Football League 2023/24 - 4-6th August, 2023

[N U F C]

Cardiff defended very well to be fair.

[The Palace Fan]

That's got to hurt for Cardiff.

[Bluebird Hewitt]

SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!

Did everything right, but a bit of luck for Leeds bobbles through to Summerville to score.

2-2.

[Stan]

Sucker punch for Cardiff. What a start to the season that would have been. 

[Bluebird Hewitt]

Considering I wasn't expecting anything from this, I can't argue with a point against a newly relegated team from the prem. Despite the injuries Leeds have, they still had the quality to put us away.

Was nice to be clinical for a change, even if the second goal was poor defending. Bowler looks like he'll do well for us, as he looked to drive forward whenever possible. I was expecting a bit more from Grant, but hoping that's just a one off.

[Whiskey]

Leeds fucking up my first accumulator of the season. Stupid cunts.

[Bluebird Hewitt]

3 minutes ago, Whiskey said:

Leeds fucking up my first accumulator of the season. Stupid cunts.

Long may it continue. 

[Whiskey]

Just now, Bluebird Hewitt said:

Long may it continue. 

f u

[Stan]

Ipswich take the lead extremely fortunately. Long range shot deflected off their own player to wrong foot the goalie. 

[Lucas]

Cardiff. Cardiff. Cardiff.

Doesn't matter what we do, when we play them, whether we're miles better than them, it just never goes well. So bloody annoying dropping points to them because they haven't really got a lot to hurt you with.

At the end of the day, they will be gutted to concede so late, understandable. But 9 times out of 10 we win that game on those stats.

Cardiff have to be greatful with a point because they did very little going forward and barely made it over the halfway line Second Half. But we have only ourselves to blame for going 2-0 down anyway. Joke to concede two really to a side like that, which tells you how powderpuff our defence is.

Rince and repeat for us isn't it, usual shitshow at the back and that's cost us 3pts today. Us conceding from the first shot on target we face this season is just textbook Leeds. It completely saps you and for the team, destroys your confidence whilst we're so fragile.

The worst defence in the league last season has pretty much the same personel bar a CB playing LB. Where have we seen that before? So no one shouldn't expect any different, it's the same basic mistakes. Got to change.

Let's be completely blunt. Footballing wise, we were clearly the better side. But we've given two soft goals away against a side who haven't really done anything special to make them. That is the Championship to a tee.

Hjelde looked like a CB playing as a makeshift LB and Ayling in particular at the heart of both goals conceded. Absolutely past it. Drameh should walk into his spot when he's back fit.

As I said before, we'd no striker, no focal point. We couldn't just put balls in the box because there was no physical presence in there. It was mainly all tippy tappy stuff in and around the edge of an area where Cardiff were just camped in and it didn't really come off. I'd actually say in Cardiff's defence, they defended well enough, even if it did look a bit raggid at times.

We will need to be more dynamic and creative with our play, but I said all Summer we're going to have a slow start whilst we have so much to sort out. Farke won't dick about I don't think. He's seen enough of the good and bad today to know things have to be acted on quick as possible.

Just annoying to drop points to a team like them as we always seem to do, least it wasn't a loss I guess from 2-0 down.

Positives mainly was Archie Gray. At 17, he put in an unbelievable performance, could be a star as long as he keeps doing the simple things right and a nice compliment to Ampadu, who also looks a good signing. 

Summerville looked an absolute pest and was the best attacker today for us, didn't see enough of Sinisterra's qualities really but he'll have his time.

Lots to do though. That team today should look a lot different come September, and hopefully for the better. At least one CB, a specialist LB with a left foot, a Number 10 and a proper Number 9 absolutely necessary.

Edited August 6, 2023 by Lucas

[Lucas]

On 04/08/2023 at 01:22, Lucas said:

I think you need to be more encouraged and hopeful by the fact you are our bogey side, it's the perfect time to play us first game, we have lost Bamford and Rutter as striker options and you have signings of your own keen to show what they can do and a team wanting to impress their new manager. 

I really don't expect a win. I can see this being a 1-1 draw and us struggling with such a blunt attack.

Not far off. Got the draw right at least. We missed potancy in the attack and so it proved, bit of a grind today.

[Dan+]

Over the fucking moon. Get the fuck in.

[Dan+]

I think we got away with it a lot today but I also don't see that as something to be concerned about in the long run as I think today was never going to be plain sailing. Our XI was totally imbalanced as expected. If you're going to appoint a Pep disciple, you have to really buy into it as a club and get him what he wants otherwise it's pointless. We have so far done about half of what I think we should've done this summer so there is plenty of work to do.

The point though was that we got the result despite the shortcomings. I think Hamer went off way too early for them and I think we've got to be brutally honest with ourselves as a club about Vardy's role now. Iheanacho outperforms him 9 times out of 10. When we got promoted in 2014 we had Kevin Phillips as a part of the squad as a veteran and he retired that season. That's the role Vardy needs to play now in my opinion. He's being marked out of games too easily.

