The Season Starts on Saturday. Watford.

[SmokinFrazier]

We have an option to buy Spearing at £1m or something, right? If so, it sounds like that would be good money for him.

[Worthy4England]

First up, I'd like to congratulate the ticketing system. Bought ticket direct from ticket office when I eventually got through the queue presented it at turn style to be told that it wasn't a valid ticket...showed em receipt. Got told I'd have to join the queue at the back again and get another printed. Not happy.

First half we we well on top of a pretty poor Watford team. Not playing free flowing, good football, but on top nevertheless. Not sure the radio commentary that said Mills bangs one in was on the money, I thought it was keeper error, but no matter a goal to the good. Before we went 2 up, N'gog made a great goal line clearance, but KD's goal probably reflected the first half dominance, getting us in with a two goal lead.

Second half was as bad as most folk on here have described. Dire, dire stuff. Their goal was at the opposite end to me, but I'd struggle to blame Boggers for it, although it was almost a carbon copy of one that barca b got.

Thought Bogdan played OK.

Mears - crap - not a patch on Steinsson
Knight, didn't miss much again, most solid defender.
Mills OK
Alonso OK

Midfield - a mystery.

Spearing, good but tired towards the end (not really unsurprisingly). We probably need two DM's
Andrews - crap game, not sure what he was trying to do.
Eagles, probably our best MF attacker, in and out of the game at times
Mavies - might as well have stayed at home. Not in the game at all.

N'gog I thought did OK, but never looked like troubling the scoreboard, other than to maybe hit it with a wayward shot.
KD, not getting dropped anytime soon, Afobe was bobbins when he came on.

Pratley added a bit of impetus and ran around a lot.

Half time team talk, I can't begin to fathom what might have been said.

A poor win but a good three points.

No change to my view on Clueless.

[thebish]

if - as this thread is titled - the season started yesterday - then we have a 100% record...

[Dr.Karl]

How did we line up yesterday? Kinda baffled by the original team.

Second half, we went to pieces at times and even though i feel Coyle is tactically inept, I don't think he can be blamed for the team playing deeper and deeper as the minutes ticked by. Knight (MOTM for me) was trying to push the back four further up the field but kept bumping into a back peddling midfield.

I think we can though. West Brom at home last season epitomised it. We had 11 men in a line and Kevin Davies outside of the left back for the equaliser. I don't mind when teams defend out a lead but this was the worst example of organisation I've ever seen. It seemed obvious we don't work on shape in training that day. That has to come from the manager.

[Worthy4England]

How did we line up yesterday? Kinda baffled by the original team.

Looked like 4-1-3-2 to me, but as other posters have mentioned (the ones who were at the match) it was difficult to tell at times what was going on in mf


Deffo 4 at the back (well 3 and Mears)

Spearing generally sat in front with Eagles, Andrews, Mavis ahead of Spearing.

N'gog and Davo up front...

[Hoboh]

We won. Don't know what all the moaning is about.

I don't know maybe it was the fact we went to shambles for 45 minutes after putting the best 45 minute performance in a long long time and then gifted them chance after chance and then scraped through with a 2-1 win after we could and should of been 3 or 4-0 up at half time.

if we were to play like that against a better side we'd have drawn or even lost that!

Are the forums going to be like this going into every game?

We won, FFS. Some people on here got nothing better to do but moan.

The truth my blind friend is painful, yes we won, yes the classic way we fell apart and almost dropped 2 points was also true, yes a better team would have beaten us after drawing level our spinless players would have fell apart, yes Sordall has made the worst move to us ever!

[Hoboh]

That was very poor. The second half, after he gave one of his infamous half-time pep talks, was abysmal.

Watford were pathetic, but we allowed them to dominate the second half.

So, 3 points, accompanied by more Chaos from the Captain of it.

STILL big boot up front from the keeper. he clearly wants not to, so it must be "tactics".
Kavies AND N'Gog starting up front ??? Sheesh. Someone suggested it earlier in the week & I mocked them. I apologise. Not for mocking, but for totally overestimating Coyle.
Leaving Kavies on the whole game when he was totally not up for it.
Mavies on a wing, while Petrov & Lee sat the whole match out ?????
Mears on the pitch while Ricketts wasn't.
Afeobi on as sub while Sordell must have been chomping at the bit to get on. Sordell must now feel like he made the biggest mistake of his life late January. I can't comment on whether he's any cop, as I rarely see him, but today was sinful to the lad.

