackle to win it back and atone for his mistake. I wish more players had that attitude and ability instead of leaving others to clear up the mess.Ndombele showed some nice touches, if we can get the midfield blend and balance right, he's showing signs of what he's about, can wriggle out of pressure and break lines and can play incisive passes from that midfield area. He also made the most tackles today (Ndombele 4, Winks 0, Sissoko 0). He was a bit careless with the ball a few times too though.
Yet you're the one who wouldn't fire him. Of course he has done lots of things that have pissed me off. Last season really got on my nerves, and you know it.
Of course the usual cunts who were so quiet after last week's win were all back out in force on the match thread
As far as I am aware, every system has pros and cons. It's the application (one of your favourite words) of it that is critical. As you know, I have begun watching German and French football recently, and it has been eye-opening for me to see how systems I had detested because of how I had seen us play when we used them can actually be very successful. I have seen Nagelsmann use a 3-5-2 at times at Leipzig and they give up remarkably few chances because they are so well organised. I have seen us play 3-5-2 and provide next to no protection to our back line.This game was still way too open at times, and if only we could switch to a 433, we could use the lateral forwards to help stifle the wide channels when we are in defensive shape, this diamond makes us very narrow, and with two central strikers and a central AM, beating our press, what there is of it, can be very easy to push it out wide and once that happens, we can be got at quite easily down our flanks.
As far as I am aware, every system has pros and cons. It's the application (one of your favourite words) of it that is critical. As you know, I have begun watching German and French football recently, and it has been eye-opening for me to see how systems I had detested because of how I had seen us play when we used them can actually be very successful. I have seen Nagelsmann use a 3-5-2 at times at Leipzig and they give up remarkably few chances because they are so well organised. I have seen us play 3-5-2 and provide next to no protection to our back line.
Shilly-shallying cunt.I have categorically said I would happily replace him with two or three coaches out there right now.
I just wouldn't swap him for some of the others, especially several of the favourites being mooted. I don't want Mourinho or Eddie fucking Howe.
And I also understand why Levy won't sack him at this juncture. He's delivered CL football for 4 years. When that stops happening, Levy might start to feel less tolerant of Poch's constant whining.
Shilly-shallying cunt.
You owe me a pint for my post about Sissoko on the previous page.
Because it's generating heat yet again, I paid especially close attention to what Sissoko got up to in the second half when I was having another look at the second half today. I don't really know why but he was just jogging when Leicester were attacking us. He looked like he did not care. He was leaving Aurier really exposed at times by getting too far ahead of the play, not reacting to switches of play and ballwatching when Leicester were trying to make inroads down our right side, which they did a number of times. He also lost possession with a dreadful first touch which enabled Maddison to play Vardy through, who managed to warm Gazza's hands with a decent strike from inside our box.
In case anyone thinks I am being unfair, I also noticed that my favourite (Harry Kane) had also reverted to walking around when Leicester were attempting to play out from the back. It was like something happened to us at half time and we decided to drop our collective workrate.
So Near So VAR
If you were a neutral, that was a pretty decent game of football, two proactive managers (both with some flaws), two decent teams, some decent football, a bit too open at times, and plenty of drama.
But I'm not a neutral and that winner for Leicester really fucked me off.
I don't think that was a bad performance at all, compared to our previous two away PL games, we were proactive, started the game with the right intentions, had 55% possession, created marginally the better chances, I thought Poch's subs, tactically, were good and effected the game the right way for a change. It was a real kick in the bollocks when cunty headed Maddison managed to twat one past Gazzaniga from 25 yards.
I didn't have too much issue with the team selection. Would rather a proper footballer was played in midfield instead of Sissoko obviously but it didn't bother me that Eriksen and Alli were dropped, neither were great Wednesday, and it won't hurt to show the squad nobody's above a kick up the arse. Also good to see a "proper" (almost) RB back in the team instead of a CB. Would obviously have preferred and orthodox 433, to the 41212 diamond, but this was possibly the best forward set up for the diamond with the energy of Lamela at the top of the diamond with Son and Kane operating as the twin strikers. Son movement is more intelligent than Moura's - who just whizzes around getting in Kane's way. Son's skill set more complimentary to Kane's.
We definitely edged the first half and went in 1-0 up curtesy of a really nicely worked goal, the ball played to Lamela, he plays Son through the centre, Son cleverly reverses it to Kane who does brilliantly to ride a challenge and still have the poise to finish. It was the kind of goal we've got used to watching people wax lyrical about Liverpool scoring, a lovely quick transitional goal.
I also thought we should have had a penalty. A lovely ball out from Winks - who was again very good (34 forward passes, Ndombele 17, Sissoko 12) - found Rose in space to gallop, his first touch was poor, and his choice was also poor, but Evans clearly stuck back a leg and caught Rose. A deliberate action by Evans.
We possibly got a break from VAR before we scored, but it was only a chance because Gazzaniga made a fucking pigs ear of a pretty routine shot. VAR was soon to show us that it giveth and taketh away.
We went in deservedly just ahead of a first half we had definitely edged.
