Rival Watch

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NewCorkSeth
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Re: Rival Watch

by NewCorkSeth » 25 Feb 2021 09:18

Someone on twitter a few weeks ago suggested Barnsley were a weaker team in the league. Not looking so weak now are they :lol:

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Zip
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Re: Rival Watch

by Zip » 25 Feb 2021 09:54

Hound Always thought that Cardiff were massively underperforming this season. Ojo/Moore/Wilson is a very good front line, and they've lots of decent champ players like Vaulks and Morrison in there. Can definitely see them making the POs.

Barnsley - I just get the feeling they'll get found out at some stage. Nothing really to back that up other than a lack of experience at the top end of the champ

As far as we are concerned no real point currently in hoping other teams win/lose at the moment. If we sort our own form out we'll make it, if we keep losing to crap like Wycombe we won't - simple as really


Cardiff also have Josh Murphy who is finally producing the goods there.
Barnsley impressed me earlier this season at our place. The hardest working team I have seen this season.

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Re: Rival Watch

by Stranded » 25 Feb 2021 10:52

Zip
Hound Always thought that Cardiff were massively underperforming this season. Ojo/Moore/Wilson is a very good front line, and they've lots of decent champ players like Vaulks and Morrison in there. Can definitely see them making the POs.

Barnsley - I just get the feeling they'll get found out at some stage. Nothing really to back that up other than a lack of experience at the top end of the champ

As far as we are concerned no real point currently in hoping other teams win/lose at the moment. If we sort our own form out we'll make it, if we keep losing to crap like Wycombe we won't - simple as really


Cardiff also have Josh Murphy who is finally producing the goods there.
Barnsley impressed me earlier this season at our place. The hardest working team I have seen this season.


Yep, think a lot of people expected them to struggle when their manager walked out to head to the MLS but they seem to have just gone and found someone better.

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Re: Rival Watch

by URZZZZ » 25 Feb 2021 12:07

leon
Stranded Yep, happy how that panned out tonight. No wiggle room now, sometimes a big gap can lead to things being too comfortable. Players need to react now else we'll be playing catch up very quickly.


I doubt that very much. Paunovic will probably move the players around to get more of Ejarias pointless showboating and the teams glacial pace passing. Joao will no doubt spend the rest of the season crying.


It’s ok though because we have the original tactic of a whole backline of CB’s which means we will never concede from set piec....oh

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Re: Rival Watch

by URZZZZ » 25 Feb 2021 12:11

windermereROYAL probably 2 from 4 for the final play-off spots now. a real dogfight, we`re not completely out of it, but even if we fail it`s been a vast improvement on previous seasons. could be an exciting last couple of months.


Still can’t really rule out anyone from 14th/15th below given the inconsistencies of teams

Not many would have predicted playoff chances for Cardiff/Barnsley this time a month ago - there’s always the opportunity for mid table teams, even at this stage, to claw themselves back into it and generate strong momentum


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Re: Rival Watch

by Mid Sussex Royal » 25 Feb 2021 13:43

I watched a fair amount of the Cardiff game on the red button last night and it was basically a re-run of our game v Boro. Bournemouth well on top 2 good chances which the keeper saves then Cardiff score after 20 mins from a Morrison header from their first real attack and get another from their next attack and then Bournemouth's intensity noticeably dropped. The Cardiff time wasting started before half time and I stopped watching just before Long pulled one back.

Thoughts on Cardiff - not overly impressed - workmanlike and no difference in set up to Harris really though McCarthy is more savvy and streetwise a bit like Warnock. The main tactic was knocking the ball long to Moore, that's certainly what the keeper did all the time.

I don't think Brentford, Swansea or Watford would have much problem beating them over 2 legs in a play off, but they'd beat us (if we get there) given our record against this sort of side.

Another thing - their keeper always took a min plus to take goal kicks and the ref did nothing, with home fans in the ground I'm convinced the noise and moaning about it would have led to a booking and more time added on.

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Re: Rival Watch

by South Coast Royal » 25 Feb 2021 13:55

Mid Sussex Royal I watched a fair amount of the Cardiff game on the red button last night and it was basically a re-run of our game v Boro. Bournemouth well on top 2 good chances which the keeper saves then Cardiff score after 20 mins from a Morrison header from their first real attack and get another from their next attack and then Bournemouth's intensity noticeably dropped. The Cardiff time wasting started before half time and I stopped watching just before Long pulled one back.

