Pep's Press Conferences - Watford (A) Post Match (Page 129)

[shinpads]

never ceases to amaze me how many people , be it in the press or on here dont actually listen to what he says. tackles isnt the issue, he calls it duels, and that is what he recognises is the issue, we have to win duels and tackling is not the only way to do this. He has also been saying it for weeks if not months that we have problems in both boxes. We arent strong enough defensively and we arent clinical enough going forward. He has recognised this and it would be stupid to think he is not trying to do something about it.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

never ceases to amaze me how many people , be it in the press or on here dont actually listen to what he says. tackles isnt the issue, he calls it duels, and that is what he recognises is the issue, we have to win duels and tackling is not the only way to do this. He has also been saying it for weeks if not months that we have problems in both boxes. We arent strong enough defensively and we arent clinical enough going forward. He has recognised this and it would be stupid to think he is not trying to do something about it.

But when a tackle is totally and unavoidably necessary it has to be made. I haven't seen much of yesterday's match - the fuckin' weather buggered up the transmission so I stopped watching - but some of the tackling versus CFC was lamentable. It could only be described as 'dangling a foot'! Where's the tackling that made de Jong and GazBaz so instrumental to success?

 

[doobyedoobye]

He's just had one of the worst defeats of his career. This post match chat was never going to be pretty.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Not liking saying this at all, but that was very Hughesesc.

 

[jay_mcfc]

never ceases to amaze me how many people , be it in the press or on here dont actually listen to what he says. tackles isnt the issue, he calls it duels, and that is what he recognises is the issue, we have to win duels and tackling is not the only way to do this. He has also been saying it for weeks if not months that we have problems in both boxes. We arent strong enough defensively and we arent clinical enough going forward. He has recognised this and it would be stupid to think he is not trying to do something about it.

Excellent post.

 

[r.soleofsalford]

He's too cocky by far , no fucking idea about this league , his arrogance is astounding at times, no tacking ? Really ?

Your idea of arrogance is different than mine. I see someone who has belief in his ways, whether I total agree with what he`s done since taking over or not is something else.


Mourinho now there`s one arrogant ****.

 

[Dubai Blue]

There's a school of thought in Spain that if you have to resort to tackling then you've already made several mistakes getting yourself into that position. As such, they believe that defenders who constantly have to tackle are not doing their job properly. Whether you agree with it or not, that's the point Pep was trying to make.

 

[manimanc]

We need a major overhaul. I feel for Pep I really do, he's inherited a squad that's had its best years. He's trying to integrate youngsters whilst changing the philosophy of the club. Yesterday shown how thin we are on the ground. This season I think is going to an eye opener for Pep and us, he'll learn this season what the prem is all about. It happened with klopp at the mickeys. Great start, tailed off and sort of levelled out. Last night I was absolutely livid. But after getting over myself and stepping back I realised the squad we got ain't exactly ripping up trees. One thing I will say is that Pep is very gracious in defeat. He is calm, maybe too calm sometimes after a defeat, never gets rattled and never points the blame at anyone or anything else. These next few games are important. I've resigned myself to just getting top 4 this season. Maybe a cup run.

 

[shinpads]

But when a tackle is totally and unavoidably necessary it has to be made. I haven't seen much of yesterday's match - the fuckin' weather buggered up the transmission so I stopped watching - but some of the tackling versus CFC was lamentable. It could only be described as 'dangling a foot'! Where's the tackling that made de Jong and GazBaz so instrumental to success?

when you are two down after 4minutes , its not down to tackling, when you have 76% possession its not down to tackling (how do you tackle when you have the ball?) . Yesterday it was down to not tracking vardy for the first , a run he made all last season, and for vardys second , a long ball and brilliant touch to put vardy through could not have been stopped by tackling. Winning the duel with vardy would have worked but no one tracked him to have the duel and make it hard for him. And as they tired at the end of the game if we had been more clinical we could have actually got something out of the game. As bad as it was yesterday, I can still see what we are trying to achieve and when it comes good , which it will, it will be amazing.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

when you are two down after 4minutes , its not down to tackling, when you have 76% possession its not down to tackling (how do you tackle when you have the ball?) . Yesterday it was down to not tracking vardy for the first , a run he made all last season, and for vardys second , a long ball and brilliant touch to put vardy through could not have been stopped by tackling. Winning the duel with vardy would have worked but no one tracked him to have the duel and make it hard for him. And as they tired at the end of the game if we had been more clinical we could have actually got something out of the game. As bad as it was yesterday, I can still see what we are trying to achieve and when it comes good , which it will, it will be amazing.

It will indeed but I just wonder what further inputs have to be made beyond doing simple stuff. We spend nigh on £50m on a 'world class' CB who, it is generally believed has enormous potential still, makes a back pass I regularly observed on Debdale Park or Hough End. Woeful!

Yer right about the tackling. I should have said we still allow clinical players far too much space for them to do the simple thing.