Brentford (Away) 26th August

[Bailey]

I think there were two positives today.

Onana settled into the game much better today. He wasn't particular brilliant in any aspect but he was solid throughout, he played a nice ball through to Gray and he got in there a couple of times at the last minute to take the ball of a Brentford attack. That would have been tough for him today and he coped with it well.

Gordon for all that I don't think he had a particularly amazing game, did well for the goal, but more importantly showed he is still up for the fight. It would have been easy for him today to protect himself and not give his all, but he didn't shirk the game in the slightest. 

[Aidan]

So Liverpool next, it's going to be 5 games without a win and it's directly the boards fault for still not replacing Richarlison. Lampard is going to be under heavy pressure soon.

[Romey 1878]

2 minutes ago, Aidan said:

So Liverpool next, it's going to be 5 games without a win and it's directly the boards fault for still not replacing Richarlison. Lampard is going to be under heavy pressure soon.

It's Leeds next.

[Aidan]

2 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

It's Leeds next.

Apologies forgot about the midweek game. This one's a must win then really.

[Romey 1878]

It is a complete and utter myth that we've been more solid at the back after the additions we've made. Our only clean sheet has come against Fleetwood fucking Town ffs. We were only still leading towards the end of the game thanks to the woodwork, because our defending was atrocious throughout. Leaving players all on their lonesome in our penalty area. Who was with Toney when he headed on to the post? No one. Who was with whoever it was that followed up and hit it over the bar? No one. 

Did we learn? Did we like shite. No one was with the player who initially headed on from the corner and then Iwobi is standing there catching flies as the man closest to him has a fucking tap in to equalise.

[OfficialKierxn]

Here are my honest opinions on the 1-1 draw at the Brentford Community Stadium https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCVjdBJqGvM

[Wiggytop]

We clung on for a point, only positive is that it’s more than we came away with last year
I’m not sure Coady and Tarkovski work well together, Tarks was excellent against Chelsea, but last week and yesterday looked clumsy, I wonder if it’s too many leaders now.

I don’t like the 2 in midfield, hopefully that will change with Maupay arriving.

[Btay]

16 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

It is a complete and utter myth that we've been more solid at the back after the additions we've made. Our only clean sheet has come against Fleetwood fucking Town ffs. We were only still leading towards the end of the game thanks to the woodwork, because our defending was atrocious throughout. Leaving players all on their lonesome in our penalty area. Who was with Toney when he headed on to the post? No one. Who was with whoever it was that followed up and hit it over the bar? No one. 

Did we learn? Did we like shite. No one was with the player who initially headed on from the corner and then Iwobi is standing there catching flies as the man closest to him has a fucking tap in to equalise.

I was genuinely expecting us to get better at the back as we played more games but the amount of chances we offered up was disappointing.

To concede from a corner late in the game with Coady, Tarkowski, Keane & Rondon on the pitch is also very poor. Positionally we needed one of those big lads ( probably Rondon ) in the exact area the flick on was won.

There were some moments we looked okay with the ball but 15/20 minutes a game is not good enough. 

Whilst I still Frank is the man for the job he needs more support from the board. Maupay for all his hustle isn’t going to add an abundance of goals to this team.

[Romey 1878]

10 minutes ago, Btay said:

I was genuinely expecting us to get better at the back as we played more games but the amount of chances we offered up was disappointing.

To concede from a corner late in the game with Coady, Tarkowski, Keane & Rondon on the pitch is also very poor. Positionally we needed one of those big lads ( probably Rondon ) in the exact area the flick on was won.

There were some moments we looked okay with the ball but 15/20 minutes a game is not good enough. 

Whilst I still Frank is the man for the job he needs more support from the board. Maupay for all his hustle isn’t going to add an abundance of goals to this team.

I really don't think this this 3 at the back is helping us whatsoever. Tarkowski looks a bit lost playing it and Coady just isn't very good full stop in my opinion. The only CB it has helped is Holgate and now he's injured so we're probably going to be playing 3 very slow CB's in Tark, Coady and Keane. That's a recipe for disaster and Leeds and the shite will rip them apart.

We would look much better 433 I reckon. To make it work though we really need to get Gana or another in.

[Matt]

2 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

I really don't think this this 3 at the back is helping us whatsoever. Tarkowski looks a bit lost playing it and Coady just isn't very good full stop in my opinion. The only CB it has helped is Holgate and now he's injured so we're probably going to be playing 3 very slow CB's in Tark, Coady and Keane. That's a recipe for disaster and Leeds and the shite will rip them apart.

We would look much better 433 I reckon. To make it work though we really need to get Gana or another in.

I'm hoping more a 451 to be honest. 

[Romey 1878]

1 minute ago, Matt said:

I'm hoping more a 451 to be honest. 

