It's deja vu, all over again!

[marbelladave]

Watford was the one genuinely bad performance against a high placed side last season, Pearson tinkered with the formation and it didn't work at all, he should stick to what he knows and the players know best, however rigid it might be (I don't think it is if we swap wingers or move a striker around).

 

Not true, we were just as bad against Palace a week or two earlier, Leeds away and one or two others, perhaps not the very top sides but good enough to see us off.

 

As I said earlier, let's have this discussion tomorrow.

Big game tomorrow IMO. Not points-wise of course, but psychologically.

Can we get this monkey off our back of going to away teams who play passing football and not getting a result?

I've just been chatting with my son who's going tomorrow to the game, from Uni. He agrees, tomorrow's game may well be some sort of yardstick as to how we are progressing. We both concurred that the team is looking more solid... We are difficult to beat. But have we got the minerals to play away from home and consistently not get turned over? We'll see because the next run of games will be tough uns.

 

Exactly, not just the result but the performance is crucial in my view.

[LCCFox96]

The decline won't happen this season. We might have one or two sticky patches for around 3 games but won't hit free fall like last year. The squad is more united this year and we have added some experience in the likes of wasyl, Hammond and GTF which could be key in the tough winter games when we need to grind out a result. Should be in for some more 2-1's in the coming months

[MooseBreath]

Big test tomorrow. We don't look anywhere near as dynamic and dangerous as we did last season. We've scraped by rather than properly beating teams. What that means for tomorrow is anyone's guess. Might mean we've got more in the tank to raise our game. Could equally mean we're ripe to take a bit of a hammering. Anything could happen.

[Thracian]

Only those blinded by devotion could imagine that don't have stacks of room for improvement despite our promising start. But that, in some ways, is a good thing because Pearson should surely recognise it and use every example to keep our players fully focused on cutting the crap.

 

What heartens me most is that we're second in the table - the lowest position we really want to be - after playing sometimes indifferent football yet with a team that can definitely get better in countless ways.

 

Yes, there have been some notable pluses including some seemingly good value signings, the notable emergence of Vardy as a real positive, the greater influence and consistency of Drinkwater  and more depth to our options in midfield.

 

But the Fulham game exposed some awful flaws too and better teams wiill exploit them if they're not rectified.

Kasper's having a worrying spell. Yes, he still makes some inspired saves but some of his decision-making has been seriously flawed and rather too often for comfort. 

 

For me we still down close down with enough conviction or with regard to the runners either at the time we lose the ball or in midfield when we allow teams to come on to us too readily - a big flaw even last season. This is because there is often tooo big a gap between our midfield and our defence, a sure sign that we're afraid of being exposed.

 

Then there is Knockaert and his utter naivity when operating as a defender. For all his unquestioned talent he simply fails to recognise when it is the time and place to retain possession rather than to take people on.

 

Make no mistake Pearson is doing a good job and more especially on the resources available and most of all has mended so much of what Sven left broken as he wasted money like the Labour Party in full flow.

 

I still see mistakes but I don't see anything like the number of weaknesses in our side and my greatest concern is contained in Marbella Dave's comment referring to Pearson's natural caution and his inclination not to press and advantage and keep imposing our own game on proceedings.

 

Some of the games to come, including today's will show whether he can eliminate that flaw - and whether our strength in depth is quite sufficient to sustain our momentum.        

[Col city fan]

Only those blinded by devotion could imagine that don't have stacks of room for improvement despite our promising start. But that, in some ways, is a good thing because Pearson should surely recognise it and use every example to keep our players fully focused on cutting the crap.

What heartens me most is that we're second in the table - the lowest position we really want to be - after playing sometimes indifferent football yet with a team that can definitely get better in countless ways.

Yes, there have been some notable pluses including some seemingly good value signings, the notable emergence of Vardy as a real positive, the greater influence and consistency of Drinkwater and more depth to our options in midfield.

But the Fulham game exposed some awful flaws too and better teams wiill exploit them if they're not rectified.