I saw plenty of good signs in that performance. Some concerns as well for sure but I think with a few more additions our ceiling is probably highest of anybody in the division. That we've beaten a team I expect to push the top 6 again when we're nowhere near the finished article is quite comforting for me.

We got lucky today but we needed that, it feels big and it's always great beating them. They really cannot win at Leicester. They have a mental block here.

[Pyfish+]

Sunderland game was good. Sunderland dominated for the first half and then Ipswich for the second. The 13 minutes of added time were the most exciting as Sunderland looked like getting the equaliser. Could have been a whole different game if Jobe Bellingham hadn't missed a golden chance in the first half.

[Coma]

16 hours ago, Lucas said:

Cardiff. Cardiff. Cardiff.

Doesn't matter what we do, when we play them, whether we're miles better than them, it just never goes well. So bloody annoying dropping points to them because they haven't really got a lot to hurt you with.

At the end of the day, they will be gutted to concede so late, understandable. But 9 times out of 10 we win that game on those stats.

Cardiff have to be greatful with a point because they did very little going forward and barely made it over the halfway line Second Half. But we have only ourselves to blame for going 2-0 down anyway. Joke to concede two really to a side like that, which tells you how powderpuff our defence is.

Rince and repeat for us isn't it, usual shitshow at the back and that's cost us 3pts today. Us conceding from the first shot on target we face this season is just textbook Leeds. It completely saps you and for the team, destroys your confidence whilst we're so fragile.

The worst defence in the league last season has pretty much the same personel bar a CB playing LB. Where have we seen that before? So no one shouldn't expect any different, it's the same basic mistakes. Got to change.

Let's be completely blunt. Footballing wise, we were clearly the better side. But we've given two soft goals away against a side who haven't really done anything special to make them. That is the Championship to a tee.

Hjelde looked like a CB playing as a makeshift LB and Ayling in particular at the heart of both goals conceded. Absolutely past it. Drameh should walk into his spot when he's back fit.

As I said before, we'd no striker, no focal point. We couldn't just put balls in the box because there was no physical presence in there. It was mainly all tippy tappy stuff in and around the edge of an area where Cardiff were just camped in and it didn't really come off. I'd actually say in Cardiff's defence, they defended well enough, even if it did look a bit raggid at times.

We will need to be more dynamic and creative with our play, but I said all Summer we're going to have a slow start whilst we have so much to sort out. Farke won't dick about I don't think. He's seen enough of the good and bad today to know things have to be acted on quick as possible.

Just annoying to drop points to a team like them as we always seem to do, least it wasn't a loss I guess from 2-0 down.

Positives mainly was Archie Gray. At 17, he put in an unbelievable performance, could be a star as long as he keeps doing the simple things right and a nice compliment to Ampadu, who also looks a good signing. 

Summerville looked an absolute pest and was the best attacker today for us, didn't see enough of Sinisterra's qualities really but he'll have his time.

Lots to do though. That team today should look a lot different come September, and hopefully for the better. At least one CB, a specialist LB with a left foot, a Number 10 and a proper Number 9 absolutely necessary.

It was nice to see them fight back at least.  Any other time they'd have folded at 0-2 down.  Clearly Farke but a boot up the arse at halftime.  What did you make of Byram?

[Lucas]

9 hours ago, Coma said:

It was nice to see them fight back at least.  Any other time they'd have folded at 0-2 down.  Clearly Farke but a boot up the arse at halftime.  What did you make of Byram?

Yes mate, there was spirit in the team which was a good thing to see when you factor in that we had 8 players starting 23 years or younger.

I actually think the officials robbed us off 2 or 3 more mins because Cooper's was a lengthy injury and there were 10 subs, surely had to have been more than 6 given the new rules but it will have inconsistencies I'm sure.

Byram did well, but I think he was made to look much better because Hjelde was so poor. You know what, I feel for Hjelde a bit. He's just another guy shoved into the LB slot who is really a CB and he didn't look comfortable there to me.

Byram should certainly start next game for now however, he's a squad player at best for me. You want a strong left footer there who doesn't need to cut back on their right foot eachtime. 

[The Palace Fan]

Maybe the bookies haven't underpriced Ipswich.

[Dan+]

Early to say it but I think Winks is going to prove too good for this league. He'll never be a goal / assist machine but Storts was correct, he's built for how this manager wants us to play and I think he's been a victim of playing under the wrong type of manager for him.

High hopes for him. Get his career back on track and I think you've bagged a top half PL midfielder for about ten million. The more I think about it the more shrewd I think it is.

[Lucas]

Either that's a lot of American's tuning in to see us now given their involvement recently or a lot of Premier League fans have missed their fix of Football, saw we were on, and fancied a laugh.

Good publicity for the EFL mind.

Edited August 8, 2023 by Lucas