Pre match thread

[duke313]

1 hour ago, calcifer said:

Think this game is going to be a tough one. Luton have got acclimatised to the premier league, had some good performances.

Think it will be a tight game, should nick it 2-1

There games have been anything but tight, they've conceded 17 goals in last 5 league games.  I'll be disappointed if we don't score at least 3.  

[calcifer]

14 minutes ago, duke313 said:

There games have been anything but tight, they've conceded 17 goals in last 5 league games.  I'll be disappointed if we don't score at least 3.  

If we score 3 great. But this has banana skin written all over it (much like the Sheff Utd game during Xmas...

I'm looking at this game with caution. They should have got something vs Manure (yes they are crap but they have beaten us twice this season) so it shows that all it takes is a bit of luck! 

I would expect us to win comfortably... like I did when Sheffield Utd came to town! 

[omariqy]

It’s going to be a tough game. Their strengths are our weaknesses and vice versa. Without Lokonga their midfield is wide open. However, in Barkley and Doughty they have two players that can create plenty of chances. If Adebayo is back then it will be a difficult game. 

[TRO]

8 hours ago, MWARLEY2 said:

Absolutely not TRO ! . But if they can get the better of us at times with a direct approach then we can get the better of them on the transition when their attacks break down or when Emi does mske a huge claim. In my mind he is the best since Schmeichel at it. 

Should be an exciting game but one i am still confident we can win if we can get Konsa and Pau back on the pitch. 

When they came to VP and served up their worst performance of the season with a totally benign block the scene was set for them to come at us in this game. Add in the Everton points reduction reduction lol , and you can pretty much guarantee they cannot sit there all game. 

I like Rob Edwards, but watching him having a laugh with Pep when losing 4 1 in midweek made me realise they still arent 100 percent competitive. They don't have the siege mentality yet.

They have won 3 drawn 2 and lost 8 at home this season. Which at least suggests that their strentgths arent maybe as strong as at first imagined.  

I hope you are right.

[MWARLEY2]

1 hour ago, turvontour said:

Is that not pretty demoralising for them though? Seeing their direct rivals awarded points back. Theyve given so much effort this season. Luton need two or three really really good games to make up 4 points. And then they're just on par with how the table looked previously compared to Everton.

In the Sheff U away pre match thread I said they are demoralised and others were saying they will be bang up for it. Hopefully it's another case of this.

I think Rob Edwards has the dressing room. So whatever their tactics they will be followed rather than ignored. They can play well at times but from seeing their 3 home wins it seems that they cannot put good halves together. They might come out the gates blasting or they might rally in a game, but they cannot control the game

[MWARLEY2]

Just now, TRO said:

I hope you are right.

So do i mate, so do i 

[troon_villan]

Over 4.5 goals is a banker.

[TRO]

28 minutes ago, MWARLEY2 said:

I think Rob Edwards has the dressing room. So whatever their tactics they will be followed rather than ignored. They can play well at times but from seeing their 3 home wins it seems that they cannot put good halves together. They might come out the gates blasting or they might rally in a game, but they cannot control the game

We saw against United, they didn't have to control the game, to win.....they just need moments, like they and Forest had.....conceded through poor challenges, from us.

Its takes seconds to score a goal....and all our (outfield )hard work, can be washed away, with vulnerabilities in our own box.

It's happened too many times, to not be a concern....How many times has our goalkeeper bailed us out, and it has masked over the issues. He should be up there with the top clean sheets keepers.....We can't keep shooting our way, to wins, in every game.

We can do it.... we displayed admirably against Man City and Arsenal...for me, our 2 best games of the season, with 2 clean sheets....but it's interesting, where both teams play predominately on the floor....it's in the air, we falter.

I think finishing in champions league places, has become crucial to us, with FFP and our players, being targeted by other clubs....so we cannot afford to concede easy goals.....if we concede worldies, fair enough, but some of them have been poor.

Edited February 29 by TRO

[TRO]

59 minutes ago, calcifer said:

If we score 3 great. But this has banana skin written all over it (much like the Sheff Utd game during Xmas...

