Swansea (Home) - 30th September 3pm (match thread)

NEoldiron

There's more movement in a tailor's dummy than Ayew ;angry

baracks_a_hammer

This is beyond mediocre

EXETERHAMMER

We have been playing 5 at the back and look so much better when we do

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

This has been just about as bad as I've seen us

Literally no attacking presence

You know it's bad when Antonio doesn't look like he can be bothered

steve

How bad was that ;angry

thornburyiron

I think we need a complete change of our management team. They appear totally clueless as we never seem to improve or learn any lessons from previous games.

Giant_Hammer

What Thornbury said. ;ok

baracks_a_hammer

I think we've put in a decent show once this season - v Bolton. Is that our level? Even Huddersfield wasn't particularly convincing

thornburyiron

Our game against Palace should come with a health warning as the boredom levels will reach a dangerous high.

Barney

we have no idea how to go forward, poor passing, no pace and constant passing sideways and backwards. even a free kick near the half way line ended up being passed back to Hart. we have a good squad but no idea how to use them grrrrrr

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Lanzini needs to come on. Otherwise we are a hopeless attacking force. We were better going forward under Sam than we have been for most of Bilic’s post-Payet reign.

Lukerz

Hardly surprising since we've only added 4 players to last years team, which displayed the same levels of cluelessness.

And two of those were defensive players.

steve

to bad we can only replace 3 players ;biggrin

MarkNobleLocalHero

At least there won't be any highlights to shown at half time.
Awful first half, one of the worse I've seen in a while.

MrsGrey

Can anyone who asked for 4-4-2 please explain why they thought it was a good idea ;puzzled

Lukerz

Don't think anybody did.

The formation is terrible.

Bazshuayi

I posted the following comments after the Newcastle game. Has anything really changed....

Plenty of fans dont like their owners. Perhaps others arent in the media as much but the biggest issue is that we've started the season very poorly. If we werent 0pts and 10 goals conceded, Arnautovic sent off, key players like Antonio, Reid and Lanzini either injured, not match fit, just returning etc then I think the fans wouldnt be so despondent currently.

Stating the obvious... We need to beat Huddersfield and pick up some points beyond that. That'd help!

However, my current memory of our last game (with sideways and backwards passing when we were 2 down then 3 down) against a 'championship level' Newcastle side just felt like there was no plan, no system, precious little creativity and coordination. Perhaps desire too...

We have good players. Most of us will agree with that. But, for me, the really worrying thing was that I was watching (impatient and irritated at the lack of urgency and penetration without the capacity to defend well being mentioned til now) were the things mentioned above.

I never wanted Bilic as manager (Marcelo Bielsa was my hope however viable that was) but since the appointment, as a fan, I obviously wanted him to be a success. I just dont currently have any faith that he knows what hes doing. Maybe the team dont listen? Maybe we really dont have an identifiable plan A and B etc.

I just dont think hes the man to lead us and I wonder how long it'll go on and how poorly we'll have to play before some action is taken. I really hope I am surprised and we start to play as a cohesive, solid attacking/defending team.

OldCastleSwift

Struggling to understand the switch to a back four. I assume it's to accommodate Hernandez and Carroll in their preferred positions, but it's not exactly improved our game.

I think the second half should look like:

Hart
Fonte Reid Ogbonna
Zaba Kouyate Noble Masuaku
Antonio Lanzini
Hernandez

AdMeus_CaputFilius

Think Slav should be brave and take off Carrol and Ayew for Lanzini and Sahko and reshape to a 3 5 2 .....

We are getting nothing out of Carroll or Ayew currently and I don't see that changing for the rest of the game if they stay on in the current formation.

baracks_a_hammer

There was one free kick of ours a yard inside our half. Two seconds later the ball was at Hart's feet. That pretty much sums it up. Whether it be the players doing what slav says or just not having a clue it simply is not acceptable

grey_til_I_dye

We've sacrificed defensive solidity without any attacking benefit.

For 35 minutes we were comprehensively outplayed by a side that could, if one were being generous, be described as 'average'.

Last 10 minutes were a bit better, but still nothing to suggest we could realistically carry a threat if we carry on with that 1st half system.

I do blame the crowd for booing (at least during play.) What is the benefit to the team? They are already anxious, and worried about making mistakes, so how is getting on their backs going to make it better?

If fans feel they must boo (and I don't see the point) then half time and full time should be enough to get the message across.

For the rest, ideally actually sing and chant, at worst, keep schtum.

Giant_Hammer

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

EXETERHAMMER

Giant_Hammer said:

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

To be fair Bilic has tried 442, it just ain't working.

thornburyiron

I said it 3 or 4 seasons ago, the play seems to stem from Nobes lead which basically revolves around doing widths rather than lengths. If only we could at least try to pass and go forwards and if it doesn't work so be it but unless they move the goals to either side of the halfway line we don't pose a threat.

MIAHammer

Very poor performance so far. We are so slow coming out of defence and invariably end up going backwards. Whatever system we were playing was not working.
No changes for us after the break.

AdMeus_CaputFilius

Think I have pent more time watching the SA v Ban test match on the box that us the first half - SA v Aus rugby is just starting, I can see that holding my attention more......

MrsGrey

Unsurprisingly it looked like the players were getting narked with each other. Hope they had a good moan in the dressing room and then get a grip in the second half. coyi

Adam

I'd like to see Rice come on. He's someone who wants the ball, and makes himself an option.

steve

;hmm going upstairs to watch the rest if Billic cant change things perhaps I can

MIAHammer

Lanzini warming up.
;pray