I’d guess a few of you have been wondering where I’ve been.
The absolute truth is that after the Liverpool game I found myself utterly despondent. Not at the result, you understand, but merely the manner of it. It actually affected me so hard, I’ve barely even looked at any news articles or even comments on here. Which is not like me at all.
It’s my firm opinion that Emery got his tactics totally wrong, meaning the game was pretty much an exact copy of how we lost to Newcastle.
Losing away to Liverpool is nothing new and we’ve witnessed it for years, so it wasn’t that that got to me. It was the fact that we played a high line against a side that murdered us for pace in our half.
There was a plus side in my taking a bit of a break from Aston Villa and it was the confirmation of my thoughts about Mings and why we miss him so much and it’s a point I’ve made before. While I don’t believe Mings is a good defender, his big plus point is his speed when he needs to make up for his poor positioning or reading of the game and it’s exactly that which has been missed.
Anyway, it was the fact that we were being murdered for pace, something that I’m sure wasn’t obvious to just me, yet Emery totally failed to change it. Yes, he changed a couple of players, but he still kept the high line. To my mind, it was totally naive and actually pretty similar to what I thought in the Newcastle game.
“It’s madness to keep trying the same thing while expecting a different outcome” is what has been nagging at the back of my mind
Basically, it’s led to me seriously questioning how tactically good the manager really is and it’s caused a massive conflict within me.
Don’t worry, I’m still appreciative of what happened last season. There’s no doubt that Emery has improved us (or should that be that he made the players play as we expected them too, after the previous clown had obviosly ruined them?) and I’m nowhere near asking for him to leave.
I just don’t think he’s quite the messiah I was hoping he was.
So I steeled myself into watching the Legia game, where I was hoping a good victory against a team we really ought to be beating, would cheer me up and bring me back to my usual self.
Only for us to, in my opinion, get it totally wrong again and again fail to change course.
I wonder when it will become apparent to Emery that while we can score goals, it’s all wasted if we’re so poor at the back and simply concede even more goals.
Don’t get me wrong, the players are not blameless and at least a couple of them were frankly pathetic performers. We know who they are and I just don’t want to drag it out talking about it.
Suffice to say, if we’re equally as naive in our tactics today, I’d fully expect us to lose a game that I fully believe we’re capable of winning.
Then again, I thought that in our last two games.
Squad news then and it’s better, but still not good for Chelsea.
Noni Madueke and Marc Cucurella are both fit and Moises Caicedo and Armando Broja are back in contention, but Benoit Badiashile, Reece James, Carney Chukwuemeka and Trevoh Chalobah are all still out.
As for us, nothing has changed, except we may well see Moreno pressed into service a bit earlier than is ideal after Digne’s disaster on Thursday.
I’ve just been reminded that we won 2-0 at the Bridge in April, so we know we are definitely capable of beating Chelsea. Their injuries have seriously affected them, as is seen by their poor start to the season.
So am I predicting a win today then?
Well, it depends on how we play.
If we play the same high line and our midfield fail to dominate it’s going to be deja vu, I feel, as much as Chelsea have found scoring more difficult (they’ve scored 5 in 5) than Pool and Newcastle and we’ll be prone to the long ball around the outside.
But then again while Chelsea don’t score many, they don’t conced many either and have only had five put past them.
We generally score goals, but I don’t see many in this game and it has 1-1 written all over it.
I do think we’re very capable of winning this and I live in hope. But my confidence is massively shaken and needs reviving.
UTV!
I’m not confident, I’m afraid.
I’ve just realised, I forgot the Palace game, which was obviously a better result, yet still didn’t encourage me much.
Glad your back to your old self Badger, with you on how you felt needless to say I had them very same thoughts on Emery but let’s see how it pans out in the next few weeks , no I don’t think we will win today I’ve no confidence in our defence or midfield plus strikers. Villa prove me wrong I dare you.
Ah, Covid. A strange one, as I don’t know where it came from. Well, I do, it was the missus who got symptoms a day before me. But she doesn’t know where it came from either.
