OTHER FOOTBALL
- Thread starter ivoralljack
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Yankee_Jack
Key Player
Little do they know.
Behindthegoal
Key Player
His old club are below the Saints though but 
Wow!! Been watching some Premier League teams battling in the pre-season tournament in the USA. Chelsea edged 10 man Brighton 4-3 and tonight I watched Brighton go again against Brentford. What a performance! They played with pace and precision winning the game 2-0. Their pass and move game played at a very high tempo was just beautiful to watch. If they replicate this sort of play in the PL this season they're going to surprise quite a few teams including those at the top.
Not sure where they finished but it was quite high. Totally agree, CJ, that De Zerbi is an excellent manager. The way he has his team playing is a joy to behold. They pass and move at pace and with precision and total rhythm. The players all seem to know their roles and deliver to a high standard. Looking forward to watching them this season if they can keep up this level. It's what we should aspire to and I'd be a very happy man if we got anywhere close to it.
CroJack
Key Player
We must not forget that De Zerbi has been at Brighton for a year now and he's got much better players than our lot at his disposal.
If we improve defensively we'll be ok. Though, a ruthless cleanout is needes if we want to be really good at this level. We have to get rid of players who lack pace, which means Naughton, Darling, Wood, B. Cooper, Cabango, Grimes...should be sold. I am not sure Duff has balls to do that. But if we don't implement radical changes we won't progress. Our centre-backs and full-backs should be able to run faster than the fastest wingers/strikers in this league.
And, of course, we need a really good goalkeeper.
If we improve defensively we'll be ok. Though, a ruthless cleanout is needes if we want to be really good at this level. We have to get rid of players who lack pace, which means Naughton, Darling, Wood, B. Cooper, Cabango, Grimes...should be sold. I am not sure Duff has balls to do that. But if we don't implement radical changes we won't progress. Our centre-backs and full-backs should be able to run faster than the fastest wingers/strikers in this league.
And, of course, we need a really good goalkeeper.
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CroJack
Key Player
I suppose the only argument you could make for him is that they were playing a Premier League club who'd be a lot sharper than them.
CroJack
Key Player
It's going to be interesting watching Sheff. Wednesday v Southampton tonight. Mother f***** is playing a four at the back and 4-3-3 formation. So, it took the moron almost two years to adopt a four at the back and now at Southampton he plays a four at the back from the first game. I am mad. I hate him. Go Sheff. Wednesday!
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Yankee_Jack
Key Player
CroJack
Key Player
Well, the first 30 minutes were all Soton. Excellent passing football, total dominance, but no clear-cut chances. Scored by a lucky deflection. Sheff. Wednesday are an incredibly poor side. Soton, on the other hand, have really good players and a lot of pace. Between the 30th and 51st minute, Soton's intensity dropped but they still had all the possession.
Soton won it 2-1 but Wednesday didn't have the quality to put Martin's defensive unit under any consistent pressure, so we don't know how flaky, or otherwise, they are. Not surprising because last season these teams were two divisions apart and it showed in this game.
I've said before that Martin should have more success with his methods at Soton because their players are far superior to ours in practically every aspect of the game. They are fitter, stronger, quicker and technically far better than our lot, so can execute his game plan better than we could. The comms suggested as much during the game.
But it remains to be seen how Martinball, particularly at the back, will fare against better teams who will pressure them more. That said, they played out the game in textbook fashion with superb possession play. They will be well in contention come the end of the season. Hope we are too.
I've said before that Martin should have more success with his methods at Soton because their players are far superior to ours in practically every aspect of the game. They are fitter, stronger, quicker and technically far better than our lot, so can execute his game plan better than we could. The comms suggested as much during the game.
But it remains to be seen how Martinball, particularly at the back, will fare against better teams who will pressure them more. That said, they played out the game in textbook fashion with superb possession play. They will be well in contention come the end of the season. Hope we are too.
Horrible news in that Cardiff are winning 2-0 at Leeds and looking comfortable. They know their limitations and play within them unlike us faffing about at the back when our CBs can't even trap a bag of cement. The other thing is that Cardiff have a couple of players who can beat a man in a tight space and take him out of the game. We have no such players in our team and neither do we have pace or physicality. In fact, I'm wondering just what the hell we do have now we are no longer a possession team either. Can't say I'm a happy bunny with what I've been seeing for sure and a lower league manager ain't gonna come up with a genius gameplan that'll set the division alight..
I'm not so worried about yesterday. This season was always likely to start slow because you've got a new manager trying to assert a new faster and more direct style on a squad of players that have had exactly those things coached out of them for the last two years.
Duff's style needs confidence, swagger. These guys are still in Martin's over-cautious mindset. Duff's doing the right thing bringing in players who already share his attitude or at least aren't infected with Martin's timidity. Lots of new faces means more time is needed for the squad to gel and for everyone to find their place in this system. Duff might not even know where everyone's best fit is yet.
Also re: Cardiff - 2 goals on 4 shots and Leeds a donut on 13 of their own? Tell me they're not riding their luck.
Duff's style needs confidence, swagger. These guys are still in Martin's over-cautious mindset. Duff's doing the right thing bringing in players who already share his attitude or at least aren't infected with Martin's timidity. Lots of new faces means more time is needed for the squad to gel and for everyone to find their place in this system. Duff might not even know where everyone's best fit is yet.
Also re: Cardiff - 2 goals on 4 shots and Leeds a donut on 13 of their own? Tell me they're not riding their luck.
CroJack
Key Player
For all
We have. Wait til Ginnelly and Mick are fit. Paterson can beat a man in tight space as well.
CroJack
Key Player
Me neither. I've just watched all highlights from the Championship first round (apart from Leeds-Cardiff and Sunderland - Ipswich).
Surprise, surprise...we are fourth in xGoals table, and, more importantly, third in xGoals difference table (xGoals minus xGoalsAgainst).
We didn't play well yesterday, but we created more than Soton, Leicester, Watford, WBA, Middlesbrough...
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CroJack
Key Player
Finished 2:2
