Any Thoughts on Changes for Watford?

[baggiematt]

I don?t think rotation is a problem it?s part of the modern game, but it has to be used properly and with common sense. The rotation v Boro and Millwall was an embarrassment, the two games coming up v Watford and Ipswich are both winnable providing the team selection is correct.
Personally I would like to see Saturday?s team play at Watford then see what the options are v Ipswich, both games are winnable but the Watford one would be the one I would be targeting, no point making wholesale changes at Watford then getting beat aka Boro and Millwall then hoping to beat Ipswich.
One thing that irritates me is ?rotation? players in the 60?s and 70?s didn?t have the luxury of rotation or multiple subs and they sometimes played 3 games in a week often on terrible surfaces, players these days are too pampered, teams used to play Christmas Day and Boxing Day and at Easter Good Friday, Saturday and Bank Holiday Monday, these modern day players are supposed to be super fit

I knew it was coming. The ‘players in 60s and 70s’. Not trying to be funny, but have a watched a game from that era recently? That lot would get smashed to bits in the modern era. It is like watching womens football.

I thought how he played it against boro made sense. They were the most in form side in the league and he picked hard worked lads and an extra midfielder. They caused no threats and the tactics were working… and then we let the most dangerous bloke on the pitch loads of room off a throw in. You cant mitigate for that as a manager.

Have a day off on the team selection nonsense lads. Masons a good gaffer, he has got to rotate. Sometimes it will work, sometimes it wont.

[baggieal]

I knew it was coming. The ‘players in 60s and 70s’. Not trying to be funny, but have a watched a game from that era recently? That lot would get smashed to bits in the modern era. It is like watching womens football.

I thought how he played it against boro made sense. They were the most in form side in the league and he picked hard worked lads and an extra midfielder. They caused no threats and the tactics were working… and then we let the most dangerous bloke on the pitch loads of room off a throw in. You cant mitigate for that as a manager.

Have a day off on the team selection nonsense lads. Masons a good gaffer, he has got to rotate. Sometimes it will work, sometimes it wont.

Your view Matt! Sadly it was not the view of many of the travelling support certainly in the pubs before the game when the starting selection was announced and the sarcastic cheers when the players who should have started came on and then it was match on but too late.

I have no view of Mason yet as it?s too early other than he needs to be braver but that comes with managerial experience. Honestly don?t expect anything more than mid table and don?t mind losing but I do expect to be entertained. Those 2,000 supporters who went to Millwall would have been better seeing barges on the Thames. Did we have one shot at goal?

[Bombers right foot]

Give me the 68 Cup winning side and the 78-79 side over these modern day players anytime, not one of the current side would get into either team, those sides were full of character and skill and played over 50 games in most seasons, the likes of Astle, Brown, Osborne, Wile, Robertson, Willliams,Clarke, Hope, Cunningham,Regis and many more I don?t think played like woman?s football, those
legends and more would wipe the floor with many teams playing this horrifying backwards, sideways rubbish

[baggiematt]

Give me the 68 Cup winning side and the 78-79 side over these modern day players anytime, not one of the current side would get into either team, those sides were full of character and skill and played over 50 games in most seasons, the likes of Astle, Brown, Osborne, Wile, Robertson, Willliams,Clarke, Hope, Cunningham,Regis and many more I don?t think played like woman?s football, those
legends and more would wipe the floor with many teams playing this horrifying backwards, sideways rubbish

Half of them smoked and sank 20 pints a week. They wouldnt even get near to a modern football side. They would lump it forward and wouldnt see it again until they had to kick off from the centre circle.

Tactics were 4 on 4 going forward with a couple of midfield runners for about 80 years. It looked like a load of fun but it aint comparable to modern tactics.

[baggieal]

Half of them smoked and sank 20 pints a week. They wouldnt even get near to a modern football side. They would lump it forward and wouldnt see it again until they had to kick off from the centre circle.

Tactics were 4 on 4 going forward with a couple of midfield runners for about 80 years. It looked like a load of fun but it aint comparable to modern tactics.

Laurie Cunningham or Willie Johnston compared to players like Wallace! Wallace would not be fit to lace their boots! Players like Regis or Phillips rarely missed then you have highly paid crocs now like Dike and Maja who would trip over a water bottle.

Come on Matt be realistic! Yes players in the modern game need pace but our midfield and Campbell are slower than the slow boat to China. Oh for a Jonny Giles or even in later years a Mulumbu or Yacob who you can?t compare in the same breathe to Mowatt or Molumby.

[Bombers right foot]

Half of them smoked and sank 20 pints a week. They wouldnt even get near to a modern football side. They would lump it forward and wouldnt see it again until they had to kick off from the centre circle.

Tactics were 4 on 4 going forward with a couple of midfield runners for about 80 years. It looked like a load of fun but it aint comparable to modern tactics.

May I draw your attention to one example, the 5-3 thrashing of Man Utd at Old Trafford, pace, passing, movement and finishing of the highest order, something sadly lacking in the current side

[baggieal]

May I draw your attention to one example, the 5-3 thrashing of Man Utd at Old Trafford, pace, passing, movement and finishing of the highest order, something sadly lacking in the current side

I was there and it was unbelievable and still in my memory now. Nothing in the later years even compares with it! Laurie was magical!

[Omegstrat6]

It's an interesting one isn't it? On one hand, Matt is right both in that the game today in terms of tactics and data analysis is vastly different to what it was in the 70s for example and also that developments in sports science have meant that today's players are overall far fitter than those of yesteryear. On the other hand, whilst I am conscious of trying not to look back with rose tinted glasses, whenever I watch clips on YouTube of some of these games I am reminded how good some of them really were-and they had to play on rock hard pitches and mud baths!

(Cunningham btw-who could appear to glide across a pitch covered in ice and snow-was actually a bit ahead of his time and aside from his love of dance, was into yoga so this likely helped with both his fitness and balance and gave him an edge over other players).

A (probably wildly wrong !&#128513 analogy I sometimes think of is that today's players, with their better diets, training methods and superior physio support may be fitter but they can be like finely tuned race cars that can fall foul more easily to knocks whereas those of yester -year with their pints and fags were more like robust rally cars. Then again, they had to be given the pitches they played on and the balls they used!

[Albionic68]

Changes for Watford? Most obvious one for me is New Street Station (Grand Central to much younger readers). We're going on the train and I wouldn't want to end up in Redditch 😀 .

[Albionic68]

Mason will go defensive Wallace , Heggebo - hang on to 0-0 and hope but not plan for a goal against the run of play. It's what he does and it is not going to work

Mason probably won't be doing anything involving Wallace against Watford as he's out injured apparently. Wouldn't surprise me if he starts with Heggebo given Maja has been out for so long and got just under seventy minutes under his belt against Preston.