Dale Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 9 hours ago, Pissflaps said: I think one of the main issues is all of these hyped up signings made, the majority are actually shit. If they can't adjust from one playing system to another than they must be. We overhype players and they let us down time after time. Quite simply one more bad result and it is a relegation battle one way or the other. With a manager who has never had to deal with that in his playing career or as a manager until now. Not ideal. The system is flawed. I think they can play it but it systemically leaves gaps and leaves the team massively exposed on the turn over of play. Having world class players probably helps. But the system is deeply flawed unless you never turn over the ball and get countered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamburglar Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 6 hours ago, M_Afro said: I thought we were really unlucky in both Utd games. We were also unlucky against Leeds where all of their goals had an element of luck. Brentford scored a worldie that they will never score again and then punished a late mistake when we should have been well ahead. Ings goal against Utd that was ruled out. Ollies goal against Newcastle that was ruled out. We have had a few penalty shouts in those games too which have all been ignored including the one yesterday. Look, I don’t think we are playing well by any stretch but it seems at the moment that every mistake gets punished and we are losing close games as a result. If we get and score that early penalty yesterday, we likely go on to win the game comfortably. We didn’t and Gerrard lost his head a bit with the changes and we lost the game. Had he not changed things we likely would have ended up with a draw but everyone would have gone mad as he hadn’t changed things! I really believe that Gerrard will turn it around and if he doesn’t then he will get sacked but people need to give him a chance. He has inherited a woefully unbalanced squad that needs to be rebalanced. Grealish carried us for the last two seasons and we lost him In the summer. The players we signed in the summer have not yet worked out. I have seen people writing off the players that we have just signed which is mind blowing. We are nowhere near a relegation scrap and we won’t be come the end of the season. We need some luck to go our way and we need some out of form players to regain their mojo. Once we do we will be fine. We can then focus on rebalancing our squad and then we will see what Gerrard can do. Until then we need to get behind the team. I have to say I think he has inherited a good squad and I don’t see how you can say it was woefully unbalanced. We’ve been unlucky for years if that’s the case. I always believe you get what you deserve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_Afro Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 13 minutes ago, Hamburglar said: I have to say I think he has inherited a good squad and I don’t see how you can say it was woefully unbalanced. We’ve been unlucky for years if that’s the case. I always believe you get what you deserve. Why do you think it’s a good squad? Where’s your evidence for that? Whenever Grealish has been unavailable are ppg in the Premiership has been relegation battle form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Leeds away going to be crucial game. Just checked and they have Liverpool away midweek and then play Spurs at home so we better have a decent points buffer before playing them. Win that and it will be comfortable end of the season but they could easily turn us over and then we're bang in trouble if we don't get anything in next two games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 2 minutes ago, M_Afro said: Why do you think it’s a good squad? Where’s your evidence for that? Whenever Grealish has been unavailable are ppg in the Premiership has been relegation battle form. Compare our squad to Wolves, Brighton and Southampton. We actually have a better squad yet are below all 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamburglar Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 1 minute ago, M_Afro said: Why do you think it’s a good squad? Where’s your evidence for that? Whenever Grealish has been unavailable are ppg in the Premiership has been relegation battle form. All positions covered with good players when he took over. The manager is there to get the best out of them, deano wasn’t so he’s gone. It’s a simple game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Just now, Zatman said: Compare our squad to Wolves, Brighton and Southampton. We actually have a better squad yet are below all 3 I think Wolves is better tbh. Moutinho-Neves is better balanced CM than anything we can come up with and Jimenez would walk into our 11 as would Neto when fit again. Defence fairly similar but difference is they're drilled into the system so Lage can come in, tweak a few things but defensively they remain very solid. Let's be honest they weren't that far off us last season and that was with them losing Jimenez in November so were without key player for 6 months as opposed to us losing Jack for three months. Brighton have tidy players but yes we really should be finishing above them. I said at time we sacked DS that we should've seriously looked at Hasenhuttl as with way Southampton play I think he could've done really good things with the squad we have especially when you look at the general form Ings was in for them when fit. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_Afro Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 2 minutes ago, Hamburglar said: All positions covered with good players when he took over. The manager is there to get the best out of them, deano wasn’t so he’s gone. It’s a simple game. Where’s your evidence? They’re good players in your opinion and yet collectively they have never shown it. Deano was the man who built that squad and he paid the price for it. Gerrard has shown that he can sign top players. I am sure he will redress the balance of the side and we will be much the better for it next season. Until then it will be up and down. Getting Marvelous back will help as it brings better balance to the side but I suspect that Gerrard does not see him as the long term solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamburglar Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 4 minutes ago, M_Afro said: Where’s your evidence? They’re good players in your opinion and yet collectively they have never shown it. Deano was the man who built that squad and he paid the price for it. Gerrard has shown that he can sign top players. I am sure he will redress the balance of the side and we will be much the better for it next season. Until then it will be up and