Pre-season training camps and fixtures (West Ham)

Hamstew

Not a surprise really especially as we have so many players out. That's the only thing that is annoying me. A week to go and about 5 of our best players are unavailable.

MrsGrey

Lukerz said:

If this is the squad for the season it'll be another long season IMO.

Why?

Do you mean 'If this is the matchday squad for the season it will be another long season'?

I don't see how you can predict a difficult season when we haven't yet seen our A team in action in pre-season.

grey_til_I_dye

Thought it was a really good workout for our lads.

Can't imagine anyone who saw the two match day squads wouldn't see 3-0 as par.

Hernandez has already demonstrated he is a class above what we have. Thought Ayew looked really good, and Rice continues to impress.

Really liked the way Hart organised the defence. Think that will make a big difference over the season.

Really looking forward to the Man U game.

coyi ;scarf

Barney

Mrs Grey -I agree but I think it shows we need more depth in the squad. I also think we are in desperate need of a CF

MrsGrey

Barney, are you saying that you think we should sell some of our squad players, and get replacements?

FlorinRaduclious

Hard to take much out of that except the fitness test, IMO we were clearly playing in a lower gear, I presume for fear of further injuries. A few notes I made:

- Fernandes significantly stepped up second half and made some excellent moves after being really subdued in the first.
- Rice was really good after coming on second half. Could make an impact to some extent this season with that assuredness. I am really impressed with him.
-Ayew was full of running and getting lots of the ball. Did his defensive work better than I saw for a lot of last season, however offensively he takes too long to make decisions which seriously lowers his effectiveness.
- It's going to be a tough decision at RB as both were solid but not spectacular. Hopefully this competition across the season can push both their performances to their peak.
- Martinez looked a little out of his depth, Chicharito looks the real deal, and once he is fully up to speed he's going to be a game changer for us.
- Arnie struggled to make an impression but was barely getting the ball. Hope his substitution was precautionary.
- Why the heck Snodgrass didn't shoot first time when 'Lil Pea slipped him the ball after effectively rounding the 'keeper I do not know. He just seems so lacking in confidence compared to his Hull days.
- I still agree with Lukerz that both Fonte and Ogbonna do not fill me with confidence. Fonte is slightly more solid but his distribution is pretty awful and he seems to have a mistake in him each game. Ogbonna is really good on the ball but he is often so lackadaisical and his awareness of what is around him is a real issue.
- Masuaku is superb offensively but his positioning needs perfecting defensively, again should be a good battle between him and Cresserz for the shirt across the season.

It was a pre-season match against a team that will be disappointed if they don't win the league and reach the champions league semis. We move on.

Lukerz

Hamstew said:

Not a surprise really especially as we have so many players out. That's the only thing that is annoying me. A week to go and about 5 of our best players are unavailable.

And we bring in a guy from Arsenal, another club with a massive injury list over the past 5 years, and have lost a few more players since he got here!

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

City's team is at least three goals better than ours at any time, so not remotely bothered by the result. Great to get some more minutes in against another PL team.

Yeoldhammer

Lets be honest we will never see our A team we get too many injuries. Its a squad game and the squad still looks largely unbalanced.

Still think Ogbonna is average and if a decent centre half became available and we could shift Ogbonna i would, as i think you could get at least a modest fee for him compared to Fonte.

Lukerz

Can't believe we haven't tried the 3-4-2-1 at all in pre-season.

Not sure why Slav has decided against it.

Would not want to go 4-2-3-1/4-5-1 against United.

Adam

The main thing I learnt from that game is that it doesn't matter that Hart misses the 2 Man City games this season. Whoever we put in goal will have to pick the ball out of the net many times!

It is interesting though how Man City always seem to play their best against us. We certainly suit them!

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

On one hand it's a bit worrying about how one sided it was but on the other that just genuinely is the difference in level between the 2 teams and they do seem to play their best against us as adam mentions

I'm with lukerz though I have no idea why slav is going with 4 at the back

I mean even in the 15/16 season we conceeded goals upon goals upon goals and that's when all of our offensive players had great seasons

With 3 at the back we look so much more sturdy and I'd happily take that even if the creative side takes a hit

Lukerz

Considering the 3-4-2-1 was the default formation to get us out of a hole last season, just surprised we've not tried to build on it and develop it. ;hmm

Barney

Mrs Grey - put simply - yes. however I do think there will be a couple of additions in this window

MrsGrey

;ok Only 2 free spaces in the squad at the moment, and only 7 HG players.

Putney_Hammer

I'm sorry but Slav I think only plays one way and it's the same as last season, pass pass pass all through defence then lump it lose the ball struggle to get it back when we do get it back it's the same over and over and we are so slow city just got back behind the ball got there shape back we had no chance of breaking them down, it worked for his first season but now it's his 3rd and we have been found out, he needs to change his tactics and fast.

grey_til_I_dye

Putney

Well harsh, imo.

It's not like we had our best XI out there, and Citeh put 3 past Spurs and 4 past RM

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

But the problems aren't from this game they have been from day one

As I said even our great 15/16 year we gave goals away for fun and 2 years since he joined we don't exactly look like we are gonna be very secure

I love Bilic and I'm a huge fan of his but I'm a bit nervous for his future....think he's tactically naive but happy to be proven wrong

No point buying strikers etc if we can't defend and we don't have the players who are good enough to play put from the back and we shpuld know this by now

Putney_Hammer

grey_til_I_dye said:

Putney

Well harsh, imo.

It's not like we had our best XI out there, and Citeh put 3 past Spurs and 4 past RM

Grey don't get me wrong I love Slav but and i know we didn't have a full team out but watching the last game against the German team we played the same sideways passing and not doing to much else with the ball, it just reminds me of how we played last season not all the time but when we were struggling, it's like we don't have the confidence to go forward and it's like playing hot potato with the ball can't get rid of it quick enough which leads to mistakes, hopefully we will have a few back for Man U next Sunday and we play better but something tells me we will play the same. I hope he proves me wrong. I know Man City are light years ahead of us in class of player but I thought maybe would would have gone for them today knowing it ment nothing and wouldn't have cost points.

baracks_a_hammer

Apologies, I've skim read some of the posts relating to the Man City game. From what I read;

1. We didn't really go for it full on for fear of players potentially picking up an injury?

2. We got soundly beaten and picked up an injury anyway

Is this broadly the jist of it?

MrsGrey

It is if you

1. Agree with the opinion of those who said this

2. Think cramp is an injury

;biggrin

Vorselaarhammer

City looked very good but you need 100% commitment and tough tackles to know I then off their flow and you don't get that in a friendly.