Lessons from the Watford Game

[Salopian 1]

In most positions Watford were superior to us, they passed and moved, they had two genuine wingers who caused us all sorts of problems. They had a midifeld who overran our apology.But the essential difference is in the managment styles.1) Their manager has quietly aseembled a top side over a few seasons, building by gradually adding players as bargains appeared. We struggled to beat them in our promotion year, and they have improved since then.2) They do their homework - team selection and tactics are based on a thorough appraisal of our style of play and our weaknesses. It was no contest. If we were more threatening in the second half, it was because they could cruise and give a breather to their best players.Our manager has let some good players go, has bought a few good players but has also bought some dross. It is difficult to see that we have built a team over five years and spending £13m. Perhaps in Ashton and now Earnshaw we have more striking power than we had but we provide no more creative service from the midfield than we did five years ago. In short, in re-building we are going nowhere. This is not helped by the large number of loan players, not good enough to get into other teams, whom we have been compelled to use. In fairness to the manager prudence has dictated that we could not assemble vast sums of money. But we have spent £13m. How much Reading have spent in assembling a much better side, I do not know.Our manager seldom shows signs of doing homework. If he did we would not have put out a three-man midfield containing an elderly fullback, and chosen as left-back a player who had been injured and was doubtful for the game. Given that he must realise by now that the midfield signings of last summer are not good enough, the midfield was gling to be overrun and was never going to supply service to non-scoring strikers.The main concern is that the Earnshaw signing has something of desperation about it. He is good, but like Ashton looks like being something good in a generally very average team. When will real re-building start, with astute signings of players with potential and using our own home-produced players more effectively?

[Tom Blazak<P><IMG src="http:new.pinkun.comforumsimagesline.gif"><BR>Tom Blazak<P><P>Ronaldinho - The Huckerby Of The Nou Camp<P> 0]

hate to point this out but you do realise we played reading last nite right?

[breaker 0]

Leaving aside the fact that Salopian must have been on something stronger than Adnams Old Worthy, he is absolutely spot on when it comes to his analysis of where NCFC are right now.

[Salopian 1]

Sorry - I meant Reading, of course.

[Rossi 0]

bang on sal, the issue that i also have is that from game to game we do not learn. as i have previously said people accepted that worthingtom would make mistakes as he learnt the game, but this is year five, not one. Worthy thought he''d cracked the problem of this division when we went up and look at us now. What happens if he ever gets us to the prem? Will he have learnt anything? I doubt it.

it doesnt matter whether it was wolves, derby, reading, watford, luton, preston or even stoke, the same mistakes have been made from day 1 and now if you look at the squad there isnt an obvious starting 11 - there isnt an obvious shape either - thats why we play like a bunch of individuals in a team game.

Most agree that we should play 4-4-2, but where would Hucks play as he isnt a midfielder (wont track back) and he isnt a striker (look at the fact that he can only hit a shot with the inside of his foot into the top corner once in a blue moon) With Hucks out of the equation on the left and with nothing except for a goat grazing on the right we have lost one of the major factors in the british game - wing play - just look at little and convey last night. Who out of Safri, Robinson, Etuhu, Hughes, Charlton, Rossi Jarvis, Jarrett and an unknown ( discounted at the minute) Zesh Rehman do you play in the centre? Safri and Robinson are the best, but they are defensive midfielders, not box to box players that are required. Etuhu and Hughes offer box to box but no footballing ability.

Most would say that JJohansson and Earnie have tobe the strike force, but what about WLY - where does he play? Is he the right winger? No becasue he just isnt a good enough defender and thats not his position.

Worthy''s whole philosophy seems to be "whats the point in having a player that can only play one position well, when you can have a player that is versatile and can play four positions badly?"

We''re just in such a mess.

 

[Rossi 0]

i know that replying to your own post is a bit like laughing at your own joke so sorry, but i''ve had a thought! Using 4-4-2 fill in the places where we have players good enough and leave blanks where we dont

                                                                                 Green (just)

BLANK                                    Doherty                                          Rehman                    Drury

 

BLANK                                    BLANK                                          Safri                          BLANK

 

                                                   Earnshaw                                       Johansson

Subs McKenzie, Fleming, Gallacher, Robinson, Huckerby

Not good enough / Reserves: Colin, Louis-Jean, Hughes, Jarrett, Etuhu,Thorne, Charlton, Ward

Loan out: Shackell, Rossi & Ryan, Lewis, Spillane, Cave-Brown, Henderson

 

[ZLF 271]

I am sure Rehman will be a defender - if the rumours of us trying to sign davenport are true then I see Zesh as the replacement in defence rather than a midfielder - do we really need another defencive midfielder?  First choice there for me will be Safri and Robinson and a central defence of Doc and Rehman,  but until sunday basically have no idea who will play - but there must surely be changes to the starting line up with the new guys and Safri shoe ins?

 

[lucky green trainers 0]

the problem with worthy is there''s no plan b.i''ve been impressed with the 4-3-3 formation, especially when used defensively away from home, to catch teams on the break. with earnie in the side now, this tactic promises even more in the future.  however, i urged worthy not to employ this system without safri in the team, because he is the only city player capable of dominating the centre, leaving the right and left sides of midfield more freedom to defend and help the fullbacks out as necessary.   without a strong middle, this system can''t work , and reading ruthlessly exploited  it last night - taking candy off a baby.playing dicko in the middle was never going to work last night, as he''s a box to box player, as he proved last night getting on the end of 3-4 goalscoring opportunities, which given some confidence he will begin to convert. as a result, reading dominated the middle, and sucked charlie in, leaving little to rule the roost against drury.  after the doc was lucky to escape a red card, and they''d scored, the continued to threaten at willcouldn''t worthy see 4-3-3 wasn''t working and that dicko & jj needed pairing in the middle, playing 4-4-2?  we were calling for this last night on the match thread, but it didn''t happen until it was too late. he always seems to be watching a different game to everybody else.