Bratislava Home Game Build Up

[PuntsWolf]

Thats one for Nuno isn't. Seems Neves and Raul are both our penalty takers and determine before the game who will take them and in what order (so like Spurs last season where they took 1 each). Presume in Europe they have decided if Neves is on the pitch he will take the 1st one.

Obviously Nuno doesn't think he is bad at them (apart from last nights) or else he would remove him from them.

Well its hard to be “bad” at penalties. Dave Edwards would probably score 3 out of 4. The difference between bad (3 out of 4 or less) and good (7 out of 8 or better) is small but it’s enough to make a difference.

 

[Tony Towner]

Apparently the reasoning is that if Raul has already taken the last one against a particular goalkeeper then Ruben has the next one to stop familiarity from the goalkeepers perspective making it easier to guess. I think we will be re-visiting that!

Yes, that's what happened against Spurs last season. I can see the sense in the same 90 mins. Not sure it really stacks up a couple of weeks later though

 

[Kenny]

How many pens has Neves taken for us?

Obviously last night and Sheff Utd are his missed ones.

Pyunik
Spurs
Ajax (if we are inc Friendlies)
Everton

Any more?

 

[PuntsWolf]

I had it in my mind he missed one in a shootout or a friendly. Can’t remember when

 

[Kenny]

We lost to Bochum on pens in the H-Hotel Cup. Raul, Coady and Giles missed in that game.

 

[Kenny]

We have faced M City twice in shoot outs but Neves didnt play or wasnt on the pitch for the shoot outs

Looking back at our pens it does show 1 thing though....you can be bad at penalties. Coady has 0 from 3 record in shoot outs ( does have a 100% record in league games though)

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Nice to meet Darlo and Langers in the London. As for the game, we stuck at it and got the result in the end. Kilman looked comfortable but was hardly challenged so I agree some of the praise is a little surprising. Neves looks so much better alongside Moutinho rather than holding Coady's hand. Hopefully we are a bit more clinical on Sunday.

 

[Nando]

Neves missed one against Villareal last year. Absolute shocker too.

 

[Kenny]

Yeah, Nuno needs to tell him to concentrate on shots from 25 yards out

 

[Norman Deeley]

Paul Ince commented (I know, sorry) on BT last night that neither Adama nor Neto got into the box to support Raul. Do you think this is deliberate - Nuno wants to guard against a counter-attack - or that it's a part of their game that needs working on?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It's just not in Adama's make up at all (fine, although people will have to accept that he's going to be really low on goals in most years unless something dramatic changes).

Neto should be doing more of it, I do think people forget how young he is and how little senior football he's played. It's not like he resembles a competition winner every time he plays.

It can be done, Jarvis hardly ever used to score and his general finishing was awful for years. It all started to click though in his last year or so with us - then of course Bisto Tits signs him for West Ham and parks him on the right wing, good work.

 

[Premier Quality]

No, we get the fullbacks in the box instead, and those two stay wide to pick up the ball if it’s over hit or headed out that way.

Makes sense to have Doc in the box rather than Traore because he’s miles better in the air. Not so sure about the difference between Vini and Neto though.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Neves missed one against Villareal last year. Absolute shocker too.

That’s the one!

Missing 3 out of 7 is an abysmal record.

Paul Ince commented (I know, sorry) on BT last night that neither Adama nor Neto got into the box to support Raul. Do you think this is deliberate - Nuno wants to guard against a counter-attack - or that it's a part of their game that needs working on?

Yes it’s an issue. Means any delivery that doesn’t go near Raul is automatically a bad cross. Doc tends to get himself in there and so does Jonny (see newcastle). Adama is always going to stay wide, that’s instruction and allows Doc inside. Jota tends to get in there as well but Vinagre seemed to have no interest in getting involved. So I’d say last night it was more the players not doing the right thing than tactical instruction.

We need to get more goals from people other than Jota/Raul if we want to increase our goal output.

 

[Carrotdude]

I thought Neto looked ok, I like his energy and movement. His crossing was bad but he played better than Vinagre last night for me.

 

[Kenny]

Neto was in the box loads in the first half when Adama was crossing. The ball went over his head at the far post at least 5 times. He would have been better off staying on the edge of the area as that is where most of the crosses hit

 

[BillyDee]

Yeah, Nuno needs to tell him to concentrate on shots from 25 yards out

In rugby you can take a penalty kick at any point directly backwards of the mark. Maybe we need a rule change in football...

 

[Johnny75]

No.

He's had a few games where he has vanished, his corners have been a little wayward and he's been unable to create much this season.

Some of which I'd put down to the formation, some to the out ball to doc being missing and some due to the volume of games. No way on earth he's been our best player this season.

All about opinions, I wouldn't have Adama in the top 5 (Raul, Rui, Moutinho, Boly and Jonny) but he's in your top 2 which I find odd for a player who is so hot and cold. Moutinho never goes missing and his output is always top drawer as is his metronomic passing.

 

[YoungWolf]

Think Joao and Boly been our best players by some distance. Raul has been effective, but not quite his brilliant best just yet. I’d have adama in my top five perhaps

 

[Premier Quality]

Think Joao and Boly been our best players by some distance. Raul has been effective, but not quite his brilliant best just yet. I’d have adama in my top five perhaps

I’d agree with that. Could be either order for those two in one and two, Adama three, Raul four, Rui five.

It’s a bit of a nearly season so far with seven draws - Joao and Raul haven’t quite hit the heights of last season (though Joao is always awesome), whereas Adama is hugely improved.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I’d agree with that. Could be either order for those two in one and two, Adama three, Raul four, Rui five.

It’s a bit of a nearly season so far with seven draws - Joao and Raul haven’t quite hit the heights of last season (though Joao is always awesome), whereas Adama is hugely improved.

I would have Joao as #1 too and by a fair distance.

Our fans frequently confuse "best player" and "most improved player", they aren't the same thing (hence Rankine, Craddock, Doherty and Stearman winning POTY awards inexplicably). They also tend to vastly overvalue performances towards the end of the season when casting votes...

Democracy doesn't work.