Lessons learned from first game

[ClaretinBudapest]

Ekdal needs to be shipped out on loan again.He is like a statue in the middle of the defence-far too slow for the PL.
Laurent should not start.He is too slow and sloppy with the ball.
Broja needs to be playing-this game would have been closer if we had somebody on the pitch who can put the ball in the onion bag.
Foster for all his running is never going to be a force in the PL.Admitted he was on a hiding to nothing today with the way we were set up.
Anthony carried on where he left off in the Championship-some nice touches and great work rate but cannot score to save his life.
Sonne looks out of his depth in the PL.
Dobravka had a good debut.All three goals were not his fault and made some good saves.
Esteve did ok back in the PL.
Kyle Walker was a class act.
Hannibal looks ok in this league.
Hartman was at fault with the second goal and looked a bit lightweight.
Cullen was Cullen.
This match showcased exactly what the PL is about.Spuds had 2 half chances and put them away with a world class striker.We had more chances but fluffed them all.You cannot do that in the PL.Yes, we looked competitive for large portions of the match with some tidy build up play but like last season we have little or no firepower up front.Unless we get Broja fit and on the pitch and another proven striker then we are in for a very long season.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Cannon fodder on this showing. Sonne, Ekdal, Laurent, Cullen & Foster are nowhere near good enough for the EPL. My bubble is already burst.

[FromTheDarkness]

Ekdal needs to be shipped out on loan again.He is like a statue in the middle of the defence-far too slow for the PL.
Laurent should not start.He is too slow and sloppy with the ball.
Broja needs to be playing-this game would have been closer if we had somebody on the pitch who can put the ball in the onion bag.
Foster for all his running is never going to be a force in the PL.Admitted he was on a hiding to nothing today with the way we were set up.
Anthony carried on where he left off in the Championship-some nice touches and great work rate but cannot score to save his life.
Sonne looks out of his depth in the PL.
Dobravka had a good debut.All three goals were not his fault and made some good saves.
Esteve did ok back in the PL.
Kyle Walker was a class act.
Hannibal looks ok in this league.
Hartman was at fault with the second goal and looked a bit lightweight.
Cullen was Cullen.
This match showcased exactly what the PL is about.Spuds had 2 half chances and put them away with a world class striker.We had more chances but fluffed them all.You cannot do that in the PL.Yes, we looked competitive for large portions of the match with some tidy build up play but like last season we have little or no firepower up front.Unless we get Broja fit and on the pitch and another proven striker then we are in for a very long season.

Cullen was Cullen - gave the ball away and danced around, for the first goal - he was at fault for that goal.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

You hope that individual players can just step up to the next level, but on this showing no chance. Can a fit and firing Broja really make that much of a difference?

[ClaretinBudapest]

Cullen was Cullen - gave the ball away and danced around, for the first goal - he was at fault for that goal.

That is what I meant FTD.Making Cullen the captain was a mistake in my opinion.The only real leader we have at the moment is Kyle Walker.

[army88]

You hope that individual players can just step up to the next level, but on this showing no chance. Can a fit and firing Broja really make that much of a difference?

Goals win games and we flatter to deceive

We played alright in patches but we can’t - don’t shoot even when we’re encouraged to by the opposition.

On today’s showing I’d say from Parker’s point of view pick the strongest 11 to start even if they’re not quite good enough - after today loyalty is gone and he should start his best team.

If he thinks some of them that started today are up to it - he’s wrong.

[Supersub6]

Cullen was Cullen - gave the ball away and danced around, for the first goal - he was at fault for that goal.

Esteve was at faut for the first goal because he tried to play football out of defence and made a very poor pass which resulted in us losing the ball. Cullen almost won it back by getting a foot in, however the run of the ball went Kudus's way and, just as he did at the Turf two seasons ago, he set up the goal.
Esteve puts it in row Z or way down the park, they don't score.

