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Gus' decisions today







kevo

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2008
10,136
- Playing Barnes from the off, behind Vokes seemed an odd one at first but he did an okay job, particularly dropping back without the ball in the first half. After that he was dog, mind you
- Not starting CMS when the game plan seemed to be to counter and play with pace, was also an odd one. Granted he might have played Vokes for his height at set pieces
- Playing a half fit Buckley
- Moving to 3 at the back when 3-1 down is fair enough but a bit of foresight might think, move one of those defenders into midfield, so if it goes wrong, you can revert back to a 4 and do a bit of damage control

Those were to me the mistakes Gus made. However, I think the players made as many individual errors on the pitch. No one really came away with too much credit from the game unfortunately.

...Apart from Kaz. Good post tho - so many odd decisions by Gus. Playing three at the back was only ever going to result in a battering in that game. What was he thinking?
 


Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,777
Worthing
We should have shut up shop at 3-1 when we knew we were beat. this has ruined our goal difference now.
 


Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ

Hove / Παρος
Apr 7, 2006
6,895
Hove / Παρος
The first time Gus decides to start with two wingers this season he chooses Liverpool at Anfield.... That was a seriously shit decision by Gus IMO. We really missed Matty Sparrow today, his energy and tenacity would have improved our chances in midfield. Ah well, onwards and upwards!
 


The Large One

Who's Next?
Jul 7, 2003
52,343
97.2FM
...Apart from Kaz. Good post tho - so many odd decisions by Gus. Playing three at the back was only ever going to result in a battering in that game. What was he thinking?

So f***ing what if we lost 6-1 rather than 3-1 - what point is there in 'we have what we hold' when you're losing a cup tie?

'Oh no, my poor tender self-esteem can't handle us getting beaten by so much. What will everyone think...?'
 




kevo

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2008
10,136
So f***ing what if we lost 6-1 rather than 3-1 - what point is there in 'we have what we hold' when you're losing a cup tie?

'Oh no, my poor tender self-esteem can't handle us getting beaten by so much. What will everyone think...?'

What about the team's self-esteem? And we would have stood a better chance of getting a result if we'd kept four at the back. We weren't doing too badly. Once we went down to three defenders it was obvious they were going to rip us to shreds.
 


The Large One

Who's Next?
Jul 7, 2003
52,343
97.2FM
What about the team's self-esteem? And we would have stood a better chance of getting a result if we'd kept four at the back. We weren't doing too badly. Once we went down to three defenders it was obvious they were going to rip us to shreds.

Yep. And...? We were being ripped to shreds with four defenders and an ineffective midfield. Better to be hung for a sheep than a lamb.

But it didn't work. Hey-ho. We move on.

You're only looking at the scoreline - I'm looking at the overall performances. We were just as shite at 3-1 as we were at 6-1.
 


Common as Mook

Not Posh as Fook
Jul 26, 2004
5,646
So f***ing what if we lost 6-1 rather than 3-1 - what point is there in 'we have what we hold' when you're losing a cup tie?

'Oh no, my poor tender self-esteem can't handle us getting beaten by so much. What will everyone think...?'

You usually talk sense, but that is bollocks I'm afraid.

If you have ever played the game you will realise that getting a pasting, regardless of the scoreline, is never EVER good for morale and team self esteem.
 






The Large One

Who's Next?
Jul 7, 2003
52,343
97.2FM
You usually talk sense, but that is bollocks I'm afraid.

If you have ever played the game you will realise that getting a pasting, regardless of the scoreline, is never EVER good for morale and team self esteem.

If that was a 6-1 hammering from, say, Northampton Town, I might agree.

True, it looks bad for the fans, but we're not in a position to put it right.

Once it's been dissected by the management, the players told what they did wrong, why they did it, and work on rectifying problems, they can move on. The scoreline, in this instance, came from the nature of the performance. It would be unprofessional to linger on the scoreline, so they must learn from the performance.

Do you know what happened to Crystal Palace immediately after their 9-0 defeat to Liverpool? They went and won two and drew one of their next three matches.
 
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andybaha

Active member
Jan 3, 2007
739
Piddinghoe
I find it difficult to criticise Gus because he has taken us from League 1 relegation candidates to the verge of the Championship play-offs and we were unbeaten in 2012 until yesterday.

BUT I do find some of what he does a bit strange. The team against Millwall looked wrong from the start and just got more unbalanced with every substitution. We finished the game with three centre forwards on the pitch, one as a winger and one in midfield. We also had one that cost £2.5million back in the dressing room.

