srsmithusa

Hey, Hey, there fella'

if the reports are right and sherwood didn't pick the players, some moneyball scheme picked the players, who would the moneyball scheme pick as the next manager?

guzan's distribution with his feet has never been great and saturday was no exception. on the other hand, there is still a major coaching problem here. Our defenders are not being taught to think !!!!! Everybody can see that distribution with his feet is brads most obvious weakness. that's why every team tries to put him under pressure. Best way to discourage that? defenders"show" for the easy outlet. Why is that the best? if you've ever played forward and pressured the keeper you know. you have to sprint back to recover and mark the defender to make his next pass difficult. It's exhausting and demoralizing to be chasing the ball all day. In light of that basic, elementary understanding of the game, why in blazes are the defenders not moving clear of other markers and facing the ball. Turning your back on a pressurized keeper is insane. then moving toward an opponent rather than away from potential markers is equally naive. When pressurized keeper has the ball (and brad is being pressured 80% of the time) move away from potential markers and face the ball. This is youth level coaching.

prediction for chelsea match: We will lose. After which Tim will take complete responsibility, even though he didn't get to pick the match location or our owners middle name.

Seemed a bit small for a center half, but really confident and competent with the ball at his feet. No chance to see how he could do going forward if he played as a wing back, but seemed like it might be an option worth looking at.

The results on the field are not acceptable. But my problem is not with the new players or the amount spent. It's with what is supposedly "Tactic's" Tim's strength! The tactics are all at odds with themselves. I sometimes disagree with the tactical approach he decides on, but that's OK, it's all opinions, but he is setting up formations whose tactic don't match the personnel he's selecting and or the way those players are playing. So the players are playing in a way that undermines the tactic. For a simple example, when we have a big target (Gestede), the midfield and wingbacks should be getting down the line and crossing. But our midfield and wingbacks are doing that when Gabby is the front man. A complete waste. When Gestede is in front, the midfielders are dribbling into the middle of the field where there is no angle for a cross and Gestede's presence has the defense pulled deep and central. We consistently lose possession between the 18 and the 30 because that's where Gestede's presence has the defense and that's the area we are dribbling into. And it happens match after match after match. It's like whatever formation Tim sets up for a particular tactic, the players all play some opposite tactic. AND IT DOESN"T CHANGE !!!! the gap between the central two defenders against Stoke is another example. The formation changed (which means defensive tactic changed) but the center halves positioned themselves like it was a different tactic completely. The team is playing at odds within itself. If tactics Tim wants to play a different tactic every few minutes, that's fine. I don't care. Even if I don't agree with the tactic. But when he's setting up the team to play one tactic and the team is playing a different tactic altogether that's his fault. either he's not managing to his players strengths, selecting those that suit the tactic, or he's not communicating to them what he's doing and the role they should be playing in that tactic. Either way it's on him and on the coaching.

We could really do What? Dribble into traffic and lose possesssion? No thanks,

12th

Thank GOD I can stop supporting Spurs now !!!!!!

To be clear. Given was fouled and foul should have been called. However, Given should be disappointed in himself there. The contact was illegal, but would have been a fair charge between 2 midfielders in the center of the pitch. Shay was not in the air when contact was made, so he should have been more stable and managed the ball much better. Need to be stronger under contact. All that said, it was ridiculous not to give the foul.

Did you pick the biggest kids or the most skilful ones? Be honest.... Actually, I offered all the kids on the other team ice cream if they lost. (The smiley face is just so grasshopper knows how to take it. GH, You're welcome.)

Tactics and formations as an abstract idea are pretty useless apart from a specific context of players. Tactics comes down to 3 very specific things. 1. Knowing your players strengths and abilitiies and capitalizing on those. Sherwood did that well by telling Benteke "get ready to see a lot more of the ball. I know you can put it in the net so we'll get it to. You do your thing and put it in, or lay it off so someone else can put it in." Then he set up the supporing cast to make that happen. 2. Watching the opponent, seeing their tendencies, their errors, and their weaknesses, then setting up to capitalize on those. It appears he did that well for the cup semi as well - shifting from the wing play with crosses to the two number 10's. 3. Adjusting to adaptations in the match. Rodgers tried to do that, but failed miserably. To this point, if Sherwood has a tactical weakness, this would appear to be its most likely place. I'm judging that mostly on his subs, that have not always made sense to me. TBF, He may be making other positional and strategic adjustments I'm not noticing. BTW, I managed a team of 8 year olds to their league championship, so you know I'm an expert at this.

To highlight: These Chinese are interested in us or Albion. They are interested in us IF we stay up. i.e. Premier League Morons to take Albion over us. Also no common sense or taste. Not interested in plonking millions of pounds on the greatest club on earth regardless of current status in the sure knowledge we shall rise to prominence. Pass.

Can we let the match go for a minute and discuss chips instead? Edit: never mind, I see it's been done, thanks

I wish we could score 1 at halftime

Yoda, is that you?

Sanchez had always been a brilliant prospect. Really surprised that many here haven't seen that. I didn't say he's flawless (yet).

Can't see it but it's clear to me, he took a dive.

Think you'll miss the match now, bit of far away and stuck.. Thanks for understanding my dilemma. WHO's THE )$@&! REF !!!!

Stuck in airport in Dallas, who is the ref?

I am doubtful of a Benteke - Kozak partnership, but in it's favor, I think Kozak, despite his height, is not the long-ball, flick-on-to-others, type. Benteke can do that well, unless he's getting beat on and gets frustrated that he's not being protected. Kozak always seemed much better with the ball at his feet than in the air, and he always seemed to be intelligent about what to do with it. I think it's POSSIBLE that Kozak might be better at moving off the ball for Benteke than many think. Not likely mind you, and not worth the risk of trying until we are completely safe, IMO.

Sorry, sense of humor. It amuses me... and that's enough sometimes.

I didn't know Paris was in Qatar

My view is that most people who claim this (or use the whole 'lose our soul' angle) are really just comforting themselves that we are also-rans devoid of any ambition. I find it difficult to genuinely believe that anyone on here would be up in arms if we were a regular top-four side and winning titles simply because we had Arab owners, a sponsored stadium and some newfound glory-hunting fans. You are entitled to your view, of course. But it's wrong as it applies to me, for one. we have been terrible for too long. I want to see us competing with anybody. But I don't want us to be nothing more than the best team money can buy. when wins are completely expected given the inequity, they mean less. When was the last time man city invaded the pitch? I can beat 5 year olds arm wrestling or chess or football, pretty easily, but the wins don't really mean that much.

I missed Sherwoods quote that he prefers english, apparently, so did Bacuna, Okore, Guzan, (Hutton and Clark sort of) Sanchez and NZogbia, Benteke. I actually thought Sherwood sort of liked Benteke. Foolish me.