Thoughts on Cardiff - not overly impressed - workmanlike and no difference in set up to Harris really though McCarthy is more savvy and streetwise a bit like Warnock. The main tactic was knocking the ball long to Moore, that's certainly what the keeper did all the time.

I don't think Brentford, Swansea or Watford would have much problem beating them over 2 legs in a play off, but they'd beat us (if we get there) given our record against this sort of side.

Another thing - their keeper always took a min plus to take goal kicks and the ref did nothing, with home fans in the ground I'm convinced the noise and moaning about it would have led to a booking and more time added on.


Also watched most of Bournemouth's game last night.
They are very much like us at the moment, a team lacking any fizz or sparkle and , unlike us, they have one of the worst left-backs in the division in Rico who is a defender who doesn't know how to tackle.

They have had a few injuries with Solanke having been out for a while, Steve Cook missed a couple of games, Stacey is injured and Danjuma is just back from injury.
Also David Brooks is out for another 4-5 weeks.
Am not sure if Pearson is injured but Wilshere didn't start .

Cardiff are what they are and, as others have said, their limitations could be exposed in play-off games but all credit to them and McCarthy for playing regularly to their potential.

A couple of months ago I thought that Bournemouth would have done more in the transfer market and that they and Brentford would be the two to beat to get automatic promotion.
I still think that Brentford will be right up there but Bournemouth do look as soft as us so maybe just one of us will limp into the play-offs.

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Re: Rival Watch

by Westwood52 » 25 Feb 2021 14:11

I really do believe our best first team on paper is as strong as anyone in this league.It is difficult to pinpoint where it is going wrong.Here are a few ideas.

Very inconsistent Goalie.Although he does have hot streaks.This contradicts what I have just written !
Squad depth is very shallow.We really only have two fully effective fullbacks.
The way EFL refs manage games does not help.Consistent assaults on Olise,Swift and Ejaria easily halts our flow.
We are not a physical or “nasty “ team.Only Yids is up for a battle.
Our Manager has no experience of Championship football.
Have we ever got our first team out.We always seem to have at least two starters or quality back up players out injured.
Team spirit isn’t great.When the going gets tough,players go missing and look to others to drag us back into games.We have no effective leaders.Not even Moore and Morrison.
Player recruitment in the summer was poor.We brought in two young lads,instead of harden pros.Semedo was a panic acquisition.Only Laurent strengthened the squad.
The coaching team,particularly O Shea and Fortune are yes men and appear to have zero input during games.While the rest of the key staff,have little or no EFL experience.

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Zip
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Re: Rival Watch

by Zip » 25 Feb 2021 20:49

Westwood52 I really do believe our best first team on paper is as strong as anyone in this league.It is difficult to pinpoint where it is going wrong.Here are a few ideas.

Very inconsistent Goalie.Although he does have hot streaks.This contradicts what I have just written !
Squad depth is very shallow.We really only have two fully effective fullbacks.
The way EFL refs manage games does not help.Consistent assaults on Olise,Swift and Ejaria easily halts our flow.
We are not a physical or “nasty “ team.Only Yids is up for a battle.
Our Manager has no experience of Championship football.
Have we ever got our first team out.We always seem to have at least two starters or quality back up players out injured.
Team spirit isn’t great.When the going gets tough,players go missing and look to others to drag us back into games.We have no effective leaders.Not even Moore and Morrison.
Player recruitment in the summer was poor.We brought in two young lads,instead of harden pros.Semedo was a panic acquisition.Only Laurent strengthened the squad.
The coaching team,particularly O Shea and Fortune are yes men and appear to have zero input during games.While the rest of the key staff,have little or no EFL experience.


Plenty in this post I agree with. We are mentally very weak. As soon as we concede it’s pretty much all over.
You won’t be successful at any level if you become so reliant on scoring first to pretty much ensure a result.
The stronger sides like Norwich find a way to win. They regularly score those late goals. We don’t.


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Lower West
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Re: Rival Watch

by Lower West » 25 Feb 2021 21:58

Westwood52 I really do believe our best first team on paper is as strong as anyone in this league.It is difficult to pinpoint where it is going wrong.Here are a few ideas.

