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Jim Smith

We remain 4 points clear and in a very good place so not a big deal but

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That was a really disappointing day of results yesterday culminating in our frustrating performance. We have let a number of sides claw back points including giving that Watford team a major boost. 

i don’t actually think we played as badly as has been made out. We had a very poor middle half hour but before that I thought we were largely controlling the game and at the end could have got something had Pukki been a bit sharper or Hugill laid it back to Skipp instead of going for that idiotic shot. We had 65% possession and 16 efforts at goal (believe it or not) so if that was a bad performance it still bodes pretty well. 

Watford are a bit like a sh*t version of Palace. No real cohesion or style to then but tight at the back abs with a number of fast, athletic players who run at you. But that’s perhaps the biggest worry. We played several of those sort of games against the lower prem teams last season and got picked off by teams having often dominated them prior to that. That is the area our recruitment is supposed to be addressing prior to a (hopeful) return to that level and its clear we haven’t managed to do so yet.

Add to that we are still crap at the back when attacked directly and at pace. Our defence hasn’t really improved, we just get away with it at this level and Krul saves us. Zimmerman in particular has been dreadful on a few occasions this season and needs to be replaced by Gibson. Basic lobs down the channels cause us far more problems than they should do. 
 

Throw in our normal horrific start to the second half (still Don’t know what he says or does at half time but it doesn’t work) and it made for a very poor half an hour or so but again Farke did make changes which changed the game so again signs of improvement there. 

Finally, two situations that we have got away with finally came home to roost last night in the left back situation and MM in goal. In both this game and the Luton game both situations cost us. Both players have done reasonably well covering, Sorensen in particular, but we now need to get Quintilla (or a new signing) back in at left back and we desperately need Krul back in goal. 
 

Two good games coming up to get back to winning ways.

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We all wouldve taken 15 points from the 6 games since the loss to Luton.

2 home games coming up against 2 sides we have a good record at home against.

Barnsley are having a good season and playing some good stuff. QPR are not on the other hand. Hopefully QPR dont sack Warburton before our game.

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1 hour ago, Jim Smith said:

Two good games coming up to get back to winning ways.

If you look at the other fixtures we could be in a very good place in a couple of games time 

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We weren't going to simply keep building a bigger gap and win the league by March. This is the championship. We have been exceptional to this point.

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I’d rather be in our position than anybody else’s. Factor in the teams we have played away too (watford, Bournemouth, middlesborough, Reading, Bristol c etc) . If you had told me we’d be here on Dec 27 at the start of the season, I’d have laughed!

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2 hours ago, FenwayFrank said:

If you look at the other fixtures we could be in a very good place in a couple of games time 

Brentford v BMuff & Swansea v Reading on Weds look tasty ........

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Agree with OP.

We look a very decent team. The goal changed everything and Watford defended excellently. If we had defended like they did we would have been pleased. Sorensen had his worst game. It's no great problem because he has acquitted himself well enough. We were not embarrassed, arguably we were overall the better team.

Onward to a solid 3 goal win over QPR. At least we get the chance to put it out of our heads soon.

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9 hours ago, hogesar said:

We weren't going to simply keep building a bigger gap and win the league by March. This is the championship. We have been exceptional to this point.

I have to agree with you for a change... must be Xmas 

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Such a long way to go still and we will lose more no doubt, as is the way even with teams that do eventually get promoted. Its still incredibly tight and normally is until the final 3rd of a championship season, by which time you can normally see who the top 4 are going to be. 

 

Its a deflating thing to lose, especially as we have got into the rhythm of winning and as a fan base expect it now. I think its important not to over think it, this wasn't a 3-0 or 4-0 drumming with us looking horribly outclassed. A few key players didn't quite find there normal levels of performance against a side I think will be almost certainly top 6, likely in the running for top 2. Its possible to just say on the night Watford did exactly what they needed to do to edge us out, without ever dominating or making us suddenly look weak or frauds to be at the top. 

 

I still think this team has a few more gears its capable of going up in, I also think Farke still hasn't found his perfect front 4.. the rotation of Vrancic, Stieperman and Dowel showing that he hasn't got a clear favourite for the number 10 role . Defensively we look much more solid, though Krul coming back will be huge for us too so thats cause for optimism with the fixtures ahead. Gibson being available will also give us the option to switch if someone is not at their very peak or switch to a back 3. And of course we might finally have a recognised left back for the first time in almost 3 months which will likely help (though massive credit to Sorenson foe stepping up and doing an above average job)

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