The resistible force against the moveable object!

Huddersfield it is then in the FA Cup where anything can happen, especially if you give them a pretty poor side to face. A Huddersfield side that I ended up watching by chance in a sports bar in Bulgaria the other week as it was on in the background behind the bar, and I watched them play some delightful football against an in form Brighton team, eventually winning convincingly.

So, we set up with in my mind an over rotated squad team, that lacks any real creativity in the middle and has Kolarov in a position he should never play again at left back. Then not surprisingly what happens is you carry none of that new found confidence into the game!

Myself, I would have played Kolarov and Otamendi in the middle, given Clichey a game. Then in the midfield rested Fernandhinhio playing Fernando and Delph holding and given a young creative player like Garcia a run out or otherwise play an old head like Yaya, rather than the uncreative brick of a midfield we started with.

So, no surprise it's flat - we played decidedly average giving them hope and eventually we have to bring on a couple of big guns in king Kev and Sane, but even they can't change the flow of this boring stagnant game that ended as it started at 0-0, having zero impact upon my life apart from a modicum of frustration. For me there's a way of winning those that rests enough players, avoids major injuries and most importantly keeps motivation, confidence and momentum in the camp. As who needs a replay! However, alas, replay it is!

The couch.

Silva served up a delicious 'Sane' that put us back on a roll!

These are the games that define seasons, the games that you can do easily lose, the games that recently we have been ballsing up. So with Chelsea failing to secure all 3 points we headed to tiny fortress Bournemouth, that was due a win, on a cold February Monday night with a chance to make it a realistic title challenge once more.

So, we start the game in the 4,3,3 formation once more with Sergio on the wing and I start to ask myself is he going at the end of the season or what? As I repeat I would drop Sterling and play Jesus in a wider role for now. I also repeat that I am a little sceptical of Yaya in 4,3,3 against any decent opposition. The only other things of note being: Willy in goal which you can feel just brings an air of calm, (which says a lot for the confidence sapping Bravo, for if confidence is built from the bottom up that guy was a stumbling block before you got out of the blocks!), Secondly, Fernandhinio at right back with Sagne switched to the left (where is Zaba is he injured? Anyway Fernandhinio I thought looked good as a full back and like Millner at Liverpool can definitely do what's required as I believe most holding midfielders can do at full back, in this I include myself!), Finally no Otamendi in favour of a Kolarov/Stones partnership (so a fair bit of tinkering in the defence!)

The game starts and within no time I know who my main men are to watch as they dominate that left side, in Silva and Sane. Sane especially has definitely found his feet in the last few weeks and for me is becoming as much of a revelation as Jesus almost. However I am still not buying into Sterling being put into this category as Niall Quinn so wanted to do (a commentator I rarely ever agree with) and once again this was cemented with his man of the match choice! How did he not chose Sane or Silva? What game was he watching?? What it did remind me however was that football is decided on such fine margins! In that moments before Sterling's easy tap in when he missed again from close range I texted Jim this 'Sterling can't score for shit!' Followed moments later by 'They are the only ones he can score! Tap ins!' To be fair to him he is improving but on the wing not in front of goal, but Man of the Match Quinn you are dreaming, and I simply wouldn't sacrifice Sergio for him, unless behind closed restaurant doors Sergio has said he is going no matter what! Who knows hey?! One thing I do know is Sterling should spend the whole summer facing one on one's with the keeper, crosses in front of goal and should go on a troubleshooting course to train his mind to make quicker more instinctive, decisive decisions! As he could have had at least 10 more this season and with that we could have had at least the same number in extra points this season as a result.

Anyway, back to the game and yes we get the breakthrough eventually that Sterling gratefully taps in. With early pressure again rewarded, as we seemingly turn a corner and finally start to get what we deserve.

Other things of note for the half being we are dealt a blow as we see the arrival of Sergio for all the wrong reasons as Jesus limps off! Something at the time you hoped was precautionary, but seemingly not! What a big blow hey!

Half time comes and goes and Howe manages to rally his troops who come out fighting and for the first 10/15 minutes asking a few questions without to many actual clear cut chances, but then Sane again work's his magic and eventually Sergio is unlucky not to be able to claim a goal (I actually think it was goal bound). From there we moved to the more familiar 5 in midfield with a few substitutions and again like the last game I thought we looked more complete and polished in this set up with some once again delightful interplay at times. Eventually seeing it out for a very competent 2-0 victory that puts the 'willies' up Chelsea! With my MOM Silva, swiftly followed by Sane.

The Couch.

Bulgarian Blunder!

So, as mentioned in the last post - I was on a long weekend snowboarding with the lads which was good. However, what wasn't good was my lack of thought to technological advancement as I checked the kick-off time on my Forza app and chose to add 2 hours to it for the time difference when Forza (and the wonders of modern technology!) had very kindly already done it for me! So, I had my almost perfect day of snowboarding, the city game, a 2 hour massage and out for the evening somewhat torpedoed as I arrived at the rendezvous cafe on the ski road home at 4:30. Casually strolling up to the table where Tony sat I thought I had an hour to spare to finish the last leg of the slopes get rid of my gear at get to 'Amigos' for the game, only to be told by Tony that it was half time already! So, hearing the devastating news I quickly strapped my board back in and thundered down the mountain to try and catch as much of the 2nd half as possible! The only comfort being the fact that Tony informed me as I was abruptly leaving that the new Messiah had scored after 11 minutes on his full home debut to leave us 1-0 up at half time! Finally we have someone who can capitalise on early pressure! With this knowledge also leading me to ponder whether Sergio was on the bench or not?