I'm glad we pocketed 3 points, but also that, shirley, St. Owen is another step nearer that exit.

SKD scores and holds up play well and he doesn't deserve to be on the pitch?
Can understand mentioning Petrov but then Lee played two games for South Korea during the week and the amount he's travelled I'm not surprised he's not played.
Also four points off the top and we're still complaining? Alright fans don't like Coyle but we won.

3 or 4 years ago he did! please do feck off with this old line, KD is the biggest supplier most times to the oppo's.

[Dr.Karl]

How did we line up yesterday? Kinda baffled by the original team.

Looked like 4-1-3-2 to me, but as other posters have mentioned (the ones who were at the match) it was difficult to tell at times what was going on in mf


Deffo 4 at the back (well 3 and Mears)

Spearing generally sat in front with Eagles, Andrews, Mavis ahead of Spearing.

N'gog and Davo up front...

Cheers for that. If that is the case he is learning we can't play 4 4 fecking 2. Not convinced by that lineup and shape but whatever, PROGRESS. Mind I was at Norwich away last season when he decided to switch to 4-4-2 and then subsequently start it against Wigan so we never know with Owen.

[Peter Thompson]

How did we line up yesterday? Kinda baffled by the original team.

Second half, we went to pieces at times and even though i feel Coyle is tactically inept, I don't think he can be blamed for the team playing deeper and deeper as the minutes ticked by. Knight (MOTM for me) was trying to push the back four further up the field but kept bumping into a back peddling midfield.

I think we can though. West Brom at home last season epitomised it. We had 11 men in a line and Kevin Davies outside of the left back for the equaliser. I don't mind when teams defend out a lead but this was the worst example of organisation I've ever seen. It seemed obvious we don't work on shape in training that day. That has to come from the manager.

Nail on head....

Just go out & play, just go out & play repeat to fade....I think its clear for all to see that Coyle doesn't work on shape, organisation, tactics or fitness in training, our training ground must be like a holiday camp under Coyle

There is no plan A, plan B or plan C

[Hoboh]

feckin yeah, get in 2 feckin 1 to the whites, this is where it all starts now.

Birmingham we are gonna feckin sh*t em

I like this optimistic Jaffka. I like this optimistic Jaffka a lot

always been optimistic, just that watching us lose so much and lose badly especially against those six fingered inbred tw*ts kicks the sh*t out of you

It's not great when it happens but fans need to embrace the win. The negativity around Coyle at the game today translates to the atmosphere on the pitch. Sounds stupid but we as fans have a big part to play

[bobo the clown]

If the 2nd half performance had been like the first then, despite questions about St Owen's weird selections & maybe a nagging issue about how poor Watford were we'd all put our hands up & say "OK, keep it up". I admit I'd be a "one result doesn't mean much" person, but fair play if we had.

However, we didn't. The 2nd half was as abject as anything we've seen for ages. We were lucky to hold on. BBC stats showed a 60/40 posession in te first half was 45/55 by the end, meaning approx 34/66 in the second. Twice as much posession as us. Those are not the stats of a team in control, now players knowing what they are doing.

We played, to all intents, with 10 men throughout due to the bewildering decision to have Mavis on the wing. Amazing.

Had they equalised ... which they may well have done ... it would have been like Hull 2 years ago.

So, yes ... I'm negative about him now & I doubt he can change it round. I really don't see how he can. But a run of results AND performances & will eat my words. It's just that I know that won't happen.

[Worthy4England]

If the 2nd half performance had been like the first then, despite questions about St Owen's weird selections & maybe a nagging issue about how poor Watford were we'd all put our hands up & say "OK, keep it up". I admit I'd be a "one result doesn't mean much" person, but fair play if we had.

However, we didn't. The 2nd half was as abject as anything we've seen for ages. We were lucky to hold on. BBC stats showed a 60/40 posession in te first half was 45/55 by the end, meaning approx 34/66 in the second. Twice as much posession as us. Those are not the stats of a team in control, now players knowing what they are doing.

