Leeds v Watford: Team/Reports/Ratings

[Twiggster]

League tables NEVER lie.

True Dat!

[weasel]

Mango I'm not saying Hocakday is blameless and not saying he might be making mistakes, however any manager needs time to work out their best team and in just 5 matches Hockaday has had nowhere near enough time especially given the donstant drip of new players to be bedded in. If all the players had have been signed prior to the first pre-seasonmatch for example he could have seen them all in training, all in the friendlies, how they link up, how they are able to communicate with the players next to them etc etc. Take Liam Cooper for example, he was bought and it seemed he was bought to play alongside Pearce, then Belluci is signed, given a 4 year deal, feted as a potential Italian international and as such Hockaday is under pressure to play him likely, as you say, never having seen him play. Smith given a new deal but then another striker is brought in. Beradi bought but to play where etc given that Byram started the 1st league match.

It needs a period of stability where the players and coach can bed in. I don't have a problem with the manager not being in total control of players brought in, this is the continental model and it works on the continent. The major difference here is that it isn't the usual scenario that a dozen new players are brought in in such a small space of time and are brought in to a squad that is already unbalanced and unstable. I agree with you fully though in the example you gave in that we do seem to buying players for positions not needed and neglecting others. Perhaps though in time we will offload some of the bricks that don't fit right and maybe get another door or window in.

Decisions like subbing off Sharp and leaving Antenucci on is a manager's call. Sometimes they work sometimes they don't. Having not really seen either of the m play much my feeling would be that perhaps Antenucci is the quicker and Hockaday felt our best chance of scoring was a breakaway goal wherein the quicker player would be more likely to create a chance for themselves. Maybe Hockaday even thought the game was gone and as such wanted to give Sharp a rest, having started 3 games in a week after no competitive football at all this season, and give Antenucci a chance to get a bit of match fitness/sharpness.

They didn't bother printing league tables in ye olden days until 6 matches were played. At this stage of the season league table can change dramatically. 1 win and instead of being on the fringes of relegation we'd be on the fringes of the play-offs.

[Martyn]

What are you smoking weasel? One win would give us 6 points from 5 games, nowhere near the fringes of the playoffs. I know your perspective is different, but this is a poor side with no direction. The only hope is that there are three worse sides in the division, and I'm not sure that is true.

[theleedsmango]

Good points, well made, Weasel.

I would think with Cooper coming up a league, and the fact that we only had 2 CBs at the time, he would have been aware that there may be other centre backs coming in and he would have to fight for a place. My strategy would always be that if a player is playing well in a position, you don't take him out until he loses form. For that reason, and others including fitness and not being used to the tactics, I would have started with Bellusci and Antenucci on the bench. But as you said, he's probably under pressure to play these new signings.

Also, I have no doubt that if we didn't play the new signings and we still got beat, then there would be people calling for his head for not playing the new signings. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

I do however think for this to work the Coach/Manager, whether that's Hock or someone else, needs to have an input on the signings and not be afraid to challenge Cellinos decisions. The rumoured signings, our current squad and our recent games all point to us playing a 4-4-2 diamond. The results show that (a) the diamond formation will struggle in this league and that (b) we might not have signed the right players for formation.

Time will tell. I think we'd all be a lot happier if results and game style were showing signs of progressing. Or if we'd a manager that had success getting the formation to work (Van Gaal, as an example, is having a difficult time getting the 3-5-2 off the ground, but is getting little abuse because people know that he has got it to work in the past).

[weasel]

What are you smoking weasel? One win would give us 6 points from 5 games, nowhere near the fringes of the playoffs. I know your perspective is different, but this is a poor side with no direction. The only hope is that there are three worse sides in the division, and I'm not sure that is true.

I meant a win instead of one of our defeats i.e. 6pts from 4 matches.

[weasel]

Definitely the damned if u do, damned if u dont. I'd have liked to have seem more of Benandicic for example as if we are to pass well then I have serious doubts over last season's midfield players ability to do it.

If Hockaday was in charge of MU they'd be clamouring for his head, the same as they were with Moyes, 'cos he'd never won anything.' LVG will be given time despite a sh*t start because he has a largely over inflated reputation. Some Managers are on a hiding to nothing from the start as fans don't want them. Others such as Neil Warnock, Terry Venables and Harry Redknapp seem to keep a lofty reputation as the sh*t simply doesn't stick and people ignore their many failings.

[Norm]

weasel wrote:
..........................
If Hockaday was in charge of MU they'd be clamouring for his head, the same as they were with Moyes, 'cos he'd never won anything.' LVG will be given time despite a sh*t start because he has a largely over inflated reputation. Some Managers are on a hiding to nothing from the start as fans don't want them. Others such as Neil Warnock, Terry Venables and Harry Redknapp seem to keep a lofty reputation as the sh*t simply doesn't stick and people ignore their many failings.

[1964white]

Definitely the damned if u do, damned if u dont. I'd have liked to have seem more of Benandicic for example as if we are to pass well then I have serious doubts over last season's midfield players ability to do it.

If Hockaday was in charge of MU they'd be clamouring for his head, the same as they were with Moyes, 'cos he'd never won anything.' LVG will be given time despite a sh*t start because he has a largely over inflated reputation. Some Managers are on a hiding to nothing from the start as fans don't want them. Others such as Neil Warnock, Terry Venables and Harry Redknapp seem to keep a lofty reputation as the sh*t simply doesn't stick and people ignore their many failings.

Spot on Weasel

[Martyn]

Standard straw-man 4th form debating technique, invent a nonsensical situation (MU appointing Hockaday) and argue against it. Still, it keeps the disciples happy.

Let's try criticising Cellino for not appointing Mourinho shall we?

[HarryofOz]

My favourite argument is that if we were winning games instead of losing we'd be doing better.

[Martyn]

Insightful stuff isn't it?