I actually ended up being taken to hospital, as I had a seizure apparently brought on by my not being able to regulate my temperature. I was apparently behaving like a total nutter which had the missus panicking, as it was so unlike me.
I don’t remember any of it until I was in Good Hope.
Anyway, that apart, the only symptom now is what feels like very painful kidneys, but may be my lungs.
It’s all quite annoying, as I worked with literally hundreds of other people during the pandemic and never got it.
Whatever, I was totally complacent in thinking I wouldn’t get it now and I’ll bet most people feel the same.
Which leads me to guess that we’re going to get another mass breakout this winter.
Anyway, thanks for the good wishes chaps 🙂
Wow, glad you’re on the mend now, Badger.
Good Hope – there’s a name I’d not heard in years until recently.
So I moved to Texas 8 years ago, and a childhood friend of mine from Sutton moved over here and settled in Newport beach, California. A few years ago after my divorce, some mutual friends introduced my now wife and I, who happened to be living in Newport too. So during Covid, we flew back and forth between Austin and Newport, and I got to meet up with my old friend for the first time since he left Sutton and I probably 12 years old. I met up with him again a few weeks ago for my anniversary and were discussing his time in Good Hope as a kid for a recurring illness… Small world.
Anyway, can’t argue with what anyone has said about Emery or worries for the game. Today seems to have been a similar start to other games – we’ve started mostly ok, but signs of jitters not far away. I don’t think it’d take much to rattle us. But we also look like if we string a few passes, we could look threatening. The high line is still there, and almost got caught out by Torres (who I really worry about)
Glad to hear you are feeling better Badger. Like you said, there are a lot more cases I’m seeing and another worry for our NHS. Maybe we will remember again how important they are and start paying them what they deserve.
As for Villa, well it depends on how we defend and we need to start tightening up at the back. Does it mean not playing a high line? Go 5 at the back possibly? Is Moreno ready yet?
I think we have good choices in midfield now Ramsey is back but we need Watkins to rediscover his form in the second half of last season.
My gut feeling is we are becoming a team who are good at home and poor on the road generally.
Emery isn’t perfect and hopefully he will learn from his mistakes because away from home, he has made a lot this season. Don’t get me wrong, I still think he’s the best manager we have had since O’Neill at least but that doesn’t mean he is beyond criticism when he gets it wrong.
Moreno not even on the bench ☹️
Looks like Digne will keep his place for longer than hoped. No Bailey which is a positive IMO!
Ramsey and Duran on the bench which is a bit of a surprise.
Kamara is looking very tidy up to now.
Stunning strike from Digne then that deserved a goal.
This could go either way. I don’t think Ramsey is anywhere near match fit yet. We might see him for 30 minutes later. I’d like to see Diaby play more of a central rolenthan out on the right so often.
Hope you feel better soon Badger. It’s funny how quickly these things can take a turn for the worse. I haven’t been back to Good Hope since the day I was born!!!…well 2 days after anyway.
Hmm, I don’t think we’ve been too bad there overall.
We still look iffy at the back, but we’ve also seriously threatened.
Kamara is looking tidy, as is Luiz, who I’m appreciating more and more every game.
Duran will come on for Watkins and produce more, I reckon.
And am I alone in seeing signs that players are not looking happy?
Agreed, this could go either way.
We need a goal.
I think our injuries have really knocked us sideways. Such bad luck! The feed i have is abysmal…
Anyone else notice the quality of their pitch looks patchy? Looks like not enough watering. Kinda surprising this early in the season.
Good to see you back Badger – just woken up, as now staying in Parksville on Vancouver Island for a couple of days – to see we’re holding Chelsea. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
Yeaaaaa great wi and up to 6 well done Ollie wooo hooo
Get Duran and Ramsey on for Zaniolo and Ollie.
Olllliiiiieeeeeeeee!!!!
Watkins does it again!
Haha, well done, 1-0
I loved Diaby’s celebration!!! Like a kid!!!!
11 minutes????!!!!!!
Hold on boys hold onnn
Yes. We won