Yesterday's team was probably as strong as he could put out, but again the substitutions were strange. El-Abd was our most effective defender simply because of his aggression and the fact he was likely to provoke a reaction and get someone sent off. It wasn't wrong to put Noone on but I would have taken Dunk off and left El-Abd on. Dunk seems a bit untouchable.

The CMS situation that puzzles me. The guy cost £2.5million but we seem to make no effort to play to his strengths. I feel sorry for the poor sod just running around chasing the ball. I thought Vokes might be the guy to hold the ball up or win a header for CMS to run onto but the two are hardly ever on the pitch together and when they are rather than one being behind the other CMS is pushed out onto the wing. For an out and out goalscorer like CMS his game is all about scoring goals. I think he would be happier scoring 30 goals a season in a poor team than 10 goals in a successful team. I really like his attitude so I hope he doesn't get fed up and ask for a move.
 




Common as Mook

Not Posh as Fook
Jul 26, 2004
5,646
If that was a 6-1 hammering from, say, Northampton Town, I might agree.

True, it looks bad for the fans, but we're not in a position to put it right.

Once it's been dissected by the management, the players told what they did wrong, why they did it, and work on rectifying problems, they can move on. The scoreline, in this instance, came from the nature of the performance. It would be unprofessional to linger on the scoreline, so they must learn from the performance.

Do you know what happened to Crystal Palace immediately after their 9-0 defeat to Liverpool? They went and won two and drew one of their next three matches.

That's all well and good, but not caring how many goals you concede is not what any professional team should do. We should have remained tight at the back.
 


kevo

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2008
10,136
That's all well and good, but not caring how many goals you concede is not what any professional team should do. We should have remained tight at the back.

Precisely. We looked like amateurs against professionals sadly - and gus must take some of the responsibility for that.
 


Mutts Nuts

New member
Oct 30, 2011
4,918
...Apart from Kaz. Good post tho - so many odd decisions by Gus. Playing three at the back was only ever going to result in a battering in that game. What was he thinking?

he`s learning he f***ed up again get over it.The man that never made a mistake never made anything,said it before saying it now.Just don`t blame the players Sundays result was Gus Poyets f*** up and he knows it,he should be man enough to admit it but he is not
 




GT49er

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2009
50,734
Gloucester
Oh come on, some of you - this is Liverpool we are talking about. Liverpool, who have had a few bad seasons by their standards (that means they weren't in the race to win the league come April - some 'bad' season!) Dalgleish has got them moving in the right direction; they have been inconsistant this season, but they were always going to take someone apart at some stage - just our bad luck it was us.
We are a developing Championship side (and developing very nicely, IMHO) but they had eleven players on the pitch, any of whom would have walked into our team, whereas we don't have any that would be likely to get in their's. They outclassed us. End of. No shame - every game we play measures how far we have come. This one was no different - it just showed that we've got a long way to go to be as good as Liverpool (who, incidentally, played Suarez, Carroll and Gerrard together for the first time).
 


Feb 24, 2011
2,843
Upper Bevendean
Those that are blaming Gus are very blinkered. Yes we got a pasting, it was on tv and it got embarrassing. We have got to rise above it and concentrate on the more important game up in Hull. Liverpool are a class act when they click, and unfortunately for us, they clicked yesterday. Playing Carroll, Suarez and Gerrard together worked like a dream for Kenny.
 


Ninja Elephant

Doctor Elephant
Feb 16, 2009
18,855
It is so easy to sit here and say we should have shut up shop at 3-1. We would be talking about Gus' refusal to sacrifice the defence to chase the game, if he hadn't made the changes. He did the right thing by going for it, it's a great shame it failed so spectacularly, but I'm glad we had a go. We didn't do what Leeds did at the Emirates, play for a draw and hope you nick a 0-0. We had ambition and gave it a go, we got thrashed. It opens up the old argument about whether you go for it, or whether you play not to get thrashed...
 


Shooting Star

Well-known member
Apr 29, 2011
2,893
Suffolk
In hindsight, I'd rather Gus had tried to limit the game to 3-1. But at the time, he gambled, and it could have paid off; remember a ball flashed across the box at 3-1 and a couple of crosses. If it goes 3-2, then he's a genius. Not to worry, Liverpool would carve anyone up on the counter like that.

Oh, and those blaming Brez for Dunk's own goal; yes, Brez flapped a bit, but it doesn't warrant Lewis taking a chest, knee and then eventually trying to whack it away.
 
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