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OMT *** Tottenham Hotspur v woolwich *** 22.2.26

We were genuinely awful yesterday, no patterns of play or anything. Could barely string 2 passes together, it was actually embarrassing how easily they ran rings round us without even trying.

We could very well go down on that evidence, I've not actually watched us much this season but if it's been as bad as that every week then it makes hanging onto Frank even worse.

There was no fight or grit at all, it's a derby yet no one wanted to put in any big tackles, take a yellow for the team etc - we need a miracle from somewhere.
 
Refereeing was absolutely abject from start to finish and, unsurprisingly, we were outclassed from start to finish. That's why I wished they'd waited until after that game to get someone in. It's not an ordinary game and we were never going to beat them under these circumstances. Anyway...

On the plus side, the players did show some fighting spirit to come back twice.

Now, on the minus side... where to start? Vicario has reached Rene Higuita-levels of craziness. He either stick to his lines even when the ball is three yards away or he just randomly comes out way outside of his box. We're stuck with him until June now but we really need a new keeper.

We can't play on the back foot. We will get at least one suicidal pass per game. I'm not sure implementing a back three was the best move for that game, but Tudor needs to test his system with the players at his disposal. I just hope they didn't give up on him the same way they gave up on Frank after the first NLD.

The team is very poor but the players are also very low on confidence. We need a lucky shot or facing a team equally low on confidence to get back on track. I don't know what's next if we lose again against Fulham next week. At least, Muani seems to be interested in playing for Tudor, which is an improvement on what we had before.
 
stratnumberone said:
We were massively outclassed yesterday.

What worries me is that they seemed more up for it and fresher than us. I’m pretty sure they’d played THREE times since our last game.

Having now seen back our second goal I have to say that yet again the officials were appalling. I thought they were poor all game actually. Several times their defenders played the man rather than the ball and every time the ref allowed it. Meanwhile every time Saka fell over it was FK.

But it’s the key decisions in key moments that are killing us. We had the hilarity of Eze’s offside goal being given in the away match (to make it 2-0) and now today that abomination of a decision by Bankes to keep the score at 1-2.

I’m not saying that either decision would’ve made a difference (it’s actually fairly unlikely) but the simple facts are that ‘goals change games’ and the officials are consistently putting us on the wrong side of these decisions. Contrast the disallowed goal yesterday with Ekitike pushing Romero for Liverpool’s winner and I think it shows a lot. Abysmal as we are, it’s simply impossible to contend with having to ‘beat’ the officials as well.

I’m amazed how many people think there’s no chance that we can go down.
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It happens to us because we let it happen.

If this was Liverpool or Arsenal or Emirates Marketing Project or Man Utd then they would be going on about the injustice of it in the press for weeks. We just let it slide. Just as with Dele’s extended ban that we just rolled over and took. Same with being forced to play a match with half the 18 man squad having a vomiting virus instead of standing up for ourselves and our player’s welfare. We are a soft touch and refs know it. It is easy to err on the side of the opposition against us because we take our medicine without complaint.

As for relegation. It is a coin toss now I’d say
 
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P.D. said:
We were genuinely awful yesterday, no patterns of play or anything. Could barely string 2 passes together, it was actually embarrassing how easily they ran rings round us without even trying.

We could very well go down on that evidence, I've not actually watched us much this season but if it's been as bad as that every week then it makes hanging onto Frank even worse.

There was no fight or grit at all, it's a derby yet no one wanted to put in any big tackles, take a yellow for the team etc - we need a miracle from somewhere.
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Yes it has been that bad and often far worse. That was about 30% better than the home performance against Chelsea for example.
 
Abysmal recruitement + Abysmal medical team + lower tier managers = where we are now

I don't think there'll be a new manager bounce because, unlike Manchester United, we don't have quality players and the few decent players we have have been on the shelf for weeks/months which means - assuming they don't get injured the minute they come back - they'll take some time to get back into shape.

We really need to beat the few teams that are as poor as we are. Hopefully, that'll be enough. Getting Romero back should also help, assuming he gets his act together.
 
Mr Gogolak said:
Abysmal recruitement + Abysmal medical team + lower tier managers = where we are now

I don't think there'll be a new manager bounce because, unlike Manchester United, we don't have quality players and the few decent players we have have been on the shelf for weeks/months which means - assuming they don't get injured the minute they come back - they'll take some time to get back into shape.

We really need to beat the few teams that are as poor as we are. Hopefully, that'll be enough. Getting Romero back should also help, assuming he gets his act together.
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I remember I used to absolutely despise the woeful duo of Sissoko and Winks. It used to have me almost poking my own eyes out they were so bad, but it does have to be said no matter how crazy it sounds; that pairing is better than anything we put out together this season. Which is crazy because that was a relegation quality pairing and yet now we are somehow worse, much worse.
 
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All we can do is take one game at a time. Fulham are a good team and we need to be ready.

Tudor can only work what he has available. Romero isn't available until mid March but Porro likely back. I think my Fulham line-up would be

Vic
Gray, Palhinha, VDV
Porro, Gallagher, Biss, Sarr, Souza
Solanke, Simons

Keep Dragusin, Spence, Muani, Richi and Tel back on the bench.

It's a big call on Archie but I do think we need to commit to Tudor's tactics with the RCB and LCB. I also think we need lefties and righties in the wide areas.
 
Muttley said:
All we can do is take one game at a time. Fulham are a good team and we need to be ready.

