POST MATCH: Ipswich Town

[Neutral Zone Ultra]

Thought Bassey, Andreas, Robinson were quite poor. Adama, Tete and Leno were excellent, rest were okay with ESR slightly above the remaining players though. We did okay overall and the game could have gone either way. After two routine losses in the first two games, Ipswich was always going to play excellent. The positive thing for me is that even though we played average and the opponent played an excellent game, we still got a draw.

Leno should have saved their goal imo. He got a hand to it so it should be staying out.

[Baston White]

Very lucky to walk away with a point after that poor performance. Ipswich closed us down very quickly and we didn't seem to have an answer apart from finally humping a long ball up field which we hold onto.
We have Leno to thank for a couple of good blocks.
Where as I cannot remember their keeper having to make a decent save all game.

[Bassey the warrior]

Poor performance but we often start slowly. Thank god we have Leno.

Also, what a signing Traore has been on a free.

[SerbianLad]

Leno should have saved their goal imo. He got a hand to it so it should be staying out.

Yes, maybe. But he was world-class apart from that.

[jayffc]

Just on the train back

The better team first half, looked exhausted and slow in the second. Frustratingly poor decision making.

Another good game from Sasha
Periera very poor, his passing as all over the place
Robinson very poor

Diop has been the best of our CBs this year. Hard to drop him on this form Bassey has looked very shaky so far. Another game like that and Cuencas in. Andersen's passing range could be really helpful to unlocking runs in behind or out wide when we get stuck

Tetes been good but we do sometimes miss castagnes overlaps

Esr looks knackered, no where near fit yet and doesn't press like andreas does yet at CAM because of it

Adama was very good first half, a beast... our most potent threat... And For some reason we just, stopped using the right side second half. Ridiculous

Muniz doing plenty up top, goals will come, but we lost it in and around him today. Should have gone in up a goal at half time

Iwobi was average
Berge was decent in his minutes

Harrison reed was a bizarre choice of sub... Id drop him and put king on the bench for games like this

Leno did well enough

Raul did nothing

Look very lacking in fitness as a whole. Looking forward to these players getting fitness levels up + the addition of reiss nelson to add a spark too.

Ipswich looked decent and may well stay up, omari the chelsea kid was great. A disappointing result but a point away and now we integrate and get our fitness u for 2 weeks. Well need to be ready for west ham who will pose a bigger threat.

[McBrideOfFrankenstein]

Tete MOTM for me just over Adama. Encouraged by Berge and I'd like to see him start.

[demeant0r]

Once again, Andreas was poor. For all the chances he provides, they are rarely clear cut ones and rarely accurately reach an attacker. Please, please drop him.

[Dodger53]

A performance like that should make it easier for Marco to ring the changes against the ⚒️.

[Jules]

We didn't play well and a point flattered us. But, we were reasonably solid at the back, with Tete particularly outstanding. Leno made some good saves too. We were sloppy in possession and at times Ipswich had things too easy with their passing and running through gaps in our midfield. Ipswich did their homework and blocked our left side overlaps with Robinson most of the time, aside from our goal. Up front we look short of ideas. Muniz is lacking confidence and doesn't look like the same player as last season. Hope a goal soon changes that. All in all we take the point, as it was vital we didn't lose this. On to the next.

[Moussa Dembele the 3rd]

I didn't have any issues with this match. They were another team sat on the counter with good tacklers in the center of the park. They trapped Robinson multiple times knowing he can't go inside with his right foot and it hurt a lot of our build up, especially as Iwobi couldn't get deep enough to receive those vertical passes from Bassey. Luckily ESR dropped back to provide better numbers, but then we'd leave Muniz to fend for himself.

Much like last week we still have a tendency to try to walk it into the net, rather than smash one from top of the box or first time in the box (Iwobi). This isn't necessarily slow play like some have posted, but more so just too much of an attempt at perfection and not being decisive in the crucial moments.

Muniz should have scored last week with a header and the same goes with this week. I know he'll come good, but PL attackers don't miss like that.

A point away in a tough environment, I'll take it. Not our best, but not our worst. Lukic did no wrong again, so I think we're at the point now where Silva needs to decide if he can put both Berge and Lukic on the pitch. I think ESR has proven he can play anywhere, and could possibly take over Iwobi's position, which would bring Pereira back to the 10. Just one option of many for him. 