I'm not really arsed as long as it's not 3 in that defence. It's fucking shite. The midfield badly needs more support, and having more in there will also then support the defence and forward line.

[Matt]

7 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

I'm not really arsed as long as it's not 3 in that defence. It's fucking shite. The midfield badly needs more support, and having more in there will also then support the defence and forward line.

I agree but still think the defence is suffering from a lack of protection ahead. 2 DCM is needed. Whether we have 2 that are capable is another question entirely. 

[Btay]

14 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

I really don't think this this 3 at the back is helping us whatsoever. Tarkowski looks a bit lost playing it and Coady just isn't very good full stop in my opinion. The only CB it has helped is Holgate and now he's injured so we're probably going to be playing 3 very slow CB's in Tark, Coady and Keane. That's a recipe for disaster and Leeds and the shite will rip them apart.

We would look much better 433 I reckon. To make it work though we really need to get Gana or another in.

I like 3 at the back generally but you really need to right players for it. I don’t think it suits Mykolenko at all and as you mentioned Tarkowski has looked a little bit suspect.

Agree on the 3 man midfield though, we are getting over run in there.

[Palfy]

4 minutes ago, Matt said:

I agree but still think the defence is suffering from a lack of protection ahead. 2 DCM is needed. Whether we have 2 that are capable is another question entirely. 

But 2 DCM’s with a with a back 3 and 2 wing backs results in becoming far to defensive and allows teams to come on to you and results in you camping in your own half, which is good if you have the right players to play on the break, but we don’t. 

[Matt]

56 minutes ago, Palfy said:

But 2 DCM’s with a with a back 3 and 2 wing backs results in becoming far to defensive and allows teams to come on to you and results in you camping in your own half, which is good if you have the right players to play on the break, but we don’t. 

Our most successful periods in the last 15 years have revolved around 451. We showed early last season that on the break we're quite good too. 

[Palfy]

7 hours ago, Matt said:

Our most successful periods in the last 15 years have revolved around 451. We showed early last season that on the break we're quite good too. 

Not playing the 3 at the back then, I was thinking you were on about 2 DCM’s with 3 CD’s so got my wires crossed, but agree in a 451. 

[Bailey]

9 hours ago, Btay said:

I like 3 at the back generally but you really need to right players for it. I don’t think it suits Mykolenko at all and as you mentioned Tarkowski has looked a little bit suspect.

Agree on the 3 man midfield though, we are getting over run in there.

I hate it as I think it takes a lot away from a teams attacking play as it relies on attacking width from the full backs. If you don't have that, all that is left is the counter attack. 

10 hours ago, Wiggytop said:

We clung on for a point, only positive is that it’s more than we came away with last year
I’m not sure Coady and Tarkovski work well together, Tarks was excellent against Chelsea, but last week and yesterday looked clumsy, I wonder if it’s too many leaders now.

I don’t like the 2 in midfield, hopefully that will change with Maupay arriving.

The big difference is that against Chelsea, we just had to sit deep and soak up pressure. Perfect scenario for the type of defender Tarkowski is, and what he has been used to at Burnley. You can see him doing well in the derby because of how we will play. 

In the games since he has been asked to do a lot more than he seems comfortable with and he clearly hasnt adapted just yet. Time will tell. 

[Btay]

11 hours ago, Bailey said:

I hate it as I think it takes a lot away from a teams attacking play as it relies on attacking width from the full backs. If you don't have that, all that is left is the counter attack. 

The big difference is that against Chelsea, we just had to sit deep and soak up pressure. Perfect scenario for the type of defender Tarkowski is, and what he has been used to at Burnley. You can see him doing well in the derby because of how we will play. 

In the games since he has been asked to do a lot more than he seems comfortable with and he clearly hasnt adapted just yet. Time will tell. 

I get you’re point and agree. It only works with the right players and we don’t have them. I don’t think our wingers are technically good enough to provide the link up play with the wing backs. Really hope we go to a 4-3-3 soon.

[Bailey]

2 hours ago, Btay said:

I get you’re point and agree. It only works with the right players and we don’t have them. I don’t think our wingers are technically good enough to provide the link up play with the wing backs. Really hope we go to a 4-3-3 soon.

I hope we do to but I think the times we have used it has led to Lampard shitting the bed a little (like pre-season).

We definitely need more control of the ball and that will come from having more bodies in midfield rather than being outnumbered most games (again because our wing backs are so deep). 

I do worry about our defenders in a back 4. Both fullbacks arent great defensively and therefore have less cover. Coady will struggle for the same reason too. All of them (including Tarkowski, Keane and Holgate) will struggle even more if we start pushing higher up the pitch too. I would expect us to do that if we saw more of the ball by playing more in midfield.

I just think Lampard has set his stall out a little with the players he has brought in and its going to be difficult to move away from that now.