down. Getting Marvelous back will help as it brings better balance to the side but I suspect that Gerrard does not see him as the long term solution. Evidence? Are you the ducking police? I think we have a set of good players and I don’t think our squad was woefully unbalanced. Not sure why I need to bring you evidence. we need good players who want to be here not top players who like the idea of playing for Steven Gerrard. I don’t think marvellous is the answer to all our short term problems either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLARETANDBLUEFOXY Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 I really don’t think it’s against the realms of possibility that we could go down. If we keep playing a shit as this when all the teams below us have suddenly found some fight - it could easily happen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 The worst realistic scenario would be similar to the 2011/12 seasons under McLeish or 2013/14 under Lambert, where we were comfortably clear but then slid into relegation danger towards the end as a result of atrocious second half of the season form. We were on a similar points total in both of those seasons after 24 games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 (edited) 19 minutes ago, CLARETANDBLUEFOXY said: I really don’t think it’s against the realms of possibility that we could go down. If we keep playing a shit as this when all the teams below us have suddenly found some fight - it could easily happen. I think we have 3 games to save the season and give us the confidence to end it half decently, because of we don't start picking up points in the next 3 games relegation looks more than a possibility 50 minutes ago, Zatman said: Compare our squad to Wolves, Brighton and Southampton. We actually have a better squad yet are below all 3 More worryingly, compare it to the showers of shite we've lost to in recent weeks. The squad should not be playing like it is. Edited February 20, 2022 by Davkaus 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 1 hour ago, M_Afro said: Where’s your evidence? They’re good players in your opinion and yet collectively they have never shown it. Deano was the man who built that squad and he paid the price for it. Gerrard has shown that he can sign top players. I am sure he will redress the balance of the side and we will be much the better for it next season. Until then it will be up and down. Getting Marvelous back will help as it brings better balance to the side but I suspect that Gerrard does not see him as the long term solution. Depends the metric really. Mings has proven himself to be mid table prem CB given we finished 11th with him last season playing pretty much every game and we could well do the same this season if Gerrard wakes up a bit. Martinez certainly is top 6 level keeper given he's been quality for Argentina and was brilliant last season. Not quite at that level but not like the goals we're conceding are his fault. There are good players in our midfield but ultimately if the structure isn't there it's just going to look a ragtag of options. We haven't been great defensively this season but ultimately many top half prem teams can get away with it if they have better structures going forward. It's not like teams above us keep clean sheet after clean sheet, Man. United rarely do but there's always a goal in them. Spurs have conceded 11 goals in last 5 prem games and West Ham don't keep many clean sheets either. Can argue this player or that isn't very good but ultimately our big problems this season are just thinking DM structure can be dismissed and also two managers not having any idea how to get consistant attacking play with Ings and Watkins on at same time. Until we come up with some answers for those two we won't be threatening finishing top 8. Likes of Wolves do have answers as they've had wins with Jimenez and Hwang on at same time this season with both linking up well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted February 20, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted February 20, 2022 We have average players who are playing on their expected level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_Afro Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 2 hours ago, Hamburglar said: Evidence? Are you the ducking police? I think we have a set of good players and I don’t think our squad was woefully unbalanced. Not sure why I need to bring you evidence. we need good players who want to be here not top players who like the idea of playing for Steven Gerrard. I don’t think marvellous is the answer to all our short term problems either. All I’m saying is that lots of people are going on about how great our players are and yet the evidence, I.e. the results, do not back that up. It’s just pure and in my opinion, false speculation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 2 hours ago, Zatman said: Compare our squad to Wolves, Brighton and Southampton. We actually have a better squad yet are below all 3 I don't think our squad is better than wolves. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxjackle Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 It sucks right now but let's hope we can get a win soon and then this will be put to bed. I think 35 will be enough. The worst form teams seem to be those around 11-16 based on their last 5 matches- that time of year the relegation places push on before 1/2 give up. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 10 minutes ago, DCJonah said: I don't think our squad is better than wolves. Think they have a better first team but have a very small squad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 17 minutes ago, Zatman said: Think they have a better first team but have a very small squad Yeah maybe. I think their starting quality makes up for that though. They've got some very good players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calcifer Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 31 minutes ago, DCJonah said: I don't think our squad is better than wolves. This. Our squad has good players but some are just over hyped. Jack made Watkins look like a world class striker. This season Watkins has been a world class stinker. Our defence was one of the best in the league during the lockdown. Now it is about as leaky as a dodgy tap. The midfeid is woeful. They can't carry the ball forward. Maybe it is down to mentally, with fans we are shocking, without the fans we were flying, this made the team look better that it actually was. Let's not kid ourselves we don't get at least 2 wins from our next 3 then we will be looking over our shoulder. What will be worse is Newcastle will finish above us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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