Greenlizard0 Weekend Football Thread ** spoilers ** [16th - 21st October 2015]

Hahah.

I was watching on NBCS or something and at the start of the match they where ****ging off Newcastle for having that sports psychologist on the pitch during the warmup.

I say we give him a full time job in the dugout!!
 
I said it a few weeks ago and was mocked but I'll say it again.

We had a horrible start to the season fixture wise, we were not playing all that badly (Watford game being the exception) so I'm not surprised we got a good win. Had muppet pundits saying we were bad, we were not brilliant but with an extremely difficult run of fixtures and a new manager no wonder we started slow. We have brought in decent players and despite still desperately needing to replace Colo and a real decent DM we are in good enough shape. I still don't plreally rate McLaren but I'll happily be proven wrong. The derby next week is an exception, but with a run of "easier" games upcoming we should climb clear of relegation.
 
Our front 4 can hurt any team. It's our CMs and back 4 that is the issue. We're still better coaching and 2-3 signings away from safety. Need a creative holding mid badly (lol Cabaye) and an actual DM. Colo needs to fall off a cliff and Janmaat needs to get his **** together. Maybe he's not 100% fit.
 
I didn't think Newcastle were that good. I thought Norwich were pretty terrible, especially so in defence but still managed to look dangerous against Newcastle.

Newcastle weren't brilliant, but found Wijnaldum and Pérez in good form and they stood out so much in what is quite a poor side.
 
Norwich in defence were, wow, honestly if any game makes you think matches get thrown in england that is it. Despite getting caught on the break constantly they stayed exceptionally, stupidly high up the pitch, pushed both fullbacks way up and both CBs were way up the pitch. Then on the break they consistently ignored the other guys running, focused 100% on the ball and rather than move closer to the guys who would receive the passes they left them in so much space it was nuts.

Newcastle still did well, lots of strikers would have missed a few of those chances but then they got a lucky deflection as well. Defensively they weren't good.

I forget where I saw it but the average position of the Norwich team was insane. You generally see the average position the CBs had when looking at Barcelona in a game they've had 70% of which half of that is camped out just infront of the opposition penalty box. A team that has conceded 3 you would never see set up like that.

I think more than anything Norwich set up as if they could be Newcastle 10-0 if they just went ultra offensive and they failed to adapt to another formation when Newcastle got through so easily. A single defensive minded player in midfield and they subbed him for another very attacking player.

It was one of the single most inept managerial performances in the history of the league. They setup to not defend at all and got thrashed because of it. Seriously one of the strangest performances I've seen in the league.

EDIT:-

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/gamecast/422581/gamecast.html

If you look under tactical formation there is an average position option for both sides. Norwich's CBs were just outside the centre circle and both fullbacks average position was well into the opposition half.

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/gamecast/422575/gamecast.html

With Arsenal, lets say a ridiculously better team who could reasonably expect to batter Watford our CBs were 10+ yards deeper, one of the fullbacks in our own half and Bellerin not as far forward as Norwich's RB.

It's fine pushing people forward and Norwich looked good enough in the second half till conceding again, but they left two of not the fastest CBs way too far forward, the fullbacks too far forward to use their pace to cover the counter attacks. They were begging to be hit in behind and lost because of that one issue. CBs encroaching on the central midfield's area of the pitch leaving far far too much space in behind them. Tactically it was embarrassingly poor.
 
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Yup, Hughes is doing a good job, to go from the pulis era to this with the attacking lineup we've now got is no small feat, just need them to start clicking together. If you take into account that we've lost the spine of last years side with begivic and nzonzi going and shawcross being out all season so far were doing okay. Need someone to dominate the midfield more though..
 
More of a feat because his spend total and net was ridiculously small in the first two years. The football itself is so much better to watch, the results are improved and he's done it with far less money spent. Okay he's spent more this year but still done fantastic value business.
 
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