In all the grumbling forgot to say, our goal was a peach…passing move down the left, two balls square across the box (Rodrigo & Klich?)… for Raph to place in the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Sent from my iPad > On 26 Sep 2021, at 10:05, Nick <[email protected]> wrote: > > If they hadn’t had that last minute winner I would feel that this was a > pretty good day at the office - 7 first teams injuries, playing two > relatively inexperienced youngsters - a bench of 12 year olds - against a > seasoned team having a pretty good start. One all would have felt OK. This > doesn’t. > > At 1-0, we hit the post (Raphinha again - they didn’t know what to do about > him, so they kicked him, when they could catch him); had a good penalty shout > turned down and missed two or three more decent chances. The came their > disallowed goal. A high ball in, several people go up, Meslier is in a heap > on the ground, someone bundles in the goal. Leeds players are incensed, WHam > players seem uncertain. They go to VAR - and show it on the big screen, which > I didn’t think was how it was done - the video clearly shows their #9 leading > with his elbow and smashing it through Meslier’s face - the keeper’s head > snaps back on impact - so the goal is disallowed, the Leeds crowd is going > mental for a red card for their guy, instead he gets a yellow. > > Minutes later their #9 clatters Cooper, again with his elbow. A bookable > offence…not this time. > > Then someone follows through on Meslier - who apparently had to change his > shirt after the first incident, and I can only guess that that was because of > blood - there’s no foul given. Meslier goes nuts at the ref and earns a > yellow card. > > Finally they get a deserved equaliser - the pressure has been good and > sustained - but the manner of it was less so, apparently a double deflection > (we couldn’t see what happened), eventually going in off Firpo’s backside. > > Then with 5 minutes of injury time clocked up, their #9 muscles through and > scores the winner. Cue mini pitch invasion by the W Ham fans. > > That’s the bones of it. We were the better team in the first half. Although > both sides created and wasted good chances / half-chances. Cresswell stood up > and wrestled with that #9 all game and had a really solid game. He’s a > definite on the team sheet for Watford. He was a little nervous in some of > his distribution later in the game, when there was less movement ahead of > him, but that’s about the only fault, I can find and that is being picky. > Cooper would now be my 5th choice (perhaps even 6th after Kalvin…) centre > half. > > W Ham spent the whole game battering Meslier and Raphinha - every corner they > got that #9 was leaning on the keeper trying to rough him up. The ref pulled > him up a couple of times. > > Once Raphinha went off, we had no real outlet - Rodrigo, Harrison, Roberts > combined didn’t give the team what Raph or Bamford on their own usually do. > And we just fell deeper and deeper. > > Meslier - had a sterling game in very difficult circumstances - deserved > better protection from the referee - that was a red card challenge. Made > several good saves. > Shackleton - well, I think that is the best right back performance this > season - mobile, good challenging and positional play - not the tallest, so > liable to get beaten in the air but there’s not much he can do about that > Firpo - another ‘best game so far’ for us I think…there is work to be done, > to be convincing, but it is not out of his reach > Cresswell - said it all above - stand out game > Cooper - his kind of battle, this game, and he did OK > Phillips - is in danger of moving beyond some of his team mates…he still > makes mistakes, and he still is not the fastest, but without him we are much > less of a team, he holds it all together. But he can’t do it himself. I think > he really misses having the guile of Hernandez next to him. > Klich - one of his better games, pushing forward from the middle, covered a > lot of ground, ultimately faded > Dallas - was solid in his own way, but lacks the sparkle of 6 months ago > Raphinha - was basically unplayable yesterday - an absolute joy to watch > Rodrigo - what do you do with a ‘forward’ who is tremendously hard working, > but never on the end of crosses, rarely gets a shot away and genuinely seems > to pose no threat to the opposition goal? > James - played the first half. Barely noticed him > > Harrison on for James in the second half - had a couple of flurries and one > scuffed shot but seemed lethargic - someone said he might not be fully > recovered from Covid and I guess that’s fair > Roberts - came on and does what he does but this rapidly proving not to be > good enough. He’s basically doing the same as he did for two years in the > Championship. > Somerville - came on, made a couple of good links / runs down the wing, but > they came to nothing. > > I suspect if W Ham had scored 5 minutes earlier we might have had Geldhart on. > > It was a good battling performance that tailed off under pressure - everyone > seemed tired towards the end. But its really difficult to swallow the defeat > to that goal by that player. > > I would like a win, and I think we’re too good to not get one soon…we just > need some injured players back and a bit of luck. > > Nick > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: https://mailman.gn.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/leedslist/ > > Rest in Peace Guy, and wear your hat! _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: https://mailman.gn.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/leedslist/ Rest in Peace Guy, and wear your hat!
