ARTICLE: Today we gave the game away and that’s not like us

[ClaretTony]

Javi Gracia & Sean Dyche on today's game

See link
http://www.uptheclarets.com/today-we-ga ... ot-like-us" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MACCA]

What's our opening day record like, we always seem to struggle early on, even with our usually great home record, the first game seems to cause us problems.

Maybe 2 wins in the last 8 or so?

I'm not having a dig, just interesting.
Liverpool and Man United spring to mind but that's only 2 in the last however many.
We generally seem to start without a win, whatever league we are in.

[Tall Paul]

What's our opening day record like, we always seem to struggle early on, even with our usually great home record, the first game seems to cause us problems.

Maybe 2 wins in the last 8 or so?

I'm not having a dig, just interesting.
Liverpool and Man United spring to mind but that's only 2 in the last however many.
We generally seem to start without a win, whatever league we are in.

Liverpool was the second home game after we lost to Swansea in the first.

[Bordeauxclaret]

“Not like us”. That’s very true. I’ll start worrying if it becomes a regular occurrence.
These things happen.

[mybloodisclaret]

The title is exactly what I said after the game. Not a Burnley performance , but never mind it's one game. Let's get it on

[Silkyskills1]

'after they got the third we kept probing'

We kept going sideways and backwards making the remainder of the game seem even longer. It seemed no more than a training session for them after the third one was scored.

[Top Claret]

I thought from the KO today it looked like men against boys. Watford are a big physical side who can play a bit, they got in our faces and played us at our own game. We were not up for it. 2nd half we looked physically and mentally drained

[MACCA]

Liverpool was the second home game after we lost to Swansea in the first.

I'd like to know our last 10, first game of the season results.
I can't count too many, do you know them?

[FactualFrank]

A lot of people saw the same game, but it can be so different.

During the match thread, somebody questions if Hendrick was playing. A few minutes later and another posted about how he was our best player.

Top Claret above said it was men against boys; yet another poster said how well we played in the first half and were well on top.

Amazing, how people seeing the same game can have such a pretty much opposite angle.

[FCBurnley]

Thought we looked jaded and bereft of ideas after Watford scored their third. Hope Wood and JBG dont travel to Athens. Both look in need of a few days off.

[taio]

We were half a sleep in the first minutes and then we're the better side for the remainder of the half. We were dreadful in the second half. Hendrick was one of the best if not the best player for us.

[Tall Paul]

I'd like to know our last 10, first game of the season results.
I can't count too many, do you know them?

Not off the top of my head, but I know we've lost our opening home game in the last four PL seasons.

[Caernarfon_Claret]

Clinton Morrison saying how impressed he was with our passing football in the first half.

Watford improved and we went to sleep.

When was the last time we came from two goals down to win?

[bobinho]

Wood had a shocker.....how he made it as far as he did is beyond me.

Hendrick played well, but it didn't stop folk whinging. And as much as id like to use Europe as an excuse, we are two games in so that can't be the reason for such a lacklustre performance.

Ben Mee showed up twice. Once for a tackle in the box late in the second half, and once to berate Tarkowski and Lowton for dicking about when they really should've been getting on with the game. Pointless though really as we were well out of it by then.

We were unusually poor.

We go again.

[bfcjg]

They did to us what we tend to do to other teams i.e. don't let them settle chase force mistakes etc. Just a one off they happen.

[MACCA]

Not off the top of my head, but I know we've lost our opening home game in the last four PL seasons.

I know we drew 2-2 against Brum the promotion year, can remember losing 3-0 to Ipswich 1 season too, then in the Coyle promotion season we didn't win inn the first 3 I think.

Be interesting to know the last 10

[bodge]

It's a shame that the poor second half overshadowed what was a really bright encouraging first half where we played some really good stuff.

We threw one in after half time, which was unusual. We are not great at chasing games, which is something we do need to improve upon.

I'm sure this will be very much the exception to the rule in terms of performances, as we don't tend to make individual ricks like we did today.

[MACCA]

18th August 2012 last time we won our first home game of the season.
Surprised at that as our home form is usually our strength.

[jrgbfc]

Problem is if a team from our league is up for a scrap and matches us in a battle they will more than likely beat us as we certainly aren't going to outfootball anyone.

[Cirrus_Minor]

We were slow out of the blocks for both halves and they took good advantage of it. Probably should have taken advantage of a dominant first half.

[Cirrus_Minor]

We were slow out of the blocks for both halves and they took good advantage of it. Probably should have taken advantage of a dominant first half.

[boatshed bill]

It's a shame that the poor second half overshadowed what was a really bright encouraging first half where we played some really good stuff.

Perhaps we are not good enough at playing what is seen as good stuff, just knock it up to the front man (preferably Barnes) and fight for the knock downs.
Just a thought

[dsr]

Perhaps we are not good enough at playing what is seen as good stuff, just knock it up to the front man (preferably Barnes) and fight for the knock downs.
Just a thought

Definitely when it was 1-3. We know how hard it is to score past that sort of defence, because that's how we defend when we're winning. Instead of pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-goalkeeper, we should have brought Barnes and/or Vokes on sooner and got it into the penalty area. As it was, Watford didn't even feel like they were under pressure - all they had to do was keep running around and making sure we didn't have any space. If we had lumped it in towards Vokes a few more times and tried to pick up the knock-downs, Watford would have known they were in a game at least - that might have put them under a bit more pressure.

[Vino blanco]

Hendrick at number 10, joke. Wood, good striker, up on his own up front. Get out of Europe soon, otherwise, and I hate this, we are bottom six.

[Steddyman]

Hendrick at number 10, joke. Wood, good striker, up on his own up front. Get out of Europe soon, otherwise, and I hate this, we are bottom six.

I thought Hendrick was outstanding today, he got in behind their defence quite a few times. I don't know what the obsession is with Hendrick bashing from so many fans

Wood was dreadful.

[Vino blanco]

God bless you.

[claretblue]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/20 ... l-updates/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MACCA]

Undone by 3 excellent goals.
The team move and finish for their first was exquisite.
Their 2nd was also a great goal, the calm half volley pass and outside of the boot finish
The 3rd he capitalised on a bad ball, before Gray drags a player away and a fine finish from Hughes.

're the Hendrick bashing. No bashing, just he picked the wrong option twice in the box, other than that for a number 10, he created zero. None of the team did really, however he was often no where near Wood, and any pull backs etc he wasn't making the runs or being in the right places.
If you're looking at him as a number 10, he was poor, as a midfielder he did ok without pulling up any trees.
Number 10s are the link between midfield and striker, and usually the main creator of chances/goals.

It was a bad day at the office, the Europa league and a poor transfer window is showing signs of effecting us.

We need bodies back asap, with players playing in their correct positions, quite how we've had to play square pegs in round holes so many times so early on is frustrating.
The starting 11 hasn't been strengthened, and you could argue we are weaker with the forward options than this time last year.

[beddie]

I mention on the rate the ref thread, their two pacey and strong strikers made a big difference, that's where we fall short. It should have been addressed in the window.