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 overall, 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 successful 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 successful 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 big omnipresent issues that after 5+ years of Poch are kind of worrying 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 the 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, but still pfftt..
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, in his lethargic, dopey way, 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 successful 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.
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 overall, 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 successful 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 successful 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 big omnipresent issues that after 5+ years of Poch are kind of worrying 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 the 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, but still pfftt..
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, in his lethargic, dopey way, 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 successful 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.
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