We played, to all intents, with 10 men throughout due to the bewildering decision to have Mavis on the wing. Amazing.

Had they equalised ... which they may well have done ... it would have been like Hull 2 years ago.

So, yes ... I'm negative about him now & I doubt he can change it round. I really don't see how he can. But
a run of results AND performances & will eat my words. It's just that I know that won't happen.

Pretty much sums it up.

There were times during that second half, where I wouldn't have been too fussed had they scored, to be honest.

Hull was the game that sprang to my mind.

[Norpig]

I was arguing with Bolton fans who were applauding and saying we have now turned the corner????

The first half Watford were the worst away team I have seen at the Reebok since it opened and we deservedly was in the lead without playing well or controlling the game.

Half time not convinced but was willing to back the team to victory Watford played as badly in the 2nd half we did not turn up (what does OC say to them at HT??)

Full time we were lucky, nay very lucky to get 3 points and the fans near me were saying great win, sorry but this is the worst win I have ever seen!! There was no grit or determination just very poor opposition.

The only bright spot was Spearing, MOM by a country mile!!

In short OC is still tactically clueless, the defence is still shaky but has some protection in Spearing, attack toothless with KD also no pace, we still have no midfield!!

Boggers - Did nothing wrong but the constant tactic of lofting it up to KD & Ngog is at least 5 years out of date, must be being told to do this.
Mears - Never a defender as long as he lives cannot tackle
Mills - Still undecided he makes too many silly mistakes
Knight - PLayed well and looks our most solid defender this season (mopped up Mills mistakes well)
Alonso - not brilliant but did his job out of position a couple of time
Spearing - Put himeself about but with no help run out of steam near the end of the game.
Mavis - Absolutely Garbage (played out of position never got into game did not realise he was paying)
Andrews - Gave the ball away too much
KD - As captain he is supposed to keep the team playing and geeing them up when required never see him do this poor game should have been taken off early second half.
Ngog - looked unfit in the 2nd half OC too slow in taking him off

[bobo the clown]

My apologies. Every time I think he may be learninf something he outdoes himself ...

"That was never a game of two halves," Coyle said. "It should have been three, four nil. In the second half we sat a bit deep and they scored a fluky goal".

"And because it was so one-sided in the first half, Watford were always going to come back stronger in the second. We know we are capable of winning every game and the most important thing is that we did that today."

So we are all wrong and it wasn't a proverbial game of two halves.

Silly us.

Really, whatever your view on Mr C .... is there anyone, ANYONE, who watched, listened, saw a stream, read about or any other version of finding out about the match, who can agree with this ? Seriously. The man's deluded.

[officer_dibble]

I want some of what he's on.

[Worthy4England]

I want some of what he's on.

PM some of our posters. They obviously have some supplies...

[Wandering Willy]

I want some of what he's on.

PM some of our posters. They obviously have some supplies...

I'll send some over to Worthy Towers to cheer you up.

You've been miserable since PR4 left.

[TANGODANCER]

Mark Davies was stuck out right where Chungy would normally be. Chungy's been playing international stuff and travelling, only got back on Thursday. Much was made of N'gog coming back in, but he's injured ..again. Afoebe doesn't seem to be cutting it and we have a game in two days time and another four days later, both aways. Might just explain Sordell, Chungy and Petrov staying on the bench to some extent. Don't want this to sound like any sort of sense, that could never be, but maybe....

[thebish]

But a run of results AND performances & will eat my words. It's just that I know that won't happen.

I'm not holding my breath - deep down i know we are doomed... so maybe I am starting from a lower base than you..

but I would be perfectly happy with a long run of wins - sod the performance... we're not arsenal fans FFS - it's not entertainment!

[Gooner Girl]

But a run of results AND performances & will eat my words. It's just that I know that won't happen.

I'm not holding my breath - deep down i know we are doomed... so maybe I am starting from a lower base than you..

but I would be perfectly happy with a long run of wins - sod the performance... we're not arsenal fans FFS - it's not entertainment!

I heard that... Bit disapointing only the 6 goals yesterday i thought, could do better...