Anyway, I legged it to the bar and met up with one of the other guys, Jay, who after a lot of drinking the night before had had enough and packed it in at lunch time! I looked up at the screen and the clock to see 68 minutes staring back at me! Dumb ass me! Interrogating jay, a Liverpool fan, on how it had gone he said we hadn't played that well from what he saw and Swansea were actually having the better of the 2nd half to this point.

I then checked my 'oh so intelligent' Forza app! For the formation and saw that we had set up in what they believed to be a 4,3,3 formation with Fernandhinio at right back and no sign of Sergio! Obviously I wasn't able to analyse exactly what zones players actually picked up in reality so I am not going to comment on that, but what I would say is I would worry about Yaya becoming too exposed in a true 4,3,3. As for Sergio well you know my opinion on that from other posts, in that I would drop Sterling to accommodate the Messiah.

So, I start watching the 25 minutes of my addiction and we don't look dynamic at all, with everything looking a bit static. The only player standing out at all being Sane who seems to have really lifted his game and is starting to look very exciting as he begins to start living up to his hype with his electric feet and bi-line wizardry.

Then they score and you could just feel it coming in the minutes leading up to the goal. Leading to that inevitable sinking feeling, with this time ones gut saying drop these two points and we can kiss goodbye to any outside chance of the league as 12 points is too much and besides we will have lost that much needed momentum yet again!

Then low and behold we make two substitutions with Zaba and Sergio coming on and from what I could see we looked more direct and balanced with the ever dependable Zaba offering his usual overlaps down the right flank and Sergio linking up well in our play to create the much needed penetration that lead to that beautiful equaliser which had me screaming and jumping up and down in the bar as the only city fan in there and at the time the only one making any noise! The rest were mainly Welsh watching the six nations game on other screens, with one eye on their country men in the football as there was quite a few cheers when Swansea scored even though they were first and foremost rugby men.

So happy days, momentum firmly flowing! The league still an outside possibility and most importantly our new signing simply world class! However I hope we heed my advice and keep long standing servants! So on that note I end with Play Sergio, drop Sterling.

Amigos, Bansko!

Just Beautiful.

Dancing over the Palace game, as I couldn't find any stream of it no matter how hard I tried, we won easily, and it was the early stages of the cup. Pausing only to comment on my constant study of Big or Fat Sam, I think there is no doubt that he is firmly Fat Sam at the moment with his stupidity at England and then impacting like a wet fart with his introduction at Palace! Indeed he is going to have to work his fat ass off to become Big Sam again!! However a final day of the season survival act might do it for some idiots in the media who like to comment! Me I see it as Fat Sam's philosophical statement of how the world is these days, as it doesn't matter how you look or how you act as long as you are rich!!! 'Fat Cat Sam' for me!

The other reason to swiftly move on is to impatiently get to last nights game as quick as I can! Jesus we were good! As I sat back to watch the game on the couch it just felt like a must win game with those jammy sods from Salford creeping up behind like a desperate mugger in a dark park!

It commences with an exciting attacking team sheet, which attacking wise I would have picked except for Jesus on the wing instead of Sterling and Sergio up top. The defence I was a little less sure of on recent form, but as it was it was rarely tested, and finally yes I was glad to see Willy in goal as I think Willy's presence created an air that immediately left us all feeling that bit more assured, highlighting how bad Bravo is at present! His poor performances not only costing goals but reducing overall club confidence and highlighting for me that success is first and foremost built with a strong foundation! For you can tippy tippy and ponce around all you want but if you are doing it on unstable foundations the house no matter how glorious will always eventually topple! Indeed strong foundations (in a keeper desperate to be back in Spain, but forced against his will to stay!!!) can make an ugly old build which has seen better days still manage to get buy!  

Straight away we look good like most other games this season, but soon we start to look great as king Kev seems so excited to be playing with the new Messiah! Highlighted completely in the final ball to him for the first goal! Beautiful, bloody beautiful. Now this difference meant we scored early and had something to show for the early pressure, something we have been so desperate for all season! Then everyone started stepping up Sane looked electric and showed another level, Silva was everywhere, Yaya was spraying it around and Sterling was wisely kept wide to the wings, not on the end of the chances, and as such was more effective and less frustrating.

Sane was great for Silva's goal and then perfectly on cue Jesus get his debut goal and what a great first half that was, it was delightful! Yes the Hammers were dog shit but they were made to look dog shit by some world class football on a big pitch that gave us the room to play. It was that good you just couldn't wait for the second half for more of the same! This was again forthcoming and although not reflected in the same number of goals was highly pleasurable as well, with us eventually strolling to the victory whilst giving our top players a rest and a few coming back to the fold a chance to shine.

So, all in all a great night of football and I don't see any reason why we can't keep the centre mid trio for the Swansea game at the weekend for more of the same, just a shame I won't be there to watch as I am off to Bulgaria skiing today and have had to give my ticket to Jim!

The couch