Kasper's having a worrying spell. Yes, he still makes some inspired saves but some of his decision-making has been seriously flawed and rather too often for comfort.

For me we still down close down with enough conviction or with regard to the runners either at the time we lose the ball or in midfield when we allow teams to come on to us too readily - a big flaw even last season. This is because there is often tooo big a gap between our midfield and our defence, a sure sign that we're afraid of being exposed.

Then there is Knockaert and his utter naivity when operating as a defender. For all his unquestioned talent he simply fails to recognise when it is the time and place to retain possession rather than to take people on.

Make no mistake Pearson is doing a good job and more especially on the resources available and most of all has mended so much of what Sven left broken as he wasted money like the Labour Party in full flow.

I still see mistakes but I don't see anything like the number of weaknesses in our side and my greatest concern is contained in Marbella Dave's comment referring to Pearson's natural caution and his inclination not to press and advantage and keep imposing our own game on proceedings.

Some of the games to come, including today's will show whether he can eliminate that flaw - and whether our strength in depth is quite sufficient to sustain our momentum.

Good post Thrac, but I continue to disagree with yourself and Marbella on the last part.

Some teams in this division will not allow us to 'impose our proceedings' on the game, especially away from home. There are two teams that play in every game. We cannot expect to go to certain venues, Watford included, and somehow have the right to 'play our natural game'.... They simply will not let us! They themselves will be wanting to stamp their own authority on how the game is played and tactically set-up.

No..... This is Pearson's biggest test. Forget ability, passion and a desire to win..... That's present in this squad. But has Nige got the tactical ability to set us up to start controlling games away from home? You know my take on this. Pack the midfield, run, harry, tackle, get at em, soak up pressure, then use our pace to hit on the counter-attack. I'd get 5 across the middle to do exactly this. I very much hope that Pearson doesn't stick to type and put out a 4-4-2 today, with King and Drinkwater in the centre. We would be too exposed and, I think, we'd lose.

[_Fatboyslow_]

Well that's that one well and truly sorted

[svensson]

Good post Thrac, but I continue to disagree with yourself and Marbella on the last part.

Some teams in this division will not allow us to 'impose our proceedings' on the game, especially away from home. There are two teams that play in every game. We cannot expect to go to certain venues, Watford included, and somehow have the right to 'play our natural game'.... They simply will not let us! They themselves will be wanting to stamp their own authority on how the game is played and tactically set-up.

No..... This is Pearson's biggest test. Forget ability, passion and a desire to win..... That's present in this squad. But has Nige got the tactical ability to set us up to start controlling games away from home? You know my take on this. Pack the midfield, run, harry, tackle, get at em, soak up pressure, then use our pace to hit on the counter-attack. I'd get 5 across the middle to do exactly this. I very much hope that Pearson doesn't stick to type and put out a 4-4-2 today, with King and Drinkwater in the centre. We would be too exposed and, I think, we'd lose.

Glad you aren't in management.

[Col city fan]

Glad you aren't in management.

That's too easy to post after today isn't it.

Though today was great, I'd still do what I said.

[Dickov22]

Only those blinded by devotion could imagine that don't have stacks of room for improvement despite our promising start. But that, in some ways, is a good thing because Pearson should surely recognise it and use every example to keep our players fully focused on cutting the crap.

 

What heartens me most is that we're second in the table - the lowest position we really want to be - after playing sometimes indifferent football yet with a team that can definitely get better in countless ways.

 

Yes, there have been some notable pluses including some seemingly good value signings, the notable emergence of Vardy as a real positive, the greater influence and consistency of Drinkwater  and more depth to our options in midfield.

 

But the Fulham game exposed some awful flaws too and better teams wiill exploit them if they're not rectified.

Kasper's having a worrying spell. Yes, he still makes some inspired saves but some of his decision-making has been seriously flawed and rather too often for comfort. 

 

For me we still down close down with enough conviction or with regard to the runners either at the time we lose the ball or in midfield when we allow teams to come on to us too readily - a big flaw even last season. This is because there is often tooo big a gap between our midfield and our defence, a sure sign that we're afraid of being exposed.