Very inconsistent Goalie.Although he does have hot streaks.This contradicts what I have just written !
Squad depth is very shallow.We really only have two fully effective fullbacks.
The way EFL refs manage games does not help.Consistent assaults on Olise,Swift and Ejaria easily halts our flow.
We are not a physical or “nasty “ team.Only Yids is up for a battle.
Our Manager has no experience of Championship football.
Have we ever got our first team out.We always seem to have at least two starters or quality back up players out injured.
Team spirit isn’t great.When the going gets tough,players go missing and look to others to drag us back into games.We have no effective leaders.Not even Moore and Morrison.
Player recruitment in the summer was poor.We brought in two young lads,instead of harden pros.Semedo was a panic acquisition.Only Laurent strengthened the squad.
The coaching team,particularly O Shea and Fortune are yes men and appear to have zero input during games.While the rest of the key staff,have little or no EFL experience.


The club internally has a non existent structure. Must be a soul less place to work. Think back to the Sir John days. As good a business person he was, he still surrounded himself with knowledgeable football brains that he could trust. Crying out for a DOF to find talent in the lower English leagues. Rather than "someone" dumping on managers an endless stream of indifferent expensive signings and loanees that will never stay at the club. Suggest it's the owner that's behind everything.

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Re: Rival Watch

by South Coast Royal » 26 Feb 2021 12:26

Just looking at tonight's game of Derby v Forest led me to look at Forest's upcoming fixtures particularly as Hughton seems to have improved them of late.

From March 6th their fixtures are:-
Watford away
Reading home
Norwich home
Brentford away
Cardiff home

In a mediocre season for them they will have quite a say in the final Championship positions.

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Re: Rival Watch

by SouthDownsRoyal » 26 Feb 2021 15:03

Zip
Westwood52 I really do believe our best first team on paper is as strong as anyone in this league.It is difficult to pinpoint where it is going wrong.Here are a few ideas.

Very inconsistent Goalie.Although he does have hot streaks.This contradicts what I have just written !
Squad depth is very shallow.We really only have two fully effective fullbacks.
The way EFL refs manage games does not help.Consistent assaults on Olise,Swift and Ejaria easily halts our flow.
We are not a physical or “nasty “ team.Only Yids is up for a battle.
Our Manager has no experience of Championship football.
Have we ever got our first team out.We always seem to have at least two starters or quality back up players out injured.
Team spirit isn’t great.When the going gets tough,players go missing and look to others to drag us back into games.We have no effective leaders.Not even Moore and Morrison.
Player recruitment in the summer was poor.We brought in two young lads,instead of harden pros.Semedo was a panic acquisition.Only Laurent strengthened the squad.
The coaching team,particularly O Shea and Fortune are yes men and appear to have zero input during games.While the rest of the key staff,have little or no EFL experience.


Plenty in this post I agree with. We are mentally very weak. As soon as we concede it’s pretty much all over.
You won’t be successful at any level if you become so reliant on scoring first to pretty much ensure a result.
The stronger sides like Norwich find a way to win. They regularly score those late goals. We don’t.


Spot on

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Re: Rival Watch

by Notts Royal » 26 Feb 2021 21:33

Is Lyle Taylor the most overrated striker in the league? Constantly he’s talked about as a good player at this level but bar the last 2 seasons, where he hasn’t been prolific, has he actually spent much of his career in the Championship? Average at best


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Re: Rival Watch

by Mid Sussex Royal » 27 Feb 2021 13:52

Down to 6th as it stands with Bournemouth winning

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Re: Rival Watch

by Ascotexgunner » 27 Feb 2021 13:54

This is not what we want. We could be out the top 6 tonight. Cmon Watford.....need a draw here.

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Re: Rival Watch

by tidus_mi2 » 27 Feb 2021 13:56

Ascotexgunner This is not what we want. We could be out the top 6 tonight. Cmon Watford.....need a draw here.

Or we just do what we are capable of and beat Rotherham and it doesn't matter.

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Re: Rival Watch

by CountryRoyal » 27 Feb 2021 13:56

South Coast Royal Just looking at tonight's game of Derby v Forest led me to look at Forest's upcoming fixtures particularly as Hughton seems to have improved them of late.

From March 6th their fixtures are:-
Watford away
Reading home
Norwich home
Brentford away
Cardiff home

In a mediocre season for them they will have quite a say in the final Championship positions.


It would only be fitting if somehow they managed to make us drop out of the playoffs on the last day.

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Re: Rival Watch

by Pepe the Horseman » 27 Feb 2021 14:23

Bournemouth beat Watford to pile on the pressure.

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genome
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Re: Rival Watch

by genome » 27 Feb 2021 14:27

The end of this game :lol:

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Re: Rival Watch

by Pepe the Horseman » 27 Feb 2021 14:28

What actually happened? Wilshire, Cleverly and Pedro all sent off!

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