The Jol Verdict

[ricardo_archibald]

Source: Official Site

Martin Jol looks back on the opening day setback at Sunderland and ahead to our first home game of the Premier League campaign against Everton...

IT WAS A poor performance from us up at Sunderland on Saturday but, while I wouldn't have been pleased with a 0-0, it was the most we could have hoped for because we didn't play well enough, simple as that.

I don't think we did a lot of things right with our build-up and possession play - we looked like we were just playing a big possession game with no purpose.

Our strength is playing the ball three or four times before pushing forward in a very quick transition. We've got the players for this but we came up short at the Stadium of Light.

To lose a point in the final seconds is hard to take and I feel especially sorry for our supporters who made the long trip in their thousands and backed the team throughout.

You don't win anything on the first day though, but it was a bad start and we were desperate for a good one. Before the game we were all extremely motivated and you could feel that in the dressing room - we know what a big occasion the first game of a new season is.

You can't ask for 120 per cent, but you can ask for the last ten per cent. I felt they had that and we didn't. Each and every one of the players was angry with the performance and must use this as a motivating force next time out.

We want a big reaction against Everton. It will be more or less the same set of players and they have to stand up and be counted. It was a big kick in the teeth, but we have to bounce back and make sure it is us landing the blows next time.

We are playing at home and the fans will know how important it is for us to get the three points before we are back at the Lane again to take on Derby County. A good start is still possible for us, although three points on the opening day would have been a whole lot better.

Beating Everton will be a big task because they are a strong side as we saw last season. I feel with the support of our crowd we have to do well. It was a bad day at the office for us on Saturday against Sunderland and it mustn't happen again.

[tingy98]

Source: Official Site

I don't think we did a lot of things right with our build-up and possession play - we looked like we were just playing a big possession game with no purpose.

It will be more or less the same set of players and they have to stand up and be counted. It was a big kick in the teeth, but we have to bounce back and make sure it is us landing the blows next time.

It was a bad day at the office for us on Saturday against Sunderland and it mustn't happen again.

The most concerning part is that he is going to pretty much use the same set of players....... :bang:

Got a feeling that i'm not going to like the long walk after the match in the rain tonight over the bridge and to tesco's car park... usually it clears the rage!!!

Hopefully I'll be happy!!

[14/04/91]

"Our strength is playing the ball three or four times before pushing forward in a very quick transition"

the trouble is you can't do this against teams that sit on the edge of their own box!!! And S'land were always going to get 9 men behind the ball.
We've struggled against teams like this for years and it's all down to a lack of width. We can't keep playing central players like Tainio out wide in a 4 man midfield. And Malbranque has to be a wide man or a sub.

[Jonesey]

Agree. Malbranque is not a winger but who else have we got? And I would rather see Routledge on the right than Tainio because TT's nowhere near a winger.

If JJ and Zokora start in CM we should all prepare ourselves for a long, frustrating and potentially infuriating game ...

[ShelfSide18]

I think Jol knows a bit more than what you people are saying. I know who i'm gonna trust.

[Shirtfront]

I don't mind starting with the same side (more or less) so long as we have options on the bench if it doesn't look like working. That means only one of the strikers for me, and more creative midfielder in his place (Taraabt or whoever Jol thinks best fills this role).

Look at it this way: if we're not winning I doubt very much its because the 3 strikers we have in the side for the day are not good enough. So why have a fourth?

[OrangeTHFC]

The most concerning part is that he is going to pretty much use the same set of players....... :bang:

Got a feeling that i'm not going to like the long walk after the match in the rain tonight over the bridge and to tesco's car park... usually it clears the rage!!!

Hopefully I'll be happy!!
I don't agree with the idea there's a permanent lack of creativity. IMO we've enough creative players.

Creativity is created as a unity in which some players can excel, but if (especially in midfield or attack) someone plays hide-and-seek you've got a serious problem.

Was it underachieving, underestimating, overconcentrating, form of the day or anything else?
Can't see it from here, but the point everyone was blaming the other one points out the expectations were not similar to eachother and I expect Jol to cut that out soon.

Revenge on themselves could start tonight. It must!

[Timspurs]

Come on Jol it's about time you kicked some arse on the training field and dressing room and told them to buck up and play for the shirt and not there pay packet!! Certain players need to be dropped to realise there not safe.

[bigspurs]

Jol has to end his love affair with playing 4 central midfielders. It clearly unbalances the structure and options of the attack play. If we have a winger (Routledge) available, then we need to play him/them. And if that means dropping Tanio or Jenas then so be it.

Why can't he at least on occasion play a diamond formation and allow the full backs to make runs?

Lets just hope we get back on track tonight. Come on Jol, give the forwards a chance to get some shots on target!

COYS!!!

[Parmenio]

well come on, it was one loss in what I always thought would be a tough game, even though I expected us to win.

That we didn't play well was the most disappointing thing for me, especially in the second half.

However usual bunch of over-reation, lets change half the team, we're crap and you know it, posts have put me off responding until now.

We had periods of good mounting pressure in the first half, just lacked that edge, that extra bit of something that was needed to capitalise on our buildup. We looked off the pace from front to back, but especially when trying to put together a good attack from midfield (with possible exception on Malbranque in the first half), but this can happen at the start of the season.

It was disappointing to loose, as I though that was a defensive lapse, by a few people in the back four.

I'll hold off panicing for a few more games though. you can never, ever judge a trend based on one performance... and compared to the end of last season, then there is no trend of a lack of creativity.

People say we always stuggle to break these teams down: well shock horror, that is the point of the tactic... ALL teams struggle to break these teams down. The fact is we did break them down a lot in the latter half of last season.

[DanNolan]

Good post above totally agree.
Zokora Hudd and JJ should all play tonigh, Everton have no width either so we shud play to the strength we have in the fit players. Midfielders in the centre. Maybe keane should play att mid today ot taarabt

[Kurtzen]

"...and make sure it is us landing the blows next time.'

Feather dusters at the ready....Attack!?

[davidmatzdorf]

I don't mind starting with the same side (more or less) so long as we have options on the bench if it doesn't look like working. That means only one of the strikers for me, and more creative midfielder in his place (Taraabt or whoever Jol thinks best fills this role).

Look at it this way: if we're not winning I doubt very much its because the 3 strikers we have in the side for the day are not good enough. So why have a fourth?

Like you, I thought the starting 11 selection was sensible against Sunderland, but I was unhappy with the bench.

As I have posted elsewhere, I have a disturbing suspicion that the reason why we had 4 strikers in the squad of 16 and no creative midfielder (except Huddlestone, who isn't exactly a grab-the-match-by-the-scruff player, despite his excellent shot on Saturday) had nothing to do with winning the match and everything to do with preventing malicious press stories about which of the 4 strikers was "out of favour". If so, it's no way to select a team.