I'm looking at this game with caution. They should have got something vs Manure (yes they are crap but they have beaten us twice this season) so it shows that all it takes is a bit of luck! 

I would expect us to win comfortably... like I did when Sheffield Utd came to town! 

I think, when you go in to a game thinking you have to score 3 to have a chance, it can eventually be demoralising, and a time will come when it will give.

We can do it.....but it wears thin, after a while.

It's much harder to score, than to deny......so the time will come, when the question gets asked, why do we have to work so hard, when opponents just pop them in, with ease.

I know, we are WIP......so maybe we expect too much, for where we are.

The last 5 seasons the 4th placed team has conceded, respectively.......33-40-36-54-39....after 38 games, average 40.....sure it's only one set of criteria, but it's an important one.

We are currently on 35 after 26 games

We can all formulate reasons, but those are the facts, and they don't allow for mitigation.

[markavfc40]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

 

The last 5 seasons the 4th placed team has conceded, respectively.......33-40-36-54-39....after 38 games, average 40.....sure it's only one set of criteria, but it's an important one.

We are currently on 35 after 26 games

We can all formulate reasons, but those are the facts, and they don't allow for mitigation.

In fairness it is only important relative to the teams you are competing with and what happened in past seasons is totally irrelevant.  The two teams we are competing with for 4th place, Spurs having played a game less have conceded 38, and Man Utd have conceded 36. Man Utd have also scored 20 less goals than us and Spurs 4 goals less than us.

Our defensive record stacks up really well and outside of the top 3, who we simply aren't yet competing with, only Everton have conceded less than us (one less).

 

 

[calcifer]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

I think, when you go in to a game thinking you have to score 3 to have a chance, it can eventually be demoralising, and a time will come when it will give.

We can do it.....but it wears thin, after a while.

It's much harder to score, than to deny......so the time will come, when the question gets asked, why do we have to work so hard, when opponents just pop them in, with ease.

I know, we are WIP......so maybe we expect too much, for where we are.

The last 5 seasons the 4th placed team has conceded, respectively.......33-40-36-54-39....after 38 games, average 40.....sure it's only one set of criteria, but it's an important one.

We are currently on 35 after 26 games

We can all formulate reasons, but those are the facts, and they don't allow for mitigation.

This is it, when we were 3 nil up vs Forest and they came back to 3 - 2 it was like here we go again! The positive is we have only lost 3 points from a winning position this season (but even in that game we let Manure come back into the game, if we had carried on like the 1st half they wouldn't have laid a glove on us) 

 

 

[turvontour]

3 hours ago, TRO said:

I think, when you go in to a game thinking you have to score 3 to have a chance, it can eventually be demoralising, and a time will come when it will give.

We can do it.....but it wears thin, after a while.

It's much harder to score, than to deny......so the time will come, when the question gets asked, why do we have to work so hard, when opponents just pop them in, with ease.

I know, we are WIP......so maybe we expect too much, for where we are.

The last 5 seasons the 4th placed team has conceded, respectively.......33-40-36-54-39....after 38 games, average 40.....sure it's only one set of criteria, but it's an important one.

We are currently on 35 after 26 games

We can all formulate reasons, but those are the facts, and they don't allow for mitigation.

Is there not more goals in general this season with the fact games last 5 to 10 mins longer? I'm sure I just heard that February was either the most ever goals in a Feb in the prem or the most in a single month in the prem.

Also we score a ton of goals which is partly why we concede so many. Surely that's the point?

[Mantis]

This will be the toughest of these three games against "lesser" opponents in my opinion.

[OutByEaster?]

I'm really looking forward to this - all of our games right now seem to carry an importance and a win here will only help our growth. We could be on the edge of a big step forward as a club, we're playing some lovely football and we have a chance to keep moving forward with a win - I can't wait.

[Rugeley Villa]

This will be end to end with goals aplenty. Tougher game than some think but a game we should be winning . Providing we turn up we should win. 