Agree with this! I think Lukic and Berge would make a formidable pair in the middle, with Periera back as a 10 and ESR on the left. I'd also start Drop on the left next to Anderson. Bassey has shown very little composure this year. Same goes for Robinson. He is so important to us, but makes some really spastic awkward decisions near our own box. I wish he'd just calm down a little sometimes.

I'm also not sure we want to be bringing in both Reed and Cairney late in games. Cairney is basically immobile and Reed just runs around in circles not affecting the game in any way.

[Whitesideup]

Do we miss Willian? He had real class and could scare defenders.

Of course we do. He was quality for us. His movement, his touch and his decision making were excellent and when he had the ball you always thought something may happen. Iwobi and Traore offer more trickery and in Traore's case, pace, but overall neither is as good. Smith-Rowe's touch and decision-making look good so far, but his role is different so we'll miss Willian out wide.

[YankeeJim]

I found the match rather ponderous. Robinson and Bassey were poor. I fear the lack of a striker is going to kill us this year. The biggest problem, with the exception of Berge, was a total lack of contribution by the subs. They made the team weaker. Berge's size is quite the attribute and I look forward to seeing more of him. Why put Reed in when your chasing a goal and why pull Smith-Rowe?

[jayffc]

I found the match rather ponderous. Robinson and Bassey were poor. I fear the lack of a striker is going to kill us this year. The biggest problem, with the exception of Berge, was a total lack of contribution by the subs. They made the team weaker. Berge's size is quite the attribute and I look forward to seeing more of him. Why put Reed in when your chasing a goal and why pull Smith-Rowe?

Smith rowe was knackered and is working up his fitness... But reed was a terrible choice. Cairney only got called in cos periera went down with cramp. TC should have been coming on in the first place given we had Berge on.
Very questionable decision there.

Again, bench crying out for the likes of nelson and king more than reed and Wilson imo

[Willham]

Thought Bassey, Andreas, Robinson were quite poor. Adama, Tete and Leno were excellent, rest were okay with ESR slightly above the remaining players though. We did okay overall and the game could have gone either way. After two routine losses in the first two games, Ipswich was always going to play excellent. The positive thing for me is that even though we played average and the opponent played an excellent game, we still got a draw.

Leno should have saved their goal imo. He got a hand to it so it should be staying out.
[/quote

I agree with this sentiment,
It sounds a little counter intuitive but hear me out.
I feel he should have gone one arm outstretched not two,
Two makes you feel you can get 'more on the ball' but
Your reach is longer diving one arm outstretched meaning if you touch that ball, your more likely to reach the ball with your palm,
Two arms outstretched and he's looking to touch that ball with minimum fingers.

[LC]

I thought Leno was our best player today and I thought Tete had a good defensive display.

I thought our overall shape was way off, everyone seemed to be completely lost at times.

I thought our midfield was very weak. ESR needs to play further forward. I personally don't like Iwobi on the left, I don't think he's in the game as much out there.

Muniz again did everything but score, I still think he'll come good.

Greaves and Delap looked really good for Ipswich, and I noticed Marco Silva shook Delap's hand as he walked off.

I think Nelson will fit in on the left which will allow ESR to start down the middle. Even though I think he's a good player it wouldn't surprise me to see Iwobi sit a few games out 

[SerbianLad]

Another thing, I'm still not a fan of Andreas as an 8. He has too many defensive lapses which leaves our back 4+Lukic exposed. I'd either swap Berge for him, or Berge for one of ESR/Iwobi/Traore and move Andreas to the 10 role.

[Rambler]

Another thing, I'm still not a fan of Andreas as an 8. He has too many defensive lapses which leaves our back 4+Lukic exposed. I'd either swap Berge for him, or Berge for one of ESR/Iwobi/Traore and move Andreas to the 10 role.

I didn't watch today but my overall feeling towards the end of last season and start of this is that Iwobi doesn't really contribute enough so would bringing Andreas into 10 and ESR wide left be an alternative.