[FromTheDarkness]

Esteve was at faut for the first goal because he tried to play football out of defence and made a very poor pass which resulted in us losing the ball. Cullen almost won it back by getting a foot in, however the run of the ball went Kudus's way and, just as he did at the Turf two seasons ago, he set up the goal.
Esteve puts it in row Z or way down the park, they don't score.

https://youtu.be/TcLANlqFSow

Looks Like Cullen is ****e to me, nothing to do with Esteve playing a ball 5 mins prior

[army88]

https://youtu.be/TcLANlqFSow

Looks Like Cullen is ****e to me, nothing to do with Esteve playing a ball 5 mins prior

Bit of both for me Darkness , however what I would say is Cullen does well to a point and then decides to let Kudos run when he should imo of brought him down - last times lessons don?t let ball be delivered into the 6 yard box un opposed as it usually results in conceding goals especially when your centre back isn?t even looking at who he?s marking he?s watching kudos deliver it On a plate for rcharlison. ( horrible human being )

2nds a wotrldy but he got 5 yards again and 3rd were asleep and Johnson is already running -

We had weak links in 3-4 positions and we ended up paying the ultimate price as teams just do not allow you to get away with that - and just like previous if you don?t take your chances and hit the target when it?s there games quickly get out of reach.

[outwoodclaret]

On the showing v Spurs the team can be improved in three key areas. Tuanzebe, Beyer or Humphreys should come in to defence when fit. Ugochukwu should start in midfield and Broja up front with Tchaouna.
.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I honestly cannot see where any type of goal is going to come from. Foster might do well at a "Headless Chicken Dance", Anthony misses too many good chances, Hannibal is a good midfielder but can't hit a barn door, Esteve is a good centre-back but forget him as a goal threat. It makes you realise just how much Brownhill contributed on the goal front.

I know it was only game one but we are already overwhelming favourites to go back down and I can't argue with that. Good luck Scotty lad, because you are going to need it.

[ClaretinBudapest]

On reflection,for me it was all very reminiscent of 2 seasons ago.3-0 defeat but to a team not as good as Man City.Once again many of the players looked like they were rabbits caught in the headlights.Only Dobravka,Walker and maybe Esteve looked comfortable at this level.
Spurs today are not the Man City of two seasons ago yet the game was earily similar.Unless Broja gets fit and on the pitch then we are still no nearer finding the onion bag than we were then.We have yet to really see our new signings but the starting eleven yesterday looked much weaker than our starting eleven at the end of last season.Midfield and up front we were simply lightweight and firing blanks.

[Supersub6]

Bit of both for me Darkness , however what I would say is Cullen does well to a point and then decides to let Kudos run when he should imo of brought him down - last times lessons don?t let ball be delivered into the 6 yard box un opposed as it usually results in conceding goals especially when your centre back isn?t even looking at who he?s marking he?s watching kudos deliver it On a plate for rcharlison. ( horrible human being )

2nds a wotrldy but he got 5 yards again and 3rd were asleep and Johnson is already running -

We had weak links in 3-4 positions and we ended up paying the ultimate price as teams just do not allow you to get away with that - and just like previous if you don?t take your chances and hit the target when it?s there games quickly get out of reach.

Just watched it again and Esteve should have cleared the ball into the stand or up field. We had been under constant pressure for those first 9 minutes and it needed the heat taking out of the situation. FTD if you think that that was 5 minutes beforehand, you need to get your watch fixed.

As for Kudus, remember West Ham at home two seasons ago. We were winning with 5 minutes to go when Kudus beat Charlie Taylor crossed the ball and O-Shea scored an own goal. Five minutes later and 1 minute into added time Kudus got another cross in and Coufal (I think) scored the winner.

I know that we have a totally different team, however, it is the responsibility of management and staff to know who is likely to give us problems. We must not have done our homework because that West Ham game was a real giveaway. Our seventh home game of the season which shold have been our first win but ended in defeat because we allowed them to get crosses into the box. Nothing changes.

[outwoodclaret]

I’m not too bothered about all the doom merchants out after just one game. What is concerning is the number of key players who are out injured/not ready at the start of the season. We need a stronger line up v Black Cats.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Both Kudus and Semenyo will cause us problems Supersub6, along with the 19 other teams across the EPL. Did you see Semenyo at Anfield on Friday night, he is exactly the type of player we need, not lightweights like Benson, Edwards, Koleosho, Tresor, Banel, Agyei, Adewumi, Churlinov, Tchaouna and Larsen. It's frightening when you realise just how bad our recruitment really is. What exactly are we doing about Tresor, anyone know?