[villan95]

As long as we approach this one right and are prepared to do the dirty work then our quality should shine through. Would be a huge boost to have Pau and Konsa available

[imavillan]

19 hours ago, BOF said:

We were shit for most of that though. Our results under him have been fairly commensurate with our level at the time. Once he's fair, we'll be ok. Only concern would be his love of Newcastle. 

fair point, but it's amazing how certain stats see themselves out like bogey teams for example.

You can have a so called bogey team who you struggle to beat over the year. The teams change throughout that time but somehow the results stay the same. That said, records are there to be broken.

One things for sure, this will not be an easy game, but if we are focussed and disciplined we should have enough to get the three points. It will be a big disappointment if we don't.

[TRO]

5 hours ago, markavfc40 said:

In fairness it is only important relative to the teams you are competing with and what happened in past seasons is totally irrelevant.  The two teams we are competing with for 4th place, Spurs having played a game less have conceded 38, and Man Utd have conceded 36. Man Utd have also scored 20 less goals than us and Spurs 4 goals less than us.

Our defensive record stacks up really well and outside of the top 3, who we simply aren't yet competing with, only Everton have conceded less than us (one less).

 

 

I don't think it is totally irrelevant at all.......but I also get your point too.

I also think a number of the goals we have conceded, were avoidable....far, far too easy.

I accept Man U's goals for column is bleak, but they still managed to score 5 against us, after being outplayed for long periods in the games....There is a vulnerability Mark, particularly at set pieces.

There are many mid table teams, not far behind us for goals conceded, from Spurs down to Fulham.....I think 4th placed teams in the main have proved, they had better records, over recent seasons. Chelsea in 2019/20 being the exception.

I think it's clear, moving forward where we have to improve, if we want to dine at the top table.

Ps I don't accept our defensive record stacks up really well.....it's in the mix with the competing teams, for 4th sure, but that's nothing to boast about for them either. I am sure they would want to improve that too.

If we want folk outside of B6 to recognise our improvement, to our satisfaction....we need to defend with more conviction.

 

 

 

Edited February 29 by TRO

[TRO]

3 hours ago, turvontour said:

Is there not more goals in general this season with the fact games last 5 to 10 mins longer? I'm sure I just heard that February was either the most ever goals in a Feb in the prem or the most in a single month in the prem.

Also we score a ton of goals which is partly why we concede so many. Surely that's the point?

It's simply, not the point....are you saying teams who score a lot, concede a lot?...........errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr No. 

It depends where your ambitions lie?

A ton of goals?.....2 more than Newcastle in 8th....4 more than Spurs.

Our offensive play is commendable,  and praise worthy, that is not the issue here, but if you think it can cover for questionable defending, I suggest you have low expectations of where we want to go. Unai Emery's ambitions have NOT Plateaued out, they have just got going.....hence my observations....and my acceptance of WIP.

There will be games where the attackers will not be able to bail us out......I think, its then unfair to look to them, in every game, to bring home the bacon.

Fergie once said....."Goals win games, defences win trophies".....that is my point.

It depends what you want?..Midtable, then your point would then be valid.

We have a great goalkeeper, he deserves more protection, not have to rely on him as much as we do.

 

Edited February 29 by TRO

[TRO]

4 hours ago, calcifer said:

This is it, when we were 3 nil up vs Forest and they came back to 3 - 2 it was like here we go again! The positive is we have only lost 3 points from a winning position this season (but even in that game we let Manure come back into the game, if we had carried on like the 1st half they wouldn't have laid a glove on us) 

 

 

" Let" being the operative word, and we nearly did it again, against Forest....I don't understand, how we can be said to be controlling games, when we let them back in so easy.....that's not control.....control is when there is no/little  sign of a team getting back in.

My comments are merely an observation of where, I think we can and should improve.......on top of an already fantastic season, of attractive football.

Its obvious, there is an issue, even if some fans want to deny it......but still many are cagey, of going to an 18th placed team and winning.....because deep down they know, we are vulnerable in certain circumstances.