PieFacE Posted August 16, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted August 16, 2016 Lots of positives today. Players got very leggy towards the last 20 and we didn't have a good enough bench to change it. More players needed. Shame to lose in the manner we did but Huddersfield were good for a point considering their second hand display. We should have killed the game off in the first half though. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazzap24 Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 15 minutes ago, VillaChris said: Don't think 4-2-3-1 is a long term solution for us tbh, it smacks to me of just trying to fit in all our attacking players when a little more balance is needed. Once Jedinak is signed I'd like to go back to 4-3-3. Think an extra body in midfield would help us massively and we'd still have McCormack, Jack and Ayew upfront to cause damage. I think it depends on the personnel making up the 4 & 2. We need a better right back IMO, one who likes to defend first and play second. If we get that, we've got a pretty rock solid back four. Stick Westwood and Jedinak in front of that and that is a great base for us to let the front four run ragged. Depending on circumstances, you could play Tshibola in a more advanced role as part of the 4, but with a bit more responsibility, but I'd rather see four out and out attackers in most games. I like the idea of a solid back four, made up of proper defenders, with a couple of quality water carriers in the middle of the park and 4 forwards causing mayhem. Title winning with the right players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Happy with a lot of things implemented in a short time. We're playing attacking football, the one touch stuff is a joy to see at times and our performances have deserved more points than they've got. Last night showed how weak our squad still is, that bench was terrible If we can get another 3 after Jedinak I'll be confident RDM will have us fighting for promotion and that we can at least make the playoffs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 So far Players signed - Better than expected Team Performances - Better than expected Results - pretty much as expected. We will beat the poor sides at home - but flounder against the decent sides. I think in general we will struggle away from home. Still looking upper mid table to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPAngel Posted August 17, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted August 17, 2016 9 hours ago, PieFacE said: Lots of positives today. Players got very leggy towards the last 20 and we didn't have a good enough bench to change it. More players needed. Shame to lose in the manner we did but Huddersfield were good for a point considering their second hand display. We should have killed the game off in the first half though. I know it feels like it but we didn't actually lose Seriously though, agree with the above. We go again! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingram85 Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 With the new players and with more coming it's only going to improve with time. They will all get to know each other's play style, I'm amazed it's clicking this early. We definitely need a lot more depth on the bench as we need to replace like for like when players get tired but it's bloody promising so far and so refreshing to have a team I feel I can proudly cheer for again! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philgetaway Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 First 11 looking good. They just ran out of gas yesterday. Early season, warm evening, we really put a shift in first half, was always going to be hard to maintain for 90. Need some squad depth now, so we can play this way for 90. I'm sure this will come though. Why have Baker/Richards and Hutton on the bench last night? Hepburn-Murphy would have been a better option. GG seems to be struggling for form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Are there no kids other than Green good enough to be on the bench rather than having 4 defenders? Not a critique, a genuine question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reivax_Villa Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Very impressed with what he has done so far! If he gets us promoted this season he deserves the manager of the season award, because this is such a big task. September we will have a better squad, October could be the period where were settled and clicking together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPAngel Posted August 17, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted August 17, 2016 9 minutes ago, philgetaway said: Why have Baker/Richards and Hutton on the bench last night? Hepburn-Murphy would have been a better option. The kids played against Wolves on Monday so might have been too tired to be selected for last night's game. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 From what we've seen at home so far I can only think that the plan is to blow teams away in the first hour. I believe we have the firepower to do so and with a bit more fitness work and some extra legs in midfield we will be more suited to seeing the game out. It's a solid plan and it's good enough for me. I am intrigued to see how we play on Saturday. It's a tough fixture at this point, I haven't seen Derby yet but knowing a Pearson team they are well structured and play an expansive style of football. Much like we have so far at home. It could be a slug fest, or perhaps we will sit back a bit more and try to hit them on the break. Conserve our energy and wear them down. It'll tell a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 (edited) 9 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said: From what we've seen at home so far I can only think that the plan is to blow teams away in the first hour. I believe we have the firepower to do so and with a bit more fitness work and some extra legs in midfield we will be more suited to seeing the game out. It's a solid plan and it's good enough for me. I am intrigued to see how we play on Saturday. It's a tough fixture at this point, I haven't seen Derby yet but knowing a Pearson team they are well structured and play an expansive style of football. Much like we have so far at home. It could be a slug fest, or perhaps we will sit back a bit more and try to hit them on the break. Conserve our energy and wear them down. It'll tell a lot. I do think that attack is the best strategy in this league. The problem is that we don't quite have the players to do this well enough (as we saw last night with the number of shots we had on goal yet only scoring one). If we