By CandH’s top blogger Allen Cummings
There is no denying the result against Liverpool was a huge disappointment. To lose 3-1 at home to the champions, in itself is no disaster. But it’s the manner of the defeat that’s so difficult to swallow.
I was reasonably happy with the 0-0 score line at half time. We’d looked comfortable, not allowed the visitors any clear chances and been threatening ourselves on occasions, although they were few and far between it has to be said.
I was relatively confident of us stepping it up in the second half. Obviously Liverpool were buoyed by their win over the spuds in mid week but I felt we could go on and get something out of the game.
Of course it didn’t quite happen that way. We were undone by a player in Mo Salah who seems to make a habit of scoring goals against us – his tally now standing at nine.
His second goal was sheer magic, it has to be said – grudgingly! Of course it wasn’t long before the old negativity, thankfully missing it recent weeks, was rearing its ugly head again on social media.
One supporter even claimed Jurgen Klopp barely had the means to cobble a team together, and yet we’d failed to beat them. Well that didn’t look like a cobbled together team to me -with internationals from back to front!
Sadly the energy and drive we showed in abundance at Selhurst Park only a few days earlier deserted us. What makes a team, not just a couple of individuals, look half a yard slower in body and thought, all at the same time, is a mystery.
David Moyes must have been as baffled as the rest of us as he looked on. But credit to the manager – he didn’t ball-out the players in public, like some other managers have done.
That’s not his style. Moyes is building a commendable team spirit amongst his players and he knows they are in this together. All for one and one for all.
Tomas Soucek has already said the team are not looking back, but ahead to the game against Aston Villa on Wednesday.
“We have the chance to go better and go back to winning ways,” says Tomas. “It’s great that we can show that very soon. Aston Villa is another difficult game, but I am happy we have only two days until it comes around.”
Villa, like us, are having the kind of season no-one predicted. We enjoyed a 2-1 victory over them at the London Stadium earlier in the season – but they will pose a big threat at Villa Park.
Their tails will be up after victory against Southampton at the Saint Mary’s stadium on Saturday – although they rode their luck a little thanks to a couple of debateable VAR decisions .
But this is a winnable game for us – that’s certainly what Moyes will be telling his players. The boys will know they didn’t do themselves justice on Sunday, but they have the ability to make it away victory number seven on Wednesday.
One defeat all year and against the champions at that, and out come all the negative comments, absolutely ridiculous. We are fifth in the league and could cement that position tomorrow night.
I for one am extremely happy so far, so come on you irons!!
Is this a joke? Villa played is off the park when we somehow won. I’ll be amazed if we get a shot on goal let alone score. It could get embarrassing tomorrow
It was a run of lucky games. The matches over Christmas were far better, and against better squads (generally).
COYI!
I’m guessing you’re the one embarrassed this morning Arwyn. Not what you were expecting obviously. What little faith you have.
You’ve got a short memory – West Ham only beat Villa last time due to a very debatable (and wrong) VAR decision. West Ham could barely get out of their half all match and scored with the two shots they had.
And Aston Villa won against Southampton due to two poor VAR calls.
How VAR has been implemented has ruined the EPL this year.
Playing counter attack football suits WHU and has worked to date. Scoring when the opportunity presents is part of that approach. Villa should try it, instead of firing blanks.
Neither squad will end in top six, so take a pill.
Remind me what the score was Bob – and who took the points? You get nothing for ‘nearly’ winning.
Everyone has the same schedule.We still need to play to win in the league.Not sure about you,butI would rather be in 4th,5th or 6th than slipping back into mid table.If we beat Manu in the FA cup ,then great.I want us to stay within the top 6 too.
Work it out, with yesterday’s match we’re facing 4 games in 9 days. Can we realistically expect the same 11, 12, or 13 senior. first teamers to play in all 4 ? Could you not make a case for resting players over the next 2 league games and make Tuesdays cup game our target? This would probably not go down so well with some but from what I’ve witnessed this season that the tactics employed by Moyes often results in players running on empty with a chunk of each match remaining. This seemed even more apparent when playing twice in a week. Going full tilt at every game could end in tears for the next half of the season.
Surely being 5th in the league means that it has to come before the cup, no? It might be ourbest chance for 10 years to finish in the top 7.
I’m afraid I don’t agree with you, Allen. Liverpool were somewhat cobbled together. Yes they were a team of internationals but so are many teams these days. Had we gone out with positive tactics, taken the game to them and not been the usual negative Moyes team then we likely would have had a better chance of getting something from the game. Instead, we were run ragged.
As for Villa, they were all over us earlier in the season and only lost because they missed a late penalty. We can’t keep playing the same way, week-in, week-out and expect to keep getting results. Teams will work out how to beat us.
I’ve just seen King has gone to Everton for around £5m. Seriously, we couldn’t afford that? Moyes wanted him in the summer so surely would have wanted him now. Very disappointing.