 

Then there is Knockaert and his utter naivity when operating as a defender. For all his unquestioned talent he simply fails to recognise when it is the time and place to retain possession rather than to take people on.

 

Make no mistake Pearson is doing a good job and more especially on the resources available and most of all has mended so much of what Sven left broken as he wasted money like the Labour Party in full flow.

 

I still see mistakes but I don't see anything like the number of weaknesses in our side and my greatest concern is contained in Marbella Dave's comment referring to Pearson's natural caution and his inclination not to press and advantage and keep imposing our own game on proceedings.

 

Some of the games to come, including today's will show whether he can eliminate that flaw - and whether our strength in depth is quite sufficient to sustain our momentum.

What a crap post.

[marbelladave]

That's too easy to post after today isn't it.

Though today was great, I'd still do what I said.

 

Home nice and early today, just watched the rugger in 'chasing playback'.

 

The big thing about today was not the result, great though the 3 points are, but the performance.

 

Unlike so many games last season, we come up against one of the better sides in the division and take them on and play our 'natural' game. Not only that, but we did not go on the back foot when we went in front, and that made a huge difference, very impressed today.

[svensson]

That's too easy to post after today isn't it.

Though today was great, I'd still do what I said.

Not at all, it relates to the majority of your posts. To quick to tell pearson what he should be doing.

[Col city fan]

Not at all, it relates to the majority of your posts. To quick to tell pearson what he should be doing.

Yep.

And I'd still play the extra man in midfield away from home. Today is one game, granted a good game for us. But that doesn't belie how we have been turned over in away games both last season and indeed this one.

Try to put your own views on something, rather than simply knocking someone who does. As I said, that's too easy.

Try a little harder.

[Col city fan]

Home nice and early today, just watched the rugger in 'chasing playback'.

The big thing about today was not the result, great though the 3 points are, but the performance.

Unlike so many games last season, we come up against one of the better sides in the division and take them on and play our 'natural' game. Not only that, but we did not go on the back foot when we went in front, and that made a huge difference, very impressed today.

?

Didn't Pearson bring off Wood and introduce Hammond when he saw they were having that good spell? After about 55 mins (ish).

Then we went to five in the middle didn't we. Nige did exactly what I thought he should do Dave.

[Corky]

Home nice and early today, just watched the rugger in 'chasing playback'.

 

The big thing about today was not the result, great though the 3 points are, but the performance.

 

Unlike so many games last season, we come up against one of the better sides in the division and take them on and play our 'natural' game. Not only that, but we did not go on the back foot when we went in front, and that made a huge difference, very impressed today.

 

Totally agree, we set up to play how we want and not how the opposition want us to play.

 

Our best performance of the season by a way.

[inckley fox]

Brilliant day. We have over a third of the points we'll need to go up automatically, with less than a third of the season gone. If we win against Forest then, with 35 points, we'll be in a curious position - because if, in the upcoming 31 games, we get the same number of points as we accumulated in our first 15, we'll almost certainly be in the play-offs.

 

I remember feeling quite positive in an odd way after that Watford game back in May, as if something had changed with the Forest game and the future was still bright. This isn't to say that I deserve any credit for thinking this (after all, I thought there may have been a case for Pearson being fired before that Forest game, depending on the funds at our disposal and the availability of O'Neill - so what do I know?!) but there's a beautiful sense of resolution tonight.

[Thracian]

?

Didn't Pearson bring off Wood and introduce Hammond when he saw they were having that good spell? After about 55 mins (ish).

Then we went to five in the middle didn't we. Nige did exactly what I thought he should do Dave.

 

?

Didn't Pearson bring off Wood and introduce Hammond when he saw they were having that good spell? After about 55 mins (ish).

Then we went to five in the middle didn't we. Nige did exactly what I thought he should do Dave.

 

Yes, he did and it made a big difference at a time when they were starting to carve out far too many chances for comfort  - and good ones at that.