01 Feb 2024 16:59:27
Naturally, a lot of disappointment on the site after a chastening defeat. The discourse regarding Poch's position seems to be going way over the top.
The performance was diabolical in the first half in particular, but this is a very young team that has been ravaged by injuries. Same as it was last week, and will be in the next. Young players are inconsistent, so a team full of young players will naturally also be very up and down.
I guess I'd say why would last night change your opinion over any other result we have had this season?
We are currently a mid-table team. I'd say that based on the way we have played, and various statistics suggest this, we could be anywhere between the 5th and 8th best team. Liverpool are top of the league, they've lost 1 game all season. I didn't expect us to get anything out of this game.
And while I think we would have lost last night regardless, there were two absolute stonewall penalties turned down somehow. Sometimes you just lose to a better team, that's football.
01 Feb 2024 17:04:43
RBD, nicely balanced post. Most enjoyable.
01 Feb 2024 18:22:44
RBD, exactly. As I said the teams we have beaten are mostly bottom half of the table clubs: we are a mid-table club: so last night’s result is no suprise. That is the problem though: how did we end up as mid-table mediocrity so quickly?
01 Feb 2024 18:28:07
RBD
Poch's tactics are far to negative and pedestrian and dare I say it boring.
He persits in playing wingers where our CF's should be and CH's where our FB's should be.
The tactics are chalk and cheese from pre season and the first game of the season vs Liverpool.
How we went from those performance's to last night's is beyond me and sadly we probably could all see it coming.
To sum up, Poch does not appear to be the coach to take the team forward and I would not be surprised if he goes in the summer, if not before depending on future results.
01 Feb 2024 18:58:58
Bill, a lot of the Poch decisions have been driven by injuries.
Sterling looked outstanding with James behind him early in the season.
Chilly and Cucarella injured plus wanting more height in defence led to Colwill playing as a LB.
Nkunku coming back from injury, Broja not match fit or sharp and Jackson at AFCON hasn’t helped.
Even whe players like Enzo struggled we had no natural replacement available again due to injuries.
At one stage we had thirteen first team players out injured. We had three goalkeepers on the bench in one game along with a load of kids.
I hate making excuses but there are some things we have to take into account.
01 Feb 2024 19:50:46
Tom
I know we have had horrendous injuries and I have been pne of those who cannot understand as a club why this is following on from last seasons injury record.
That said, we had IM to put in as LB but didn't and indeed he is now playing for Dotlrtmund.
We have three strikers, one who is constantly injured, another just going out on loan to Fulham and Jackson. If Nkunku gets injured again we arexback to playing wingers upfront. Great decision to send Broja out on loan. not.
The reasonm I'm on Poch's back apart from playing players out of position and continually picking Sterling, is the negative tactics and the slow build up play, its do boring.
01 Feb 2024 20:05:02
Bill in comparison to watching the second season TT team Thai is like watching Real Madrid.!
01 Feb 2024 20:14:03
Tom
I have not watched Real Madrid this season, have they got that bad?
01 Feb 2024 20:38:06
The TT second season performances were a total durge! But I take your point.!