I'd keep ESR as 10, drop Andreas though and bring in Berge, and see how Nelson does in regards to wing options

[Volz]

Just on the train back

The better team first half, looked exhausted and slow in the second. Frustratingly poor decision making.

Another good game from Sasha
Periera very poor, his passing as all over the place
Robinson very poor

Diop has been the best of our CBs this year. Hard to drop him on this form Bassey has looked very shaky so far. Another game like that and Cuencas in. Andersen's passing range could be really helpful to unlocking runs in behind or out wide when we get stuck

Tetes been good but we do sometimes miss castagnes overlaps

Esr looks knackered, no where near fit yet and doesn't press like andreas does yet at CAM because of it

Adama was very good first half, a beast... our most potent threat... And For some reason we just, stopped using the right side second half. Ridiculous

Muniz doing plenty up top, goals will come, but we lost it in and around him today. Should have gone in up a goal at half time

Iwobi was average
Berge was decent in his minutes

Harrison reed was a bizarre choice of sub... Id drop him and put king on the bench for games like this

Leno did well enough

Raul did nothing

Look very lacking in fitness as a whole. Looking forward to these players getting fitness levels up + the addition of reiss nelson to add a spark too.

Ipswich looked decent and may well stay up, omari the chelsea kid was great. A disappointing result but a point away and now we integrate and get our fitness u for 2 weeks. Well need to be ready for west ham who will pose a bigger threat.

Agree with all of this. As I said the match thread I really got what Marco said when he stated that "we've lost a lot of maturity and leadership" today. We desperately miss the calm demeanor of Ream, who would trick a pressing attacker with such ease and seeming safety, or the unplayable Willian that frustrated opposition, or the in-your-face Palhinha, or the bust-a-gut-never-give-up energy of BDR. We simply have no players now that terrifies any of the opposition with that no nonsense attitude of those above.
Iwobi plays at 40% of his full repertoire on the left so for the love of God get him on his right side. And he has zero connection and chemistry with Robinson. Get ESR on the left immediately, that way we won't need him to backtrack to our box the entire game and he won't be knackered at 60 minutes either, like today. Ffs he isn't match fit as is, that was horrible instructions from Marco.

And personally I want Reed and Wilson out, completely out. Thanks for your service, you've been great. As starters in Championship. They are both so clearly confidence players and neither have contributed with anything at all as subs from what I can remember. But they still keep on getting subbed in, again and again and again.

[C Block]

Another thing, I'm still not a fan of Andreas as an 8. He has too many defensive lapses which leaves our back 4+Lukic exposed. I'd either swap Berge for him, or Berge for one of ESR/Iwobi/Traore and move Andreas to the 10 role.

I didn't watch today but my overall feeling towards the end of last season and start of this is that Iwobi doesn't really contribute enough so would bringing Andreas into 10 and ESR wide left be an alternative.

I'd keep ESR as 10, drop Andreas though and bring in Berge, and see how Nelson does in regards to wing options

Agggggh I keep reading play ESR wide left if we do that where do you think Nelson is going to play?
Nelson will play left wing in the next game, where you play all the others is anyone's guess.

[jayffc]

Another thing, I'm still not a fan of Andreas as an 8. He has too many defensive lapses which leaves our back 4+Lukic exposed. I'd either swap Berge for him, or Berge for one of ESR/Iwobi/Traore and move Andreas to the 10 role.

I didn't watch today but my overall feeling towards the end of last season and start of this is that Iwobi doesn't really contribute enough so would bringing Andreas into 10 and ESR wide left be an alternative.

I'd keep ESR as 10, drop Andreas though and bring in Berge, and see how Nelson does in regards to wing options

Agggggh I keep reading play ESR wide left if we do that where do you think Nelson is going to play?
Nelson will play left wing in the next game, where you play all the others is anyone's guess.

Nelson and our current wingers will battle it out to start. Im up for trying out ESR LW at some point though. Hes linking some nice touches but isnt pressing anywhere near as much as andreas atm at CAM

after today Id try out Nelson wide left for Iwobi even though hes been mostly RW at arsenal of late. Only because Adama is making himself undroppable at the moment, hes really stepping up this season.

Can and will im sure then rotate these players around mid match as we need to