The first 20 minutes of the second half was the only phase where we really lost control of this game, although it was during this phase that Son wasted a couple good chances and we scored what appeared to be another very well worked goal, Ndombele winning the ball and exchanging passes with Sissoko in midfield before playing an incisive pass (it's so lovely to be saying that about one of our midfielders) to put Son through down the centre, he wasted the chance bu the ball fell to Aurier who whacked it home in the bottom corner. I'm not going to grumble about the offside, we've had our share of these go our way, but it was ludicrously tight. It looked to me like the lines drawn by VAR overlapped each other, in which case, surely that's impossible to call? Something else that maybe needs looking at, along with the hand ball rules and the PL's decision not to use VAR to overrule clear refereeing errors. This is not about VAR, it's about laws and application of them.
I thought the decision to bring on a DM and shift Winks, our most dynamic midfielder defensively, over the protect that right that they were getting lots of joy down, was a sound one. Sissoko had disappeared, made 6 passes in the second half, made zero tackles all game, was not getting on the ball, as ever when the pressure's on, and had already lost possession once allowing Vardy to go clean through. They'd been getting more and more on top for that first 20 minutes of the second half and that VAR just ramped them up even more. The stats back this up. First half we had 53%. From 46 to 67 min (when we made the sub) that had reversed to them having 52% - the game and domination of the midfield had swung their way. From 68 minutes to the end of the game it swung back massively to us 64.5% in our favour. And despite them getting the winner, it was a long shot - their X/G basically flatlined for the last 30 minutes.
The last 30 we were back in the ascendancy again, and I also think the second change was a good one too, Lamela had run out of gas, and to be able to bring on a player like Eriksen into the 10 position late in a game is a luxury, we were the team going for the win, they were definitely creaking and Rodgers took off the offensive Tielemans for the defensive Choudary.
Unfortunately we squandered a few more good situations before Maddison popped up with a 25 yard zipper that seemed to catch Gazzaniga flat footed. It was a hammer blow in a game we'd put a lot into. A draw would have pissed me off a bit but I could have reconciled on balance, to lose was a fucking killer.
Ndombele showed some nice touches, if we can get the midfield blend and balance right, he's showing signs of what he's about, can wriggle out of pressure and break lines and can play incisive passes from that midfield area. He also made the most tackles today (Ndombele 4, Winks 0, Sissoko 0). He was a bit careless with the ball a few times too though.
As with our home games this season, I'm seeing some signs of us getting back to some better habits, but there are still omnipresent issues that after 5+ years of Poch kind of worry that they are still there. It is often mentioned that Poch's teams are one of the best at recovering points from losing positions, but his Southampton and his first two years under us (and maybe last season I can't remember) his teams were also the worst at coughing them up, and that's the case already this season.
This game was still way too open at times, and if only we could switch to a 433, we could use the lateral forwards to help stifle the wide channels when we are in defensive shape, this diamond makes us very narrow, and with two central strikers and a central AM, beating our press, what there is of it, can be very easy to push it out wide and once that happens, we can be got at quite easily down our flanks.
Surely after 5 years, a whole pre season with a bunch of players he's been working with for most of that time, Poch could have worked on defensive transitions and management, so that we aren't as open as we have been in almost every away game this season?
We were told by certain people that this lateral weakness was entirely the fault of Trippier, do those people start admitting it's the structure and system now ? Just look where Aurier was for their first goal.
Individual
Gazzaniga - Pfft
Aurier - Better than Sanchez I guess.
Alderweireld - I thought he was too easily bamboozled by Maddison first half when he went through and I think he could have done better to cut out the cross for the first goal.
Vertonghen - OK
Rose - Didn't really offer much going forward. OK defensively.
Sissoko - Was OK first half, and was involved in the build up to the disallowed goal with a nice touch, but mostly disappeared second half when we needed to get a grip of the game, 6 passes in the first 22 minutes of the second half, didn't make a single tackle all game, only made 12 forward passes (15 backwards) all game. Big noise, too little substance.
Winks - Once again our most industrious midfielder making 73 passes (as much as Sissoko and Ndombele together) with 34 forward passes. Not shitloads of incision though.
Ndombele - Glimpses of what he's about, some nice little moves and played some nice vertical and incisive passes, and did get stuck in today, joint most tackles (4) but was also careless with the ball at times too, and has to look for it a bit more at times too.
Lamela - Good first half, worked hard, played a couple of nice balls, including the one that sets us in motion for the goal, but some sloppy moments too and faded badly second half.
Kane - Decent 90 overall, worked a bit harder off the ball and took his goal brilliantly.
Son - Lovely little reverse to set up Kane for the goal, was lively throughout, but was very wasteful a few times too. Decent effort.
I’ll give an alternative opinion; N’dombele was poor and definitely off the pace. He may have won the ball back on occasion but doesn’t look ready for a top 4 team. Sissoko did what he does, Winks was good, Lamela involved in everything and Kane getting back towards what we’re used to. I thought Son, goal aside, was shocking. Eriksen (you describe him as a luxury player) was anything but luxury. Gazza poor. Defence was all over the place at times, I love Jan and Toby but they’re finished as a CB pairing if we want to be challenge for the top.
This group with Poch is done, either 4-5 move on or he does, it is simply not working in terms of motivation and quality.
Sissoko in midfield before playing an incisive pass (it's so lovely to be saying that about one of our midfielders)