Tudor can only work what he has available. Romero isn't available until mid March but Porro likely back. I think my Fulham line-up would be

Vic
Gray, Palhinha, VDV
Porro, Gallagher, Biss, Sarr, Souza
Solanke, Simons

Keep Dragusin, Spence, Muani, Richi and Tel back on the bench.

It's a big call on Archie but I do think we need to commit to Tudor's tactics with the RCB and LCB. I also think we need lefties and righties in the wide areas.
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I’d have Archie in there above Biss, who (no matter how desperate we are) should never have played for us again. Otherwise that’s what I’d go with.
 
Mikey10 said:
I’d have Archie in there above Biss, who (no matter how desperate we are) should never have played for us again. Otherwise that’s what I’d go with.
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Who would you play in defence instead if Archie? As he can’t play two positions in same match.

I think I would want us to play two strikers. And Xavi just off of them. I would play a back 4, as Dragusin isn’t up to it, and Palhinha is our best defensive midfielder so we need him in midfield. I think I’d have Byfield partner VDV at central defence.
 
Muttley said:
All we can do is take one game at a time. Fulham are a good team and we need to be ready.

Tudor can only work what he has available. Romero isn't available until mid March but Porro likely back. I think my Fulham line-up would be

Vic
Gray, Palhinha, VDV
Porro, Gallagher, Biss, Sarr, Souza
Solanke, Simons

Keep Dragusin, Spence, Muani, Richi and Tel back on the bench.

It's a big call on Archie but I do think we need to commit to Tudor's tactics with the RCB and LCB. I also think we need lefties and righties in the wide areas.
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I hate 3 at the back and I don't think its ever going to work here and especially not with this group of players. Its such a specific system that requires non rounded player attributes, I just dont see it. Even if we had a 100% fit squad I still dont see how we put together a cohesive side, too many of our "better" players don't really fit although thats less of a worry given the majority of them are unavailable.

-----------------------Vic
----------Dans-----Palhina--------VDV
Porro-----------------------------------------Souza
-----------Bissouma---------Gallagher
--------------------Simmons
-------------Solanke----------Muani


You could swap Palahina for Gallagher but I think i'd task Bissouma with getting the ball forward centrally and hope that his partner can cover for him if he loses the ball. Either way i'm convinced, this side seriously lacks width and quality there if those WBs aren't able to effect the game.

Edit: forgot Romero is still suspended. In that case i'd have Pahinha or Dragusin in defence and Danso moving over to central positioned defender.
 
Muttley said:
All we can do is take one game at a time. Fulham are a good team and we need to be ready.

Tudor can only work what he has available. Romero isn't available until mid March but Porro likely back. I think my Fulham line-up would be

Vic
Gray, Palhinha, VDV
Porro, Gallagher, Biss, Sarr, Souza
Solanke, Simons

Keep Dragusin, Spence, Muani, Richi and Tel back on the bench.

It's a big call on Archie but I do think we need to commit to Tudor's tactics with the RCB and LCB. I also think we need lefties and righties in the wide areas.
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At the moment, what's in the players' heads is as important as what you see on the training pitch. Putting Muani back on the bench after his performance against Arsenal is a difficult choice.

I'd swap one of Bissouma or Sarr (depending on their attitude) for Muani, assuming he can play off Solanke.

I haven't been impressed with Gallagher at all since we signed him but his stats at other clubs indicate he might bring something to the team. Still think he'd be better off playing deeper than he did against Arsenal.

Our passing is incredibly poor and whoever is responsible for building that squad should be fired as soon as possible. I agree with @Finney Is Back, relegation is a coin toss at the moment. Much will depend on the other teams around us.
 
Finney Is Back said:
Yes it has been that bad and often far worse. That was about 30% better than the home performance against Chelsea for example.
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Ouch at least all games left are against worse teams and we should start getting some players back - I believe Porro is back for Fulham and Romero will be back for Palace.
 
braineclipse said:
I thought we looked up for it yesterday. We just weren't good enough to really compete. We were second best by a long distance, but the fight and intensity for me was there.

We're severely disjointed mainly because of injuries and imo as a result of having spent most of this season not working on having an attacking game of our own outside of set pieces. We tried to make up for that with effort and fight, but up against a team who themselves were also very much up for it that's not enough to make up for the difference in quality.
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Yes the injuries are horrendous. The lack of recruits in January was a massive gamble that has and will backfire on us.
The squad we have available for me are not good enough to beat anyone in the PL sadly.
 
Welshspur60 said:
Hope your right. They are playing well and showing they are up for it. Unlike us .
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West Ham have three things in their favour over us

Nuno - Knows what to do in the situation
Players - they seem to give a damn and are all fighting and pulling in the same direction
Summerville - they have a player who on current form can win them a game on his own.
 
braineclipse said:
Biss was one of our better players yesterday I thought, particularly in the first half.
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Bishop said:
I thought he was our best player period.
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Form me, his performance levels are irrelevant. It’s about signalling to the squad what is acceptable.

The culture looks a mess to me at the minute (I didn’t notice yesterday, but apparently VDV was ignoring Tudor’s direction to press further up the pitch on a number of occasions), it’s a big part of why I fear we are going to really struggle to avoid relegation now, and we’ve arrived there partly through not dealing with internal discipline in the right way imo.
 
The overload on our left side seemed to me to be similar to the overload which Saudi Sportswashing Machine created on our left side, with players like Spence not knowing where to be, which player to mark. If I was the Fulham manager, I'd aim to repeat it against us...
 
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