get in a quality (for this league) number 9 to play with McCormack and more quality in central midfield (a playmaker and an enforcer) then I think we can blow away 90% of the teams in this league and will not need to be overly defensively cautious. Edited August 17, 2016 by Dr_Pangloss 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 28 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said: From what we've seen at home so far I can only think that the plan is to blow teams away in the first hour. I believe we have the firepower to do so and with a bit more fitness work and some extra legs in midfield we will be more suited to seeing the game out. It's a solid plan and it's good enough for me. I am intrigued to see how we play on Saturday. It's a tough fixture at this point, I haven't seen Derby yet but knowing a Pearson team they are well structured and play an expansive style of football. Much like we have so far at home. It could be a slug fest, or perhaps we will sit back a bit more and try to hit them on the break. Conserve our energy and wear them down. It'll tell a lot. Derby have been terrible so far - lacking spark and any real goal threat. So fully expect them to beat us 3-0. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 1 hour ago, Dr_Pangloss said: I do think that attack is the best strategy in this league. The problem is that we don't quite have the players to do this well enough (as we saw last night with the number of shots we had on goal yet only scoring one). If we get in a quality (for this league) number 9 to play with McCormack and more quality in central midfield (a playmaker and an enforcer) then I think we can blow away 90% of the teams in this league and will not need to be overly defensively cautious. I agree we definitely need another striking option and more attacking options generally. This must be priority for me now on top of another defender. We're getting there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 I realise I've contradicted myself slightly there. What I mean is that I think we have the firepower in the first 11, I'm confident that between the 4 of them they will score a bucket full. I'm not confident that we have anyone even remotely reliable backing them up. Like, nobody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapal_fan Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Good points (I didn't watch the game); McCormack got his opening goal Tish has had 2 good games Our forwards (bar Ayew) have now scored their opening goals We seem to be playing as a team, working for each other, something which was absolutely lacking last season Grealish is having a positive affect and is making chances. RDM putting a good team sheet out, mostly sensible, and his subs seem to be at good sensible points. Bad points; Our squad depth is quite weak, we need more MF'ers (Jed should help). We could do with another striker, or at least bring Gabby or something back to go on the bench, he would have made a difference last night maybe. Even though we did well to create 5/6 chances, we have to finish more than 1 of them, this will come as the season progresses though, I'm not overly worried. In conclusion, we're working it out, we're probably on par, and as I said, as the season progresses and the players become match fit, we'll see these chances buried. 1 or 2 players and we could definitely be up there towards the end of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted August 17, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted August 17, 2016 Roberto from my point of view seems to have identified everything which was wrong with us and signed exactly the type of players we need to fix this and push us forwards. The turnaround and unity in the team seems to have happened very quickly, much quicker than I dared hoped for and we still have more new players to come and those linked seem to fit the bill. It would not take a great leap from reality to have seen us pick up a point at Sheffield and all 3 points last night which could easily have seen us on 7 points and joint top of the table today. 10/10 from me so far. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villarocker Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Like the poster above, I am impressed with the way Di Matteo's gone about adding a spine to the team. Three tough bastards straight down the middle of the pitch in Elphick, Jedinak and McCormack. Tshibola gives the energy to Jedinak's steel in the middle of the park too. Chester in alongside Elphick. A new right back hopefully. A young, promising keeper. A bit of guile still to come in hopefully, with another striker? That would make for the best transfer window in several years and give me lots of hope for this season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 I think both RDM & Dr X have done great so far. That we still don't have a 1st team, and that our bench is very weak, I think our squad is far from complete. This just reveals the enormous task they are taking on. Not long before the Transfer window closes so I hope for more to come. Bacuna seems to have turned a corner (for himself) so with Lescott Rangers-bound, only Richards and Gabby left of the Shitheads that must go. Hutton & Westwood off our hands would be great too, but they dont seem to be disruptive in the dressing room only disruptive to the teams play with their abilities (or lack thereof) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted August 18, 2016 Moderator Share Posted August 18, 2016 On 17/08/2016 at 17:51, sidcow said: Roberto from my point of view seems to have identified everything which was wrong with us and signed exactly the type of players we need to fix this and push us forwards. The turnaround and unity in the team seems to have happened very quickly, much quicker than I dared hoped for and we still have more new players to come and those linked seem to fit the bill. It would not take a great leap from reality to have seen us pick up a point at Sheffield and all 3 points last night which could easily have seen us on 7 points and joint top of the table today. 10/10 from me so far. Yes, this. I think the new broom effect from both RDM and Dr X has really helped in that the supporters, us lot, are positive and the players aren't terrified of being slaughtered. But basically the manager has identified what we knew - a number of senior players were a disgrace and needed dealing with. It takes a bit of time to move them on, but moving on is what's happening, both to the players and the club. It's pleasing, though no doubt there will be rough patches ahead at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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